BlackBerry Torch is a series of
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s manufactured by
BlackBerry Ltd
BlackBerry Limited is a Canadian software company specializing in cybersecurity. Founded in 1984, it was originally known as Research In Motion (RIM). As RIM, it developed the BlackBerry brand of interactive pagers, smartphones, and tablets ...
. The lineup consists of the following:
*
BlackBerry Torch 9800, the first phone in the series, powered by BlackBerry OS 6.
* BlackBerry Torch 9810, which physically mimics the 9800, but with improved internal hardware and BlackBerry OS 7.
* BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, featuring a larger touch screen, no keyboard, and BlackBerry OS 7.
On August 12, 2011, the updated Torch 9810 was released on
Bell Mobility and
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility (normally typeset as TELUS Mobility) is a Canadian wireless network operator and a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. It operates 5G, LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstre ...
. The updated version includes a faster processor, and more memory, as well as including the new
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS is a discontinued proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company BlackBerry Limited for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized i ...
7.
BlackBerry Torch 9800
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is a 2010 model in the
BlackBerry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...
line of
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s. It combines a physical
QWERTY
QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden t ...
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
with a sliding
multi-touch screen display and runs on
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS is a discontinued proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company BlackBerry Limited for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized i ...
6. Introduced on August 3, 2010, the phone became available exclusively on AT&T on August 12, 2010.
The device looks similar to existing BlackBerry devices, but due to the sliding keyboard features a bigger 3.2 inch 480x360 screen (the same resolution as the
BlackBerry Storm
The BlackBerry Storm is a touchscreen smartphone developed by Research In Motion. A part of the BlackBerry 9500 series of phones, it was RIM's first touchscreen device, and its first without a physical keyboard. It featured a touchscreen that re ...
and
BlackBerry Storm 2
The BlackBerry Storm 2 is the second full touchscreen smartphone developed by Research In Motion.
Introduction
The BlackBerry Storm 2 is the first and only smartphone in the world to have a full clickable touchscreen powered by its piezoelectric ...
) and these features allow the BlackBerry Torch 9800 to look unique. The software is seen by most to be an improvement over the previous version.
History
Speculation of the Torch began in April 2010 when
RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis
Mihal "Mike" Lazaridis (born March 14, 1961) is a Canadian businessman, investor in quantum computing technologies, and founder of BlackBerry, which created and manufactured the BlackBerry wireless handheld device. With an estimated net worth of ...
introduced the BlackBerry 6 operating system during his keynote address at
WES 2010. A new touchscreen device was widely anticipated as the
OS 6 update seemed to be touch/gesture based. Images of a BlackBerry device prototype with a touchscreen and slide-out
QWERTY
QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden t ...
keyboard started emerging in late spring and early summer of 2010. The device was tentatively named the "Bold 9800" or simply the "9800 Slider". The 9800 eventually was officially named the "Torch" by
RIM during its August announcement. It can be assumed that the device name was derived from
Torch Mobile, the company that RIM purchased in 2009 in aid with their development of a
WebKit
WebKit is a browser engine developed by Apple and primarily used in its Safari web browser, as well as on the iOS and iPadOS version of any web browser. WebKit is also used by the BlackBerry Browser, PlayStation consoles beginning from the P ...
based browser.
Reception
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 was marketed as "the best BlackBerry ever". However, upon release of the device's technical details, critics, such as PC World's Ginny Mies, were not impressed with the specifications which lagged behind new-generation devices such as the
iPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation of the iPhone lineup, succeeding the iPhone 3GS and preceding the 4S. Following a number of notable leaks, the iPhone 4 was first unvei ...
and
Droid X. One reviewer did not find enough difference over earlier BlackBerrys to recommend the device to new users. Key complaints were the 624 MHz processor included in the Torch, whereas the HTC Evo 4G and Motorola Droid X (among others of their class) featured a 1 GHz processor. The Torch's 3.2 inch screen with 480x360 screen resolution was also criticized as being smaller than iPhone 4's 3.5 inch screen with 960x640 resolution and the Motorola Droid X's 4.3 inch with 854 x 480. The Torch has a screen that is the same size as the Storm and Storm 2 with a resolution the same as the Bold 9700, Bold 9650 and Tour 9630. Some critics also noted the lack of
HD video
High-definition video (HD video) is video of higher resolution and quality than standard-definition. While there is no standardized meaning for ''high-definition'', generally any video image with considerably more than 480 vertical scan lines (N ...
recording and the lack of a front-facing camera.
