BlackBerry Torch 9860: the first all-touch BlackBerry 7 phone
The BlackBerry Torch 9860 marked a significant departure for Research In Motion when it arrived on Australian shelves in late 2011. After years of insisting that physical QWERTY keyboards were essential for serious mobile communication, the Canadian manufacturer finally released a slab-style smartphone with no hardware keys for typing. It ran the new BlackBerry 7 operating system and was positioned as a multimedia-friendly alternative to the keyboard-touting Bold and Curve lines.
For Australian business users and everyday consumers watching the iPhone and Android阵营 gain ground, the Torch 9860 represented something of a curiosity. It offered the secure messaging and BBM integration that BlackBerry fans in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane had come to rely on, but through a 3.7-inch capacitive display rather than the familiar plastic keys. The result was a device that felt like a hybrid of work tool and entertainment gadget.
At launch, the handset was sold through Telstra and Optus stores, often bundled with postpaid plans targeting professionals who wanted BlackBerry services on a touch interface. Australian pricing hovered around the AUD $700 mark for an unlocked unit, which placed it in the same bracket as the iPhone 4S and several Android flagships of the era. That positioning shaped how reviewers and buyers approached the device, and it remains relevant for anyone comparing vintage smartphones today on New Mobile Arrivals.
This hands-on look examines the Torch 9860's design choices, software experience, real-world performance, camera output, connectivity options and the pricing context that defined its brief time on the Australian market. It draws on the specifications published at launch and the impressions shared by early adopters across the country.
Design and display
The Torch 9860 dropped the optical trackpad briefly used on the Storm series and adopted a fully flat front face. RIM kept a small physical strip beneath the screen containing Send, Menu, Back and End keys, plus the familiar optical trackpad, but the rest of the fascia was glass. The body measured 120 mm tall, 62 mm wide and 11.5 mm thick, making it noticeably larger than the Bold 9900 but slimmer than many competing all-touch phones of the period.
Build quality followed the practical aesthetic of earlier BlackBerry handsets. The back cover was a soft-touch plastic that resisted fingerprints reasonably well, and chrome accents around the camera lens and side buttons gave it a more premium appearance than the entry-level Curve 9360. At 135 grams, the phone felt solid during long BBM sessions on the train from Parramatta into the Sydney CBD.
The 3.7-inch TFT display ran at 480 by 800 pixels, producing a pixel density of around 252 ppi. Colours were vivid for the class, though viewing angles fell short of the Super AMOLED panels found on the Samsung Galaxy S II. Direct sunlight readability in Brisbane's outdoor cafes was acceptable but not class-leading, and the absence of an automatic brightness sensor on some early units frustrated users who had to adjust levels manually.
BlackBerry 7 OS and software
BlackBerry 7 introduced a refined interface over the previous OS 6, with smoother transitions and a redesigned home screen layout. The Liquid Graphics technology promised faster graphics rendering, and the new browser supported HTML5 video and tabs in a more usable way. For users familiar with the older BlackBerry interface, the learning curve was gentle, particularly when navigating between the app drawer, message list and universal search.
The on-screen keyboard was the most obvious change for long-time BlackBerry owners. Autocorrection had been improved, and predictive text offered suggestions above the keys as users typed. Typing speed on the capacitive display took some adjustment, especially for those reliant on the tactile feedback of physical keys. Once accustomed, many reviewers in Australian tech publications found the accuracy acceptable for emails and short messages.
Pre-installed apps covered the essentials for the local market, including Documents To Go, Facebook, Twitter and a YouTube wrapper. BlackBerry World, then still called App World, offered a catalogue that lagged behind Apple's App Store and Google Play in volume, but carried the major business and banking apps that Australian users required. BBM remained the headline service, and its presence was the main reason many Telstra and Optus customers chose the device over cheaper Android alternatives.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the Torch 9860 used a Qualcomm MSM8655 chipset with an 800 MHz Scorpion processor and 768 MB of RAM. By the standards of late 2011, those numbers placed the handset in the mid-range. Day-to-day navigation through menus felt snappy enough, and opening apps did not produce the noticeable lag that had affected some earlier BlackBerry models.
Multitasking was handled reasonably well. Switching between BBM, the browser and the music player rarely required apps to reload, although running demanding third-party programs could push the device towards its limits. Gamers found that frame rates dropped on 3D content, which limited the Torch 9860's appeal as a gaming handset compared to the iPhone 4S.
