RIM BlackBerry Bold 9000

isaacleese · Thread Author #1 11-18-2008, 08:26 PM

For my first review (and, if I get this submitted in time, the first CrackBerry user review of a smartphone!) I will be analyzing the Research in Motion BlackBerry Bold.

Intro

The BlackBerry Bold is, as of this writing, RIM's flagship handset (the BlackBerry Storm will be challenging the Bold for this title when it releases later this week.) Building on the larger, more spacious design of the 88xx series, the Bold adds the multimedia features of the popular 83xx Curve and 81xx Pearl series of BlackBerries.

First Impressions are the most important...

My first impression of the Bold during unboxing was that it looked large - the phone gives the visual impression of being very wide (the plastic key row dividers don't help with this.) After handling it a bit, the impression is rather misleading - it fits pretty nicely in my normally-sized hands and was smoothly pocketable. The second thing I noticed, after the body, was - obviously - the screen. My God, it's gorgeous. The Bold's LCD is easily the best screen of any phone I've ever used (and that's a lot of phones, including both versions of the iPhone.) After initial start-up (which took a good five minutes,) the Bold presented me with the AT&T-themed Home Screen.

Sure, she looks gorgeous...

I took the Bold for a spin through the UI, which you can see in my video review - this is really RIM's finest work (as of this writing, the Storm isn't out in the US yet.) The combination of the high resolution LCD, fast processor and additional memory in the Bold really make it stand out - transitions are smooth and there is little to no lag. Apps launch quickly and smoothly, and there seems to be very little slowdown even when quite a few apps are open.

...But does she have a brain?

Oooooooooh yes. Sure, the UI and the outer casing of the Bold look great - but what does RIM's Finest have under the hood?

Plenty.

First, and foremost, the Bold packs the triple-punch of radios - WiFi, 3G, and Bluetooth. This array of cellular connectivity allows the Bold to leverage GSM and UMTS networks worldwide as well as hop onto WiFi hotspots when coverage isn't so great. The Bold also includes a cellular-assisted Global Positioning System (aGPS) chip, enabling GPS fixes as accurate as three meters. RIM's flagship handset features a modest 1 gigabyte of onboard storage and an externally accessible (!!!) microSDHC slot that can accept up to a 32 gigabyte microSDHC card. The backplate of the 9000 reveals the 2 megapixel camera and LED flash that is capable of up to 1600x1200 still resolution and 320X240 video resolution. The camera app features a multitude of adjustable settings to enable the Bold user to get just the right shot. However, the REAL heart of the beast is it's brawny 624MHz processor - faster than any previous BlackBerry and most other smartphones, too. This powerhouse is the driving force behind everything else the Bold does, and it does a masterful job.

But what's all this without any juice? The Bold includes a powerful 1550mAh battery to power all of the features you'll be using while Bolding about town. :P

And now, without the makeup...

Not quite everything about the Bold is roses and flowerbeds. The Bold lacks in a few key areas. While my battery life isn't nearly as atrocious as some Bold-bashers claim, it definitely doesn't last as long as my Curve did. Granted, this could be caused by the fact that the Bold has a CPU that's twice as fast, 3G and WiFi radios, a gigantic (by comparison) screen, and a higher-res camera - and I think it is - but the Bold's battery life could be better.

That's more of a passing annoyance compared to the Bold's true Achilles heel - the browser. Yes, yes, it's better than any previous BlackBerry browser; yes, it's faster and seems, in general, to render pages better than Opera Mini or Pocket Internet Explorer; but it still doesn't come close to mobile browsers like Safari or Android's browser. RIM still has a ways to go before they begin to encroach on Apple's territory here, though I'm confident that the programmers up in Waterloo are up to the task.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

And that concludes my BlackBerry Bold review. I know the pictures and video aren't the best - I need a new camera (maybe the CB community would like to help with that?

) but I did my best to provide a clear, concise, honest review of RIM's current flagship, the BlackBerry Bold. My shortened video review can be found here. Check back here, I plan to do many more of these. Au revoir!

lucky_berry · #2 11-22-2008, 09:26 PM

finally got me a Bold and I am loving the usability. Great design overall, but just wished the chrome was real steel or something

LUISALDAZ · #3 11-30-2008, 05:41 PM

Im an iPhone user since it came out and love it but as with most phones out there it lacks some features and in this case...BASIC features. Now that the bold has come out it makes me wonder if a switch to it would be worth losing the cool interface and multimedia capabilities of the iphone. What i need and like to do with my phone is the following
-Comprehensive call and contact management (great on iphone)
-Calendar and tasks viewable on an active home-screen (None on iphone)
-Music and podcasts over the air (Awesome on iphone)
-Pictures and/or video in any lighting condition (Not good on iphone)
-Easy-to-read popup messages for incoming sms and email (good on iphone)

Thats basically it. i also play the occasional game but not that often. So... if anyone can advise me on this dilemma would be much appreciated. Thanks

dandelos · #4 12-10-2008, 12:51 PM

Nice review!

TheFarmer · #5 12-18-2008, 08:52 PM

Good review!

Tlynnsmith · #6 12-18-2008, 10:05 PM

Wow! That's a great review!

csfSPQR · #7 12-31-2008, 10:53 AM

Very Nice Review.

I had the choice between the iPhone and the Bold. I chose the bold.

Not much of a screen typist and since I always want my screen to be looking its best - willingly touching the screen just to have to wipe it clean 10 seconds later seemed madning.

Also, the switching in between apps seemed to lag more than the iPhone.

Also the biggest of them all - I am not a huge web surfer. The Bold seemed to be the best calendar, text and phone combo out there.

Again good review.

vento · #8 01-29-2009, 03:08 PM

Since I've been a BB user for close to 6 years now, I wasn't too impressed with the iPhone's calender, tasks, and contact lists. I tried using it for 2 weeks and gave up.

Bold all the way.