India is one of the fastest growing markets in the smartphone space. And Canadian smartphone maker Research In Motion (RIM) of BlackBerry fame has indeed carved its niche in the Indian market. Though the iconic device maker debuted in India in 2004 as an enterprise focused company providing smartphones and solutions targeted at this segment, of late its strong consumer focus is a part of the overall business strategy; it is working on products at various functionalities and price points to cater to the diverse set of audience.
Two new BlackBerry smartphones are here. In a double-impact launch in India recently, RIM unveiled the all touchscreen BlackBerry Torch 9860 and the QWERTY keypad-based Curve 9360. Both handsets feature the all-new BlackBerry 7 operating system. The new BlackBerry OS 7 incorporates newest features and enhancements such as the next generation Liquid Graphics performance, 40% faster Web browsing than OS 6, along with breakthrough technologies such as augmented reality and near field communication. With the latter functionality (near field communication) built right in, you simply tap to connect. You can also link up with other NFC-enabled devices and read smart tags to exchange data or launch an app.
Here are my first impressions about the two devices: BlackBerry Torch 9860 is a true multimedia marvel where your photos, videos, games and apps come to life in incredible detail on the large 3.7 inch all touchscreen. And with a powerful processor and superfast browser, the Curve 9360 has what you need to keep up. The sleek BlackBerry Curve smartphone fits comfortably in your hand so typing with the QWERTY keyboard and scrolling with the optical trackpad is a breeze.
The BlackBerry Torch 9860 delights touchscreen aficionados with its visual splendour. It features a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, roughly translating to pixel density of 252 ppi. Powered by a QC 8655 1.2 GHz processor, the handset offers 768 MB RAM, 4 GB eMMC and up to 32 GB of expandable storage by means of a microSD memory card. Its excellent 5 megapixel autofocus camera captures 720p high definition video and comes with a flash. The Torch 9860 is optimised for displaying Web pages, photos and videos, as well as delivering powerful gaming experiences. As a reviewer, I experienced fairly good Web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia.
The slim, stylish and ergonomically designed 99 gm BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone offers a comfortable and easy to use keyboard for fast, accurate typing, and an intuitive optical trackpad for easy, one-handed use. Like the Torch 9860, BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone too has a powerful processor and super fast browser. And with a 5 MP camera with flash, you?ll be ready to capture all those fun and memorable moments. It has a 2.44-inch, 480 by 360 pixel HVGA+ colour display, a fast 800 MHz processor and a 35-key backlit QWERTY keyboard. NFC, GPS and Wi-Fi support are included and the microSD/SDHC slot supports up to 32 GB memory cards for additional media storage. The BlackBerry Curve 9360 smartphone is super easy to slide in your pocket and feel ?just right? in your hand. Plus, with an array of colour
options and a tonne of accessories, you can really make them your own.
My verdict: the new lineup of BlackBerry smartphones offer unique capabilities and what differentiate them from other devices are the unique form factor, robust hardware, highly responsive software and great application capabilities. I was particularly thrilled by the two devices’ fast performance, enhanced browsing and rich multimedia experience.