BlackBerry Torch 9800 - review

Size difference to iPhone 4 with Keyboard extended

RIMs latest device is the BlackBerry Torch 9800.  It's a hybrid device in that it has a large touch screen and a slide out keyboard for all those that complained about the on-screen keyboard of the BlackBerry Storm.

Size wise it's a little thicker than the iPhone 4, but much the same when the iPhone has a case on (to reduce signal loss when holding it, and protecting your investment as you bounce it round the train carriage when a call drops).  They feel the same weight in hand, and the Torch looks like a Bold 9700 with a massive screen when the keyboard is extended.  

I'm using this with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server connected to Microsoft Exchange, so had to go through the the following steps to get that sorted;

1. Install the new BlackBerry Desktop software which replaces BlackBerry Desktop Manager
2. Backup your old BlackBerry to the Desktop software
3. Boot up your new BlackBerry Torch - this took ages (2mins 49 seconds), and shows that either the processor is slow, or the new BlackBerry 6 OS is massive
4. Connect to BlackBerry Desktop and choose Switch Device from the menu.  The data will transfer from the old phone (essentially it does another backup) to the new phone.  I had problems loading the Facebook app from the 9700 to the 9800, but this is probably due to BlackBerry 6OS compatibility
5. Get your BlackBerry Enterprise Server Administrator to set the Activation Password for your BES account
6. Add an email account on the Torch and add in the details from your Administrator.

Enterprise Activation took about 45 minutes, which is about the same as the other BlackBerry activations, but is very dependent on 3G and GPRS traffic.

As soon as I picked it up I started griping about the keyboard.  The 9700 has a a great physical keyboard; the 9800 has exactly the same size keys and key layout, but the edges are raised so that the keyboard is hidden when the slider is closed.  Now I don't have big thumbs, but the keyboard just feels a little cramped on the edge keys.  You might get used to it, but you also have the option of an on-screen keyboard too.  Using this delivers predictive text in BlackBerry Messenger and composing emails, but I didn't trust it and it took longer to write the email on the device than it would have on the 9700 or the iPhone.

The camera is ok, 5 megapixel with flash.  Video recording is in there too at 640x480 and MMS size of 176x144.  I'm not a big photographer on smartphones.  The resolutions are too low to do anything decent with (like print a photo or add to a printed album through iPhoto), and the video I recorded was grainy, probably due to loor lighting levels and a 10pm October night record time.  That said, not having a camera in a smartphone these days is like not being able to make phone calls.  It's an expected component.

The browser is an improvement.  The touch screen delivers pinch and zoom on pages, and the pages automatically adjust through portrait or landspace orientation.  You do need to zoom on those pages as the default view is the whole page, but is does work.

The final point I'm going to discuss here is the Facebook app for BlackBerry.  It's a much used app and is getting a refresh (see http://mashable.com/2010/10/25/facebook-blackberry-1/) although the current release isn't bad.  Navigation around the app uses the Trackpad, and it feels responsive.  Text is clear and easy to read.  It is lacking a few features over the iPhone app, such as Places (if you're in a country where it's activated) and Chat, but it's still Facebook on the move, and it works.  

In summary, a business user who's addicted to the BlackBerry keyboard might have difficulty using the new Torch 9800 keyboard as it feels cramped.  Boot time with BlackBerry 6 OS is close to 3 minutes, so you should hope to never turn it off.  Camera is ok, browser is better, touch screen is ok, Facebook app runs a little faster over 9700.

It's an ok device, at an ok price.  If you're not into the Apple bling, then the Torch 9800 is a reasonable alternative.  If you just want to look cool with a slider phone, head over to eBay and pick up a Nokia 7110 Matrix phone.

One Exchange Client and Two BlackBerry Handsets

For a long time I've played by the RIM rules in believing that an Exchange email account can only be linked to one BlackBerry handset through a BES server. The wording is exactly right, but the 'one handset' limitation can be overcome with a little planning.

Here's the environment that I've tested this on;

• Windows Server 2003 R2 with all service packs


• Exchange Server 2003 SP2 with all service packs


• BlackBerry Enterprise Server 4.1.6.10

Other items you'll need;

• 1 spare Exchange CAL per user


• 1 spare BES CAL per user


• Spare BlackBerry handset - I've used 8310, 8320 and 9000


• Spare BES actived SIM

How it works

1. Create a new user in Active Directory (I used firstname2@domain.com for the email address)


2. Create a new user on your BES Server and select firstname2@domain.com for that user


3. Activate the spare BlackBerry with the SIM for firstname2@domain.com


4. Finally enable email forwarding from the first account to the 2nd account

New email will start flowing to the 2nd BlackBerry as Exchange forwards it from the primary account to the secondary account.  Personal Address Book synchronisation can be achieved through a manual export and import, and the same with calendars.

Pitfalls

• 2 mobile phone numbers, although one can be put on permanent divert to the other


• 2 SMS locations - SMS messages cannot be routed from one SIM to another at the network level


• Calendars - you'll need to invite two users (firstname and firstame2) to the same meetings so the the entry appears on both handsets


• 2 BlackBerry Messenger clients - this has caused confusion, with some people deleting the primary contact once the second handset added them


• Handset rebuild - if you need to rebuild the primary or secondary handset, you MUST DISABLE email forwarding, otherwise the activation process on the handset doesn't complete

Conclusions

This is by  no means an easy solution.  However if your users demand a 2nd handset for emergency email, it is possible.  Set the expectations right, and this just might save your bacon.