The Blackberry Torch 9860 is the latest smartphone from RIM. It measures 120 x 62 x 11.5 mm and weighs 135 g, which is average for a smartphone. It is remarkable for having the largest touchscreen ever made by RIM: its TFT capacitive touchscreen measures 3.7-inch diagonally, and supports a resolution of 480×800 pixels.

The Torch 9860 runs on the latest version of the Blackberry OS, the Blackberry OS 7, which has a number of new features and apps. The Blackberry OS 7 supports Liquid Graphics™, with the result that the phone has almost instantaneous response time, and more fluid animations. With the largest screen on a Blackberry phone ever, the 9860 arguably has the best-looking graphics for a blackberry phone, as can be seen in the following video:

Other features and apps include the new Blackberry browser, which supports seamless zooming and panning, and works 40% faster than the previous version. The phone supports HTML5 video format, which allows you to check your friends Facebook videos easily.  The phone comes preinstalled with the WikiTude World Browser, which is an Augmented Reality Browser that allows you to integrate the real world with the online world in real time, and on your screen.

With its 5 Megapixel camera installed on its back, the phone supports HD video recording at 720p. Apart from video, the phone can also take beautiful photographs, especially when used with its 4x optical zoom. The camera comes installed with a powerful LED flash to take pictures in the dark.

One of the features that will save a lot of time for the users of the phone is Voice-activated Universal Search: it is a speech-to-text translation engine, which allows you to search for any email, file, music or other content by using just your voice. Without typing a letter, you can search the phone as well as the web.

The Blackberry 9860 supports Near Field Communication (NFC), which is protocol that allows different devices to connect with each other when in close proximity. Most Blackberry phones and accessories, as well as many phone models from other manufacturers, support NFC.

There are five buttons at the bottom of the screen: Call, Menu, Select, Escape and End button. The End button also serves as power on and off button. Even though the phone has a touchscreen, the Select button also serves as a trackpad. The trackpad is useful when you want more precision while interacting with your apps.

One disadvantages of this phone is that the screen is too small for typing when the phone is held straight. You have to tilt the phone in landscape mode to be able to type comfortably. It is cumbersome to hold the phone sideways just to send a message.

The phone has a single core CPU that runs at 1.2 GHz, and comes with on-board memory storage of 4 GB that can be enhanced using a MicroSD card of up to 32 GB. The battery can easily outlast a 10 hour workday; however under heavy load it does not last more than 8.5 hours.

Overall, the Blackberry 9860 is a well-designed phone with no significant drawbacks. As RIM’s first serious attempt at a smartphone, it does not disappoint. Though it cannot be called the best phone in its category, it is definitely one of the best choices if you want a RIM smartphone.

The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is by far, the sharpest and sleekest phone that RIM has released to date. This smartphone sports a comfortable QWERTY keyboard and a comparably long battery life. Touted as a serious iPhone contender, this smartphone offers just the right mix of functionality and style with its chrome trim and faux leather cover, brushed metal tab, and a wide array of connectivity options which makes this a favorite of the stylish corporate set.

Features

The Bold 9000 sports a larger size compared to previous models like the 8800 at 115mm and 67 mmx15mm with a proportionate increase in weight as well. It takes appearances seriously, as anyone can see by the satin finish metal frame exterior and the faux leather cover that covers the back of the phone, which gives the phone a high-end, classy feel. The 2.75-inch non-touch screen is smaller compared to other smart phones, but the size is offset by the brilliant display of 65,000 colors in a 480×320-pixel resolution. Standard buttons are spread out below the display including Talk and End/Power keys, back button and the signature trackball in the middle. The backlit keyboards are easy on the fingers and typing is easy even in the dark. One of the best things about the Bold is that it is RIM’s first HSDPA Smartphone, giving users faster internet connectivity as well as 3-G coverage in Europe and Asia. Other features worth noting include conference calling, voice activated calling, text and multimedia messaging, and an excellent background noise cancellation technology. It is also packed with Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and GPS.

Pros

Users love the brilliant half-VGA display that can display photos and videos, photos, documents, and other files in crisp, vivid color. The stereo speakers complete the ultimate mobile entertainment experience with its rich sounds and deep bass. Contrary to popular comments, video streaming is excellent on this phone, although signal availability may affect clarity. Blackberry retained features popular with its older models with a few tweaks, including GPS, cut and paste, push email, and the ability to see attached photos in email.

Cons

The main drawback with the Bold 9000 is its collection of sluggish software, which could be one of the reasons for the not-so-impressive battery life. It is also a bit on the bulky side and some users find it hard to use the web browser, which is not as easily navigable as Safari in the iPhone. However, for those who only use their phones for IM and sending emails and do not do heavy-duty video streaming, the BlackBerry browser perfectly serves the purpose.

A brilliant display, coupled by impressive connectivity and productivity tools are reasons why many people opt for Blackberry instead of its competitors. This phone packs all the features users will need in a clean and modern business device. For those who want style and heavy-duty function in a business smart phone, the Bold 9000 will not disappoint.

Video Review from CrackBerry

Here is a nice video review from CrackBerry, who always get to play with the nicest toys!