Quite a lot of recent RIM’s BlackBerry phones looked quite alike (Bold and the Curve) and it could mean one of two things — either RIM doesn’t have any more design ideas left or it has almost perfected the form factor that many people loved about the qwerty smartphone that it doesn’t want to veer away from it. That is the case of the BlackBerry Bold 9700.
I haven’t formally reviewed the previous generation BB Bold 9000 but having tried it a couple of times before and basing on the specs, one can make the conclusion that there’s not much can be done on the BB Bold 9700 except for a number of tweaks and optimization.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 sports almost the same exterior as its predecessor — glossy, black-piano finish in front, rubbery lining on the side with a streak of silver and a nice leather back panel. The leather gives the handset a touch of class but also helps secure a nice grip when using the unit.
RIM tried to cut some fat around the unit so a couple of millimeters were shaved off the dimensions to make it more compact. This move somehow sacrificed a little screen real estate (2.44″ from the previous 2.6″) but improved on the pixel resolution (480×360) which explains why the display is clear, crisp, and bright.
The physical keyboard, one of RIM’s strongest features in most of its handsets, is maximized on space and layout. It might look a bit cramped at first but it’s just enough and comfortable for two-fingered typing. RIM shaped the individual keys with a chiseled edge, half of which faces the left and the other half facing the right. This is actually a clever and practical move — your thumbs get some sort of traction over the keys and helps prevent from slipping and hitting the wrong keys.
Again, RIM has fully transitioned it’s old and problematic trackball and replaced it with a touch-sensitive trackpad. This is probably the most welcomed change made on BlackBerry handhelds lately and it does seem to perform well.
The Bold 9700 is fully equipped with connectivity options you’d ever need in a smartphone — WiFi, 3G/HSDPA, Bluetooth and GPS navigation. Browsing on the unit seems fast on both 3G and WiFi and the pages rendered well but you’d wish you had more screen real estate there. And while the GPS navigation is usable, it hasn’t gone to the same level what Nokia recently did with their free turn-by-turn navigation.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700′s newest competitor would be the Nokia E72 and while they’re neck-and-neck in terms of the major features, the E72 has a few additional features up its sleeve. Battery life is impressive and lasts at least 3 days on single full charge (it’s got the same 1500mAh rating as the E71 and E72).
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 also missed a couple of things, some of it is due to geographical limitations:
- First, the BlackBerry App World is still not available in the Philippines. The Apps would have added a huge plus point on top of the BIS. Give it already to us, RIM.
- The 3MP camera is still a bit inadequate but if you compare it to another business phone like the Nokia E72, they’re just at par so no big deal there. It’s really hard to find a business phone that’s got good optics nowadays. I think it’s just positioning and they really intended it to be that way.
- No FM tuner, a feature that’s becoming a standard all mobile phones in all categories. It’s time for RIM to equip all their future handsets with one.
Admittedly, there’s not much improvements you can do on a handset which many BlackBerry users deemed almost perfect. If only they could offer it a little more affordable like the Curve 8520. Good thing though is that you can now have this unit and use a prepaid SIM from Globe or Smart and just subscribe to the prepaid BlackBerry service.
hi guys hu can give me an idea if which is better? using an optical track pad or a trackball and y?
hi guys, im a teenager, geek, bought every Speed and HWM magazine since 2008. i was just wonderin’, whats the best BB for teenagers? cant really decide, bold? curve? any suggestions? and, a BB that is “madaling gamitin sa mga tulad ko na new sa BB” btw, im an iphone user.
I would just like to ask if the problem of the Blackberry Bold 9700 Executive Edition (WHITE)with BIS activation still persists? Please anyone update me because I really love to have one…
does Bold 9700 upgradeable to Blackberry OS 6?..
Selling a bnew blackberry bold 9700 (from smart) complete with 1 year official warranty.. 0922-824-4884
i have a technical problem in wifi connection.. i cannot use the blackberry9700 to wifi internet, even in yahoo messenger.. is the internet only available by connecting to 3G or GPRS network?, why not possible in wifi. or is it blocked by globe?
btw i bought it in UK. and im using it in the philipiines
technical problem in wifi connection.. i cannot use the blackberry9700 to wifi internet, even in yahoo messenger.. is the internet only available by connecting to 3G or GPRS network?, why not possible in wifi. or is it blocked by globe?
btw i bought it in UK. and im using it in the philipiines
pati po ung bluetooth nya nkaka pag sent ako pero nde ako makareceive
You need to pair a device first.. Nahirapan din ako before. And parang ayaw mag pair pagsobrang lapit ng 2 devices. Try mo.
Available na ba ang blackberry apps store sa philippines?
question: is it true that GPS on bb will only work on a corporate account? this is according to the globe custserv i talked to.
@JG yes. accessible na bb app world. you can access it thru BIS or even Wi-Fi.
i just got that one bb 9700 i love to get the sat nav some wher to installed free if any help please
How much is the BB Bold 9700 these days in the PH? If I buy abroad, can I use it here?
Twitter: saimon08
says:
I love this phone! Been using it for a month now and I think it is indeed a good buy!
@Sonicvipz: market price is around 20K up for brand new units.
[...] the same exact design and form factor as the previous BlackBerry Bold 9650 back in April and the BlackBerry Bold 9700 prior to [...]
what mean the symbol ({})
have somebody a list whit the symbol & how you make it example ~D) is hot chocolate
happy what mean ({}) ???
I just can’t get over with this phone…
I’ve been using my new BB bold2 for a month now.. so far, wala naman ako na encounter na problem. I can connect to the internet just fine. using the wi-fi or BIS plan..
Bold2 is a nice phone, a great phone actually!
mall price is : 23k+
anybody bought their own BB from
http://blackberryphilippines.com/
are they for real? anybody?
@Rev
I just want to share this website at blackberryphilippines.net.
I bought a BB 9700 from them and It was great! Great customer service! Excellent and reliable seller!.. Try mo!
Sorry couldn’t see the video on my bb9700 I loved everything about my bb until I went to youtube and nothing played but the thing that bothers mme sister in lay a fellow bb user can watch video on hers ! Anyone know how to watch youtube on a bb bold 9700?
@bbuser661 you can download Player for Youtube from BB App World. From there you can search and play videos. It works great when you’re using wi-fi.
hey im a nokia loyalist and i must admit i dont know much about this bb craze so i have few questions to ask since i consider shifting frm nokia to bb.
im into social networking, if i surf the net (w/out using wi-fi) and im using PREPAID sim, will it work? or do i have to be a plan holder? im kinda confused kasi kung ung mga promo ng smart and globe like unli surf for 1 day ay ok lang using bb.
i do not also know a thing reg. black berry messaging. how does it work ba? ang sabi lang sakin ng friend ko if send a message to another bb user, it will be for FREE. is that correct?
and what about those upgrades people are talking about?
can i really surf the net that fast?
to sum it up., my main concerns are the internet connection and charges. i dont want to have a contract/plan with any network service, just want to be a prepaid user.
pls help me with these. im confused whether to buy nokia e72 or go for bb and give it a shot. sorry im being an ignorant here. i just dont know a thing.
thanks so much!
Hi, I’m thinking of getting a BB next week. Which one is better,Bold 9700 or Curve 9300? A friend is selling her Bold at almost the same price of a brand new curve 9300. I can’t decide! help!