[Don P1]

Here's my abused 9900 doing GPS duties in one of our shamefully abused service vehicles. It's plugged in to a SmoothTalker handsfree cradle that starts and stops bluetooth when it senses the 9900's charging contacts being snapped in. This cradle's internal antenna is attached to a high gain external antenna and performs nicely in low signal conditions. We've been providing weBoost active boosters that work really well for multiple devices in our crew cab vehicles. Attachment 377803

What GPS app do you use?


Posted via my Q5. BBM @ 2bd95429

[jrsva2008]

I too moved on finally from my beloved 9900...needed more than it could give with Web and especially so Google would jot keep dropping my sync. Never had any difficulty with positioning the mini-sim to fit it. Once in place, it held fine. No need to buy a larger old one or the treacherous adapters. Outstanding device for phone and texts. Still miss it...but do love my z30. And actually faster typing on this once I got used to it.

Posted via CB10

[David Tyler]

Still miss it...but do love my z30. And actually faster typing on this once I got used to it.

I loved the BlackBerry 10 vkb when I got the Z10. The Z30 is even better, imo.



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

[idssteve]

What GPS app do you use?


Posted via my Q5. BBM @ 2bd95429

"Native" preloaded BlackBerry Maps. Crude but serviceable. Most of my guys prefer map view with North up. Priceless is the ability to zoom out to get a larger perspective using "o" and zoom back in using "i".

[BBerryPowerUser]

I loved the BlackBerry 10 vkb when I got the Z10. The Z30 is even better, imo.



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

Once I embraced virtual keypad typing and word prediction I learned that I was indeed faster on a virtual than on a physical. I genuinely like my Z30, but I also have a Q5 that I use once in a while that certainly serves the purpose. I'm going to go for a Passport next year so I can try the "touch sensitive" keyboard. Looking forward to that.

Going back to my 9900 on my business line takes a bit of adjustment every Monday morning, but by Friday I am a bit sad to be leaving it for the weekend of the Z30. And VS VS.

[BBerryPowerUser]

Internet Hiccup.

Double Posted in Error

[anon(9710967)]

The Bold is a good phone but you can't expect it to last much longer I kept mine until it died but the Classic is a great substitute but if you want to keep that's on you but the browser slows down and the app world on OS is not as good as 10. In my opinion the Bold was the best OS phone but my opinion is get the Classic it has everything the Bold does & more.

Posted via CB10

[zodmode247]

It's definitely still worth it. PIM, docs to go, keyboard, exchangeable battery, and of course email

Posted via CB10

[Don P1]

Love mine but have to use the Q5 when I know I'll need GPS. My GPSON the 9900 doesn't work.


Posted via my Q5. BBM @ 2bd95429

[David Tyler]

Once I embraced virtual keypad typing and word prediction I learned that I was indeed faster on a virtual than on a physical.

After using a 9720 for a couple of years, I was driven nearly to the brink of insanity by virtual keyboard of the Sammy Galaxy SII I let myself get shamed into buying -- so much so that I ordered a 9900 and used that until the dawn of BlackBerry 10. I surprised myself by giving the Z10 a try (I was in line at the AT&T store the day it was available), and YES: The BlackBerry 10 virtual kb was an instant addiction! I really enjoyed using it; enough so that I bought a Z30.

I'm going to go for a Passport next year so I can try the "touch sensitive" keyboard. Looking forward to that.

What pushed me over the edge was that the ShopBlackBerry unlocked GSM Z30 didn't get AT&T's LTE bands most places I travel (and in my home), so I was primed to look at the Passport once the SE came out. I loved both Zs, but the Passport / Bold combo is really perfect for me.

Going back to my 9900 on my business line takes a bit of adjustment every Monday morning, but by Friday I am a bit sad to be leaving it for the weekend of the Z30. And VS VS.

