RIM BlackBerry Torch 9860 review
RIM takes another stab at a touchscreen-only smartphone, but has the Torch 9860 caught up with the competition or has it already fallen behind the pack? Julian Prokaza finds out in our review.
The lack of a physical keyboard may limit the appeal of the Torch 9860 to some existing BlackBerry users, but RIM has done a reasonably good job at copying what the iPhone has to offer, even if it is now effectively a generation behind Apple with both its hardware and software.
Battery capacity is the same as the Bold 9900 (1230mAh) and RIM states near-identical figures for the Torch 9860's battery life. As with the Bold 9900 though, we couldn't match the claimed figure of "up to 44 hours" of music playback we only managed 23 hours with an MP3 playing on a loop, with the screen and all wireless turned off.
The Torch 9860 is a strong attempt by RIM to offer an iPhone-like experience on a BlackBerry and there's enough here to sate those users who are tied to the platform. However, Apple has since moved on with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 making the Torch less attractive to those who aren't tied to the Blackberry platform.
Unlocked SIM-free pricing is reasonable though. At 299 ex VAT, the 4GB Torch 9860 compares favourably with the 343 ex VAT 8GB iPhone 4.
Verdict
The lack of a physical keyboard may limit the appeal of the Torch 9860 to some existing BlackBerry users, but RIM has done a reasonably good job at copying what the iPhone has to offer, even if it is now effectively a generation behind Apple with both its hardware and software.
Connectivity: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 900/1700/2100 Display: 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches OS: Blackberry OS 7 Camera: five megapixels rear facing GPS: A-GPS Processor: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Scorpion MSM 8655 Bluetooth: 2.1+EDR Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Storage: 4GB internal RAM: 768MB Dimensions: 120 x 62 x 12 mm Weight: 135g Battery: Lithium Ion 1230 mAh
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the last
News Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
By Ross Kelly Published
-
Women show more team spirit when it comes to cybersecurity, yet they're still missing out on opportunities
News While they're more likely to believe that responsibility should be shared, women are less likely to get the necessary training
By Emma Woollacott Published
-
OpenAI wants developers using its new GPT-4.1 models – but how do they compare to Claude and Gemini on coding tasks?
News OpenAI says its GPT-4.1 model family offers sizable improvements for coding, but tests show competitors still outperform it in key areas.
By Ross Kelly Published