Blackberry Bold 9790 and Torch 9860 review
The Blackberry
Bold, seems to expect the Blackberry faithful to cling on to its traditional
design, solid build, and Blackberry service. Encrypted communications is also
the main selling point, along with push mail services which Blackberry
pioneered, in the smartphone market.
Had to get used to typing on this due to my fat thumb
The latest Bold
has a lovely bright screen, but in this age of 3.7” and 4.3” screens being the
norm, the 480 x 360, 2.45” screen seems ancient in comparison. However, the
screen is fully touch-capable, and coupled with the optical track pad, makes it
very easy for one to interact with the phone.
The keyboard is
bar-none, the best in the market. Even its closest competitor, the Eseries QWERTY
phones from Nokia – which has really good keyboards as it is – can’t compare to
the side-ward scalloped keys of the Bold.
The overall
design and impression the Bold gives, is one of quality, and thoughtful design.
It seems organic, if I may, as the curves of the Bold seem to meld seamlessly
into each other, the glass screen seems to disappear at the edges, becoming
metal, seemingly by some magical alchemy. I am extremely infatuated with the
design and beauty of the Bold.
The software is
functional and practical, all the necessary applications to keep the
socially-driven, connected to their Facebook, Twitter, and other social
networks. Functional, meaning, they get the job done, rather than being the
best experience that one can get on a smartphone. There isn’t much real estate
on the screen for applications to be showcased to their full potential.
However, in
spite of the physical limitations, the applications on the Bold are responsive,
and have no visible lag (at all) when switching between applications.
Blackberry has definitely built a very functional phone that, to quote from a
competitor; ‘Just Works’.
In a world
increasingly moving towards capacitive screens and buttons, it is a welcome
relief to be using dedicated menu buttons on the Bold, I personally prefer some
tactile feedback from my devices, especially when making selections or typing.
The Bold itself, marries the capacitive and tactile inputs quite seamlessly.
So for a user who wants no frills, practicality ease of use, ensured quality encryption, and to check emails on the go, I'd recommend a Blackberry.
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Blackberry has to make their phones more
customizable and unique, to fight stiff competition from Apple and Android. Oh,
and while they’re at it, I hope more Blackberry apps are FREE. There really isn't enough photography apps that are superb and non-buggy. And in the games arena, there needs to be more quality applications for the workaholics that need a break. Let's hope Thorsten Heins can turn Blackberry's declining market share around.
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The Blackberry
Torch 9860 is an oddity in the current smartphone market, it has arrived at a time
when most smartphone manufacturers are moving away from the traditional
hardware buttons and towards full capacitive touchscreen buttons.
The onscreen keyboard
works the same as one would expect on an android phone however, android has the
monstrous Android Market (now Google Play) to thank for the huge selection of
other keyboards to allow the user to select a different keyboard, if the stock
ones that came with the phone does not suit him/her. The Torch too, has
keyboard apps on the Blackberry Appworld, but nowhere as numerous as the android
alternative.
There is more
screen real-estate than on its keyboard-endowed sibling, the Bold, and it makes
surfing the internet, or browsing one’s Facebook and Twitter feeds more
enjoyable. The applications
on the Torch, similar to the Bold, are responsive, and have no visible lag (at
all) when switching between applications.
Posts on MFW2012 soon!
