BlackBerry Torch 9800 vs HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)

A spec-by-spec comparison of the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
Price$2,499$100
Our rating6/103/10
Battery1,270 mAh1,300 mAh
Storage (max)32 GB—
Screen size3.2 in3.7 in
Main camera5 MP5 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)161 g180 g
ReleasedAug 2010Jul 2010
Summary: BlackBerry Torch 9800 is ahead on our rating, weight (lower is lighter). HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) is ahead on battery, screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.

Display

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
TypeTFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colorsS-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size3.2 inches3.7 inches, 38.2 cm2 (~54.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution360 x 480 pixels480 x 800 pixels, WVGA (~252 ppi density)
Pixel density~188 ppi—
Protection—Corning Gorilla Glass

Platform

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
OSBlackBerry OS 6.0Android 2.2 (Froyo), upgradable to 2.3 (Gingerbread)
CPUMarvell PXA940 624 MHz processor800 MHz Scorpion
Chipset—Qualcomm MSM7230 Snapdragon S2
GPU—Adreno 205

Memory

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
Card slotmicroSDHC, up to 32GB (4GB card included)microSDHC (dedicated slot)
Internal4GB storage, 512MB RAM1.5 GB (Desire Z) / 4 GB (T-Mobile G2) storage, 512 MB RAM

Main Camera

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
Single5 MP5 MP, AF
FeaturesAutofocus, LED flash, image stabilization, face detection, geo-tagging, zero shutter lagLED flash, face detection, geotagging
VideoVGA (640 x 480)720p@30fps

Selfie Camera

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
SingleNoNone

Battery

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
TypeRemovable Li-Ion 1270 mAh batteryRemovable Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery
Stand-byUp to 312 hUp to 430 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G)
Talk timeUp to 5 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 30 min (3G)Up to 9 h 50 min (2G) / Up to 6 h 30 min (3G)

Body

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
Dimensions111 x 62 x 14.6 mm (4.37 x 2.44 x 0.57 in)119 x 60.4 x 14.16 mm (4.685 x 2.378 x 0.557 in)
Weight161 g (5.68 oz)180 g (6.35 oz)
KeyboardSliding QWERTY physical keyboardPhysical QWERTY slider
SIMRegular-SIMMini-SIM

Comms

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/nWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth2.1 with A2DP2.1, A2DP, EDR
GPSYes, with A-GPSYes, with A-GPS
RadioNoFM radio
USBmicroUSB 2.0microUSB 2.0

Launch

BlackBerry Torch 9800HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
AnnouncedAugust 3, 2010September 15, 2010
StatusReleased August 2010Discontinued

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, BlackBerry Torch 9800 or HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)?

HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) — 1,270 mAh for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 versus 1,300 mAh for the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2).

Which is lighter, BlackBerry Torch 9800 or HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)?

BlackBerry Torch 9800 — 161 g for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 versus 180 g for the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2).

Which is newer, BlackBerry Torch 9800 or HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)?

BlackBerry Torch 9800 — Aug 2010 for the BlackBerry Torch 9800 versus Jul 2010 for the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2).

Is the BlackBerry Torch 9800 or the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) rated higher?

We rate the BlackBerry Torch 9800 6/10 and the HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2) 3/10.

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