It seems as though the BlackBerry platform needs to do some catching up. Although their previous models, while good phones, does not live up to their competition. So, going back to the drawing board, Research In Motion(RIM) has introduced the next generation of the Blackberry operating system named Blackberry 6 and released a new phone in a brand new form factor–the Blackberry Torch. This is fresh ground that RIM is treading. So, what are the top features of RIM’s newest flagship phone?

The best feature of the Blackberry Torch is that it is a portrait slide. This form factor makes life difficult for Blackberry Torch case manufacturers, but it is a welcome breath of fresh air in a world of touchscreen slabs and landscape sliders. Having the ability to slide the screen away to unveil the keyboard gives you plenty of extra room to put stuff on the screen. The screen is 3.2″ tall–comparable to the keyboard-less Storm and Storm 2. You may want to consider buying a Blackberry Torch screen protector to prevent smudges from ruining it. Despite the size, the Torch has a long battery life. Under normal usage, it should last you a couple days. A long battery life is pretty impressive, especially since we’re in the age where we have to charge our phone at least every night, and sometimes during the day. Behind the screen, though, is the same BlackBerry keyboard everyone fell in love with in previous models. It is still just as natural to use as any of its predecessors, but now it is not taking up screen real estate. Plus: no pocket dialing!

The large touchscreen is complemented by a redone operating system. While the design of the home screen is not significantly different than that of its Blackberry 5 counterparts, the text and graphics have been smoothed out and the whole look and feel of the operating system has been made more consistent. It is also primarily a touchscreen device, meaning that drop down menus are kept to a minimum. Also, whereas the applications list and the home screen were separated into two different screen, apps are now accessible with the swipe of a finger.

In addition to the new operating system is a new universal search function. It lets you search everything on your phone, no matter what type of content it is. Then, the results are sorted into different categories like browser history, RSS feeds and more. This implementation is probably the strongest implementation of universal search on a mobile phone. They have beaten Google at their own game.

Despite all the changes, the Torch is still obviously a Blackberry device. RIM’s iconic universal search is maintained, the App World is still in place. RIM has included a new Webkit browser, but it looks and feels similar to the older browser. Because of the changed form factor, you will need to buy new Blackberry Torch accessories, but other than that, it is a standard Blackberry device. Just a much better, more refined device.

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