Blackberry Torch 9800 vs Apple iPhone

Two of the biggest competitors in the domain of smartphones are BlackBerry and Apple. Apple with its classic and monopolistic iPhone and BlackBerry with its array of business class smartphones seem to have understood the nuances of the trade well, which has definitely paid off. It is time for a comparison between the two incomparable smartphones, the Apple iPhone 4 which has been launched recently and the BlackBerry Torch 9800, another fairly fresh entrant into the market.

Operating System

The iPhone 4 runs on an iOS 4 platform powered by an 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, a PowerVR SGX535 GPU embedded on an Apple A4 chipset whereas the BlackBerry runs on the BlackBerry OS 6.0 with a slightly slower CPU (clock speed of 624 MHz). Both of them have their own pros and cons, with each competing against one another very closely. The edge however seems to go to iPhone 4 as it features better graphics and a stupendous speed.

Ergonomics

Apple has been a forerunner in the field of design, thanks to its innovative chief and this fact has been once again exemplified by the exquisite design of the iPhone 4. Though a tad longer [115.2 mm] than the Torch 9800 [111 mm], the phone is much thinner [9.3 mm against 14.6 mm], narrower [58.6 mm vs. 62 mm] and weighs considerably lower. However, both of them are voluminous and bulky but we suppose that would not be a problem given the effectiveness of the BlackBerry and the efficiency of the iPhone. LED Backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen which bubbles with 16 million colors and boasts of a resolution of 640 x 960 of the iPhone 4 is way better than the TFT of Torch 9800. The screen of the iPhone is larger than the other by 0.3” at 3.5”.

Memory

Both the iPhone and the BlackBerry have considerably very good memory storage capabilities. The iPhone 4, however, falls behind in the race due to the fact that it does not offer expandable memory options compared to the generous microSD space of the Torch 9800. The iPhone 4 comes in two models with 16 GB or 32 GB of internal memory and the Torch 9800 has a 4 GB internal storage, elastic up to 32 GB of data. Both have 512 MB RAMs while the BlackBerry is supplemented by a 512 MB ROM as well.

Connectivity

A phone is meant for talking and these two smartphones seem to be cut out to do that basic job well. There is hardly any difference between the connectivity options of the two phones. Both flaunt Class 10 GPRS and EDGE features. However, 3G seems to be more developed in case of iPhone 4 which has a better bandwidth of the two. The Wi-Fi option on these phones are state-of-the-art offering seamless network connection in a wireless hotspot.

Camera

Both the phones possess 5 MP cameras with autofocus and LED flash with equal resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. The added features on the camera seem to be better on the BlackBerry, with options like image stabilization, continuous auto focus, etc. but the lack of this in the iPhone has been compensated by the wonderful 720p video recording at 30 fps against a VGA recording at 24 fps of the Torch.

Applications

The iPhone has a major turn off which is the absence of Java support, though a number of apps for the iPhone can be downloaded in iTunes. A number of apps have been incorporated by default into both the phones, such as Maps, AV player, compass, etc.

Battery Life

Apple is known for its mind blowing battery life in all its devices and the iPhone 4 is no exception to this. However, BlackBerry seems to have a clear edge in our comparison with a 432 hour/5.5 hour in 2G and 336 hour/5.75 hour in 3G (standby/talk-time respectively). Music can be played on the iPhone for nearly 40 hours against the 30 hours on the Torch.

Bottom Line

It is impossible to weigh more on one phone. Each has its own pros and cons. The phone to be chosen depends on your use. A businessman might go for the Torch but a geek would go for the iPhone.