Storage came in at 2.5 GB internally, with support for microSD cards up to 32 GB. That was sufficient for a moderate music library and a folder of work documents, and Australian users who travelled frequently could pop in a memory card full of maps or podcasts. The phone warmed up under sustained load but not alarmingly, and the plastic back helped dissipate heat during extended browsing.
Camera and multimedia
The rear camera used a 5-megapixel sensor with autofocus, an LED flash and 720p HD video recording. Image quality was respectable in well-lit conditions, capturing accurate colours and reasonable detail for sharing on social networks or BBM. Low-light performance suffered from the usual noise and softness seen on most smartphone cameras of that generation, and the flash often overexposed close subjects in dim pubs across Melbourne's laneways.
Video capture was smooth at 30 frames per second in daylight, though continuous autofocus during recording could hunt noticeably when panning between objects at different distances. The dedicated camera key on the side made it easy to launch the app from a locked screen, which was convenient for spontaneous moments. There was no front-facing camera on the Torch 9860, ruling out video calls through BBM and marking a clear gap compared to competitors in the Apple devices range and beyond.
Music playback through the external speaker was loud enough for hands-free calls in a moving car, though serious listeners would have used headphones. The phone supported common audio formats and integrated with the BlackBerry Music service where available. Watching videos on the 3.7-inch screen was acceptable for short clips, but the resolution made longer viewing sessions tiring on the eyes.
Connectivity and battery
Connectivity options included Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and HSDPA on Australian 3G networks. The handset worked on Telstra's Next G 850 MHz band as well as the 2100 MHz band used by Optus and Vodafone Australia, giving solid coverage across most populated areas. Call quality was clear and consistent, with the earpiece producing enough volume for noisy environments such as Sydney's Town Hall station during peak hour.
Battery life came from a 1230 mAh removable cell, rated for roughly 4.5 hours of talk time and 12 days on standby. Real-world usage for a typical Australian user mixing BBM, browsing, occasional music playback and a few calls generally produced a day of service before the red indicator appeared in the late evening. Heavy users streaming video or relying on GPS navigation for long drives between regional centres would have wanted a spare battery or car charger.
Data speeds over HSDPA were adequate for the era, though they could not match the theoretical peaks of the emerging LTE networks being trialled in Australia. The micro-USB port handled charging and data transfer, and the phone supported tethering through BlackBerry Bridge software or direct Wi-Fi hotspot functionality where the carrier allowed it. These features made the Torch 9860 a practical tool for travelling professionals.
Pricing, availability and how it compares
At launch, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 carried a recommended retail price of approximately AUD $699 to $749 for an unlocked handset. Telstra offered it on postpaid plans, often with the handset included on contracts of AUD $59 per month or higher, while Optus priced it similarly with their own plan structures. Independent retailers in Chatswood and Melbourne's Box Hill centres frequently undercut the carriers by a small margin on outright purchases.
The pricing positioned the Torch 9860 directly against the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, making it a tough sell for buyers prioritising app ecosystems or camera quality. However, for corporate buyers and government departments reliant on BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the cost was offset by the security infrastructure already in place. Many Australian businesses upgraded staff from older Bold models to the Torch 9860 to take advantage of the new OS without committing to a different platform.
By the time BlackBerry 10 devices arrived in early 2013, the Torch 9860 had been quietly withdrawn from most Australian carrier lineups. Remaining stock lingered in clearance sections of retailers and online stores, often at heavily discounted prices. For buyers interested in exploring the BlackBerry 7 experience at a reduced cost, the secondary market became the most realistic route, though support for newer apps and services was already winding down.
| Feature | BlackBerry Torch 9860 | iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 3.7" TFT, 480x800 | 3.5" IPS, 640x960 | 4.3" Super AMOLED, 480x800 |
| Processor | 800 MHz single-core | Apple A5 dual-core | 1.2 GHz dual-core Exynos |
| RAM | 768 MB | 512 MB | 1 GB |
| Storage | 2.5 GB + microSD | 16/32/64 GB | 16/32 GB + microSD |
| Rear camera | 5 MP, 720p video | 8 MP, 1080p video | 8 MP, 1080p video |
| Front camera | None | VGA | 2 MP |
| OS at launch | BlackBerry 7 | iOS 5 | Android 2.3 |
| Launch price (AUD) | ~$700 | ~$799 | ~$699 |
Browse our archive of smartphone launches and reviews to see how the Torch 9860 fits alongside other devices from the same period. Drop us a note in the comments if you owned one of these handsets or picked one up on the secondary market, and share your memories of the first all-touch BlackBerry 7.