BlackBerry Style First-look Review: part 2 

PERFORMANCE

The BlackBerry Style comes loaded with RIM's latest and greatest operating system, BlackBerry OS 6.0. This includes among other things, a beefier browser compared to older models, a revamped user interface, and the ability to type and auto-search through the entire device.

It includes the latest versions of the communication, social networking, and entertainment software you're used to from a BlackBerry, as well as the DataViz Documents To Go suite of Office apps.

Despite its seemingly capable oomph of 512 MB of on-board memory, in my tests the Style would occasionally momentarily freeze up under heavy use.

Camera
One of the downfalls of the Style has got to be its camera. At 5 megapixels with standard flash it's not the quality of pictures that causes angst but rather the position of the camera. The relative angles of the camera and screen are the downfalls of the Style. The camera is positioned behind the keyboard, and the screen open at a slight angle. The result is that taking a picture of something directly in front of me required me to cock the phone towards myself awkwardly.

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION

RIM didn't just refresh a model with the BlackBerry Style 9670, but instead the company delivered a solid all-around performer. It managed to fit performance, design and reliability in a package that screams "Style."

Upon initial review, it seems the Style could be a satisfying choice for power users, first-time users, and those who have to pick a BlackBerry for work. I haven't been this excited about a new BlackBerry in quite some time.

A complete review of the Style 9670 will be published when I've had more time to fully test out its features.