This smartphone boasts a touchscreen, optical trackpad, and slide-out QWERTY keyboard giving it a unique form factor. It also features a revamped operating system complete with new browser designed to be more social media centric.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Torch is a Touchscreen slider with a full keyboard and optical trackpad, a design that Research in Motion has never used before.

Like all of the newest harvest of BlackBerrys, there is plenty of faux chrome finish to go around. Also like the current generation of BlackBerrys, the styling becomes boring after approximately one second of looking at it.

This is RIM’s first slider, and the company has done a fairly good job with this design. The sliding mechanism is smooth with the right amount of resistance. But there are a couple of issues: the device lacks a designated touch point to slide open the device, resulting in thumb smudges on the screen, and using the mute/lock rocker button on the top is awkward when the screen is extended.

Despite these minor detractions, RIM’s designers did a good job of allocating enough space above the top-row of the keyboard with the slider open, which has been an issue on other sliders.

Overall the Torch feels well built, and is about as heavy as the competition. With the slider closed, it’s 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.6 (111 x 62 x 15 mm).

Screen
The 480×360 3.2-inch Touchscreen is lacking in both size and resolution. It’s about par for the course compared to other BlackBerrys, but compared to Android OS devices and the iPhone 4 the quality of the screen seems almost an afterthought. If there were one deal breaker about the Torch, it might be the screen.

The touch aspect is comfortable. It is not as responsive or as smooth as the iPhone 4, but it proves usable for any application. Unlike RIM’s failed attempts at touchscreens with the Storm and Storm 2, the device is more responsive when shifting from landscape to portrait, and is otherwise reliable and predictable.

Keyboards
The portrait-oriented sliding QWERTY keyboard is reminiscent of one on the the BlackBerry Bold 9700 — it’s a joy to use, and has almost no learning curve. Typing speed and accuracy is phenomenal compared to the virtual keyboard of other devices, like the iPhone.

Its virtual keyboard, on the other hand, is less impressive than other devices’. Despite offering interesting customizations such as AZERTY, QWERTY, QWERTZ layouts and predictive, corrective, and direct input modes, the Torch’s on-screen keyboard’s typing speed and accuracy pales in comparison to the competition. Still this isn’t as big a deal as you might think — beyond the occasional website or email address, I found myself switching the physical keyboard for almost all of my typing.

Other Buttons & Controls
The optical trackpad below the screen works as promised with no surprises or complaints. While some may wonder why it’s included at all, I find it enhances productivity and efficiency while using the device. While scrolling through long lists is easier with the touchscreen, quickly and accurately selecting a few characters to copy is made easy via the trackpad. Furthermore with the option of using the keyboard and the trackpad exclusively the Torch suddenly becomes a great reading platform for longer emails or web pages.

The Torch retains the traditional volume buttons and convenience key on its right side, and a mute/lock rocker button on top. There is no left-hand convenience key which is a little frustrating — how else will BlackBerry nation accidentally trigger the “Say a command” prompt?

PERFORMANCE

One of the things that sets the BlackBerry Torch apart from the others is the new OS 6.0 operating system. This takes the Torch’s hardware advances and wraps them in a new user-friendly user interface.

Current BlackBerry users may find some of the menu layouts and options settings to be confusing. To overcome this issue OS 6.0 boasts a search bar that allows users to quickly find what they’re looking for. There are a slew of new sounds, and editing ring profiles is easier than ever.

Where the OS really shines is in its interfaces. Users can just as easily manipulate the phone via the keyboard and trackpad as they can the touch screen.

There are now several homescreens that users can swipe between (or toggle between with the trackpad). Tapping a screen will enlarge it and reveal all of its contents.

Wireless and Call Quality
RIM has fully equipped this device with what are now basically wireless necessities: 802.11 n/g/b, Bluetooth 2.1 with file transfer profiles, and support for GSM, EDGE, and 3G bands on AT&T in The States.

Another aspect of the iPhone RIM (happily) failed to replicate was the antenna issue plaguing its rival, the iPhone 4. Wireless signal quality was consistent in all environments tested. By now good call quality with balanced sound and plenty of oomph in the speakerphone department has become old hat for RIM. The Torch proudly upholds these qualities.

Browser
The new BlackBerry OS 6.0 web browser is a much faster, more feature laden, and better looking browser than any of its predecessors. With additions such as tabbed browsing, pinch-to-zoom, and faster queries, the browser is arguably the biggest improvement in this new operating system.

I found that although it still occasionally hung while trying to chew through difficult sites, it was a much rarer occurrence than in previous versions.

RIM claims its newest web browser is media rich, but it doesn’t really stand up to that claim.

Entertainment
RIM has included a dedicated Media homescreen, revamped the user interface on some of its classics like BrickBreaker, and has added a YouTube shortcut, but otherwise the entertainment options have remained largely unchanged.

With a 4 GB microSD card and headset included, the Torch is definitely easy to put media on and enjoy on the go. Despite this, this is still not a purpose-built media device, so power users will not want to ditch their iPod just yet.

The BlackBerry social feed is a new feature that integrates updates from several social media sources including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and several messaging clients including BBM. There’s an additional option to add RSS feeds which give users one display to see all the things they’d otherwise cruise multiple apps for. A nice addition, but its notification settings should be tweaked to allow fewer interruptions with what some may consider “unimportant” updates (sorry NewsFeed fans!)

Productivity
With its push email filtering and message-flagging options, RIM is at the top of its game in the email department. The options are so plentiful that going back to email on the iPhone feels like going back to sending paper letters.

BlackBerry OS 6.0 maintains its over-the-air (OTA) contact synchronization via providers such as Google’s Gmail.

