BlackBerry Torch not really lighting up the smartphone scene

We’ve not gotten our hands on RIM’s latest BlackBerry but it’s safe to say that we expected much more from the Torch.

When we saw the BlackBerry 6 OS demo videos, we thought that with the right device, BlackBerry could be back in the smartphone game. Unfortunately the Torch is not the right device.

For starters, the BlackBerry Torch has the lowest resolution touchscreen phone this side of the iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Desire. It runs on a 624MHz processor (albeit with a generous 512MB of RAM) when it’s competitors are running 1GHz chips with on board GPUs. It doesn’t have fancy dual mics, no fancy Super AMOLED or Retina Display, doesn’t record HD videos, doesn’t do FaceTime calls and does not double up as a MiFi device. What’s so special about the Torch then?

Essentially, from what we’re seeing the Torch is just a Bold 9700 combined with a Storm 2 running BlackBerry 6. What does the Torch have against its competitors? Some might argue that Berrys have the best physical QWERTY out there but those people probably haven’t tried SWYPE. Some would argue there’s BlackBerry Messenger, we say, that’s hardly a USP and you can BBM on the entry-level Curve you don’t really need to get the Torch. Others would argue that BlackBerry servers are efficient on data thus making surfing the web faster, if you think that, then you’ll have to take a look at this video here.

So what does the BlackBerry Torch have that sets it apart from the best that Apple and Android has to offer? We can’t find any but don’t take our word for it, take a look after the jump, what prominent reviewers who already have their hands on a BlackBerry Torch think about the device.

But before you make the jump, we got to make it clear that we got this from Tech Republic’s Jason Hiner’s original article on the BlackBerry Torch. You can read that here.

And another thing, what are your thoughts on the BlackBerry Torch? Do you think it will lesen the great exodus of users who are on BlackBerry but thinking on making the switch to an Android device or iPhone 4? Alright, now you can make the jump.

Michael Gartenberg / Analyst
“While RIM met the bar, they didn’t do much to raise it higher or push the envelope in either hardware or software design. In world where every vendor is working to up their game, raise the bar and drive new innovation in hardware and software, it felt RIM barely stepped up. Among the things I’d have liked to seen would be a widget architecture for glanceable information, a front facing camera for video conferencing (which I expect to be table-stakes on leading edge devices by year end), hotspot capabilities, and a much larger and higher-res screen.” (Read full article)

Bonnie Cha / CNET
“The handset itself is solid and is still compact enough to comfortably sit in a pants pocket. The combination of the touch screen and physical QWERTY keyboard gives you the best of both worlds, but we were really disappointed that it had a lower-resolution screen. The display is clear enough that you can read text and view media with no problem, but after using the high-res displays on smartphones like the Samsung Vibrant and Motorola Droid X, the Torch’s screen looks pretty archaic… With a 624MHz processor, the smartphone felt a little underpowered and just didn’t feel as snappy as some of the latest phones on the market. Though RIM made some great enhancements to the platform, it would have been nice if it had also improved the hardware.” (Read full article)

Joshua Topolsky / Engadget
“We still feel like this device is a generation behind the market. Instead of meeting the rising stars of the smartphone world (Apple and Google) head-on, RIM has taken something more like baby steps toward innovation… The Torch seems sluggish, underpowered, and dated from a hardware design standpoint, and BlackBerry 6, despite its new features and polish, still feels woefully behind the curve. To call the Torch the ‘best BlackBerry ever’ wouldn’t be an understatement, but unfortunately for RIM and the faithful, their best isn’t nearly good enough.” (Read full article)

Lance Ulanoff / PCMag
“The BlackBerry Torch is not an Apple iPhone killer–and that is okay… Unlike the ill-conceived BlackBerry Storm, there is no ridiculous gimmick in the BlackBerry Torch. Instead, it’s the product of a lot of smart, clear-headed thinking about what existing BlackBerry users–like me–want… This is the device that, while it won’t best the iPhone 4, should drag RIM away from its perch as a provider of cheap or free smart phones.” (Read full article)

Harry McCracken / Technologizer
“Overall, the phone feels like the result of an array of decisions made to keep current BlackBerry owners comfortable. I suspect that RIM is also working on a BlackBerry superphone–a more potent, forward-looking device that may or may not have a physical keyboard–but this isn’t it.” (Read full article)

Rob Enderle / Analyst
“RIM’s potential last chance to save itself came this week in the form of the new BlackBerry Torch… The Torch is a return to RIM’s roots, and a nice advancement on what has come before. Much like Apple tends to be successful by improving on its own model and has stumbled when copying others, so has RIM in the past. The Torch represents what may be a very Apple-like strategy of being true to RIM’s origins. People aren’t all the same, and considering RIM has a higher market share than Apple does right now, that could work out well for them… In short, the Torch doesn’t win any wars. It just assures that RIM remains in the fight, and will likely win a number of battles.” (Read full article)

Jonathan Geller / Boy Genius Report
“On one hand, [BlackBerry] OS 6 is a much better UI leap from OS 5 than OS 5 was to OS 4, but it still feels a bit not thought out. On the other hand, the device seems like it will continue to excel at specific functions, mainly email, any sort of text-based messaging, etc. My personal thought so far is: This is a stop gap device for current BlackBerry users… iPhone 4 or recent Android owners won’t be lusting after the 9800.” (Read full article)

Gizmodo
“The Torch and BlackBerry OS 6 take what BlackBerry’s already doing and move it forward slightly-they’re not reinventing, overturning, or blowing up things. Even the sorta kinda half-crazy slider design of the Torch feels fundamentally like a BlackBerry… in a way-existing BlackBerry users who just want the same thing will probably love this. But is that enough anymore? Here’s the question: Do people simply want a better BlackBerry or do they want something else, something completely new that also happens to be good at all the things BlackBerry is good at?” (Read full article)

Excerpts taken from original article here.