Yep! Aside from the practical reasons for the "two-phone life," I just LIKE using both phones. I do sometimes wish the Bold had a modern browser, but I'm only using it for an hour or two each day (although I'll whip it out with the radios off just for the Lygea RPN calculator sometimes). Finally, you gotta admit: The Bold 9900 is the PERFECT phone if you're wearing a suit!

[BBerryPowerUser]

After using a 9720 for a couple of years, I was driven nearly to the brink of insanity by virtual keyboard of the Sammy Galaxy SII I let myself get shamed into buying -- so much so that I ordered a 9900 and used that until the dawn of BlackBerry 10. I surprised myself by giving the Z10 a try (I was in line at the AT&T store the day it was available), and YES: The BlackBerry 10 virtual kb was an instant addiction! I really enjoyed using it; enough so that I bought a Z30.



What pushed me over the edge was that the ShopBlackBerry unlocked GSM Z30 didn't get AT&T's LTE bands most places I travel (and in my home), so I was primed to look at the Passport once the SE came out. I loved both Zs, but the Passport / Bold combo is really perfect for me.



Yep! Aside from the practical reasons for the "two-phone life," I just LIKE using both phones. I do sometimes wish the Bold had a modern browser, but I'm only using it for an hour or two each day (although I'll whip it out with the radios off just for the Lygea RPN calculator sometimes). Finally, you gotta admit: The Bold 9900 is the PERFECT phone if you're wearing a suit!

Excellent post. Thank you. Fun to read and really makes sense to me.

And you are certainly correct, the 9900 is THE PERFECT PHONE when you are wearing a suit.

[BBerryPowerUser]

Gotcha. Thanks for the help. I called tmobile and they do sell the larger sim cards.

The 9900 is beautiful and I can't wait to use it. If I like it enough I might have to sell my Q5.

Posted via CB10

I'm late quoting your post, but I have both a Q5 and a 9900. Two very different animals IMO.

Aside from the obvious BB10 VS BB07-BIS, these two are very different phones in how they interact with YOU during a day of use.

The 9900 is a sleek, sharp business communication device. BIS drives a unique, well rounded, and mature OS that delivers a true business-like approach to emails, texts and major Social channels like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can still get very basic apps for it and even some music streaming apps like Slacker and Spotify STILL work on the old 9900. The architecture is not set up to be used as a daily entertainment or web cruising device. Other than main stream apps, the app selection is very sparse. It's a single core processor device that is made for communication and basic media. The keyboard is very nice and the toolbelt/touchscreen works well. Also, the device "Bridges" to a Playbook perfectly and makes a great business combination as the Playbook becomes a large screen extension of the 9900. It operates differently than BlackBerry Blend. Nobex Contacts, BlackBerry Travel, Phone Conferencing, and other built in applications work so well and automatically that it's hard to fault anything with the core structure. You can buy extended batteries as you have a removable back. I bought one at Amazon that now gives me an extra 2 hours of use during the day, so I easily get a full 8 hours of heavy use, with time to spare even with Bridge, Bluetooth, and WiFi engaged all day. I like the fact that I can use a charging stand without having to plug a micro USB into the phone since the 9900 has the charging points on the bottom.

The Q5 is different of course. Not worse, just different. It has no toolbelt. It has Island Keys VS Bold Keys that are spaced out a bit more. The keys CLICK harder than the 9900. I happen to like this with my big fingers. It has no removable battery without cracking the device open. There is no battery door. The stock battery lasts much longer than the 9900 stock battery. It has BlackBerry Blend vs Bridge on the 9900. This means you can't meld it to the Playbook, but you can Blend it to an iPad or Android Tablet. It has the HUB. It has and on screen touchpad for dialing the phone. This is a big plus for me as hitting the little keyboard keys to dial a phone number for me is very hard on the 9900. It runs some Android Apps, albeit not a great deal and some don't run very well, but the option is there. There is a decent app selection between the Amazon store and the BBerry World Store. Certainly more than available on the 9900. The screen is about 1/2 inch larger than the 9900. It does not have the fit and finish and polish of the 9900 but it does work well, and if you dress it up with a nice case, it does make a nice presentation.