The standard DataViz DocumentsToGo suite for viewing Microsoft Office Documents is present, and handling file types in attachments is easier than in previous BlackBerrys.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) and SMS/MMS messages enjoy a revamped user interface, with the former getting a few improved features such as chat-like windows, group messaging and easier attachment options. There’s also a group SMS option. Although these features are interesting, their practical application is fairly limited.

Camera
The Blackberry Torch has a 5.0 megapixel camera with flash and video. It doesn’t have a way to easily focus pictures, however, which is a shame, as pictures end up seeming like they were taken on a smartphone rather than a 5 megapixel camera.

Pictures are shown from the Torch and the iPhone 4 for illustrative purposes.

Battery Life
The Torch manages to get decent battery life out of a relatively small battery. With casual use I was able to get more than one day without having to recharge.  As a primary phone however, you will want to charge it every night.

The battery charges via micro-USB located on the left hand side of the device that allows for comfortably charging while talking.

CONCLUSION

If RIM set out to create an iPhone/Android OS competitor, it’s probably failed. It’s unlikely that someone considering one of those devices would see the BlackBerry Torch and think “this is for me.”

What RIM has succeeded in doing however, is creating a BlackBerry that BlackBerry users will want and enjoy. Although it might not gain RIM marketshare, it will definitely aid in retention.

I’m hoping that the next version of this will have better styling, a front facing camera (think video BBM), a bigger and higher resolution screen, and more innovative pairings between the updated operating system and the updated hardware.

As a BlackBerry user who added an iPhone to its arsenal primarily for its gorgeous display, the Torch teases me — it’s good, but it could have been so much better.

Pros:

• Updated operating system and web browser
• Unique and useful form factor
• Speed and reliability live up to the BlackBerry standard

Cons:

• Screen size and resolution need improvement
• Tried and boring styling
• UI could be smoother in some instances

These days, we rely on our gadgets more than ever before. So if it was lost, stolen, damaged or simply stopped working, it’s good to know you’re covered with BlackBerry insurance.

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The original Bold 9000 set the bar in terms of delivering a reliable, high performing device that sported the best feature set RIM had to offer. Just a year later, the Bold2 offers an enhanced feature set and an improved design that instantly leaves the original Bold feeling, well, old.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Bold2 may be the best looking BlackBerry yet. The most notable contrast with the first-generation Bold is its overall size. It’s thinner, shorter, and less wide than the Bold. It’s also less wide than the BlackBerry Tour, though not by much.

Its distinguishing features include subdued chrome accents around the bezel, a faux-leather backed battery compartment, black matte convenience keys on the sides, and of course, a track pad where users have become accustomed to seeing the iconic but sometimes finicky BlackBerry Ball.

Also changed in this version is the layout of the camera and flash on the back of the device – they’re now side by side rather than above one another. The Bold2 also has charging contacts on the side of the device that are discussed more below. The most practical change in styling is a redesign of the battery compartment which now feels more secure and in solid.

Screen
The screen is simply amazing. The iPhone’s screen was great, then the Bold took the same resolution and packed it into a smaller, richer screen. The Bold2 has done the same thing, but more so. Graphics are detailed, and smooth and pictures and web pages render sharply.

Of course, the screen itself is smaller than its predecessor, and is on par with a Curve 8900 or Tour so you’ll want to think twice if you’re primarily concerned with browsing. If this is your primary concern you might want to think twice.

The screen is bright enough, but does seem less bright than the Bold… though that device was almost too bright.

Track pad & Keyboard
To fit the smaller form factor the keyboard had to be scaled down, though not at the cost of usability. The keys maintain the rubbery, responsive feeling from the Bold, albeit smaller. If you are used to a BlackBerry Curve or even a Tour, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this keyboard. If you’re coming from a Bold, you’ll notice only a slight difference, and if you’re coming from a Storm you’ll be thankful (for more reasons than just the keyboard) that you made the switch.

The trackpad is a delight to use, and has almost no learning curve. I liked it on the Curve 8520, and I love it on the Bold2. It’s responsive, accurate, doesn’t stick, is less likely to be damaged. Moreover, it simply looks better than the ball. I did notice that BrickBreaker was a little more difficult with the pad, perhaps its biggest flaw. In the future the pad could be improved if it scrolled when the user rested his/her finger on the edge of the pad.

The 9700 sports two programmable convenience keys — one on each side – as well as volume rockers, and a top mute/lock rocker. I did notice that the volume keys were sometimes slow to respond, or required me to hit them more than once before they responded.

Accessories
Like the Bold, RIM has built in charging contacts into the sides of the Bold2, intending it to be used in a charging cradle. Though useful, it is annoying that due to the different size, the latest model won’t charge in the original one’s cradle.

Like some of its contemporaries, and unlike the Bold, the Bold2 charges using a micro-USB port, so depending on what you’re trading up from, you may have to invest in some new accessories.

PERFORMANCE

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 overall offers solid performance in every area I’ve looked. The hardware and software combination work well together, and I haven’t experienced any major glitches.

Wireless
T-Mobile users will be happy to know that the Bold2 has better wireless access than their current BlackBerry, thanks to the 3G coverage. Though the coverage is increased, it’s still not on par with AT&T or Verizon in my test area.

This issue is somewhat overcome by being able to call over Wi-Fi (T-Mobile only). Wi-Fi calling is not always flawless; if your signal is weak there is noticeable quality degradation. On more than one occasion, my call was dropped when switching from Wi-Fi to cell tower.

Call Quality
Though the coverage isn’t always stellar, the call quality is consistently good. Calls are loud, and the sound is well balanced.

When using the speakerphone at the loudest volume, calls were tinny as compared to the Bold. This was a problem I noticed on the Storm2 as well; hopefully it isn’t indicative of things to come from RIM!

