BlackBerry Torch 9850 (US Cellular): First Look

I'm Nicole Lee, Senior Associate Editor for CNET.com, and this is a first look at the BlackBerry Torch 9850 for U.S. Cellular. It is essentially the same phone that was launched for Sprint. The Torch 9850 is the first full touchscreen BlackBerry for U.S. Cellular. As you can see here, it's a very nice and slim form factor. On the front is a very crisp and colorful 3.7-inch display, and then you've got to get the usual BlackBerry keys, the Send and End Call keys on either side, the middle optical trackpad, as well as the BlackBerry Menu key and the Back key. On the side here is a micro USB port and on the other side are the volume controls as well as a customizable convenience key. On the top is a Screen Lock key. On the back is a 5-megapixel camera and LED flash. The cam right here has 720p HD video capture capability. The Torch 9850 ships with BlackBerry OS 7. This means with improved performance in forms of Liquid Graphics Technology that helps improve response times and overall graphics performance. You also get an improved web browser of HTML5 support and a voice-activated universal search. The U.S. Cellular version of this phone includes a few carrier-specific apps like Tone Room Deluxe and Daily Perks. Other features of the phone include GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It is also a Dual Mode GSM/CDMA world phone. I'm Nicole Lee, this has been the first look at the real BlackBerry Torch 9850 for U.S. Cellular.