nspec_ya4

iTrader: (38)

looks great with the normal keypad blackberry functions and a touch screen. but a damn price tag of over $600.

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrytorch/

i'm gonna have to snatch one as soon as it comes out.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

I paid $400 for my Bold...I don't want to pay $600 for this. But, I have been waiting for another BB.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

When's the release date, and what carrier will get this phone?

Ken1997TL

Isn't it $200 with a 2 year AT&T contract?

nspec_ya4

iTrader: (38)

I think att will get it. On att's website, its not available yet. On ebay, they're going for 700 - 800

#1 STUNNA

Don't get it! All the reviews say it sucks and will be the death of RIM! I guess if you MUST (and I mean are FORCED by your works IT dept) get a blackberry then this is the one to get. However if you're looking for a personal phone then pass on this one. It's underpowered, slow, a crappy touchscreen, the browser is choppy and takes forever to render pages (probably partially due to slow CPU), has a very low res screen by today's standards, has few apps, almost all current BB apps do NOT work with this device and it offers almost no features that aren't already offered on the iPhone or Android.

This was RIM's chance to catch up to the competition and it looks like they failed.

CGFebTSX04

ATT will get it on the 12th. Its $199 with a 2 year contract and $499 without. And I agree with #1 Stunna, this phone is outdated by today's standards. Is it the greatest Blackberry phone? Probably. Is it better than the other phones out today? No and by a longshot. Read the reviews on this phone, they all say it stalls every now and then. Not a good sign for your flagship phone.

#1 STUNNA

RIM's UI is very behind by today's standard and they like Windows Mobile have been slow to respond. Now both are responding but in very different ways. RIM has decided to build upon their UI that they're customers are familiar with enhancements in an attempt to make it more modern, while MS tried that as an intermediary step with winmo 6.5 that had a new start screen but once you got down inside the phone it was still ugly winmo underneath.

Now MS did this as a temporary solution but at the same time was working on a completely brand new very modern OS built off of the Zune HD ui which if you've seen is drastically different than the Windows Mobile UI, we're talking night and day with NOTHING in common. And so far Windows Phone 7 has been getting pretty rave reviews for it's modern UI and performance. While RIM with it's BB 6 OS and Torch device is getting panned for it's subpar UI and performance.

There was an interesting article from Neilsen a few days ago

http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/2...e/?mod=ATD_rss

Yikes! I smell doom for RIM if they don't do something drastic and SOON but I predict they won't. Their stronghold on the business market is diminishing too since Apple and android now do MS Exchange with Activesync which is much easier and cheaper to implement and maintain then using a BIS server w/ Exchange.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

If I didn't dislike the touchscreen so much on the iPhone, I'd get it. But, I like the taste of RIM's Kool-Aid.

#1 STUNNA

the touchscreen on this device sucks, it's unresponsive.

CGFebTSX04

Here's a roundup of the reviews on the device so far:

http://www.latestgadgets.co.uk/mobil...review-roundup

http://blogs.computerworld.com/16660...nd_cheese_font

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

So I guess RIM won't come out with a successor to the Torch for a long time.

#1 STUNNA

What sucks for RIM is that it is launching on AT&T. Why would anyone spend $200 on this device when they can get an iPhone 4 or even the Samsung Capitvate for the same price or a 3GS for $100 less!?!?

You'd have to be a complete BB tool to get this phone.

JediMindTricks

but i run into a lot of people that 1) really prefer BB and/or 2) want a full keyboard/pad

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Based on what I've seen, a large demographic of BBs users are business users. They are locked in because IT departments are not keen on rolling out another email platform.

Most business users just want to check email. Most smartphones are overkill.

#1 STUNNA

There are many phones on Android that have physical keyboards

doopstr

There is no way I would buy a RIM device for personal use since there are much better options from Apple and Android.

I'm still rocking my 2G curve though because my employer pays the bill and they aren't willing to buy anything newer.

GIBSON6594

This device is a giant YAWN and RIM failed by releasing it.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

What's the best device out there other than iPhone and BB, that has Wi-Fi, a keypad, and a good text/email interface?

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

^^^ Droid princely? I love mine. I remember going to VZW and getting the Curve 8330 and man I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I then kept moving up from the 8330 to the Storm, then to the Tour.. I then got my Droid Couldn't be more satisfied, RIM is a total FAIL.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Well, it has to be with AT&T.

Doom878

They had these at my ATT store last week to play with it. Big fat MEH.