If you are a BB10 fan, then there is no decision to make. If not, and business is your driver, the 9900 may be a better phone for you. For me, I like having BOTH. I also have a Z30 to play with on weekends, so I jump out of keyboards altogether on the weekend.

[idssteve]

I'm late quoting your post, but I have both a Q5 and a 9900. Two very different animals IMO.

Aside from the obvious BB10 VS BB07-BIS, these two are very different phones in how they interact with YOU during a day of use.

The 9900 is a sleek, sharp business communication device. BIS drives a unique, well rounded, and mature OS that delivers a true business-like approach to emails, texts and major Social channels like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can still get very basic apps for it and even some music streaming apps like Slacker and Spotify STILL work on the old 9900. The architecture is not set up to be used as a daily entertainment or web cruising device. Other than main stream apps, the app selection is very sparse. It's a single core processor device that is made for communication and basic media. The keyboard is very nice and the toolbelt/touchscreen works well. Also, the device "Bridges" to a Playbook perfectly and makes a great business combination as the Playbook becomes a large screen extension of the 9900. It operates differently than BlackBerry Blend. Nobex Contacts, BlackBerry Travel, Phone Conferencing, and other built in applications work so well and automatically that it's hard to fault anything with the core structure. You can buy extended batteries as you have a removable back. I bought one at Amazon that now gives me an extra 2 hours of use during the day, so I easily get a full 8 hours of heavy use, with time to spare even with Bridge, Bluetooth, and WiFi engaged all day. I like the fact that I can use a charging stand without having to plug a micro USB into the phone since the 9900 has the charging points on the bottom.

The Q5 is different of course. Not worse, just different. It has no toolbelt. It has Island Keys VS Bold Keys that are spaced out a bit more. The keys CLICK harder than the 9900. I happen to like this with my big fingers. It has no removable battery without cracking the device open. There is no battery door. The stock battery lasts much longer than the 9900 stock battery. It has BlackBerry Blend vs Bridge on the 9900. This means you can't meld it to the Playbook, but you can Blend it to an iPad or Android Tablet. It has the HUB. It has and on screen touchpad for dialing the phone. This is a big plus for me as hitting the little keyboard keys to dial a phone number for me is very hard on the 9900. It runs some Android Apps, albeit not a great deal and some don't run very well, but the option is there. There is a decent app selection between the Amazon store and the BBerry World Store. Certainly more than available on the 9900. The screen is about 1/2 inch larger than the 9900. It does not have the fit and finish and polish of the 9900 but it does work well, and if you dress it up with a nice case, it does make a nice presentation.

If you are a BB10 fan, then there is no decision to make. If not, and business is your driver, the 9900 may be a better phone for you. For me, I like having BOTH. I also have a Z30 to play with on weekends, so I jump out of keyboards altogether on the weekend.

99's KB is too small for my finger also. Perfect for thumbnail tho. Same with Classic.

A vendor of ours transitioned to Classics from iPhone almost a year ago after years of working side by side with my crew's 99s. One of the first things my crew had to get across to them was to forget their fingers. Real BBs are meant to be thumbed! Lol. More specifically thumbNAIL. .

I trim my thumbnails optimally just for that. Right thumbnail a little longer, these days, to make easier reach to "alt" key on oversized Classic.

[idssteve]

Yep! Aside from the practical reasons for the "two-phone life," I just LIKE using both phones. I do sometimes wish the Bold had a modern browser, but I'm only using it for an hour or two each day (although I'll whip it out with the radios off just for the Lygea RPN calculator sometimes). Finally, you gotta admit: The Bold 9900 is the PERFECT phone if you're wearing a suit!

+1000 for Lygea RPN!

[David Tyler]

+1000 for Lygea RPN!

