Customer Reviews on Amazon.com
See all reviews ›
Showing 5-star reviews
- Most Helpful First |
- Newest First
-
88 of 109 people found this review helpfulByBolder 19 August, 2011I will state right in the beginning my view that Blackberries continue to be the leaders when it comes to security, data efficiency, reliability and and practicality. My company-issued Blackberry does not do games very well and I'm not using it to play movies (I prefer the 73" screen in the living room for that) but it's amazingly good when it comes to getting my email and quickly composing new messages or replying to the incoming. Also great at integrating the enterprise email with any Web email services I'm using, Bluetooth-paired devices and the phone features be they 4G or Wi-Fi.
Current Bold users should be happy and almost certainly happier with the 9900 because this is very much the 'old' Bold only sleeker, faster or, in other words... bolder. When it comes to new users, it's a crowded marketplace out there. Those who prefer great physical keyboards may want to look into this Bold because you could hardly find a better 'phone' keyboard anywhere and that includes other Blackberries. I am currently a Torch user but I've been given the opportunity to try out a couple of the newer models: this new Bold and the new Torch 9810. I will confess that I personally prefer the new Torch to the new Bold because I prefer a slightly larger screen but, in fairness, few phones come close to the new Bold when the factors considered are elegance, the quality of the build and, naturally, the keyboard.
First, the good things about the 9900 Bold:
- IT'S STILL A BLACKBERRY - This is important to the many BB users who want their Blackberry to change only slightly from one generation to another, at least as far as the physical form and the user interface is concerned. While Blackberries evolved from the little 'wheel' to the track ball to the current touch-sensitive pad to touch screens, they are still recognizable and I bet that if a time traveler from, let's say, 2002, popped up in 2011, he/she should be able to use the 9900 in no time. All buttons are at the familiar locations and, at least when comparing it with the previous generation, the 9900 responds very much in the same way with 'touch' added if needed but never mandatory to accomplish anything. I find myself using a combination of touch, buttons and sometimes to track pad to operate it.
- IT'S SMALLER, LIGHTER - While the screen appears to be (very slightly) larger on the 9900, its bulk is significantly reduced. The 9900 is thinner and it appears to weigh less than its predecessor. Not everyone may appreciate this in the beginning and I was one of those but I got used with the lighter device quickly and I would consider it an improvement now.
- IMPROVED PICTURE QUALITY - Very much on par with what's current 'best in the business', the picture on the 9900 is significantly better as far as brightness and resolution. I would not use the Bold to watch movies or read books with the Kindle app but this is because I don't use Blackberries that way. I could if I wanted to. To me Blackberries are expected to do: email, voice, enterprise integration. Everything else is 'extras' - my employer wouldn't like to see me watch movies, play games or update my Facebook wall on the company 'phone'.
- EXTRAS - Of course, you get cameras with geolocation which I'm not likely to use a lot but it's good to know it's there, you can get video for free or subscribe to some pay services, have the ability to store various media and so on. It's good to have them but I'm not likely to spend much time with the 'extras' except maybe with the Web browser which, by the way, is very good at handling HTML5.
- IMPROVED WEB BROWSER - This is good news. The built-in browser may not be as good as, let's say, Opera but it's coming pretty close and it's a major improvement over what Blackberry used to offer. This one is, of course, touch enabled.
- 4G - Of course. It makes this model (a lot) more expensive than most of the competition.
- Bluetooth, WI-FI - they work great and pairing with a Bluetooth device can be done literally in seconds.
In addition to the above, on the 'the same' or not necessarily 'improvements' category, I noticed no significant change as far as battery life is concerned. Hard to measure it but I would recharge it every couple of days if used for phone/email only and at least daily if a lot of web browsing or video is involved.
On the not-so-good or 'really annoying' side, I really hated the abundance of bloatware - I call it 'crapware' - that seems to have invaded the Blackberry world. There is an abundance of little pre-installed apps and services that, shortly after you click on and go to the trouble of activating them, it turns out that they are 'pay' things, ranging from Pac-Man to TV services, and it's either impossible or very difficult to remove - I didn't have the time to waste so I was able to quickly hide them but... there SO MANY of them. If Research in Motion is listening, they should know that I do NOT love Blackberry more for turning the BB desktop into some apps and services peddling space. Blackberry's app store continues to be difficult to navigate, overpriced and quite unattractive.
When it comes to rating the Bold 9700, within the context of Blackberries, it's probably one of the best (the Torch is still my #1). It's lighter, brighter, sharper, faster and provides more functionality than previous models so it's a five-star.
And, yes. The Blackberry is not an iPhone or an Android. And the reverse happens to be true: iPhones and Androids are not Blackberries. I'm using an Honeycomb tablet for personal entertainment and there is an iPad in our household but what I've been using a Blackberry for 'business' quick, efficient and reliable communications for the past 10+ years.