Shoofin

I will admit that I was a little bit let down by this phone. I haven't seen it in person yet, but was planning on getting what is supposed to be the replacement to the Bold 9000 (AT&T). Overall the 9000 is an excellent phone. The size is just right, the battery sucks but I have an extended battery on it that I have yet to even get close to draining in a heavy use day. Problem is memory. Lack of. 128mb of onboard memory for apps, with 95% of that memory being occupied by the OS (Granted I updated my phone to the newest OS available to the phone, not something approved by AT&T - version 5.0.0.681), but with so little memory for any apps, PLUS I have a really bad memory leak. I have to restart my phone once or twice a day because of the memory leak. When I re-start, I end up having about 19mb of space left. By the end of the day it's all but gone. I just looked at my phone now, and I have 2.4mb of available memory left since the restart at 7am this morning(16.9mb disappeared throughout the day).
From all the reviews I've seen on these newer OS versions, people would complain about memory leaks, batteries running out real quick, and dropped calls. I don't think the OS is responsible for any of that, I think it's the phone, and the crappy AT&T service. My phone is refurbished, as even after replacing it 4x in the past, AT&T still wouldn't give me a new phone and would only send me an RB phone.
I really have to do something about my phone. If I don't do the Torch, maybe I'll get the 9700 for now until they come out with something a lot better. There have been rumors of a Bold replacement codenamed "Dakota" that was supposed to be the same size as the 9000, and touch screen (I could care less for a touch screen), but there hasn't been any other talk about it recently. Sucks.
And I'd rather stay with a BB because of my usage, which is for work. I don't play music, movies or any other crap on my phone. I use it for email and messaging 99% of the time, and 1% putzing around with apps or games.

Side note, my friend who has an AT&T store was at the last AT&T/BB meeting on the new phones and says that they won't be coming out with any additional new phones for the rest of the year, but they MIGHT come out with another phone for Xmas time. No idea what that will be though.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

....the Galaxy S Samsung phones should fit the bill, just choose your provider... Att or Sprint... then Njoy a fast, huge screened beast that you can customize till you go crazy...

...I am not as familiar with the Droid line, but loads of peeps swear by them... they also have great looking hardware (see the Droid X)!!!...

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

I agree with a BB for work, I love the email setup it has going on. But other than what a typical college student like myself would use it for, I need something I can BS on in class

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

I'm still skeptical about a "touchscreen" versus a traditional "keyboard", however.

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

Prince don't go ALL touchscreen. I wouldn't wipe my dogs ass with a phone that doesn't have buttons. I've been down the road and I wanted to throw the phone EVERYTIME I used it..

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

I hear ya, brother. That's why I'm a wee bit skeptical about the Captivate. In all seriousness, I might go from my BB 9000 to the 9700.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

...the one I am pointing u toward have a touch screen and a fully slide out keyboard (the epic 4g) ... take a look over in the android thread or go on the samsung site or hit up some home brewed utube videos...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6DkWBq1Lf0

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

I hear ya, brother. But, I'm w/ AT&T, so I would have to go with the Captivate if I wanted a droid.

#1 STUNNA

what phone did you have? It could've been just a sucky phone and you shouldn't use that experience to judge all touch screens.

Yeah there's a learning curve for touch screens but so is there for a physical keyboard. Personally I fly on the iPhone keyboard and I've gotten really good with the iPad as well.

I've never seen anyone use an iPhone for an extended period of time and complain about the keyboard, the only people I've seen complain about a touch keyboard are people that have never used one and just come in with the idea that it's gonna suck without ever using one. With the iphone you have to learn to trust the text correction capability, it's fantastic. It doesn't matter if you hit the key over from the one you wanted cause 95% of the time the iphone will pickup which word you meant to spell and you don't even have to think about it or even acknowledge it just keep going and when you're done you'll see that it added apostrophes where the were needed and corrected all of you miss keypresses.

Now if you had some POS resistive touchscreen phone then yeah it'll probably have a garbage touch keyboard but I've used the keyboard on the ZuneHD (pretty damn good) and my brothers nexus one (also pretty damn good) and haven't had any issues.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

I feel ya man!... anyhoo, go to the ATT store and play around with one... I betcha you will love the interface...and if they are like Sprint, you have 30 days to decide if you're gonna keep it... if you wait a while, they will have a sliding keyboard Adroid phone to your liking... Just subscribe to the Android thread, there is something new there almost every day...

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

...and this Torch gives me the "Pre" creaps... I still use my Pre, but not by choice!!!

Doom878

Yeah there's no QWERTY Android ATT phones now. Not surprised but maybe that changes next year when Verizon gets Apple.

CGFebTSX04

Yeah, ATT won't be getting any good QWERTY Android phones for a while. T-Mobile is supposed to have one coming out called the HTC G1 Blaze/Vanguard. They don't know the official name yet.



Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/25/h...bbed-g1-blaze/

What you can do is, since you don't really use the multimedia and apps aspect is get the phone from T-Mobile and unlock it. Then use it as your primary phone with AT&T. You'll get EDGE data speeds and you can sign up for the unlimited $15 MediaNet plan instead of the more expensive $25/$30 data plan they require you to get with their 3G capable phones these days. That way, you'll still get your e-mails, maybe a little slower but its there and you can still use WiFi if you're around it.

Or, you can not get a data plan if you don't use it at all. ATT can't force you to get a data plan if they don't have the phone's IMEI in their database. They'll think you're using a dumbphone so unless you tell them which phone you have, you can use the phone without data. They can scan your phone all they want but they won't be able to ID which phone it is. That's what I've been doing for a while with my Google Ion since I'm usually around a WiFi source, although I did pick up the $15 MediaNet plan just recently since I'll be traveling a lot in the next couple of weeks.

Doom878

I had a Samsung Impression slider. The QWERTY sucked on that thing. I'm a touch man now.

#1 STUNNA

AT&T has pretty much revolved around the iPhone, they never had any android phones except for a crappy moto phone. But now that it appears that their iphone exclusivity is coming to an end I bet they get their act together

GIBSON6594

The trend is not going in your favor.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Trends. Not always for the better.