[to boldly go]

i forgot to add on the BlackBerry ID thing, my BB7s require me to use my ID anytime the battery has been pulled, not needing internet for those times. It is basic BlackBerry security. I dont need a simcard. There is an optional setting somewhere requiring a simcard be present, I forget where I saw it.

[heplock]

Got these pair today! Will use one as a main phone and an iphone 5 for other stuff.

Really excited to be using OS7 again

[anon(9721108)]

i forgot to add on the BlackBerry ID thing, my BB7s require me to use my ID anytime the battery has been pulled, not needing internet for those times. It is basic BlackBerry security. I dont need a simcard. There is an optional setting somewhere requiring a simcard be present, I forget where I saw it.

Not on mine, 9780 or 9900, I would just put the battery in and away I go, and both are always connected to my Wi-Fi. Even years ago with the 9780 it would randomly ask for the BB ID not always but sometimes. This is the first time the 9900 has ever done this to me with no Sim in it since I bought it fully unlocked in December.

If there is an option setting to turn off the BBID prompt I'd like to know where because once my devices are set up, I don't like messing with settings.

My 9780 was never a buisness phone, it was new to me. I cannot speak for the 9900 but it was fully unlocked from the electronics place I bought it.

[Ursus Rufus]

Ralph,

I couldn't agree more! Love my 9900 and Classic combo as its the best of both worlds in the hardware game. I have been doing some thinking about mine and if anything were to happen to it, I think I would just replace the device with a used one.

I am on Wind Mobile but I am trying to figure out which model would work? Here in Calgary plenty of 9900's are around and most are unlocked but I don't know which bands work on which devices.

Do you or anyone else have any thoughts? Would something like a Rogers or Telus unlocked model work on Wind?

Thanks so much for your assistance.

Posted via CB10

Don't suppose you travel east much? Seeing a lot of Wind 9900s in Toronto. Most between $50 - 100.




Posted via CB10

[anon(9721108)]

I can't recall if my 9790 did this to me as well. I only had that used unlocked model for 4 months before I had to sell it.

It is very random with my devices (asking for the BBID without a sim)

[Ursus Rufus]

Here is my story and I'm sticking to it. While having my much-hated LG Optimus Pro on atnt I wanted to try BlackBerry, somewhat blindly picking the 9900 on looks alone not even knowing about OS7 vs OS10, and i piicked an atnt branded one off ebay, also knowing nothing of the downsides of buying branded phones.

I got the 7.1 update OTA. browser was fast. FM radio worked, I was HAPPY. A short while later I put my simcard in it without telling atnt. everything worked including vvm. After atnt found out I had switched phones which took a couple weeks, they said I needed a BlackBerry plan, and they blasted my phone OTA, radio no longer worked, and browser was no longer fast. And I had atnt bloatware which I eventually learned I could delete with no consequences except they would put it back from time to time.

And I think some of the special-for-Blackberry plan stuff is all a smokescreen; they insist BB 10 needs a BlackBerry plan too, although it isnt BIS.

I also believe, the browser is hampered by BIS, and that it it wasnt an atnt branded phone my radio would have continued to work.

This was all before I got a Z10 not knowing it had no radio.

Wow! Now that's a story and yes you really ought to stick to it. Horrible what AT&T did to you. Well. I wondered about a radio. And thanks to you there's confirmation: in probably most cases it's not a question of hardware at all. The hardware is there, in the phones.

There is a movement happening right now in North America to have carriers and/or manufacturers unlock the FM in phones.

Here's a couple of links. I'm giving the Canadian version of Free Radio but there's one in the USA as well.


http://www.wired.com/2016/07/phones-...io-smartphone/


http://freeradioonmyphone.ca/take-action/

Posted via CB10

[Ursus Rufus]

I can't recall if my 9790 did this to me as well. I only had that used unlocked model for 4 months before I had to sell it.

It is very random with my devices (asking for the BBID without a sim)

The ghost in the machine.

Posted via CB10

[anon(9721108)]

A few days on the iPhone and i'm totally missing the clickiness of the 9900s keyboard. I'm going to have to switch soon despite having all these apps and more. Still waiting for that bottom KB screw cover plate in white to come before I switch back. The notifications just start to take a toll on you

[ColinsCity]

Today is actually the first day i decided to use my 9900 on EDGE (2G) and the battery has lasted so long, it's at 40% and i've been using it about 12 hours, there's no way the phone lasts that long on 3G because when i tested that Gold battery it lasted about 7.5 hours of hard usage using only the 3G network which was slightly better than what the original battery gives.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

Today is actually the first day i decided to use my 9900 on EDGE (2G) and the battery has lasted so long, it's at 40% and i've been using it about 12 hours, there's no way the phone lasts that long on 3G because when i tested that Gold battery it lasted about 7.5 hours of hard usage using only the 3G network which was slightly better than what the original battery gives.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Ha ha yeah I get six or seven hours at the most I think with the regular original type batteries. So there is no way you can get H plus like I am? I guess it all depends on networks and region or whatever

[to boldly go]

A few days on the iPhone and i'm totally missing the clickiness of the 9900s keyboard. I'm going to have to switch soon despite having all these apps and more. Still waiting for that bottom KB screw cover plate in white to come before I switch back. The notifications just start to take a toll on you

Apps take up extra data needlessly updating too, this was a nightmare on android for me.

