[Bold9930]

Couldn't agree more...You took the words out of my mouth. A little wordy, but good.

[doublewing]

I played with it for awhile at verizon. Much better than old Bold! Finally gets Bold a seat at the Big Boy table, but,, to me it still is behind other devices I have played with. Just my opinion

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[juliankueh]

Awesome review mate. Thanks so much. I'm a Bold 9000 user and dabbled with Android for a bit. Got tired of apps and swiping screens. I'm glad the screens on the 9900 are lockable. I like all my apps on one screen. You guys are not helping my eagerness in getting a 9900. The 9000 was the best and this is it's worthy successor. I'm probably looking at october before my carrier (Telstra, Australia) releases them. I'm still on contract till july but have already decided to terminate early. Thanks again, OP.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Shadrackc]

Appreciate compliments from waaaay south. Not often I get this attached to a device anymore, but boy this one has me. Now if only they would officially fix that little bug....

[flash24]

I can't wait to impress all my co-workers on Monday. Great review btw!

[joju58]

I'm going to stick it out with AT&T but I've already thought about going to vzw or Sprint lol

yep, better stick with at&t and wait, trust me its worth ed for a few reasons....

i was thinking to do that on the day Verizon released Bold 9930 and when i tried it online on their site and checked all those options i have in at&t's family plan of two with unlimited everything that I'm paying under $200.00 ..on Verizon it came up with $200.00 + with only on individual one phone plan, even though they not offer unlimited on data, so its totally not worth ed to switch to Verizon imo. I will patiently wait when at&t will release it and be happy 9900 owner, also I'm pretty sure by then (November?) its gonna be with improved OS and some hardware issues fixed that i rode here in this forum

[cwbcpa]

Great review of a great phone. I love the keyboard! I came back after testing the Android and iPhone 4 waters. Both had their strengths, but BB just makes my life so much easier. Nothing beats it for productivity. I have had the phone since Tuesday and I am still getting everything the way I like it because of all the customization that can be done. By the end of this week my work and personal life should be back to running smoothly. Most of the time has been getting a task manager that works well for my life. I think I have that now. Now my calendar, email, SMS, notes and tasks are all syncing well together and I am heading in the right direction. Did I mention I love the keyboard!?!?! Good to be home!

[Shadrackc]

Thanks.
Glad that RIM gave to Canada first, being that they are a Canadian company. Heard that they are going for 1000 in Vietnam. I think that once anyone uses it for a few days and doesn't mind the "shorter than we would like" battery life, they will have a hard time getting rid of this phone.
I still pull it out of the case and look at it like I am Gollum. Getting primed up to do a home grown Bold commercial. They reestablished the Bold line as top of the line with this thing.
Apple phones (blech!) have always had that solid tactile feel that makes the difference between an "Ok" phone to a "Wow, this feels nice" phone.
Closest thing I can compare it to is from Honda to Acura, Nissan to Infinity, Toyota to Lexus. Quality of the materials. The glass, the curves, it really is a nice phone to play around with. It never feels tedious.
Fun to drive.
Tight through the corners.
They have restablished the line for smart phones that are more about function, speed of response, effeciency.
The phone that saved RIM?
Stay tuned.

[Jake2826]

Great Review. Thanks.

[Nickerz]

Nice review! This review has me wanting the 9900.

I played with it for awhile at verizon...

I called Verizon today and they told me they won't be getting the 9900 until the 25th in my area. So I went to a Sprint Store and it was fun playing with it. I like it and I tested the camera...something I can live with but definitely disappointed. Having said that, being on AT&T I will most likely get the Bold 9900. ONLY b/c I will have a 2nd upgrade to use on something else that possibly catches my eye. I have to admit though, there is NO way I would buy this phone out of contract. I have to admit too, that when playing with the 9900 today, I was thinking to myself, "why wasn't this out a year ago?" It's just the plain the truth but I'm happy I have a new BB to look forward to getting soon - when AT&T decides to get with the program!

yep, better stick with at&t and wait, trust me its worth ed for a few reasons....

