Availability and Pricing
BlackBerry’s new Torch has finally arrived. Available through AT&T the new BlackBerry 9800 debuted on August 12th for $199.99, with a two year contract. A data plan is also required, with prices beginning at $15 per month. This is a pretty good discount off AT&T’s $499.99 retail price for outright purchase, without a commitment, that is available for those cannot wait until they are eligible for renewal or simply prefer using prepaid minutes. Although AT&T is the only authorized service provider, Amazon lists the BlackBerry Torch from a variety of independent vendors at prices ranging from $599.99 to $789.99 which emphasizes the significance of AT&T’s offer. The phone comes with the standard BlackBerry Torch accessories: Stereo 3.5mm Headset, BlackBerry Polishing Cloth, Micro-USB Cable-Power Plug and a 4 GB MicroSD Card.

Hardware Features
This very sleek looking BlackBerry offers a full touch screen, as well as a vertical and a horizontal viewing and onscreen keyboard. And for those who are already used to the the older models of BlackBerry, there’s also a slide-out, full QWERTY, physical keyboard. The Torch has 4GB of built-in storage and a 5-megapixel camera. BlackBerry Torch Batteries are designed to give more than five hours of 3G talk time, six hours of video watching or a huge 29.8 hours of music. And with 14-18 days of standby time, you won’t have to worry about having a low battery so much.

Upgraded Software
BlackBerry has revamped the operating system and 6 OS offers a much more responsive browsing experience with the WebPages now allowing multiple tabs. On board apps include GPS and BlackBerry Maps plus Windows Media Player and a Tethered Modem. The BlackBerry Apps Store lists thousands of games, ebooks, and apps of all sorts. The BlackBerry Torch is designed to handle everything from emails and photography without a strain.

Cool Accessories
For users who feel a need for a backup power source, spare BlackBerry Torch batteries can be bought for under $50 and storage geeks can collect as many 32GB hot-swappable microSD memory cards as they want. AT&T offers travel chargers and cases separately in several styles at various prices. However, these items can also be purchased from most any cell phone vendor. Many of them stock a wider variety than AT&T and frequently have better prices. BlackBerry Torch Accessories from independent vendors include cases of every kind in black and in color at prices ranging from $12.95 up to $32.99.

A nice feature being offered in the AT&T store is a BlackBerry Torch screen protector that provides crystal clear 4-way Privacy Viewing. They attached to a static cling, so it’s simple to install and leave no sticky residue on your phone. It provides full multi-directional data protection both horizontally and vertically. An alternative BlackBerry Torch Screen Protectors are simple protective coating for the screen that does not interfere with the touch-screen operation. These screen protectors can be bought for very cheap, some at $8 for a pack of five. As more BlackBerry Torches are sold, the market for BlackBerry Torch accessories will increase and private vendors will rush to meet the demand.