[Treym86]

First time poster here so apologies if this isn't in the correct area. Also search only came up with one post with no response from a couple of years ago. Anywho...

I finally took the plunge and I am going to upgrading from my trusty ole BB Tour soon. I was wondering if there is an online guide (Much like this one for Macs) That tells folks if they should "buy now" or "hang tight" due to upgrades/updates coming in the near future.

Any advice on which GSM (T-Mobile) BB I should go with next is also appreciated!

[_StephenBB81]

First time poster here so apologies if this isn't in the correct area. Also search only came up with one post with no response from a couple of years ago. Anywho...

I finally took the plunge and I am going to upgrading from my trusty ole BB Tour soon. I was wondering if there is an online guide (Much like this one for Macs) That tells folks if they should "buy now" or "hang tight" due to upgrades/updates coming in the near future.

Any advice on which GSM (T-Mobile) BB I should go with next is also appreciated!

There is no buyers guide as for yet, but I'm sure we'll see something come in 2013

as for what to buy right now. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is probably the most popular T-Mobile BlackBerry it will be a major upgrade from a BlackBerry Tour.

That said, BlackBerry Bold 9900 runs BBOS7, which is RIM's last iteration of their legacy JVM OS, BlackBerry 10, also known as BB10 should be launching in the new year Jan/feb hopefully it will be a fundamental change for RIM and BlackBerry. Good or Bad, it is coming and needed.

Your choice now is, do you want a device that has had a good year of support generated for it, people know it and can help you with it, it will work just like you are used to with all the features you know from your tour plus some additional ones, or do you wait it out longer and take the BB10 Gamble? or Android Game, or heaven forbid iOS Gamble..

[Treym86]

@DeRussett - Thanks for the quick reply! Looking fwd. to the buyers guide!

I will be honest, I have frantically been reading articles trying to figure out the BB systems and OS situation. I am a techie when it comes to computer systems but I am a total newbie with telecommunication devices! I am currently leaning towards the Bold 9900 but I guess I have 2 questions regarding it that I can't seem to find online.

1) If the Bold 9900 has BBOS7, will it be compatible with BB10? I wonder how BB10 would effect the operational effectiveness and speed of the 9900?

2) Is there anything (devices that is) slated to be released between now and the release of BB10? Guess I'm just afraid to purchase the 9900 and the following weed, month, etc...a newer, better device arrives.

[dbollman423]

No, pretty much here it is common knowledge. Here is a rough rundown: BlackBerry 10 is coming out 1st quarter 2013. It is supposed to be the new evolution of cell phone. It can communicate with cars and is based upon the programming language for cars.

BB10 is supposed to be much more capable/compelling when it comes to games.

Although several here believe that OS 7.1 is very stable, appealing, helpful, valuable and compelling, myself included, RIM is trying to reach out to other users including game players.

This OS is supposed to support rapid information exchange and exceed most other platforms for data transfer, including internet, yet do it with the trademark compression.

But the current offering of Bold 9900/9930, Torch 8650/8660 and curve are very exceptional devices.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[Treym86]

@Dbollman - Just to clarify, What are you referencing in your first sentence "No, pretty much here is it common knowledge" as I asked a few questions before that! Thanks!

What would you do if you were in my shoes? I have a tour that functions just fine for what I need but I am also ready to upgrade. Do I wait it out or go ahead and grab the Bold 9900?

[_StephenBB81]

@Dbollman - Just to clarify, What are you referencing in your first sentence "No, pretty much here is it common knowledge" as I asked a few questions before that! Thanks!

What would you do if you were in my shoes? I have a tour that functions just fine for what I need but I am also ready to upgrade. Do I wait it out or go ahead and grab the Bold 9900?

He meant it is common knowledge that BB10 will not be backwards compatible with BBOS7 devices,

as for what I would do Right now if I were you?
I'd go online and buy a used 9900 and activate it, it will be a major upgrade over your 9630, except for Battery life, you'll get about half the battery life

but charge twice as fast.... weird I know.

be careful though, if you're a techy and new to the world of smartphones, getting a 9900 will entice you to learn more, and get more involved, and you'll get addicted, I spend far too much buying phones because of my addiction the BlackBerry 8330 got me with

[dbollman423]

@Dbollman - Just to clarify, What are you referencing in your first sentence "No, pretty much here is it common knowledge" as I asked a few questions before that! Thanks!

What would you do if you were in my shoes? I have a tour that functions just fine for what I need but I am also ready to upgrade. Do I wait it out or go ahead and grab the Bold 9900?

