[cky_]

I actually originally posted this in another forum but received zero responses, so hopefully someone here can help.

It's time I grabbed a new backup phone. My last BB was a 9700. I can't really remember how good the battery was, however I did own a 8300 at one point and I remember being impressed with its battery life.

I am looking at the 9790, the 9780, and the 9320. The only features that are important to me are battery life and reception. I will not even be using it with BIS or BES so 3G is irrelevant, which would technically mean the 9220 would also be considerable, however that phone is not available in Canada. I know there are other dumb phones out there with far better battery life than modern BBs but I like the keyboards for texting and being able to run the odd app without network access.

I'm aware of the differences between these three phones from a purely technical point of view, but I'd like to know if anyone has practical experience in using them, and comparing them vis a vis the battery.

It would be advantageous if there was OS support for East Asian languages.

Any suggestions would be well appreciated!

[Speedygi]

You want the longest lasting BB7 phone out there? Get The 9220 Curve, it's got a 1450 mAH battery plus a resolution on a BB keyboard phone that doesn't kill the battery in half a day...

It's got everything you want in a BB phone, plus FM radio...and it's really cheap.

[amazinglygraceless]

The 9220 is a 2G device so while it may have a longer battery life (dependent
on usage) it is going to be a painful experience. The 9320 or 9310 might be
the better choice if cost is the concern.

[_StephenBB81]

Battery life
IF you care most about reception, sound quality, and Battery life

the Bold 9780 is your best bet, set for 2G it will beat the 9220 in battery life, AND it has an excellent speaker, and built to higher industry standards being a Bold vs a Curve device.

the 9220 WILL perform better over all but durability and battery life will be 10-20% inferior

[Speedygi]

Well, he wanted battery life...

[Masahiro]

The 9220 is a 2G device so while it may have a longer battery life (dependent
on usage) it is going to be a painful experience. The 9320 or 9310 might be
the better choice if cost is the concern.

By the sounds of the post, network speed is irrelevant to the OP, especially without BIS.

I'd recommend just picking up any old Curve or 9700 off Craigslist if you're going to be using it as a simple backup phone. OS5 and OS6/7 are very similar if you ignore the browser, which I'm assuming you won't be using. Reception is good across all BlackBerrys, so I wouldn't worry about that, especially if you'll be using 2G.

[amazinglygraceless]

By the sounds of the post, network speed is irrelevant to the OP, especially without BIS.

True but I was erring on the side of "someday"

[Speedygi]

Battery life
IF you care most about reception, sound quality, and Battery life

the Bold 9780 is your best bet, set for 2G it will beat the 9220 in battery life, AND it has an excellent speaker, and built to higher industry standards being a Bold vs a Curve device.

the 9220 WILL perform better over all but durability and battery life will be 10-20% inferior

Yeap, the Bold 9780 is a great choice too, and has decent battery life that I would use for daily ramblings...so...either way I don't see how you can lose.

But if price is a concern, what AmazinglyGraceless said...

[cky_]

First, thank you all for the helpful replies.

I was looking at the 9220, but it is not available in Canada, so I would have to go to eBay to find it, and looking at the prices plus shipping (~$240), it would be more expensive than a 9700 series phone. If I could get it here cheap I would probably go for it, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

So looking at the 9700 series, the 9780 and 9700 are about the same (~$200), while the 9790 is about a third more expensive. With the 9780 and 9700 being the same price, should I just got for the 9780 because it is the newer better spec'd device or will I get slightly better battery out of the old 9700?

[OniBerry]

9780 all the way. Still use as my back up device, and love it. Has the best battery performance vs functionality of the three you listed. Just be advised that buying a used 9780 could also mean the battery that comes with it is pooched. I would also invest in a new battery for that type of phone.