When making calls using the 3G signal on the Bold, the device can get uncomfortably hot. This problem seems to have been addressed in the new offering.

Like is its predecessor, the 9700 offers visual voicemail, another feature that will likely become standard on all ‘Berries in time.

Software
This BlackBerry sports the newest 5.0 operating system, and there are some notable improvements over the previous generation. Menus are easier to navigate and better looking. RIM borrows from the iPhone OS in areas such as time/date selection, which are now offered as a rolling wheel. My favorite feature of the 5.0 is the ability to more easily customize ringing profile settings. There are some features that were previously unoffered as well, such as the ability to set vibration to short, medium, or long sessions.

Another major improvement over previous versions is the ability to wirelessly sync contacts with Google accounts. The option to auto-sync is given after setting up an eligible email account, and it’s a great way to consolidate your address books.

Browsing
The smaller screen size is noticeable when browsing, and not in a good way. If no mobile version is available, pages that load are more zoomed out than the Bold, and from there you have to zoom in to the section you want. This process is manageable, but can easily be frustrating if you plan on doing a lot of browsing.

Additionally there are some media types and some pages that don’t play well with the BlackBerry; again, if browsing is your main concern this probably isn’t the device for you.

Messaging & Productivity
This is a BlackBerry, so of course messaging is quick and reliable, and RIM packs in plenty of options including threaded text messaging, email, and instant messaging options including BlackBerry Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo.

The 9700 also offers the DataViz Documents To Go Office Suite that allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and even send as attachments.

Media & Camera
The Bold2 can play basic media: audio files, movie files, etc. There is a standard headphone jack on the side. Due to the smaller form factor your headphones will not plug completely into the slot — some of the stem will be exposed). It doesn’t affect the audio but it does bother me.

This phone ships with the same ugly headphone/mic combination as other BlackBerrys. This is unfortunate because the headphones that came with the original Bold are far superior in comparison.

This BlackBerry comes with 256 MB of internal memory, and it has an microSD slot. It is bundle with a 2 GB card and is expandable up to 32 GB, giving you plenty of room for MP3s and video. The slot is accessible by removing the battery cover (but not the battery). It was located on the side of the Bold 9000, but given that most users don’t switch cards very often it won’t be a big annoyance.

The camera is vastly improved.  It boasts 3.2 megapixels, auto-focus, flash, and video recording. The downside the camera is that you can only auto-focus by using the right convenience key. I’ve had experiences of these keys failing over time. If that were to happen here the user would be unable to take advantage of this great feature.

Battery Life
The Bold 9700 uses the same huge battery as the Bold, but it seems to last a little longer, I’ve been getting as much as two days, depending on use.

CONCLUSION

In just a little more than a year RIM has proved that it can improve on a design that was already great. If you can afford it, there are very few reasons not to get the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The browsing experience isn’t on par with some competitors, but that’s not why you buy a BlackBerry. There is a decent number of apps available, but again that’s not RIM’s core competency. The Bold2 has a great track pad, excellent form factor with a very solid feel, an improved OS, and I’ve experienced nearly no glitches. I can’t wait to pick mine up.

Pros:

• Smaller form factor
• Trackpad not a trackball
• Better camera
• 3G and Wi-Fi calling (T-Mobile)

Cons:

• Accessories not backward compatible,
• Poor browsing experience
• Speakerphone quality degrades at high volumes

Despite all of this, the end product is somehow lacking. The Storm2 makes up for its predecessor’s shortcomings, but given the competition of large, touchscreen-based smartphones on Verizon, and the hordes of apps available for its prime target competitor, it’s hard to give this BlackBerry a solid recommendation.
DESIGN & BUILD

It’s hard to tell the Storm2 apart from its predecessor at first glance, but there are a few cosmetic changes. The chrome trim on the edges is subdued, and the function keys (Send, End, Menu, Escape) are now integrated as a part of the screen. The side buttons are a matte black and the headphone jack is now flush against the side of the device. Finally the top rocker button has a slight makeover where the left rocker key will first lock the phone, and then shut it down if depressed further. Other than these subtleties, the two can very easily be mistaken for one another.

The device is still a touch skinnier, thinner, and arguably better looking than the BlackBerry Bold, and sports a sleek overall design.

Screen
The Storm2 sports a 3.25-inch, 360×480 display at 184 ppi, and delivers a crisp, sharp picture. The screen retains its clickability, though it does seem more responsive and more natural than the previous generation.

The display offers multiple types of interaction — in certain applications, such as zooming in on the browser, just lightly touching the screen will drive behavior. In other applications, such as typing, the screen needs to be completely clicked in.

It recognizes multiple fingers for use in functions such as copying and pasting.

One annoyance I noticed almost immediately was clicking the integrated function keys at the bottom of the device. Sometimes the screen seems to stick around these buttons, forcing the user to click on the top of the screen first so that the bottom ‘pops’ back out before it can be pressed again.

When you looked at the original Storm from certain angles, one could see a slight diamond latticework of gridlines, presumably sensors. This is not the case in the Storm2.

Size and Weight
The Storm2 feels heavy and solid in your hand, traits carried over from the first generation. Initially I could notice the added weight in my pocket, though it quickly becomes second nature.

Other Design Notes
One criticism of the physical design of this model is the placement of the volume keys. Like other BlackBerrys, the speaker during calls is plenty loud — sometimes to a fault. When trying to dial down the volume, I often found myself unsure of which key I was pressing. If the keys were moved up slightly they would be in a more natural and comfortable position.