--
>> Brush your teeth, it's the law! << -
16 of 18 people found this review helpfulByBolder 14 October, 2011I will state right in the beginning my view that Blackberries continue to be the leaders when it comes to security, data efficiency, reliability and and practicality. My company-issued Blackberry does not do games very well and I'm not using it to play movies (I prefer the 73" screen in the living room for that) but it's amazingly good when it comes to getting my email and quickly composing new messages or replying to the incoming. Also great at integrating the enterprise email with any Web email services I'm using, Bluetooth-paired devices and the phone features be they 4G or Wi-Fi.
Current Bold users should be happy and almost certainly happier with the 9930 because this is very much the 'old' Bold only sleeker, faster or, in other words... bolder. When it comes to new users, it's a crowded marketplace out there. Those who prefer great physical keyboards may want to look into this Bold because you could hardly find a better 'phone' keyboard anywhere and that includes other Blackberries. I am currently a Torch user but I've been given the opportunity to try out a couple of the newer models: this new Bold and the new Torch 9810. The Torch has a slightly larger screen but, in fairness, few phones come close to the new Bold when the factors considered are elegance, the quality of the build and, naturally, the keyboard.
First, the good things:
- IT'S STILL A BLACKBERRY - This is important to the many BB users who want their Blackberry to change only slightly from one generation to another, at least as far as the physical form and the user interface is concerned. While Blackberries evolved from the little 'wheel' to the track ball to the current touch-sensitive pad to touch screens, they are still recognizable and I bet that if a time traveler from, let's say, 2002, popped up in 2011, he/she should be able to use the 9930 in no time. All buttons are at the familiar locations and, at least when comparing it with the previous generation, the 9930 responds very much in the same way with 'touch' added if needed but never mandatory to accomplish anything. I find myself using a combination of touch, buttons and sometimes to track pad to operate it.
- IT'S SMALLER, LIGHTER - While the screen appears to be (very slightly) larger on the 9930, its bulk is significantly reduced. This model is thinner and it appears to weigh less than its predecessor. Not everyone may appreciate this in the beginning and I was one of those but I got used with the lighter device quickly and I would consider it an improvement now.
- TOUCH - Not the first Blackberry with the feature and it's not as good as iPhone's but, for what I'm using it, it's just right. The new Blackberry OS allows me to 'touch' just about anything on the screen and trigger... something. Gestures are also supported including 'pinch-zoom' in and out. And, related...
- BUTTONS - Maybe this should have been at the top of the list. This Blackberry does not force me to do everything by touching the screen. Just about everything can be done by either pushing/clicking a button and controlling the cursor with the little trackpad or by interacting directly with the screen (tap virtual buttons) or a combination. Most of the time it's 'a combination' for me and it's always the way I feel most comfortable about doing things. I appreciate the ability to use physical buttons when I want it.
- IMPROVED PICTURE QUALITY - Very much on par with what's current 'best in the business', the picture is significantly better as far as brightness and resolution. I would not use the Bold to watch movies or read books with the Kindle app but this is because I don't use Blackberries that way. I could if I wanted to. To me Blackberries are expected to do: email, voice, enterprise integration. Everything else is 'extras' - my employer wouldn't like to see me watch movies, play games or update my Facebook wall on the company 'phone'.
- BETTER KEYBOARD - Believe it or not, this Bold's keyboard is even a better design that the predecessor's. The keys are slightly larger because keys now stretch from edge thus gaining maybe an extra 1/8 of an inch to distribute among the 10 or so keys on each row. I noticed the difference immediately.
- EXTRAS - Of course, you get cameras with geolocation which I'm not likely to use a lot but it's good to know it's there, you can get video for free or subscribe to some pay services, have the ability to store various media and so on. It's good to have them but I'm not likely to spend much time with the 'extras' except maybe with the Web browser which, by the way, is very good at handling HTML5.
- IMPROVED WEB BROWSER - This is good news. The built-in browser may not be as good as, let's say, Opera but it's coming pretty close and it's a major improvement over what Blackberry used to offer. This one is, of course, touch enabled.
- Bluetooth, WI-FI - they work great and pairing with a Bluetooth device can be done literally in seconds.
In addition to the above, on the 'the same' or not necessarily 'improvements' category, I noticed no significant change as far as battery life is concerned. Hard to measure it but I would recharge it every couple of days if used for phone/email only and at least daily if a lot of web browsing or video is involved.
On the not-so-good or 'really annoying' side, I really hated the abundance of bloatware - I call it 'crapware' - that seems to have invaded the Blackberry world. There is an abundance of little pre-installed apps and services that, shortly after you click on and go to the trouble of activating them, it turns out that they are 'pay' things, ranging from Pac-Man to TV services, and it's either impossible or very difficult to remove - I didn't have the time to waste so I was able to quickly hide them but... there SO MANY of them. If RIM is listening, they should know that I do NOT love Blackberry more for turning the BB desktop into some apps and services peddling space. Blackberry's app store continues to be difficult to navigate, overpriced and quite unattractive.
When it comes to rating this new Bold, within the context of Blackberries, it's probably one of the best and I am now hesitating between this and the Torch. It's lighter, brighter, sharper, faster and provides more functionality than previous models so it's a five-star.
And, yes. The Blackberry is not an iPhone or an Android. And the reverse happens to be true: iPhones and Androids are not Blackberries. I'm using a Honeycomb tablet for personal entertainment and there is an iPad in our household but what I've been using a Blackberry for 'business' quick, efficient and reliable communications for the past 10+ years. They never let me down.
--
>> Brush your teeth, it's the law! << -
12 of 13 people found this review helpfulByA move in the right direction 10 November, 2011Bold? Not really. But the best Blackberry you can buy today? Yes.
I'm an Iphone user and Android user mostly, but if you have to have a Blackberry, this is a very nice device. It does do 3G on AT&T, it is snappy, the hardware feels very solid and quality-constructed. The screen is very high quality and the touch functionality works nicely.
To me, the differentiating factor of a Blackberry (at least with their current OS) is that it has a full keyboard. If you are an email maven and don't spend much time on the internet, this is a quality device for that. On the contrary, this device does a very good job of integrating Twitter and Facebook into the factory-ready experience. A little 'net, and a lot of email productivity.
Yes, iPhone and Android have more apps. If you need a full spectrum experience, you've probably already considered iPhone or an Android. That being said, if you strongly prefer a full keyboard or must use Blackberry, this is a very nice device.
The battery life is great, too! -
4 of 4 people found this review helpfulByBold 9900 unlocked 26 December, 2011Delivery to destination only a matter of days - great service.
Setting up the mail accounts was very simple, compared to my previous BlackBerry. Within 5 minutes I was up & running.
This phone is by far the best BBerry I have ever had. The combination of a touch screen and the QWERTY key board make it a very userfriendly phone. The only off-set is reduced battery life compared to my previous BBerry, due to the touch screen. Still though, properly charged the phone brings me through the day with recharging only required towards the evening. -
5 of 6 people found this review helpfulBythe best blackberry up to the time!!!! 7 November, 2011hey yall, i have been a blackberry user for years but mainly with the curve series. im from the caribbean, st lucia to be exact. there are lots of awesome phones out there and im not hating but this blackberry 9900 is awesome!!! i wanted a tourch but i didnt like slide up phones fearing of the flex cable might get loose. so i waited and here it is, the blackberry 9900 is the way to go. it feels awesome in ur hands, the keyboard is so kool i look forward to typin and responding to emails, tweets, bbm, fb all the time. i didnt care about the auto focus, no big deal, the pics are jus awesome and video recording is spectacular. this phone arrived on time and in great condition and yes unlocked, hooked up my digicel sim card and im now addicted to my 9900. i give Rim theri props!!! over the years blackberry phones took forever to boot but this 1.2ghz processor works perfectly on this device. enough said. blackberry is the way to go.
-
2 of 2 people found this review helpfulByGreat keyboard, battery life, careful which brand you buy 6 February, 2013OK, as most comments already state, you need to be careful into which Blackberry version you are buying. There are two: While all of them support worldwide GSM bands (900/850/1900/1800), on UTMS (3G) they are dual band, meaning each one will support only 1900 OR 2100Mhz only.
T-Mobile works under 2100Mhz. AT&T branded phones will work on 1900Mhz. This is crucial. You need to check with your local carriers for a compatible band, THEN buy.
All southamerica but Brazil and Venezuela (I think?) support the 1900Mhz frequency, so a t-mobile branded phone wil not work on 3G. You won't have any problems on the 2G band (slower EDGE speeds).
The phone is getting a bad reputation because of the seller shipping different phone versions. Not because the smartphone is bad at all. -
2 of 2 people found this review helpfulByThe Best Blackberry Ever! 8 November, 2011I been using only blackberries since my first smart phone and this is the best blackberry ever! I had a curve to bold 9700, bold 9780 and now the bold 9900. I havent had problems that i used to have with my old blackberries like freezing a lot, documents not being able to open, data not being able yo upload. If you are looking for a reliable phone for work and easy to use and not cool applications than this is the perfect phone. I paid around 350 with a 2 years contract with Tmobile. Is much more expensive than most of the smart phones in the market but i don't regret getting it.
- Most Helpful First |
- Newest First