...also I'm pretty sure by then (November?) its gonna be with improved OS and some hardware issues fixed that i rode here in this forum

So AT&T isn't getting this thing until November!? Awe, man! Okay, now I'm back to waiting to see what the iPhone5 is like. I still feel I'm a physical QWERTY keyboard kind of guy. Someone else said it too, the Bold is just easier to use with ONE hand ONE hand....EVERYONE I see uses both their hands to operate their Android/iPhone devices. Our lives are too hectic to be using BOTH hands to effectively use a mobile device.

One more thing, the size of the Bold's screen is nice. On other larger displays, it's mostly used up with a virtual keyboard anyway so it's almost a wash for screen size. Again, nice review and you have me (at least for now and having played with the Bold today and it's browser) wanting one!

[mingus007]

Thank you for one of the most USEFUL reviews I've ever read (no offense to our hosts!). There was not a sentence where I felt like time was wasted and always a point to be made. The time to write it could not have been short. Thank you, sir.

As my 9650 ("Tour 2") started acting-up and degrading (badly) in the last couple of weeks (despite OS having been stable for some time and no new sw having been put on board-- not even ringing or logging calls!), I finally bit the bullet and put in for the 9930. This review (and some key advice on initial data transfers) have made me doubly certain I've made more a right decision than not. (Fact is, VZ has removed the 9650 anyway so the only other option was to downgrade, which was unacceptable).

I doubt I will miss the camera and the core functionality sounds to have been strengthened and improved upon, which is exactly what I want and need for work. That it remains a useful PHONE was also great to read. Yes... I'm old school that way...

Will keep an eye on this thread in case you should update it in the future!

9930... On the way!

[rellyrellz]

yep, better stick with at&t and wait, trust me its worth ed for a few reasons....

i was thinking to do that on the day Verizon released Bold 9930 and when i tried it online on their site and checked all those options i have in at&t's family plan of two with unlimited everything that I'm paying under $200.00 ..on Verizon it came up with $200.00 + with only on individual one phone plan, even though they not offer unlimited on data, so its totally not worth ed to switch to Verizon imo. I will patiently wait when at&t will release it and be happy 9900 owner, also I'm pretty sure by then (November?) its gonna be with improved OS and some hardware issues fixed that i rode here in this forum

Yeah I agree. I feel the time AT&T gets them, it should be more polished and hopefully bug free. I feel all gitty inside about both the new bold and torch(full touch not slider) blackberries. Just a couple of weeks ago i was putting RIM down. I retract my previous statements! BLACKBERRY IM COMING BACK HOME ONCE AGAIN!! LOL

[gunston]

so battery life is the bottom net

[BizzyOnMyBlackberry]

Thanks for taking the time to write a candid and helpful review of your 9900. Since I had been following the release of these new phones, I was focusing most of my attention to the 9810 originally (that no longer seems to be the case, as I am now leaning much more towards the 9900). Can you comment on the screen size as it relates to your 9800... do you miss the larger screen size of your old 9800 or is it something that you have adapted to?

Thanks in advance!

[experiment 626]

I'm going to stick it out with AT&T but I've already thought about going to vzw or Sprint lol

That's the right call,especially if you're grandfathered in with their unlimited data smartphone plan. As good as the 9930 is the 9900 should be even better.HSPA+ is clearly faster than EVDO for data. You could order a Rogers 9900 instead if waiting for AT@T's version.A lot of people are very happy with this solution.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Shadrackc]

Bizzy
That was the first thing I checked actually.
I turned the Bold sideways so I could try and get a comparison of the screen.
The torch is 3.2 inch screen with 480x360 resolution.
The bold is 2.8 inch screen with 480 x 640 res screen.
Because of the widescreen format it looks smaller than it is. In reality it is .4 of an inch so less than half an inch with almost double the resolution. It is much denser in pixels so the PPI is definately higher, up in the iphone 4 retina territory.
I like the screen a lot better.
I like the landscape orientation.
Do I miss the screen of the torch? Honestly, I probably am the opposite. I didn't realize what a burden it was to turn it sideways all the time and how the screen really wasn't as integrated as it is in the Bold.
On the bold, the parts, keyboard, screen, touchpad, work together.
On the Torch sometimes the keyboard seemed more like an accessory.
Didn't take me any time at all to adapt. Like by the time I was out of the store. lol

[Eric220]

I've heard the back button/running apps is caused when you put the Bold in the holster it clicks the ALT button, so when you take it out the blackberry shows running apps. This is also fixed by just pressing the ALT key.