Research In Motion is nice enough to send a pair of headphones with integrated microphone along with most of its devices. Unfortunately for those who pick up the Storm2, this headset is the same as the entry-level Curve, and is mediocre at best. This contrasts with the Bold which ships with a great ear-bud headset with multiple buds. Given how badly RIM and Verizon needed to knock it out of the park to make up negative perception, I’m surprised to see this lower-quality headset in the box.

PERFORMANCE

The overall experience of the BlackBerry Storm2 is far improved over the first generation. It’s more responsive, adds some nice UI elements such as screens that fluidly change/appear/disappear, and the display finally responds to you turning the device, though still not as fast as the iPhone.

BlackBerry OS 5.0
The this phone ships with BlackBerry OS 5.0 .0.287 on board, which is notably better than the earlier 4.x flavors. It offers Storm-centric features as well as other features generally applicable to any BlackBerry.

The second-generation Storm offers a much smoother — though not flawless — experience over the original. Scrolling through menus, switching screens, and switching from landscape to portrait are all much smoother, and execute mostly as expected. There tops of menus even playfully bump off the top of the screen when scrolling vertically or horizontally. This is a great improvement over the first Storm, which would freeze, lag, and ultimately do anything except for what the user wanted.

Some applications open from the center of the screen and explode out, a nice subtle effect. When adjusting the alarm time, a neat iPhone-esque scrolling wheel appears to help you navigate through time. Another aesthetic update is the icon the Storm2 uses to depict a BlackBerry. It’s gotten a makeover and looks sharper than previous ones.

This new model also makes it easier to navigate through messages. When reading an opened message, a flick to the left or right will open the next or previous message. Unfortunately not all ‘messages’ work like this: if you flick into a Facebook message, you won’t be able to flick out of it to the next unread message — not a huge concession, and overall a cool feature.

Perhaps my favorite enhancements are the ones made to the sound profile customization menu. Opening a profile, there are four simple expandable options: phone, messages, instant messages, reminders, and other. Opening up messages and then email for example allows the user to select one ring tone, a volume ranging from 1-10, and the option to set a custom vibration: short, medium, or long. This last feature makes for vibrations that are less noticeable to those around you when it goes off. Additionally in this section are two crucial improvements, two options named play sound and vibrate which offer “always, in holster, or out of holster”. All these come together to allow the user to more easily customize the volume, vibration duration, and makes it much easier to apply the same profile to both in and out of holster situations. There is also the option to integrate the vibration with the ringtone.

The OS and related experience are vastly improved over the first Storm, but not perfect.

I’ve noticed horizontal bars appearing on the bottom quarter of the screen when switching from landscape to portrait mode. It’s as if the entire screen switches except for the bottom quarter which quickly catches up. Switches from landscape to portrait and vice versa are sometimes slow and confused. When scrolling through messages the top date banner sometimes obstructs view of the messages that are scrolling by.

I noticed that at times when exiting an application the SSID super imposes itself over the LCD time display, making it hard to read either one.

Individually these quirks are not deal-breakers, though in summation they point to poor design and execution by RIM. These should be non-issues. They were present in the first Storm, and although diminished they are still present in the second offering.

Typing & Messaging
The Storm models are RIM’s first without physical keyboards, and its clear this company is still working its way up the learning curve.

The on-screen keyboard offers four modes: landscape QWERTY, portrait QWERTY, portrait multi-tap, and portrait predictive text (a nod to the keyboard styling of the Pearl).

Some keyboard behavior is awkward because of the software — it can be hard to call up the keyboard during a call, make navigating touch-tone menus difficult. There also isn’t a good way to erase a pressed key during a call. Like the first Storm, resting the phone on your shoulder sometimes results in accidentally hitting the End key.

In other environments it’s hard to hide the keyboard once its work is done. It took me several tries before I could successfully enter the WEP when setting up my Wi-Fi connection. I kept trying to hide the keyboard but ended up backing out of the application. I found similar difficulties when entering text on webpages.

These annoyances are minor compared to the major flaw of the Storm2′s typing: it’s FRUSTRATINGLY difficult to type quickly and accurately when having to click the screen in. The click-feature of the screen is changed and improved over the original Storm, and I can definitely type faster but it’s still difficult. Users will constantly find themselves hitting the wrong keys – which wouldn’t be a problem if the auto-correct was better. In portrait QWERTY mode it’s even more difficult. The majority of this frustration would be alleviated if the user didn’t have to click in, but could simply tap on the screen.

One of the Storm’s saving graces is at the end of the day – it’s a BlackBerry. It’s designed to be a crack messaging device, and integrates cool features to make messaging easy. When typing text messages, you can simply press enter to send, rather than options >> send. Email messages are delivered more reliably than its Cupertino rival, and there’s a good amount of integration between applications and messages (eg. Re-tweeting an email directly in the options menu granted you have the right client). Unfortunately, all of this great work is undone by the Storm2′s inability to type quickly and accurately.

If you’re willing to take it slow and you’re patient, this issue won’t bother you. If you want to be able to type without looking, or type without having to go back and replace your words, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Two features worth noting in this arena, however, are the integration of phonebook entries into the custom dictionary (uncommon last names will pop up as recognized suggestions), and cut and paste. Though cut and paste is not new to BlackBerrys, the Storm2 utilizes its screen well to do so. On a message, or webpage, simply put both fingers on the screen. Two guides will appear and you can drag them left or right to correctly select the text you want. The options to cut, copy, and paste will automatically appear.

Browsing
The Storm2 offers just one browser: the default BlackBerry browser, which somehow seems surprisingly simple and straightforward for a Verizon product. The browsing experience is not vastly different from other BlackBerrys, and still lacks compared to the iPhone, Android, or webOS. The most noticeable browsing difference between the Storm2 and other BlackBerrys is a result of the larger screen size.

