Is new BlackBerry Torch an iPhone killer?

No. RIM's new "best-ever" BlackBerry, the BlackBerry 9800 Torch, may
be that, but at most it will will staunch the bleeding of BlackBerry
defectors.













RIM has done what it needed to do on the software side with the
Torch, available Aug. 12 for $200 from AT&T, but has failed on the
physical. BlackBerry 6, the new OS, vastly improves navigation and
brings BlackBerry more in line with iPhone/Android-type navigation while
adding two innovations own touches: universal search and pre-segmented
and fully customizable app home screens.

Universal search is truly universal. Just slide down the vertical
QWERTY and start typing; search results automatically appear, narrowed
as you continue to typing. You can then narrow your search by tapping an
application; for instance, if you're searching for a Red Hot Chilli
Pepers song, as you type in "Red Hot Chi..." you can then tap the music
player or Slacker to narrow the search to that app.

Navigating all your BlackBerry apps is made simpler by home pages
that both slide horizontally to reveal grouped pages of apps (Favorites,
Media, Social, etc.) and vertically to show and hide full pages of
icons.

Other functionality niceties include multi-tasking, a social
network/email/testing update/message aggregating app, photo geo-tagging,
and wireless WiFi syncing.

Physically, though, BlackBerry Torch can't even singe the current
crop of superphones, least of all iPhone. Even though Torch's whole
front is a capacitive multi-touch touch screen, it's just a 3.2-inch
display with just 360 x 480. Torch is powered by a 624 MHz processor
rather than the suddenly de rigueur 1 GHz engine. Thanks for the 5 MP
camera with flash, but only a VGA rather than HD video recorder. 4 GB of
built in memory rather than 8 or 16 GB. Bluetooth 2.1 instead of 3.0. A
vertical QWERTY rather than a roomier horizontal. And with the keyboard
down, the Torch becomes a bit unbalanced.

BlackBerry owners looking for a more iPhone/Android-like experience
will want to upgrade. But Torch is unlikely to get iPhone or Android
owners to switch.