The CrackBerry Orgasm: RIM & AT&T Score

For as long as I’ve been a BlackBerry addict and as long as the iPhone existed, I’ve longed for a smartphone with a full physical QWERTY keyboard and touch capabilities. It has arrived and I hate the name. I have yet to test this gadget in person but AT&T folks can buy it starting August 12.

It blows that this is another AT&T exclusive for two reasons: 1) AT&T calls drop all the time and 2) new AT&T users are not privy to unlimited data plans. This means counting texts, emails and Internet usage, but more important, transmission of photos and videos. Still, for those of us drooling, we’ll likely wait it out because history shows a Verizon version will likely come in a few quarters.

Still there is one problem: the name. Usually the Canadian company behind BlackBerry, Research in Motion, uses strong yet vague descriptive words to brand its products, like Curve and Bold, but this time, the choice of Torch just reminds me of Stephen King‘s Carrie.

But getting back to the product, the new BlackBerry offers a touch screen with the “pinch to zoom” capability and is the first smartphone from the company to run the new operating system, BlackBerry 6. The new OS boasts a new layout, various social media applications and better management of messaging tools. It also offers a universal search, meaning that while the current search usually only mines one data type, such as all emails or all text messages, the universal search will search through email, messages, contacts and rich media, as well as reaching the Internet or applications from BlackBerry App World.

Another new feature is the Location option, which sounds like a feature on many car GPS functions, where users can search for landmarks but also send their location to people via messenger services. The Carrie Torch also offers visual voicemail, a 3.2″ touch screen, 4GB of internal memory expandable to 32GB via microSD, WiFi and get ready for this–a 5-megapixel camera with flash. I just climaxed.

The Torch is a tri-band world phone that runs on HSDPA (3G) and EDGE. It offers almost six hours of talk time. A two-year contract pricing is $199.99, with these data plan options: $15 for 200MB or $25 for 2GB. Clearly it’s a no brainer–pay for the 2GB unless you want to chance it and be sure you have enough text messages or this will be like the first iPhone bills. Need I remind you we are in a recession. Unless you upload no pictures or videos to the Web it seems like a good idea to pony up for the big plan, or risk a fat bill. Happy pinching.

Click here for the official Torch website.