Empirically Verizon’s network seems slower than AT&T’s 3G network, a problem that’s easily overcome by the addition of Wi-Fi. When connected to a hot-spot browsing speeds are decent, otherwise the experience goes largely unchanged.

The Storm2 and its quirky clickable screen actually offers a positive use when browsing. When on a page, tapping the screen (but not clicking it), will zoom into the page. If you wish to zoom out, you’ll have to click on the zoom-out key however. In order to select a link, you can rest your finger on it, ensure its highlighted and then click in. This is a useful application of the screen and actually makes browsing easier.

When entering a URL, the enter key on the keyboard dons a green outline and displays “go” instead of the standard return arrow. Likewise, the spacebar displays a period. These two features show the benefits of having an on-screen keyboard – it can change to become more relevant to your application.

Bundled Apps
The usual suspects are all present in this BlackBerry: App World, BlackBerry Messenger, download links for GoogleTalk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN, and AIM (conspicuously absent: ICQ, perhaps RIM got the message that this isn’t 1995 anymore). There’s the now-standard Documents To Go suite, along with social media apps from Flickr, MySpace, Facebook.

For entertainment, the Storm2 offers Tetris, BrickBreaker, World Mole, and the Sims 3 as an added treat! Finally the Storm2 offers BlackBerry Maps, Slacker Radio, and Application Center to manage and update all your apps — though this seems to overlap the duties of App World.

There are of course, the Verizon additions to this bunch: V Cast Music | Rhapsody, VZ Navigator, a link to the My Verizon portal, and V Cast Song ID (poor man’s Shazam).

Connectivity
The BlackBerry Storm2 offers Wi-Fi, but by now anyone reading this review knows this. It’s standard issue 802.11 b/g and there were no significant quirks. It provided solid continuous coverage.

Likewise the GPS integrates nicely with your apps, including BlackBerry Maps which comes standard.

For the international travelers in the audience, the Storm offers a pretty impressive collection of antennae: EV-DO, UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz), EDGE/GPRS/GSM network support. It comes preloaded with a SIM-card, but don’t be expecting to jump onto AT&T or T-Mobile’s network stateside without some wizardry.

Call Quality & Coverage
I’m generally a fan of Verizon’s call quality, and I’m generally impressed by RIM’s sound quality, but I was a bit let down by the Storm2 in this area. The sound quality suffered at the highest speakerphone volumes, and the call quality was sometimes choppy. I also noticed fluctuations in displayed signal strength, though calls always came through even if no bars were shown. At other times, there was outright no signal where I had AT&T and even T-Mobile coverage, a major surprise, especially given Boston’s urban setting I’m testing in.

The sound quality may rest on RIM’s shoulders, but the choppiness and coverage disparities point to Verizon. I’ll be optimistic and hope that this is due to a network being strained as Verizon prepares its next-generation network.

Camera
The Storm2 retains the solid 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash, and video recording that the first Storm offered. It takes decent pictures, and allows you to use either the convenience key to focus and take pictures or the touch screen itself. It would be nice to see more digital zoom however.

Battery Life
Off a fully charged battery with Wi-Fi and GPS enabled, with moderate phone usage and normal BlackBerry messaging strain, the Storm lasted about 30 hours. Not bad considering the size of the screen it has to light up.

This is about on par with other smartphones —  generally you’ll be charging any smartphone you buy every night.

CONCLUSION

The BlackBerry Storm has come a long way in its second-generation form, though ultimately it might be too little too late.

There are other touchscreen devices that make compelling cases, such as the Palm Pre, iPhone 3GS, HTC offerings, and the upcoming Droid. Often these have development focused on utilizing all of the features the physical device has to offer. Likewise, there are other messaging phones that offer better more reliable text input — the Tour and pretty much any other full QWERTY phone. The Storm2 sits in an odd place — it has some of the best of the touchscreen world, some of the best of the BlackBerry world, but ultimately comes up short, failing to deliver on either.

The original Storm seemed like a logical choice for those stuck on Verizon who wanted something to take on the iPhone. Just a year later, however, it’s not apparent that it’s the obvious choice.

Verizon and RIM needed to really shake things up with the Storm2. Sadly, fixing the shortcomings of the first generation while failing to deliver any other true value-add isn’t going to be enough for most users.

Pros:

• Sharp, large screen
• Sleek form factor
• 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash, video

Cons:

• Performance still lacks in some places
• Difficult to type quickly and accurately
• Poorer sound quality at loudest speakerphone levels

]]> http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-storm-2/feed/ 0 http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-curve-8520/ http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-curve-8520/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:06:30 +0000 An http://www.nicomovil.com/?p=122 The BlackBerry Curve 8520 shows that the future of the BlackBerry is here… kind of.

By far the stand-out feature of the Curve 8520 is its new optical trackpad, which replaces the trackball for navigation – and it rocks.

In a confusing move though, the 8520 is the third Curve available on T-Mobile, in addition to the original and the 8900, which was released early this year.

The 8250 has several elements that depart from traditional BlackBerrys, beyond just the trackpad. Features such as dedicated media keys across the top of the device, a smaller LED indicator, updated look for the call and end-call keys, and new ‘hidden’ convenience keys on the side of the phone all work together to position the 8250 to expand its reach to younger market segments that other BlackBerrys have failed to capture.

Other areas such as the screen and lack of 3G (though it does have Wi-Fi) indicate that RIM and T-Mobile weren’t willing to pull out all the stops for this one.

BUILD & DESIGN

Optical Trackpad
The Curve 8250 sports an optical trackpad rather than the usual trackball for navigation. Immediately after unboxing the phone, I felt the trackpad was an improvement over the ball, and haven’t looked back since.