What did I mean. I just meant that there is no guide, but people on Crackberry.com have been following the evolution or devolution of BlackBerry pretty closely, because we don't want to lose our device of choice.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[Treym86]

He meant it is common knowledge that BB10 will not be backwards compatible with BBOS7 devices,

as for what I would do Right now if I were you?
I'd go online and buy a used 9900 and activate it, it will be a major upgrade over your 9630, except for Battery life, you'll get about half the battery life

but charge twice as fast.... weird I know.

be careful though, if you're a techy and new to the world of smartphones, getting a 9900 will entice you to learn more, and get more involved, and you'll get addicted, I spend far too much buying phones because of my addiction the BlackBerry 8330 got me with

Ahh gotcha! That seems unfortunate and I'm sure once BB10 drops, the value of a Bold 9900 if I get one will also bottom out...Ahh technology

I think I am going to check around for some used 9900's. Not sure if I am breaking a forum rule but are there any places aside from the obvious that you all recommend to check (obvious being ebay and craigslist). Again, sorry if naming places breaks a rule!

I suppose that the phone addiction never caught on because I have always been so enthralled in the newest fastest computers and my phone was always just a device for texting/calls. Not really a gamer so not too concerned with that. Then again, perhaps I've been missing out!

[_StephenBB81]

I was enthralled with PC's and performance until the 4Ghz Barrier got broken with OSing and everything went to dual cores/quad cores etc, I was no longer a gamer and work made me need smartphones suddenly smart phones filled my winter hobby needs.

as for Places to look, This site has a market place I believe, and in Canada we have Kijiji which has been very useful for me replacing my BlackBerry Style 9670 when it was damaged.

if you decide you are a gamer, BlackBerry 7 isn't your platform, though BB10, and PBOS are on the way to being one for both gamers and prosumers alike

[RoseBud68]

Best advice i could give is to pock around this great board & do some research. Plenty of info for what your looking for.

[mikeo007]

It can communicate with cars and is based upon the programming language for cars.

Let me clarify this for you since it's VERY deceiving:

Blackberry 10 is based on a technology called QNX.
Some in-car ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS are based on QNX.

With that, there is a possibility of a deeper integration between BB10 phones and some car entertainment systems.

That said, there has never been any mention of this functionality from RIM or any of the car manufacturers. It is purely conjecture (and misguided conjecture at that).

If I were you and I was really interested in getting a phone NOW, I would take deRusett's advice and look for a used 9900.

[Treym86]

Seems that the general consensus is to go ahead and make the leap to the Bold 9900. Another question, since I'm not a gamer and basically use my phone for texting, BBM, phone calls, and email, would you still recommend the 9900 or is there perhaps another phone that is just as quick with OS7 that I could save a few bucks on?

I never browse the web with my phone as I always have a computer by my side, not a gamer, not a big third party app runner, I just want a nice, reliable phone that can handle a bevy of emails and texts and has the option to add more stuff if I were to decide to do so in the future (unlikely though).

Having this info and knowing that my phone is 98% business/communications, still rec. the 9900?

Guess it boils down to the same thing people with supercars as daily drivers go through. Sure, someone may own a Ferrari but it is doubtful they push it to 200+MPH a day...but man, it is probably nice knowing that if they needed to, they could! Make sense?

[_StephenBB81]

Well the 9360 is going to be cheaper than the 9900, and is a decent phone as well, but really the enjoyment of typing on the 9900 over the 9360 is worth the cost difference.

[mikeo007]

Seems that the general consensus is to go ahead and make the leap to the Bold 9900. Another question, since I'm not a gamer and basically use my phone for texting, BBM, phone calls, and email, would you still recommend the 9900 or is there perhaps another phone that is just as quick with OS7 that I could save a few bucks on?

I never browse the web with my phone as I always have a computer by my side, not a gamer, not a big third party app runner, I just want a nice, reliable phone that can handle a bevy of emails and texts and has the option to add more stuff if I were to decide to do so in the future (unlikely though).

Having this info and knowing that my phone is 98% business/communications, still rec. the 9900?

Guess it boils down to the same thing people with supercars as daily drivers go through. Sure, someone may own a Ferrari but it is doubtful they push it to 200+MPH a day...but man, it is probably nice knowing that if they needed to, they could! Make sense?

You won't be doing much gaming on any Blackberry phone, so that's a non-issue. Third-party apps...obviously there's a lack.

If all you're doing is using it as a phone, I'd say stick with your Tour. I only recommend the 9900 because I use one for work and it is a fair upgrade from the Tour era devices. Not great, but it's better at everything (except taking pictures maybe) than a Tour.

[Treym86]

I think it might be best to go to the store and play with both a 9900 and a 9360 even though I am still leaning to the 9900 since they are more or less the same price and the 9900 has a full QWERTY (Anyone know if the Tour is considered full or narrow?)

You won't be doing much gaming on any Blackberry phone, so that's a non-issue. Third-party apps...obviously there's a lack.

If all you're doing is using it as a phone, I'd say stick with your Tour. I only recommend the 9900 because I use one for work and it is a fair upgrade from the Tour era devices. Not great, but it's better at everything (except taking pictures maybe) than a Tour.

