The Web browser on the Torch has received a major overhaul, which is good news, especially since BlackBerry's older browser was our least favourite way to surf on a mobile phone. The new browser is a big improvement, and it does a good job of rendering Web pages accurately.
RIM has also included a new Social Feeds app for keeping track of your social whirl. It bundles up an RSS reader with Facebook, Twitter, MSN Messenger and plenty more.
RIM has also included a new Social Feeds app for keeping track of your social whirl. It bundles up an RSS reader with Facebook, Twitter, MSN Messenger and plenty more.
But, like most of the attempts we've seen on mobiles so far -- on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, for example -- the app doesn't hold a candle to the apps dedicated to the specific services. For example, to reply, retweet, comment, or otherwise interact with your updates (which is surely the whole point of this social-networking malarkey), you have to open a message in its own app.
If you don't like the apps that come pre-installed on the Torch, you can pop over to the BlackBerry App World to download more. There are a handful of winners in there, but nowhere near as many as in the iPhone or Android app stores, and they tend to be more expensive.
You can also get your social-networking updates sucked into the famous BlackBerry integrated inbox, along with your emails from multiple accounts, and text messages, not to mention your BlackBerry Messenger missives. With BlackBerry Messenger, you can IM other BlackBerry users for free, anywhere in the world.
BlackBerry contract
BlackBerry devices are the masters of mobile email, but you do need a BlackBerry contract to take advantage of their powers. Push email means that you'll get your messages right away, without having to wait for the phone to check the server, although most smart phones have caught up to BlackBerry in offering this feature.
We found that adding new email accounts to the Torch was easier than ever, and we were impressed by how it handled our Google Apps account without any fuss or advanced set-up required. The email program even handles functions specific to Google, such as the ability to archive a message rather than delete it. But we had no luck getting it to sync our calendar -- although the account showed in the calendar, none of our events did. Our Facebook events, on the other hand, arrived safe and sound on the Torch.
Connectivity
We certainly had no trouble getting connected to the Interwebs, with the Torch offering the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. It also includes 512MB of memory built-in, along with a 4GB microSD memory card, which can be upped to 32GB.
Battery life
Even with this power on-board, we were impressed with the Torch's battery life, which RIM claims will give you 5.5 hours of talk time and 18 days on standby. And, as for the all-important feature of actually making calls, the Torch can do that too -- even in a noisy pub, our calls were easy to hear on both ends. One advantage of the Torch's beefy case is that it feels like a real phone when you're using it.
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