[Ursus Rufus]

I count 24 different apps or functions on Mr Morgotch's iPhone screenshot. Of those, and not counting Settings, only half a dozen or less are what I would really need to use daily. The rest are or would be basically unnecessary.

And ya that many things notifying me constantly would drive me starkers. ; )


Posted via CB10

[anon(9721108)]

Haha I think I have 48 apps in total for all 3 pages. I maintain a free 2 gigs but it isn't easy. Constantly deleting "fat" apps like Twitter and FB that bleed data and take up too much space then re-installing them puts them back to where they are supposed to be space-wise.

The one app I don't use that I have on it is LINE Messenger. LIne is available for the 9900 and I did use it but it is a bit glitchy on OS7 but that is why BBM and Whatsapp are still the best IMO (and on any platform).

[EFats]

...
FM radio. I've read that the 9900 doesn't have one. But also have read that - like all phones - it does. But that BlackBerry didn't activate it until BBOS 7.1. Anyone have any input on this?
...

I'm not sure about this, I think 9900 doesn't have one. My Curve 9360 with the 7.1 update got the FM radio. I knew that beforehand which is why I originally got the 9360 over the 9900.
My 9900 AWS definitely doesn't have FM radio, but it is originally a T-Mobile. I've never heard of anyone with FM radio on a 9900.

Check with Blackberry docs, I think it specifically notes which models have FM radio and 9900 is not on the list

Posted via CB10

[mushroom_daddy]

I'm not sure about this, I think 9900 doesn't have one. My Curve 9360 with the 7.1 update got the FM radio. I knew that beforehand which is why I originally got the 9360 over the 9900.
My 9900 AWS definitely doesn't have FM radio, but it is originally a T-Mobile. I've never heard of anyone with FM radio on a 9900.
Check with Blackberry docs, I think it specifically notes which models have FM radio and 9900 is not on the list

If I understand correctly, the point that ursus rufus is trying to make is that many smartphones have the components for (and capacity to offer) FM radio but that manufacturers may not have chosen to activate it in the device.
I don't know whether the 9900 ever had the appropriate components but like you, when I purchased the 9900 (in 2012), I had noted that although FM was available in some other BlackBerry smartphones (e.g. some of the Curve devices) it was not an available feature on the 9900.

If you look at the following article, it suggests that the OS7.1 release enabled FM radio components in some BlackBerry handsets – the 9900 is not mentioned
BlackBerry 7.1 update unlocks NFC, FM radio and BBM - CNET

There's more in the BB community support forums that suggests the 9900 does not have capacity for FM radio https://supportforums.blackberry.com...1/td-p/1821829

[Ursus Rufus]

Wow thanks for the input EFats & mushroom_daddy. And thanks for the links. Will be reading those. Seems somewhat odd that the Curve would receive that kind of upgrade with the OS 7 update, & the 9900, a superior phone (IMO) would not. Then again there was the poster in this thread who said there was a radio function in the upgrade until the carrier found out & shut it down. Which seems, ya, odd too. Hahah.

Anyway thanks to you both. Most helpful.

Posted via CB10

[Ursus Rufus]

Haha I think I have 48 apps in total for all 3 pages. I maintain a free 2 gigs but it isn't easy. Constantly deleting "fat" apps like Twitter and FB that bleed data and take up too much space then re-installing them puts them back to where they are supposed to be space-wise.

The one app I don't use that I have on it is LINE Messenger. LIne is available for the 9900 and I did use it but it is a bit glitchy on OS7 but that is why BBM and Whatsapp are still the best IMO (and on any platform).

Wow OK. On my iPhone I have a third as many apps, not counting native apps like Safari, Weather, etc. Notifications turned off for almost everything except the basics.

You're right about Twitter. It has to be killed periodically or it just balloons. Have never heard of LINE. To be honest I'm not into social media, and even Twitter I use only to to store and share photos of my work.

For messaging, although I know it's less secure, & hasn't as many bells & whistles, I just use SMS. My Fido plan includes unlimited worldwide SMS/MMS. Although I'd love to use BBM I sadly don't have any friends, family or relations who use it. I've tried to convince them but so far it's not happening. Grff.

Oh. I got a line on a factory unlocked 9900 for $50, in TO. Having a friend look into it because I'm too far away and not due to visit for a month. The seller has three available all at that price.