[Ti-Mike]

thanks for the review.....and i fully agree THE BEST BB ever

[Dx3me]

I played with it for awhile at verizon. Much better than old Bold! Finally gets Bold a seat at the Big Boy table, but,, to me it still is behind other devices I have played with. Just my opinion

You said it right... PLAYED with.
Let's get one thing straight mate, BlackBerries are for people who take themselves serious, and does what it's meant to do (stay in touch with people by calling, texting, emailing, social networking).
You wanna play games and show off with all your fabulous apps --> go get an iPlay, I mean iPhone

[BigNL]

Bizzy
That was the first thing I checked actually.
I turned the Bold sideways so I could try and get a comparison of the screen.
The torch is 3.2 inch screen with 480x360 resolution.
The bold is 2.8 inch screen with 480 x 640 res screen.
Because of the widescreen format it looks smaller than it is. In reality it is .4 of an inch so less than half an inch with almost double the resolution. It is much denser in pixels so the PPI is definately higher, up in the iphone 4 retina territory.
I like the screen a lot better.
I like the landscape orientation.
Do I miss the screen of the torch? Honestly, I probably am the opposite. I didn't realize what a burden it was to turn it sideways all the time and how the screen really wasn't as integrated as it is in the Bold.
On the bold, the parts, keyboard, screen, touchpad, work together.
On the Torch sometimes the keyboard seemed more like an accessory.
Didn't take me any time at all to adapt. Like by the time I was out of the store. lol

Thanks Bro! I don't know you, but your review got me off the fence, and I ordered my upgrade from Rogers today. 2 business days, very excited.

I was concerned that the screen size would be a deal killer for me, but now I'm convinced that not having to constantly turn the phone sideways (plus flipping that keyboard in and out) will be more of a plus.

FYI,for Rogers users, I was able to get a $30 credit on the phone from Rogers business "customer retention" since Bell is offering the upgrade for $169. They also dropped the $35 activation fee.

Cheers

[Shadrackc]

BigNL
Thanks. Glad to help out. I wish I knew about that credit and customer retention bit before I did mine but I am not going to quibble. Was worth the extra.

Eric 220? You mean the right side convenience button? That turns on my camera and I have had that happen pushing it in the case, but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

[Shadrackc]

Update

First off, thanks everyone for giving me the feedback on my review. Maybe Kevin can hook me up to do more since I am also a Winnipeg resident.

I will be adding reviews on some applications as my company is starting to get going and we are blackberry based for our communication. All my techs and staff are on a BBM Group so we stay in touch at all times with the intent to be providing RTS, or Real Time Service to our customers. I know that it is hard to do, but that is our goal. We will be using Playbooks as part of our arsenal as well so we can create helpdesk tickets and do quotes/orders right from the tablet tethering through our Blackberry's.

Few more things to add to my original review. As I look at the materials used on the Bold I noticed some small details. For example, the Blackberry logo above the screen is actually under the surface of the glass so it won't wear off, the same as on the back the Bold logo and then the BB Berries logo on the battery cover is under the surface.
The materials used on this phone are a definate step up from the standard fare and that makes the experience that much better.

I made a change to my screen brightness last night and took it to 20 from the default 30. Haven't noticed it at all but I think my battery is getting a bit of a break. It is almost 6PM Central and I turn my phone on at 7:00AM so after a 11 hour workday filled with BBM, SMS, Email, and about an hours worth of phone calls I am at 40% of battery. I did not top it off at all today as I was curious as to the difference.

I hope that the new case softens up a bit as a few times it will hit my camera key pushing it in and I end up with a picture of the inside of my case. I can avoid this by hitting lock beforehand but don't always remember. I guess I can turn it off but I do use it a lot for taking pictures.