I found out about it in this forum! There was an HP-15C app that ran beautifully on my Z30... right up until the 10.3 update, after which some screen-sizing issue emerged. The howls of protests in BlackBerry World apparently were not enough to get the dev back in action -- I even emailed the dev directly and pointed out several BBW review posters seemed quite willing to pay for the app again, if only he'd fix the Z30 problem. The RPN app for the Passport is usable, but suffers from distortion on the square screen. The Lygea running on the Bold is super!

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

[Doggerz]

I don't know why BlackBerry abandoned the 9900 keyboard. I guess it didn't bother most people but to me it was the last great BlackBerry keyboard.

I found the Q5 much harder to type on without the smiley face shape to the keyboard. But compared to the Priv the Q5 is way better.

Still, BlackBerry just keeps going in the wrong direction with its physical keyboards.

I sure wouldn't blame anyone for missing the 9900.

I'm waiting for some Android maker to make a phone like the old Sidekick LX (a roomy physical keyboard that BlackBerry couldn't sue over) because that keyboard was way easier to type on than the Priv is (or most bb10 keyboards are for that matter). If you're not going to have that ergonomic keyboard shape of the 9900, better make the damn thing pretty big (landscape) to type on.

Z30STA100-5 / 10.3.2.2789 / T-Mobile USA

[BBerryPowerUser]

99's KB is too small for my finger also. Perfect for thumbnail tho. Same with Classic.

A vendor of ours transitioned to Classics from iPhone almost a year ago after years of working side by side with my crew's 99s. One of the first things my crew had to get across to them was to forget their fingers. Real BBs are meant to be thumbed! Lol. More specifically thumbNAIL. .

I trim my thumbnails optimally just for that. Right thumbnail a little longer, these days, to make easier reach to "alt" key on oversized Classic.

Too funny.

Sometimes you think you are the only person doing something like that, and then you read a post like yours and realize you are not the ONLY guy trimming his thumbnails to be more efficient on a BBerry Keyboard.

I used my 9780 for a very long time and I took the markings off the keyboard horribly from tapping the keys with my thumbnail for five years. I still have that old 9780 as a token of longevity on BlackBerries - keyboard too. It may be lacking the markings, but it still functions millions of keystrokes later!

The 9900's keyboard is a bit better than the 9780, but I still need to use my thumb nails on it. The Q5 has space between the keys in the island style, so it works for me.

On the Q5 I can actually use my thumbs without the nail contact. Those spread out island keys with their pronounced CLICK just seem to be my personal fave. So, FOR ME, the Q5 is the best BBerry physical keyboard I personally have ever used because of large hands. It's why I don't have a Q10.

[idssteve]

Too funny.

Sometimes you think you are the only person doing something like that, and then you read a post like yours and realize you are not the ONLY guy trimming his thumbnails to be more efficient on a BBerry Keyboard.

I used my 9780 for a very long time and I took the markings off the keyboard horribly from tapping the keys with my thumbnail for five years. I still have that old 9780 as a token of longevity on BlackBerries - keyboard too. It may be lacking the markings, but it still functions millions of keystrokes later!

The 9900's keyboard is a bit better than the 9780, but I still need to use my thumb nails on it. The Q5 has space between the keys in the island style, so it works for me.

On the Q5 I can actually use my thumbs without the nail contact. Those spread out island keys with their pronounced CLICK just seem to be my personal fave. So, FOR ME, the Q5 is the best BBerry physical keyboard I personally have ever used because of large hands. It's why I don't have a Q10.

Lol... . Absolute fastest, zero error, Classic typist in my office happens to have THE smallest hands. She's who advised me to trim my thumbnail a little longer for the oversized Classic. Classic mostly gets right hand. 9900 exclusively gets left hand. Two or three in my office still feel fastest KB (always zero error in our case) to be the tiny 9650. Idk, 9900 is kb king, IMO.