The pad employs all the same gestures as the ball, and it feels similar to using a trackpad on your laptop. You can click the pad to select an option the same way you would with the trackball. The pad does not light up (it’s solid, and has no backlight).

An improvement I would like to see in future generations is the ability to continue scrolling by resting my finger on an edge of the pad. For me, this would be the ultimate in accuracy, ease of use, and functionality. There is little to criticize about the trackpad other than having to get used to its speed – otherwise this is a job well done, RIM.

Redesigned Side Keys & Other Styling
In addition to the trackpad, another departure from other BlackBerrys is the design of the convenience keys on the side. There is a rubber strip that wraps around the perimeter of the entire device, encompassing the keys on the sides. This makes the side keys of the 8250 look as if they’re bulging out beneath the rubber (see here).

This is a notable departure from the chrome trim found on other newer BlackBerrys, but it seems to work for the device. The ‘bulging’ keys work with the trackpad and the lack of chrome trim to somehow make the 8250 seem less delicate and more rugged than other BlackBerrys.

Across the top of the device there are three media keys: Next, Previous, and Play/Pause/Mute. These work in conjunction with the music player to help you navigate through music, a welcome addition that clearly plays to the younger market. This version of the Curve also features an expandable microSD slot with a 1 GB card preloaded.

The last key-related item to note about the 8520 is that the four keys across the bottom of the screen: Talk, Options, Return, and End/Power have received a modest facelift, making them look a little hipper. The keys are all part of the same top level that the screen is, and don’t look as if they are individual keys though they act like it.

The back of the phone sports some of the same rubber band that surrounds the perimeter of the phone, with a black plastic piece across the bulk of the back. This plastic is curved a little bit, which beckons the user to spin the phone in a circle. Even after just a week of use, I’m already beginning to see the irreparable marks from all my spinning.

Screen and LED Indicator
RIM has been producing some convincing screens lately, but the 8520 doesn’t have one of them. Though it is an upgrade from the original Curve, it doesn’t hold a candle to competitors such as the BlackBerry Curve 8900, Tour, or Bold.

Though it functions fine, the screen doesn’t offer a crisp picture, high resolution, or adequate contrast that so many of its contemporaries offer. Physically the screen is about the same size as previous Curves, and is on par with that of the Tour.

One thing that’s annoyed me in the past about BlackBerrys is driving at night with Bluetooth enabled on my device. This is because I would get a blue LED indication flashing every few seconds bright enough to be a distraction. This type of problem is solved with the 8520 via a much smaller LED indicator. It is about the size of the tip of a pencil.

I suppose I should be careful for what I wish for, because the indicator does not seem nearly as bright as I’d like it. It could be that it is the same brightness in a smaller area, or it could be less bright overall — the point is that it isn’t adequate for spotting an unread message from across the room. This point might be moot however, because most smartphone users obsessively check their devices anyway.

Keyboard
The Curve 8250 maintains the keyboard found on the original Curve. If you thought you could escape the plastic spaced-out keys and trade up to a keyboard that’s easier to type on (such as the 8900 or the Tour), you’re out of luck friends.

PERFORMANCE

EDGE, Wi-Fi
For those of you hoping to hop on T-Mobile’s 3G network with this phone, prepare to be disappointed. The 8250 only sports EDGE and Wi-Fi, however it does support UMA calling via Wi-Fi (see below).

Updated OS
The Curve 8250 sports the BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.259 by default. The device is consistent throughout its hardware and software design, supporting its intentions to appeal to a younger market segment. This is most apparent by the red and white asterisks that litter the notifications section to inform the user about new messages or notifications. This is, of course, a nod to the iPhone which uses the same color scheme to indicate new notifications. These indications clutter up the home screen, especially the top status bar.

The OS also has by Facebook and MySpace built into it by default, and offers a slew of IM clients (AIM, GoogleTalk, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and of course BlackBerry Messenger). Finally BlackBerry Maps is also loaded by default into the device.

Other than the cosmetic updates of the notifications, little else about the OS seems to depart from other BlackBerrys. In certain applications the phone seemed to hang a bit longer than I was comfortable with, which was surprising given the 512 MHz processor, which seems like it would be plenty.

Naturally, it comes with the basic suite of BlackBerry software, with such apps as a web browser, address book, calendar, and Push e-mail. Like recent RIM models, it also has audio and video software and an Office suite — DataViz Documents To Go.

UMA
One feature T-Mobile offers that I’ve always been a big fan of is UMA, which T-Mobile calls HotSpot@Home. This provides native VoIP service where Wi-Fi is available.

The biggest benefit of UMA is, of course, that if you are in an area that does not have good T-Mobile coverage (you can definitely find some of those around), you can jump on Wi-Fi and instantly have crystal clear conversations.

When I first tried this feature with the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, I had some problems switching between UMA and EDGE (when for example I walked out of Wi-Fi range). The switch has been more seamless with this device. A few times I noticed that call would start in UMA and end in EDGE without dropping.

Camera
This version of the Curve sports a 2 megapixel camera that shoots video like all BlackBerrys. There are several styling cues throughout the whole device that indicate it’s going after the same market share that might be interested in an iPhone and the camera is one of them. Unfortunately, in terms of the camera RIM has lowered their game to be on par with the iPhone. Though it takes decent pictures, there is no flash (found on almost every other BlackBerry camera), and the round iPhone-eqsue lens is more exposed and subject to dust than other BlackBerry devices.

I would have preferred this phone to have the same 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash that we’ve seen on other recent devices, but for what it is, the camera is surprisingly decent.

Even video comes out smooth and sharp looking on the device (surprising given my earlier complaints about the screen’s resolution).

