How Does The BlackBerry Torch Stack Up To The IPhone 4?
Apple’s iPhone is one of the extremely rare products (and a great success at that) which virtually sells itself. The term ‘iPhone’ has practically become a household word. Many challengers, including all those Android-based phones, have waged war with the iPhone, yet has not even come close to capture half the iPhone’s customer base. Blackberry is now betting its cards against Apple. But the big question that everyone wants an answer to is: will the Blackberry Torch really burn a hole in Apple’s deep pockets, or will it be another product that’ll succumb to the behemoth?
Before the phones are pitted against each other, let’s look briefly at the all-new Blackberry Torch and Blackberry Torch accessories. The Blackberry Torch 9800 is a brand new ‘slider’ phone and a concept co-developed by RIM. It features the much-anticipated BlackBerry 6 operating system, an upgraded web-browser that supports tabbed-browsing–and sports a plethora of other goodies. A 4GB memory car, 5.0 MP camera and video recording, integrated GPS-ready, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-readiness, and 3G connectivity all come standard. Its ergonomic combination of touchscreen, trackpad, and Qwerty keyboard complete the ease and effectiveness of use with the Torch.
Still, the iPhone’s high-def camera and display makes this a better phone in that regard. Sporting a 640 X 960 pixel resolution, The Blackberry Torch’s 360 X 480 resolution just seems meager. But that doesn’t mean that the Torch isn’t good because it’s still better than average. Apple, with its mastery of the capacitive touch screen and Retina screen, outshines the Torch, though. The Blackberry Torch shoots great 5 MP photos and decent video, but again, the iPhone 4 is better by almost all critics’ judgments. Breaking Apple’s mastery of display crispness and high-definition photo capability is a feat that, so far, no carrier on the market can quite match. People would declare the iPhone a definite winner just by taking a glace at the phone’s specs. Not so. The Torch features a 624MHz chip and the iPhone–a 1GHz. The flip-side is that the iPhone supports only partial multi-tasking, while the Blackberry Torch comes with full multitasking capability. In real-life tests, the results are still close–but the Blackberry comes out the victor when it comes down to the nitty-gritty. Furthermore, many buy a phone solely for the number of apps and features. Thus, both phones have access to the best browser resource currently available–Webkit. What’s different is that the Blackberry Torch’s set of apps and available apps tend to be more for business and aren’t nearly as plentiful as the other phone. The iPhone 4′s seemingly never-ending superstore of applications–many of them free–shames the Torch’s. Expect Blackberry,though, to start offering more apps in the future. But, hands-down, the Apple iPhone is a clear victor in terms of applications.
While some claim the Torch’s interface is superior–many others stay loyal to Apple’s side of the field. Essentially, Apple’s iOS 4 O/S is fairly simpler, easier to navigate and use. The Torch has just as many features–like PUSH and Exchange support/universal mailbox–as the iPhone, but comes up a little short in the usability department. Apple seems to have the advantage in this case. The BlackBerry has the physical keyboard working in its advantage, though. Nothing beats the satisfying feeling of an actual keyboard. Here, the Blackberry Torch wins with its slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the iPhone loses. Finally, both the iPhone and Blackberry Torch come with high-capacity batteries, and both last (according to several published studies) roughly the same duration. This will undoubtedly make iPhone junkies happy, due to the previous 3G/3GS’s notoriety for mediocre battery life. The Blackberry ships with a 4GB SD card, and it’s expandable to 32GB. It also has 4 gigs of internal flash memory, bringing the total to 8 GB. Apparently, the folks at Apple don’t like the idea of having a SD card slot, so there is none (much to the chagrin of many Apple users). Regardless, Apple users still have the choice to use a 16GB or 32GB internal memory.
However, there is no lack of Blackberry Torch Accessories, Blackberry Chargers & Blackberry Torch Cases. Some of the ‘cooler’ items include: a mobile printer from Polaroid (that prints photo directly from the phone unto the small, mobile printer), a sun visor-mounted text-to-speech speakerphone, and even a device that transforms the phone into a universal TV remote! The online Blackberry store also carries a wealth of Blackberry Torch cases and ac/dc chargers. The cases come in portfolio-style, holster, pouch/pocket-style. And of course they have home chargers and car chargers, all at various prices and in various styles. Blackberry Torch accessories that come included are: a 4GB SD CARD, 1270 mAh cryptographic lithium battery, wall charger, manual, Blackberry software, quick start guide, data-sync USB cable, stereo headphones, and Blackberry software.
BlackBerry Visor Mount Speakerphone Demonstration
