gdgt

Although I've been using RIM devices for many years, I have to say that the Torch is a real disappointment. It shows that RIM still doesn't understand why the iPhone has been so successful. It's not enough to just put a touchscreen on a device and label it your "flagship" phone of the moment. It's the little things that they just don't seem to think of. For example, there's no rotation lock you end up with the screen flipping all over the place whenever you move the phone which is extremely annoying. If you set your own wallpaper it works fine in portrait mode, but if you flip to landscape the device reverts back to the default RIM wallpaper. If you lock the phone and then open the slider, it automatically unlocks the phone which may not always be what you want it to do. There are many other examples, but the bottom line is that they just don't focus on the little things.

While RIM may choose to focus on the technical aspects of the device, they religiously miss the mark on end user experience. The OS is slow on the current hardware, and while it's an improvement over previous generations of hardware it's just not good enough these days. I find the onscreen keyboard to be painful to use and I'm constantly using the physical keyboard instead. I honestly wish I'd just kept my 9700, it was a much better device overall.

My personal phone is an iPhone and the Torch is what I've been provided with at work, and I would never buy a RIM product for my personal use based on what I've seen of RIM's latest and greatest. I know that there are many users who just love their Torch to death, but honestly I just don't see why at all. To each their own I guess.