CONCLUSION

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 has several elements that position it to a younger market segment — the rubber outlay around the phone, the updated call and end keys, and the music keys are all evidence of this. Though notable, these are not the stand-out features of the phone.

The optical trackpad is a big step forward for BlackBerrys. It is easier to use, and more importantly makes the device seem more sturdy and sleek than other models with the trackball. Even with its shortcomings in areas like the screen and lack of camera flash, the trackpad makes up for a lot of otherwise lost ground.

If you’re looking to upgrade to a T-Mobile BlackBerry, normally I’d say the BlackBerry Curve 8900, but with the advent of the trackpad on the 8520 I’d have to think twice.

Pros:

• New optical trackpad
• Redesigned side keys, top music keys
• Light, small form factor, uses same battery as previous generation Curves

Cons:

• No 3G support
• Screen not as advanced as it could be
• Keyboard hasn’t been improved from original Curve, is actually a step back from Curve 8900
• Plastic back cover is susceptible to marks

]]> http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-curve-8520/feed/ 0 http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-curve-8900/ http://www.nicomovil.com/phones/blackberry-curve-8900/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:13:15 +0000 An http://www.nicomovil.com/?p=130

The revamped BlackBerry Curve 8900 by RIM is the convertible sports-car of BlackBerrys. It is sleek, light, comfortably sized and incredibly powerful.

The Curve has been an abiding standby for BlackBerry nation, and the newest model promises to deliver on expectations. Much of the 8900′s improvements can be attributed to design considerations and software and usability.

There is still room for improvement in some areas, though. Most notably, the Curve 8900 lacks 3G, but T-Mobile’s version does have UMA-enabled Wi-Fi. Also lacking on the Curve 8900 are the rubbery keys sported by models such as the 8800 and the Bold. These deficiencies are small, however, compared to the considerable assets the device boasts.

The 8900 pulls on many of the best features of existing BlackBerrys and rolls them together in a nice package.

Build and Design
Like its big cousin the BlackBerry Bold, the 8900 features a black finish with faux-chrome overlays. These accents deliver a sexy, sophisticated look for the device.

It offers a full QWERTY keyboard in a curved layout, with slight spacing between keys. The keyboard is accurate and usable, but it’s hard to type as fast as on other devices, such as the BlackBerry Bold or 8800 with their rubbery keys. To the credit of this keyboard however, you do feel a satisfying click after hitting the buttons. Inclusion of this specific keyboard was likely a business decision on RIM’s part to be able to to diversify its product offerings, but it’s still a point some users may take issue with.

The Curve’s top row of keys is also appropriately sized for the device, unlike the Bold, whose keys are awkwardly large.

And for what its worth, the trackball is dark, not white like on the Bold… not a deal breaker!

Convenient Convenience Keys: On offerings from most manufacturers, there are keys reserved for specific functions. Of the four external keys on the 8900, two are customizable — one on each side. Though it would be nice for the volume keys to be shortcuts, they do act as navigation tools in certain media menus. The ability to customize the right and left keys are something that users who demand the most from their phones will appreciate.

The Curve 8900 borrows the incredibly useful lock and mute buttons from the BlackBerry Storm that are a part of the top rocker keys (see picture), providing an easy way to lock your keyboard.

Portability: This smartphone has roughly the same dimensions as the previous Curve models. Compared to other BlackBerrys such as the Bold and Storm, the 8900 feels incredibly light and fits very nicely in your pocket. It comes with a carrying pouch that offers protection, and activates the “in holster” profile settings for notifications.

The back panel covering the battery improves upon the Storm’s shortcoming but falls short of the iconic faux-leather backing of the Bold. Those in colder climates will find that metallic back plates (such as the Storm’s) can get uncomfortably cold; the Curve overcomes this with a slightly textured brushed plastic back that looks good but is a bit prone to scratching.

Sadly, the charging port is awkwardly placed on the right side of the keyboard, making it difficult to type while it’s plugged in. Also upsetting is that the microSD card is accessible only after removing the back panel.

For those of you wondering how much of your old tech you can use with your new Curve, the answer is that it uses the D-X1 battery, and a micro-USB charger. Arguably mini-USBs are more common, but utilizing a micro-USB charger aligns with the Mobile World Congress’ recent announcement that micro will be the new charging standard moving forward.

Performance
Other users have reported that at times performance was sluggish on the 8900, but this has not been my experience. In fact, the operating system has been reliable, performing consistently throughout the test period so far. In comparison, on occasion my Bold will give me a “white screen of death”, but the Curve has not given me any problems.

There are some graphical nuances, however: it seems that sometimes menu screens and other items are miss-sized for the screen. If the screen is locked, the message informs the user to press the lock button, but doesn’t indicate its position. This can be confusing to some, as it’s not immediately clear that the lock button is a button at all. This message screen is identical to that on the Storm; on previous BlackBerrys it informed the user to *+green key to unlock.

Though the OS is stable and reliable, these small issues suggest that perhaps it wasn’t given enough time to bake before being taken out of the oven.

Wi-Fi/VoIP: RIM and T-Mobile have equipped the 8900 with Wi-Fi supporting UMA, which natively supports VoIP. This means that as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection, you can not only send/receive data, but voice calls as well. This is a huge advantage, as T-Mobile’s network, in my experience, covers the smallest area of the big carriers.

Although this feature is incredibly useful, it has limitations — if your signal isn’t strong, sound becomes garbled and echoes. The Curve supports only the 802.11 protocol and not 802.1x. This may interest institutional users or iPhone users (which supports both). Finally, if you are making calls over Wi-Fi, be prepared not to stray too far. Although I used it in a large building, if I covered too much ground too quickly while on Wi-Fi, my calls would drop. For you home users, I suspect this problem won’t be as noticeable.