I would have no problem sticking with my Tour until something else comes out however A) I feel that support for the tour is declining rapidly with so many technological advances by RIM since the release of the Tour and B) I'm a techie and I want a new toy.

Sure would I be fine sticking with the tour? Yeah, probably so considering I do nothing but communicate with it. I am truly on the fence right now regarding getting something new and kicking myself in the in 6-8 months when a newer better device is out or just sticking with the Tour until that happens. Is there any knowledge of upcoming Blackberries (especially ones that will have BB10)...Secondly, is there even a release date for BB10 yet?

[mikeo007]

I think it might be best to go to the store and play with both a 9900 and a 9360 even though I am still leaning to the 9900 since they are more or less the same price and the 9900 has a full QWERTY (Anyone know if the Tour is considered full or narrow?)



I would have no problem sticking with my Tour until something else comes out however A) I feel that support for the tour is declining rapidly with so many technological advances by RIM since the release of the Tour and B) I'm a techie and I want a new toy.

Sure would I be fine sticking with the tour? Yeah, probably so considering I do nothing but communicate with it. I am truly on the fence right now regarding getting something new and kicking myself in the in 6-8 months when a newer better device is out or just sticking with the Tour until that happens. Is there any knowledge of upcoming Blackberries (especially ones that will have BB10)...Secondly, is there even a release date for BB10 yet?

There hasn't been support for the Tour for over 2 years, so no change there . Also, RIM really hasn't made many advances since the Tour. Better web browsing (which doesn't matter to you) and a slightly tweaked UI.

The only date we've got for BB10 phones is 1st calendar quarter 2013. Most people anticipate a January 2013 launch. There is not a lot of information on the new phones yet, but check the front page for all of the available previews.

[_StephenBB81]

One advantage of getting a new device over keeping your tour is that the tour was the Last BlackBerry to NOT include wifi,

Also your tour was a FULL QWERTY not a narrow one.

[Treym86]

Ahh in that case, I definitely want to go with the full QWERTY!

As for Wifi on the Tour (well, lack thereof) Perhaps I would browse more routinely if I had Wifi!

Maybe I will give myself a couple of weeks and see how I feel with the Tour then (I was a 13+ year Sprint customer and just switched to T-Mobile a few days ago) make a decision from there.

[_StephenBB81]

Ahh in that case, I definitely want to go with the full QWERTY!

As for Wifi on the Tour (well, lack thereof) Perhaps I would browse more routinely if I had Wifi!

Maybe I will give myself a couple of weeks and see how I feel with the Tour then (I was a 13+ year Sprint customer and just switched to T-Mobile a few days ago) make a decision from there.

On T-Mobile you'll want something more than the limited unlocked Tour

[Treym86]

I am finding that out as we speak (seems the Tour with the Tmobile SIM is only letting me connect to the Edge 2G Network).

Perhaps a dumb question but take something like the 9900, can I expect better reception and call/text success rates due to the newer technology/more advanced antenna setups as opposed to the Tour?

[Lendo]

If you want the functionality of a full touchscreen and the joys of a qwerty keyboard, the the 9810 is the only way to go Putting that aside, waiting for the new BB10 devices to come out may not be a bad idea so you don't have to pay twice

[Treym86]

If you want the functionality of a full touchscreen and the joys of a qwerty keyboard, the the 9810 is the only way to go Putting that aside, waiting for the new BB10 devices to come out may not be a bad idea so you don't have to pay twice

I don't doubt the 9810 is a great phone however I've never been a fan of the sliders. I think I'd rather have it all in one solid piece!

[_StephenBB81]

I am finding that out as we speak (seems the Tour with the Tmobile SIM is only letting me connect to the Edge 2G Network).

Perhaps a dumb question but take something like the 9900, can I expect better reception and call/text success rates due to the newer technology/more advanced antenna setups as opposed to the Tour?

You'll get considerably better connectivity from a 9900 over the unlocked CDMA world phone you are currently using for sure.

I was a tour owner and found on CDMA it had an excellent radio, but it's GSM "worldness" sucked for reception

even picking up a cheap BlackBerry Bold 9700 which was the direct step up from your 9630 would give better reception on T-Mobile.

but I'd still go after a 9900,

[Treym86]

You'll get considerably better connectivity from a 9900 over the unlocked CDMA world phone you are currently using for sure.

I was a tour owner and found on CDMA it had an excellent radio, but it's GSM "worldness" sucked for reception

even picking up a cheap BlackBerry Bold 9700 which was the direct step up from your 9630 would give better reception on T-Mobile.

but I'd still go after a 9900,

Honestly, that is all I needed to hear about the 9900 to sell me on it! I've had so many issues with the Tour and signal/network/success rate of SMS messages (I think I had about a 70-80% success rate of other people actually getting my messages even though they appeared to "be delivered".

Is the increase attributed to better reception capabilities or what causes this?