RIM (Research In Motion) and AT&T paired off to bring us the BlackBerry Torch, a cool mobile device complete with high-res touch screen, slide out QWERTY keyboard and optical track pad. Packed with a Marvell 624MHz processor (a bit skimpy compared to the now-standard 1GHz processor we're used to from most devices) and a 5-mega-pixel camera, the Torch's guts may leave something to be desired on a pure hardware level, but for light users, the newer features will prove plenty enticing. The new BlackBerry 6 OS runs with a full HTML browser, while the music player syncs with your home computer's iTunes library. The Torch's camera even includes an auto-focused flash and shoots 640x480resolution video, albeit not in HD. A universal search option explores the phone, Web and app store while a new Social Feeds app pulls in updates from social media networks like Facebook and Twitter — even RSS feeds. Extras aside, BlackBerry has always been known for its top-notch e-mail and messaging functionality, and for students who rely heavily on such services the Torch is a great fit.
Extra incentive: BlackBerry adopters may also love the BlackBerry Presenter ($200), a device that streams PowerPoint or PDF presentations straight from your BlackBerry device into a projector — great for students who need to make in-class presentations.
Price: $199 with a two-year AT&T contract