Installed the updated versions of 6 tools and quick launch today and really don't see the purpose in these utilities on the Bold. They make it so I can use my volume/play pause buttons as extra launch buttons and give me some noises when I holster my phone, but that is so......ipodish. Reminds me of friends that had ipods that would make a sound like a zippo, or a lightsaber, or a gun. They downloaded apps that did that.
Ok........ The fact that they were still amused by these apps more than 5 minutes after downloading them was what confused me.
My point is that this phone runs great clean. I don't need a bunch of utilities on it that clutter it up when it is so fluid in operation now. You can customize but in a logical efficient way. So I deleted the utilities to get back the space and don't miss them.

Wikitude is pretty neat, but kicks your battery around. Compass, GPS, and Camera on at once along with whatever other resources are being used. Great show off tool.
My friend brought his Android powered HTC phone with a massive screen over. Guess he doesn't get through a day with his battery. The screen eats up most of the power. He downloaded Wikitude when I showed him, after he ran a virus checker on the file. I kid you not.

Took a long break from when I started this post to program the prompts on a business phone system and made calls, used BBM, and checked Email and am down to 25% battery.
I don't seem to have much to complain about with this phone.
Friend told me today that he was at a party on Saturday and someone was showing off their Bold 9900 to everyone at the party. Seems I am not the only person who is this excited about RIMs flagship.

[07thking]

Great review! T-Mobile is being so darn slowwwww!!!!!

[mhw100]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
Good follow up and I agree on the utilities too. They're both good apps but honestly BB has done an amazing job at putting in what's important and leaving the rest out. I've scaled back over time to just using berrybuzz and maybe berryweather.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[otis supreme]

ok. 1st off i wanna say i am a LOYAL bb fan. started when my cuz sold me his curve 8330 (which was actualy my 1st "smartphone"). fell in love w/blackberry and within 2 months i upgraded 2 a tour. solidified me as a bb fan. so loyal tht im on my FOURTH (yes FOURTH) tour. ive been having issues w/it and after the 2nd return was almost ready 2 switch carriers til i heard bout this device called the torch (thru this site of course), which was the answer 2 my prayers. a bb w/a big screen AND keyboard. well needless 2 say i was PISSED when i learned tht the torch was exclusive 2 PLAY T&T. THEN, sprint informed me play t&t only had a 6 month contract and THEY wld b gettin the torch after. again, needless 2 say a yr later and i saw no torch 4 sprint. still i was loyal. (dnt like all touchscreen phones and NOT a fan of motorolas and samsungs). so w/sprint's limited selection, especially on bbs, i was thisclose 2 jumpin ship. THEN i hear about the bold touch and that SPRINT IS getting it. so i decide 2 give em ONE last chance. and low and behold, here we are. *sigh of relief*


2nd off i wanna say i always do my research on somethin b4 i just dive in. so ive been reading up on the bold. and outta ALL the reviews ive watched and read (even on here), Shad urs was by far the BEST. u literally answered every question i had. my only issue b4 i read ur review was the camera but u even addressed that. i was ready 2 jump on the bold SUNDAY when it was released. but im the type 2 usually wait it out and see other ppls reviews 1st. so seein as how ur review isnt based on "playin" w/it but actually USING it 4 TEN days, im even more sold than i already was. i need 2 go ahead and get off of my happy *** and order mine b4 sprint runs out and i have 2 wait even longer lol.

oh yea, Shad. i transfer all my info frm 1 bb 2 another when i get a new 1 also. i noticed u had an issue. so what exactly do i need 2 transfer and NOT transfer?

and 2 last questions 4 the board: w/all the issues ive had w/my tour, combined w/my upgrade and a call 2 retention and my POP (lol); i was able 2 get em 2 knock down the price to $130 for my bold. am i bein cheap (which im known 4 doing lol) by trying 2 get it even lower than that or should i just go ahead and jump on that offer? just curious 2 yall's opinion.

and 4 everybody else that has 1, is the camera THAT bad?

sorry yall. i kno that was a lot but im kinda long winded lol.