BLACKBERRY TORCH 9810 REVIEW

t's no secret that RIM is struggling to compete in today's ultra-competitive smartphone market, playing both hardware and software catch-up to the likes of Android and iOS.

So does the launch of its first full-capacitive-touchscreen smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 9860, herald a change in fortunes for the Canadian company?

We've snaffled some hands on video time with the new phone, so check out our findings:

We took a good hard hands-on look at the new handset to find out where the new Torch shines brightest.

To start with, it certainly doesn't have the premium feel of the iPhone 4 or even the touch-and-type BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900. The chassis is pure plastic, with the glossy black finish proving to be the forensic examiner's dream, what with its ability to cling on to fingerprints and smudges.

The 3.6-inch touchscreen is fairly bright, although we're not convinced that it will fare too well in direct sunlight as it is super reflective.

There's a front-facing camera on the handset too, for video calling and cheesy profile-picture taking.

Unlike many Android manufacturers, RIM has kept a few buttons alongside the Torch 9860's touch control. Under the touchscreen are four navigation buttons and an optical trackpad; call and end, menu and back - these are physical buttons rather than soft keys.

As is RIM's wont, the lock/power button sits on the top side of the handset while the back features a 5MP snapper which comes with an LED flash situated a few centimetres away.

To take pictures, there's a rubberised, slightly raised shutter button on the edge of the handset, with volume controls nearby. These buttons are very subtle but also kind of difficult to actually press, which may mean you're safe from accidentally turning the volume up and down in your pocket, but does make taking pictures a bit of a pain.

The other edge of the Torch 9860 is home to the micro USB port.

Read out Next page

From: Source