Posted via CB10

[ColinsCity]

Ha ha yeah I get six or seven hours at the most I think with the regular original type batteries. So there is no way you can get H plus like I am? I guess it all depends on networks and region or whatever

I don't know if it would be worse with H+ i use wifi when i'm at home which makes everything work really fast, I'm surprised EDGE is as fast as it is on this phone then again i always remembered 2G working better on blackberry's than any other phone, even 3G is slow and bad on an iPhone, i went to sleep at around 1am last night and the battery was still alive at around 30% while using the EDGE+Wifi combination, i think there's less stress of just waiting for the battery to die. I must try the Gold battery on 2G and see what it reacts like.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[experiment 626]

EDGE probably works better on BlackBerry BBOS devices because of BlackBerry 's data compression.

[ColinsCity]

EDGE probably works better on BlackBerry BBOS devices because of BlackBerry 's data compression.

Yes this is probably true, i find EDGE to work faster on BBOS devices than on a non blackberry device.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[anon(9721108)]

My Fido plan includes unlimited worldwide SMS/MMS. Although I'd love to use BBM I sadly don't have any friends, family or relations who use it. I've tried to convince them but so far it's not happening. Grff.

Oh. I got a line on a factory unlocked 9900 for $50, in TO. Having a friend look into it because I'm too far away and not due to visit for a month. The seller has three available all at that price.

Posted via CB10

Worldwide SMS would be nice, if I had that then I wouldn't have to have whatsapp, but WA is cool because it is like SMS on steroids, just a few more options and convenience with features. it's funny that I am with Rogers on a premium plan and you would think they would offer worldwide SMS since Fido is owned by Rogers and meant to be a discount division of Rogers or a little cheaper than the main plans. But then I remember that my plan is basically from 2011, and for all I know the new Rogers plans might offer this.

$50 is a sweet deal for an unlocked 9900.

[anon(9721108)]

I don't know if it would be worse with H+ i use wifi when i'm at home which makes everything work really fast, I'm surprised EDGE is as fast as it is on this phone then again i always remembered 2G working better on blackberry's than any other phone, even 3G is slow and bad on an iPhone, i went to sleep at around 1am last night and the battery was still alive at around 30% while using the EDGE+Wifi combination, i think there's less stress of just waiting for the battery to die. I must try the Gold battery on 2G and see what it reacts like.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

I don't mind personally sacrificing some battery for speed, but on H+ the 9900 is quite fast. I also think that the default lowest screen brightness of 10% on the 9900 is way too bright and that goes a long way to killing the battery. Even in direct sunlight the screen is perfectly visable on 10%!!

I have also noticed that my I phone 5C on LTE is reasonably fast but in some cases a five-year-old 9900 on H+ can be faster or as fast. I think we are at a point where device like an iPhone 5c is going to just get slower, but I've noticed no difference on the 9900 since Christmas.

People say that the 9900 is unuseable because there are no major updates but one has to consider that perhaps with a lot of updates, say on an older iPhone, that is more Info the phones processor must work with and therefore slows it down more, maybe.

9900 does not have a bunch of bloatware to bog it down.

[David Tyler]

Apps take up extra data needlessly updating too, this was a nightmare on android for me.

Android is awful in so many ways -- I'll admit, I haven't seen BlackBerry's version.

Passport SE: All the snooty prestige of a device with a precious metal in the name at less than half the price!

[David Tyler]

People say that the 9900 is unuseable because there are no major updates but one has to consider that perhaps with a lot of updates, say on an older iPhone, that is more Info the phones processor must work with and therefore slows it down more, maybe.

There seems to be no "maybe" about it. iPhone users seem universally convinced a major purpose behind iOS updates is to motivate hardware upgrades!



Passport SE: All the snooty prestige of a device with a precious metal in the name at less than half the price!

[ColinsCity]

I don't mind personally sacrificing some battery for speed, but on H+ the 9900 is quite fast. I also think that the default lowest screen brightness of 10% on the 9900 is way too bright and that goes a long way to killing the battery. Even in direct sunlight the screen is perfectly visable on 10%!!

I have also noticed that my I phone 5C on LTE is reasonably fast but in some cases a five-year-old 9900 on H+ can be faster or as fast. I think we are at a point where device like an iPhone 5c is going to just get slower, but I've noticed no difference on the 9900 since Christmas.

People say that the 9900 is unuseable because there are no major updates but one has to consider that perhaps with a lot of updates, say on an older iPhone, that is more Info the phones processor must work with and therefore slows it down more, maybe.

9900 does not have a bunch of bloatware to bog it down.

There's not really much difference between the 9900 and Q10 so noticing things between those two is more difficult but the iPhones are definitely not built to withstand ios updates, the iPhone 5 is probably the last phone that will be getting the new update, and i'm pretty sure it will make the phone really slow.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk