BlackBerry Torch vs. iPhone 4: Smartphone showdown
- — 05 August, 2010 13:40
Apple's iPhone 4 has finally launched in Australia. Boasting a brighter screen, a faster processor and better battery life than its predecessors, the iPhone 4 is expected to maintain Apple's strong foothold in the smartphone market thanks to its amazing display and superbly constructed body. A new challenge to Apple's smartphone supremacy is on the horizon, however: RIM's BlackBerry Torch.
Read our BlackBerry Torch review.
More information on the BlackBerry Torch price.
Check out our Samsung Galaxy S vs. iPhone and HTC Desire vs. iPhone smartphone showdowns.
Despite the iPhone 4's popularity, it's not for everyone. The latest BlackBerry Torch is a slider phone designed to appeal to people who want a physical QWERTY keyboard as well as a touchscreen.
The Torch will run BlackBerry OS 6, the latest version of RIM's smartphone operating system. The new version of BlackBerry OS is designed to make it more touchscreen-friendly. It boasts touchscreen commands, Wi-Fi synchronising capabilities, social-networking integration and an all-new Web browser, bringing it in line with Apple's iOS and the Google's Android platform.
With this in mind, how does RIM's BlackBerry Torch stack up against the Apple iPhone 4?
BlackBerry Torch vs. iPhone 4
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4 | RIM BlackBerry Torch | Verdict? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system (OS) | Apple iOS 4 | BlackBerry 6 | Unknown |
| Display technology | Capacitive retina IPS | Capacitive TFT | iPhone 4 |
| Display resolution | 640x960 pixels | 360x480 pixels | iPhone 4 |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Camera | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging | 5 megapixels, LED flash, autofocus, geotagging, image stabilisation | Draw |
| FM radio | No | No | Draw |
| GPS | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Internal memory | 16GB or 32GB | 4GB | iPhone 4 |
| Expandable memory | No | microSD card slot | BlackBerry Torch |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 111 x 62 x 14.6mm | iPhone 4 |
| Weight | 137g | 161g | iPhone 4 |
| Application store | Apple App Store | BlackBerry App World | iPhone 4 |
| Processor | Apple A4 | Marvell (624MHz) | iPhone 4 |
| 3G networks | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 850/1900/2100 | Draw |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g/n | Draw |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP | Draw |
| Quoted talk time | Up to 7 hours | Up to 5.4 hours | iPhone 4 |
| Quoted standby time | Up to 300 hours | Up to 336 hours | BlackBerry Torch |
| Adobe Flash support | No | No | Draw |
Though we are yet to get our hands on the BlackBerry Torch, it's clear that its biggest advantage over the iPhone 4 will be its combination of a physical QWERTY keyboard with a touchscreen. Despite the iPhone's popularity, many people still prefer to type long e-mails or messages on a physical keyboard. RIM has a history of releasing BlackBerry phones with excellent keyboards.
One area where the BlackBerry Torch definitely falls short of the iPhone 4 is its display. The iPhone 4 uses IPS technology (also used by the iPad) and has been described as a "retina" display because of its 640x960 pixel resolution. Apple claims the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels on the screen. It's the best display of any smartphone we've seen to date, and it is particularly excellent at displaying text, with no visible aberrations even when zoomed in. The BlackBerry Torch's capacitive display is a smaller (3.2in compared with the iPhone 4's 3.5in) and lacks any advanced screen technology, such as the AMOLED display on the HTC Desire or the Super AMOLED screen of the Samsung Galaxy S.
It’s the BlackBerry Torch's software that will ultimately determine its success. Version 6 of the BlackBerry OS has been redesigned to make it easier to interact with a touchscreen. The UI has received a full upgrade, with action menus on each screen and the ability to use multitouch the big features. BlackBerry 6 will also offer tabbed Web browsing, a customisable home screen, kinetic scrolling, Wi-Fi synchronising capabilities, and social networking integration. Our first impression is that these features merely bring BlackBerry in line with the iPhone and Android platforms, rather than bring anything new to the table, but we are eager to spend some time with the OS before rendering a verdict.
The BlackBerry Torch is slightly larger and thicker than the iPhone 4, mainly due to the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Unlike the iPhone 4, it has a removable battery and a microSD memory card slot for extra storage. The iPhone 4 has a stunning design that is just 9.3mm thick, making it one of the world's thinnest smartphones. Of course, its antenna design means it suffers from widely reported reception issues — if you use a case for your phone then it won't be a major problem but the flaw remains disappointing.
The Apple iPhone 4 is available through all carriers in Australia — Telstra, Optus, VHA and Virgin Mobile.
The BlackBerry Torch will also be available through Telstra, Optus and VHA, though no release date has been set. The smartphone is expected to be available "later this year".
Are you buying an iPhone 4? What do you think of the Australian iPhone 4 plans?
What do you think of the BlackBerry Torch? Do you consider it a valid alternative to the iPhone 4? Let us know in the comments below!
For full details on all the iPhone 4's new features, read our iPhone 4 review.
Comments
Tomas
1
Geezus, i notice whether the phone can actually meet it's primary function of network reception in case you need to actually make a call, is not on the list of evaluations....but whether it has an FM radio is there...lol what rubbish.
wakamole
2
Tomas....maybe this was written for smart people who already know we are talking about "cellphones" and its primary function it to receive and make calls.....tonto del culo!
My Two Cents
3
This is very misleading, turn push on, wifi on and bluetooth on and time the battery life, iPhone battery life is crap if you turn on the features that you need, the blackberry does these things without compromising the battery anywhere near as much. What about security with your data via the rim servers? What about compression, what about usability as a phone which is an important consideration, what about integration with exchange which is important for a lot of users, iPhones have no native ability to address out of office, calendars are also not fully integrated, a BES server and blackberry easily wins on this front. The iPhone has a lot of benefits but are mainly for home users the blackberry is definitely a superior business tool.
Again
4
Oh, forgot to mention antenna strength, iPhones get nowhere near the coverage of a blackberry on the same network.
guycool
5
no, IPhone is i phone, blackberry stands no where.