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Note: RIM's three new BlackBerry models deliver sleek hardware and an improved OS. How do they stack up against iPhone and Android rivals?
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BlackBerry 9900 Bold The Torch 9810 is my favorite of the three phones because it offers the best of both worlds: large touch-screen, slide-out keyboard. The keyboard has always been a BlackBerry strong suit, and nothing has really changed here, although side-by-side with the original Torch, the 9810's keyboard feels that much softer and more responsive.
RIM finally got the touchscreen right with the Torch, after some epic failures on the Storm, but this touchscreen still wasn't very responsive. In fact, there were times it was downright annoying. As friends happily swiped and flicked away on an iPhone, BlackBerry users carefully pulled and stretched, as if the BlackBerry's touch objects were set in taffy.
The 9810 just flies. E-mail, browsing, Facebook, apps, the camera, pinching, zooming, swiping. Sometimes the original Torch, after a few days, would just get bogged down and need a reboot. I've been running the 9810 for five straight days and it's still going strong, impatiently waiting for my next move.
Beyond speed, there's really little difference. I'm not sure it matters, but the "call" and "end call" buttons, once green and red, respectively, are now simply white. I liked them better in color, but I'm hardly lost without it--I still accidentally hang up on people in the same manner I once did, or sometimes even on purpose. Except for the brushed aluminum casing, the 9810 looks identical to the old Torch--it feels just as heavy and thick, and especially so compared to the Bold 9900 and Torch 9850. It weighs 161g, and is 14.6mm thick--noticeably thicker than the Torch 9850, but also shorter.
The 9810 has a 3.2-inch screen, which produces a vivid 640x480 resolution. Side by side with the old Torch 9800, there's really no comparison. I never knew how much I suffered before.
The Torch 9810 runs on AT&T's HSPA + network, costs $49 with a two year contract, and is available in stores starting August 21.
The Bold 9900 (GSM; 9930 CDMA) is, according to RIM, the thinnest BlackBerry ever at a mere 10.5 mm thick. It is also...