UMA calling counts against your regular non-myFaves minutes, but for $10 a month you can add unlimited UMA calling.

Given the limitations of not being able to stray too far or the requirement of 802.11 networks, the UMA call quality is pretty remarkable. A few times during testing in strong signal areas, there was so little background noise that I thought the call had dropped. This feature is truly one of the gems of the 8900, and should be standard issue in all BlackBerrys moving forward.

Call Quality: Calls over the cell network are of more consistent quality than UMA calls. I also noticed that calls seemed to connect quicker than another device I was carrying on AT&T. Connection times took a little longer with UMA calls. The speaker phone is crisp and loud enough to be useful.

One area that I experienced problems with was shifting from UMA to cell network zones. Often calls dropped when leaving one zone and entering another. Because the phone gives priority to UMA connections by default, this is a potential area of concern for users to consider.

Battery Life: After some recent disappointments with the Storm and Bold, the Curve restores some respectability with its battery life. With moderate-to-heavy use, about three days or more can be expected from the battery.

This can undoubtedly be brought down by leaving Wi-Fi on in order to supplement T-Mobile’s spotty coverage. Additionally, it can be improved by using settings that do not vibrate as much.

Most users will find that the battery life is sufficient, and shouldn’t worry about not being able to charge daily.

Productivity: Standard in BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.x is DataViz’s suite of Office productivity tools. With these you can view, edit, save, and send Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint files. This type of functionality adds a new layer to the device, and makes the user more productive and capable than before.

The Curve has some annoyances typical of BlackBerrys, including having to select “get more” in data-laden emails. Another is the need to “get images” in emails embedded with pictures. Finally, the lack of 3G support and a larger lack of coverage in some areas precludes the transmission of data in some regions, which is an obvious detriment to productivity.

Entertainment: Because you can’t work all the time, the Curve has several creative ways for you to waste time while appearing productive. These include the standard suite of games on the 4.6.1.x OS, including Brick Breaker, Word Mole, Texas Hold ‘Em, Sudoku, and Klondike.

The device also comes with the ability to record and share pictures, movies, audio, and ringtones. See below for discussion on ringtones. Being able to store media on a microSD card means the 8900 doesn’t even need to be connected to a desktop or laptop to transfer files; it can be done by popping the SD card into an adapter for most computers’ on-board card slot (sorry, Mac users).

Internet Access and Browsing: BlackBerry browsers traditionally have many shortcomings, and this one is no different. Although the browser is capable of the basics — YouTube, Weather.com, news — there are some sites that are difficult to use. A couple tricks for getting around these problems are to go into the Options screen and enable “Support JavaScript,” as well as selecting “Browser Identification” to Firefox or IE.

Over Wi-Fi, the browser is quicker than EDGE, but it is notably slower than AT&T’s 3G network. I do not have T Mobile 3G benchmarks to compare to.

The browsing experience is satisfactory enough for casual browsing, but don’t plan to rely on it. The Bold is my primary personal device and although the 8900′s screen has markedly better resolution than previous offerings, it is still about the same physical size as the previous gen. This lack of screen real estate can impact the browsing experience for some. Of course, the browser features mouse-like navigation via the trackball, which means that scrolling into areas off screen is easier than on previous models.

In a play to appeal to its more social customer base, the Curve offers a slew of instant messaging programs including BlackBerry Messenger, AIM, Google talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN, and even ICQ for those international customers, or those stuck in 1999.

myFaves – Being on T-Mobile, this device sports myFaves, which allow for unlimited calling to five people of your choosing. These minutes are also free when calling over UMA. myFaves (or yours) can be added pretty simply on the phone, and proves a useful feature if you find yourself spending most of your time chatting with a few people.

Camera: The Curve 8900 features a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus. This means that finally, you can feel comfortable carrying your phone around as a camera knowing you’ll be able to snap some fairly decent pictures.

• Sample Picture
• Sample Picture

GPS: This model also boasts GPS, which has become pretty standard-issue for smartphones. To make use of this feature, the Curve 8900 comes with BlackBerry Maps. Although BlackBerry Maps is adequate, it would have been nice to have seen more applications that could make use of the GPS.

Ringtones: RIM has been recruiting talent to step up its ringtones. Although “Antelope” is great, the Curve supplements the selection with John Mayer offerings. There are four John Mayer ringtones included for your listening pleasure, but these aren’t custom creations but samples of longer songs.

BlackBerrys are among the device-of-choice for the deaf community, in part due to its strong vibration features. This feature has been subdued in the Curve. Though it will mean fewer audible buzzes during meetings, it also means you might occasional miss your phone buzzing if, for example, it’s on your desk and you’re sporting headphones. This problem is overcome by the LED indicator, and the obsessive rigor with which most owners check their devices. Nevertheless, it is less effective than other models.

Other Notables: Conspicuously absent on the Curve is application demos and T-Mobile-centric applications. Users who know what they want (and what they don’t want) on their device will appreciate this, but it might be doing a disservice to new users wanting to get a feel for the full range of capabilities of the device and applications.

Conclusion
Though parting with $200 may be difficult in these economic conditions, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is well worth it. It offers plenty of power and performance for its price, although lacking 3G and the slick keyboard some users prefer. Most will agree that it’s easy to overlook its shortcomings considering the price differential between the Curve and other devices.

UMA calling, the handy camera, size, weight, and usefulness of its OS and apps all make a compelling case for the Curve. If you want a capable device primarily for messaging, this is a great option. If however, you want a device that offers a browsing experience on par with its messaging, you might have to keep looking.

For most new users and those upgrading, I would safely recommend this device… just be sure to check your coverage options first.