BlackBerry Torch 2 gets pre-intro hands-on
updated 11:00 am EDT, Fri April 8, 2011
BlackBerry Torch 2 given hands-on in leak
The second pre-release BlackBerry in as many days has received a hands-on Friday. RIM's previously slipped-out Torch 2 is siad to be superficially near-identical to the original but saw huge leaps due to the hardware, BGR found. The 640x480 screen is "absolutely great" and matched by a much faster 1.2GHz processor that could "light a fire."
The slider appropriately uses BlackBerry 6.1 and has some of the new more hidden features exposed, such as its built-in compass. The OS is also known to have a 3G hotspot addition and hardware graphics acceleration to enable 3D games for the first time on the BlackBerry.
Most other features have already been mentioned in the past, such as the 14.4Mbps 3G and NFC support. Some parts would still be conservative, such as the five-megapixel camera and 8GB of built-in flash, although the camera will now record 720p video.
RIM appears to be lining up a near-repeat of the original Torch's launch. The Torch 2 should be shown next to the Bold Touch at BlackBerry World in early May but would ship to AT&T in July.
The first Torch had been launched as an attempt at resuscitating the BlackBerry's lead at AT&T in the face of the iPhone. An underpowered 600MHz processor and a basic 480x360 touchscreen were virtually unchanged from the original 2008 Storm and left it underpowered versus the iPhone 4 as well as many Android devices.