CNET's Bonnie Cha found improvements such as the better user interface, universal search and the much improved browser and multimedia experience. On the other hand, she also found that the smartphone can be sluggish, and could stand for some hardware upgrades, although her review was generally positive.
RIM has stated that the processor in the Torch is 'of a newer generation', when boot times of the Torch and the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (both running OS6) are compared the Torch boots up 1.8 times faster than the Bold with the "older processor".
UBM techinsite has confirmed the claims of Research in Motion, by performing a "tear down" and making a hardware analysis, discovering a PXA940 Processor. This processor is built on
45nm
Per the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, the 45 nm process is a MOSFET technology node referring to the average half-pitch of a memory cell manufactured at around the 2007–2008 time frame.
Matsushita and Intel started mass ...
as opposed to the Processor found in the Blackberry Bold 1 and 2. The 45 nm process keeps heat production and power usage down, and the processor as previously stated in this article brings significant performance gains.
Anandtech praised the screen of the phone as being: "one of the most readable outside that I've encountered in a while, with text and webpages being easy to make out even in intense daylight. Alongside the iPhone 4, the difference is pretty immediate, especially in how good white appears on the Torch compared to the iPhone4. Anandtech also noted that the contrast ratio was exceptionally good.
Crackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...
's Kevin Michaluk gave the BlackBerry Torch an overwhelmingly positive review stating that the Torch is a "worthy device for any smartphone owner".
Crackberry praised OS 6.0, the form factor, touchscreen, and the WebKit browser. However, Michaluk criticized the lack of HD video recording and lack of
OpenGL support for 3D graphics.
Sales
Initial sales of the BlackBerry Torch were slow to moderate, with
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
Wireless Operations president expressing some disappointment in the sales stating that he was "surprised there hasn't been a faster adoption" of the smart phone by the public. Estimates put sales at somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 devices sold during the first week of release. However, sales reportedly improved in the months following the release and
RIM shipped a record amount of smart phones in the final quarter of 2010. The BlackBerry Torch placed 6th place on
Wirefly
Wirefly is a cell phone plans and smartphone comparison website. Before being relaunched in May 2014, Wirefly was an online retailer of wireless services and devices operated by parent company Simplexity. Wirefly was headquartered in Reston, Virgi ...
's annual top ten selling smart phones list for 2010, selling more than Motorola's
Droid 2
The Motorola Droid 2 (GSM/UMTS version: Motorola Milestone 2; GSM/UMTS/CDMA version: Motorola Droid 2 Global) is the fifth phone in Verizon's Droid line. In the U.S., it is available exclusively on Verizon Wireless, and Samsung's Galaxy S Fascinate, but behind devices like the
Evo 4G and
Droid Incredible
The HTC Droid Incredible (ADR6300) (also known as the HTC Incredible) is a smartphone manufactured by HTC Corporation using the Android operating system. It was released on April 29, 2010, and is available through Verizon Wireless only. The dev ...
.
OS 7 series
BlackBerry Torch 9810
This BlackBerry was released by
Research in Motion
BlackBerry Limited is a Canadian software company specializing in cybersecurity. Founded in 1984, it was originally known as Research In Motion (RIM). As RIM, it developed the BlackBerry brand of interactive pagers, smartphones, and tablet ...
, as the successor to the original
BlackBerry Torch 9800. The touchscreen display, keyboard, camera, battery,
microSD slot and overall design of the phone remain unchanged from the 9800, as is the cellular, Bluetooth, and
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
connectivity support.
Changes to the 9810 compared to the 9800 mostly concern the internal components or the software. For example, the 9810 includes a 1.2 GHz processor chip which is almost twice as fast as the 9800's 624 MHz processor. 9810 improves upon its predecessor, 9800, with the same 3.2" inch touch screen but with a VGA (640×480) resolution at 246 DPI. RAM has also been upgraded from 512 MB to 768 MB, while the internal flash storage increased from 4 GB to 8 GB. The only hardware change seems to be the
magnetometer and some color variants. it resembles the 9800. It has a battery capacity of 1270Ah.
BlackBerry OS 7
BlackBerry OS is a discontinued proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company BlackBerry Limited for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized i ...
is included with the BlackBerry Torch 9810. This OS supports OpenGL ES and other APIs for additional features. For example, the device has an enhanced GPS navigation system installed. A 4G version was available with select carriers eventually.
BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860
The BlackBerry Torch 9860 is a full
touchscreen
A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
developed by
Research In Motion
BlackBerry Limited is a Canadian software company specializing in cybersecurity. Founded in 1984, it was originally known as Research In Motion (RIM). As RIM, it developed the BlackBerry brand of interactive pagers, smartphones, and tablet ...
(RIM) also announced on August 3, 2011.
[Research In Motion Introduces New BlackBerry 7 Smartphones](_blank)
As the natural progression of the Torch and
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
lines the 9850/60 dispenses with the slideout keyboard and the surepress screen made famous with its predecessors and focuses on an all touch interface unique within the BlackBerry line. It also offered the largest screen of any BlackBerry until the arrival of the
BlackBerry Z10
The BlackBerry Z10 is a high-end LTE touchscreen-based smartphone developed by BlackBerry, previously known as RIM.
The BlackBerry Z10 is the first of two new BlackBerry phones presented at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, 2013. The BlackB ...
.
In many ways the 9850/60 is very similar to its sister model the 9810 including chipset, battery power, browser capability and liquid graphics technology. It also maintains as do all current Blackberry models the standard four button (answer, menu, back, end) and TrackPad line of buttons on the bottom front of the phone. Unlike the Bold 9900/30 and Curve 9380 models however it does not offer
Near Field Communication
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be u ...
technology.
In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the Torch 9860 was available at
Bell Mobility,
Rogers Wireless
Rogers Wireless Inc. is a Canadian wireless telephone company headquartered in Toronto, providing service nationally throughout Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The company had revenues of just under $15.1 billi ...
,
Sasktel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, operating as SaskTel, is a Canadian crown-owned telecommunications firm based in the province of Saskatchewan. Owned by the provincial government, it provides wireline and wireless communicat ...
,
Telus Mobility
Telus Mobility (normally typeset as TELUS Mobility) is a Canadian wireless network operator and a division of Telus Communications which sells wireless services in Canada on its numerous networks. It operates 5G, LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstre ...
, and
Videotron. Bell, Rogers and Telus have since discontinued it.
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the Torch 9860 is available at Mobile Store, BlackBerry exclusive showroom, and many retail stores dealing in mobile.
Model comparison
BlackBerry Torch 9800
* Size:
** 111mm × 62mm × 14.6mm (closed)
** 148mm × 62mm × 14.6mm (open)
* Weight: 5.68 ounces (161.1 grams)
* Processor: Marvell PXA940 running at 624 MHz
* Image System Processor (ISP): STmicroelectronics STV0987
[http://www.isuppli.com/PublishingImages/Press%20Releases/2010-08-17_Blackberry_Torch.jpg ]
* Display: 3.2 inch HVGA+(480x360) Synaptics controlled touch screen
* Camera: 5.0 MP camera (JPEG encoding) with flash, 2x digital zoom, image stabilization and auto-focus
* Video recorder: up to 480p resolution
* Battery: 1300 mAhr removable/rechargeable lithium-ion cell
* Battery life: 18 days (GSM) or 14 days (UMTS) standby; 5.5 hours (GSM) or 5.8 hours (UMTS) talk
* GPS using
A-GPS
Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) is a GNSS augmentation system that often significantly improves the startup performance—i.e., time-to-first-fix (TTFF)—of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). A-GNSS works by providing the necessary data to the ...
with extended ephemeris and maps
* Input: trackpad, touch screen with on-screen keyboard (QWERTY and SureType), slide-out backlit QWERTY keyboard
* Video format support: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV3
* Audio format support: MP3, AMR-NB, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis
* Ringtones: MIDI, MP3
* Connectivity: 3G;
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
2.1 + EDR; 802.11 b/g/n
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
; 3.5mm stereo headset,
Micro-USB
The initial versions of the USB standard specified connectors that were easy to use and that would have acceptable life spans; revisions of the standard added smaller connectors useful for compact portable devices. Higher-speed development of ...
* Networks:
** Tri-band 3G UMTS/HSDPA networks: 2100/1900/850/800 MHz
** Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
OS 7 series
References
External links
BlackBerry Worldwide - New BlackBerry 9850 and 9860 Torch Touch Screen Phone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackberry
Haptic technology
Personal digital assistants
Information appliances
Torch
A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. I ...
Mobile phones with an integrated hardware keyboard
Touchscreen portable media players
Mobile phones introduced in 2010
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