The lack of an official release date has not deterred one industry insider from publishing pricing details for the BlackBerry Torch on Vodafone deals.
According to the website BlackBerry Leaks, 18-month contracts for the newest BlackBerry handset on Vodafone UK will range from £20 to £40 a month and 2-year deals from £15 a month. The Torch 9800 phone will cost between £49 and £399, although it will be free on the higher monthly tariffs.
If true, these prices seem pretty reasonable to us, especially when compared to previously published costs for the BlackBerry Torch – £479.99 SIM-free on Play.com and £569.99 from eXpansys.
The Torch is the first slider phone from RIM and the first to come with both a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard. The screen measures 3.2 inches and navigation is enhanced by the inclusion of an optical trackpad which ensures you can use the phone in one hand when it’s both open and closed. The phone debuts the new BB OS 6 and so benefits from improved web browsing, multi-tasking support and a smoother user experience.
There is social networking integration so the Torch 9800 can be used for work and pleasure, as well as a high-end 5-megapixel camera with flash onboard. This should ensure the device appeals to a wider customer base – which is something RIM has been striving towards with handsets including the Curve 3G as this offers many of the BlackBerry features for a much smaller price. The BlackBerry smartphone is becoming more than simply a phone for the professional – with entertainment and communication support onboard, handsets like the Torch are able to compete with other high-end devices including the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy S.
The smartphone will also be sold through Orange, O2 and Three, and we’ll bring you details of the best phone deals once UK pricing has been confirmed. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your views on this slider phone, over in our BlackBerry Torch customer reviews area.
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