I've never tried a Q5. Sounds more like Curve KB concept?

[tupi222]

Buy a Classic...!!

[BBerryPowerUser]

Lol... . Absolute fastest, zero error, Classic typist in my office happens to have THE smallest hands. She's who advised me to trim my thumbnail a little longer for the oversized Classic. Classic mostly gets right hand. 9900 exclusively gets left hand. Two or three in my office still feel fastest KB (always zero error in our case) to be the tiny 9650. Idk, 9900 is kb king, IMO.

I've never tried a Q5. Sounds more like Curve KB concept?

Yes, the Q5's KB is more like a Curve for sure. I thought I liked Bold KB's better, but I don't. When it comes to typing on a physical KB, I prefer Island keys.
The Q5 (IMO) is a well underrated phone. I have liked it since the moment I turned it on. Just like I did the 9900. I tried a Q10 but the keyboard is like the 9900 and I wanted an Island Key phone for the 2nd line. Also, the Q5 has "space" between the top of the keyboard and where the screen starts so the swiping-up gesture is a bit easier than it was for me on the Q10. Not a big deal, but just a mention. And the CLICK of the keyboard on the Q5 is something I really like. You sure know the input was received, believe me.

Everyone gets what they like and I understand that, but I really like the Q5.

[Michniks]

Friends! I did it again! I have back to the Bold 9900 from BB10 (Z30)! What the heck is with those new phones, that we can't leave BBOS devices? Ofcourse it is rhetolical question... I love the 9900, his feel, look, design and the BBOS design. Almost all you need is on your one hand 2,8" screen!

[Blackerthanblack]

I'm buying 2 Bolds next week I never had a 9900 so I'm looking forward to it

Posted via my Black Passport

[liveonparadise]

Go fo classic, it's the ultimate replacement of BlackBerry 9900.

The toolbelt, trackpad, keyboard are still there, Upgraded.

And the BlackBerry 10 OS is a powerful OS for e-mail and messages

 Passport via CB10 || previous device : Q10, Z3, Z10, Storm 9530, 8520, 8530, 9000, 8320

[Blackerthanblack]

Go fo classic, it's the ultimate replacement of BlackBerry 9900.

The toolbelt, trackpad, keyboard are still there, Upgraded.

And the BlackBerry 10 OS is a powerful OS for e-mail and messages

 Passport via CB10 || previous device : Q10, Z3, Z10, Storm 9530, 8520, 8530, 9000, 8320

Assuming that was meant for me, I have a Passport. Why would I get a Classic? It's too expensive for what it offers and I can get the two Bolds for less than 80 bucks. I will get a white Passport next year though Just because I can. Or maybe a Porsche Design, I've always wanted one of those.

Posted via my Black Passport

[Michniks]

Go fo classic, it's the ultimate replacement of BlackBerry 9900.

The toolbelt, trackpad, keyboard are still there, Upgraded.

And the BlackBerry 10 OS is a powerful OS for e-mail and messages

 Passport via CB10 || previous device : Q10, Z3, Z10, Storm 9530, 8520, 8530, 9000, 8320

It's the replacement in BlackBerry's Company opinion. And generally yes, I can agree, that BB 10 is a powerful OS, but BBOS is the essential of many years of optimalization for smooth, fast and efficencial work. With many little things which we didn't see at the mobile os market(even BB10 has some cons refers to BBOS). It's very subjective opinion I know. I have tried to use BB10 phone Z30 as like the other people use their smartphone mostly - whatching movies, surf the web, playing silly games - it will be never as comfortable as doing this stuff on PC or PS4/XOne - it's only 5"

One thing which I don't like in BB10 - untapped potential of big screen in Classic. Sorry, but on my Bold 9900 I can see more than I can see on the Classic screen. Example? Tapatalk(I know it's a port) is disgusting on BB10/Android. On my 2,8" I have clear text with much more information then on my big 5" screen...