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.
sir/mam i bought my bb 9700 here in saudi, can i used it in the philippines? i have a smart roaming sim card can i use it also, do i need to inform smart communication for activation or i will just automatically use the sim card, thank you to anyone who can help me.
Hello! I just got my new BB Bold 9700 and I’m already having problems. Its 3G is in capital letters while edge is in small letters. Then I cannot download BlackBerry App World from my laptop and from my BB itself! Help. It’s getting so frustrating. I don’t want to regret buying this phone because it really is very easy and comfy to use, plus it’s expensive.
Twitter: zeldascorn
says:
@Teps: Having small caps edge means you are not subscribed to BIS, or blackberry internet service, which makes all of your apps connect to the web.
Are you on prepaid? Globe? Here is what you do to subscribe to BIS.
Type BB ON Amount (50, 220, 1200)
ex. BB ON 50 send to 8888
50 = 1 day
220 = 5 days
1200 = 1 month
or you can just connect over wifi and download BB app world but most apps like facebook don’t work over wifi only, but you must subscribe to BIS in order for it to work.
Hope this helps.
sir, just wanna ask which is better? sony xperia x10 or this bb bold 9700? thanks..
hi. wanted to ask. which is better, bb bold 9700 or the bb torch 9800?!
ang pricey talaga ng blackberry kahit mababa lang ang specs. dapat sana kahit papano lower the price lang kasi parang no match naman ang specs neto sa ibang smartphone
[...] January 2010: Google Nexus One. Google’s second attempt at branding an Android smartphone resulted into a collaboration with HTC. The Google Nexus One generated huge buzz both online and offline. Running a 1GHz SnapDragon processor and the latest Android OS made it a much-desired phone for gadget lovers. It even almost eclipsed RIM’s flagship phone, the BlackBerry Bold 9700. [...]
hello sir yuga,
between BB9700 and bb9650 which is better in terms of their functionality and battery life? thank you.
Ik wil die zoo graag hebben.
maar is zoo duurr…wat moet ik nou doen??
tips graag.
xxxx
ik wil geen abonement
go for the 9700 or 9780. those are the best BB’s.
Add me on BBM. 23948a33.
do u know how can i surf internet in my bb? pinabili ko lang to sa kapatid ko sa saudi.. pls help
how can i activate my internet on my blackberry 9700?? i can access its internet failed////…i have a GPRS but i dont know how to used it ??!!!
Why does my BB 9700 automatically restarts itself? ano po dapat kong gawin? naayos ba to sa settings or bka napipindot ko lang?
san po magandang bumili ng case for a bb 9700?
what is better. bb cure 9700 or bb bold 9700?i saw a lot of reviews with bold 9700 and most of them said it’s palpak. im getting confused.
Wala naman kasing bb cure 9700…. curve 9300 3g lang….
got a bb 9700 nabili sya sa saudi… how can i connect to BIS? im a smart prepaid user… pls help.. thanks!
Twitter: iamnicetobewith
says:
@lisa – make sure muna na naka open line na yang BB mo… then pag okay na… BB DAY (P50), BB WEEK (P300), BB MONTH (P1,200) send mo sa 2207, wag sali yung price ha, sinali ko lng para malaman mo magkano. Parang may promo ata sila jan sa MONTH 999 na lng but i dont know kung existing pa ’til now. I hope I was able to help you…
Hi, may question lang ako. Kasi my tita owns a blackberry 9700 and she lives in UK. She will give the phone to me. Will it work here in the philippines?
I’ve found myself here several times before while trying to find various things. I appreciate the detailed articles you write, and in some instances this is the ONLY place I can even find them. Cheers
Just wanna ask if ang blackberry ba pwede kapag ang smart sim ay naka roam on, or I mean, kahit roam on ang smart sim, unli din ang BBM at pwede kahit sa iba’t ibang bansa? let say seaman ang gagamit, iba’t ibang lugar napupuntahan nila, pwede pa nila magamit ang BBM ng blackberry?