RIM’s BlackBerry and touchscreen technology didn’t work well in the past, as was seen in the unsuccessful Storm, the Canadian company’s first touchscreen phone. Learning from its past mistakes, RIM has come up with a new smartphone combining their proprietary physical QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen technology, to offer what they refer to as “the best of both worlds” – the Blackberry Torch 9800.

The Torch wears an entirely new form factor, a total departure from the iconic BlackBerry mould but still bears the device’s recognisable grid of icons. It has been overhauled and runs the new BlackBerry 6 OS to make it look fresh yet familiar and user-friendly to beginners. Finding the best BlackBerry Torch deal online is a breeze when you use mobile phone comparison websites like Best Mobile Contracts. Whilst the new OS is faster and more responsive, it is still a beefed-up enhancement of an earlier version. So if your using an older OS, you won’t find I hard to get used to the new version.

The Blackberry Torch 9800 comes with a handy feature called Universal Help, a very efficient way to look for information. Just type in the keyword and the app automatically searches your entire phone for everything with relevance, including emails, data, URLs, contacts and more. For extended searches, you are offered choices to go to Google and other relevant sources.

The Blackberry Torch 9800 uses the incredibly fast WebKit internet browser and supports Multi-touch so you can use finger gestures like on the iPhone.

The BlackBerry hallmark is, of course, included – the most prestigious email delivery that’s secure, reliable and fast, the industry-renowned keyboard as well as the efficient BlackBerry Messenger. You can send unlimited messages to other BlackBerry Messenger users for free anywhere you are – something that has been enjoyed by everyone from students to businessmen who need instant communication with their contacts.

These great features have made bestsellers of RIM’s mobile handsets and will certainly do the same with the new Blackberry Torch 9800.