When the Blackberry Torch was released, there was a slew of reviewers trashing it as compared to the Iphone 4 and the Android devices. Way too many who didn't outright vehemently criticize it, would invariably note somewhere something to the tune of... "
Blackberry users will love it" or "
It's definitely the best Blackberry."
While these statements appear innocent and may make the reviewer feel good about what he's saying, it serves to surrepticiously insult all Blackberry users. Are Blackberry users unable to discern good and bad qualities about a phone simply because they are Blackberry users?
Further, it suggests that the reviewer, and all those who are not Blackberry users are in a better position to judge what Blackberry users should like. How dare they?
If you do a google search for "Blackberry Torch Review", you'll find the first three entries back up exactly what I'm saying (I've excluded the Crackberry review for reason's of probably bias).
Engadget gave it an extensive review noting many great features (and touting as much) only to end the entire review by stating ...
"To call the Torch the "best BlackBerry ever" wouldn't be an understatement."
Gizmodo pretty much did the same.
"People who love BlackBerry exactly the way it is will like the Torch and BlackBerry 6, because it's pretty much the same."
And here's
CNet's botton line ... "The bottom line: Though performance could be better and it could stand for some hardware upgrades, the RIM BlackBerry Torch 9800 and BlackBerry OS 6 offer much-needed improvements to stay in step with the competition, and keep BlackBerry enthusiasts happy."
Why are these supposed unbiased reviewers feeling it necessary to state that only Blackberry users are going to like this product? Are problems with the Andriod and Iphone devices exclusive to only those users? And if not, then by the same logic, shouldn't only those users be happy with those products despite their flaws?
Moreover, anytime you find an unbiased review of the Iphone 4 and the Torch, they come up about even. How in the world does that equate to the less-than-impressive reviews of the Torch and stellar reviews of the Iphone?
The following two reviews actually did just that -
reviewed them and their features.
YouTube - iPhone 4 Vs. Blackberry Torch
Know your cell
In short:
Here are some things that very few reviewers mention about the Torch (very relevant and usuable qualities).
1 - removable battery
2 - removable media storage - that means that one device is expandable and can store media that can be physically caried over to any computer
3 - WiFi music sync - You can copy music from your computer to your device over WiFi without having to go through I-Tunes (which, by the way, is much more preferrable to me). And no third party app needed.
4 - the option to uses the keypad, touchscreen, and the trackpad makes for the most versatile input experience there it.
5 - an unparalleled push email infastucture.
6 - better battery life - although the Torch has slower processor than the Iphone, it's filing management is superior causing way less strain on the battery.
7 - BBM - (ok, so I threw that one in there.)
8 - full multi-tasking operation system.
9 - ability to decided how much real estate the apps and tasks will take up on the screen real estate.
10 - Security - well, there's no argument there by anyone.
Indeed, the Iphone has a great screen and great design and yes, there are way more third party apps (at this point) available for the Iphone. But the pixel density on the Torch makes it a decent competitor and as far as apps are concerned, do I really need an app to make my screen look cracked? or to inaccurately count my calories? The Torch has plenty of usable apps that are of real value to what I do everyday.
Indeed, the Iphone and Android devices are better for some people than Blackberries and many (or even most) of those reasons are legitimate. But to say or suggest that the Torch is only good to those who like Blackberries is disingenuous at best and rather slimy at worst.