1. zipped's Avatar
    Let me preface this by saying I started with a Blackberry 950 and have had pretty much every GSM Blackberry with exception of the Storms/Torches so I do have a bit of perspective on what I am about to say.

    The 9900 is a great phone in so many ways however.... What the was RIM thinking in releasing this processor with this battery specification? I am running the beta 205, the exact same apps as I was in my 9700. I moved my Facebook to poll at 3 hours vs every 1 hour (on the 9700). The flippin battery sucks @ss compared to most prior models.

    Juiced my little stainless lined beauty, fresh off the charger this morning.
    Today was mostly meetings, listened to a little (and I mean a little) audible (audible book player - highly recommend to listen or read Unbroken btw), did a few emails and texts. Boarded a US Air flight late this afternoon *poof* 9900 dead. Now sitting here with my phone charging off my laptop so I can use my gps when I touch down. Just waiting to finish this before playing some Modern Combat on my Playbook. I look like an electronic hot mess going on in this seat.

    I really don't care who you are as a user of this phone, you can not be happy or have a realistic expectation of using this phone for work. I can't get through a half day to three quarters of a day with the same workload I had on the 9700. I travel for work so in the past week have been in 4 different states in major metropolitan areas. I have had to insure I have chargers in tow whether car or office. It's not oh, it's your apps (and this is without wifi or bluetooth), or it's your coverage. Yes, these are factors for a plus or minus on typical usage but it's not a root cause for having to look at your battery all morning dreading the big drops going on with no usage. This is just a poor design.

    I am so torn on returning this and praying somehow i can get a 9790 to use on T-Mobile. My 9700 has been a work horse but now due to the abuse I have put it through the last couple years it is ready to give up the ghost. RIM, why oh why did you do this? I can live without the autofocus, the lack of real UMA kind of stinks, but again, livable, can live wondering why half my headphones with exception of the supplied ones work, or the questionable transmission ghost issue (it's a beta issue). The battery though is a fundamental issue. Will it get to a useable level with the firmware advances? Probably not.

    You used to be an innovator, now we have to crawl to the forums for the latest beta or see if a certain fault is common because the original shipped version was half baked. Thank goodness for resources such as Crackberry and others however it seems like we have to spend in inordinate amount of time combing these sites for fixes to get a what we expected in the first place. Heck, now that I think about it OS6 never was great on my 9700 till the berrylicious hybrids came out. Yes, it shipped with OS5 but OS6 was an official upgrade.

    I guess with the changes going on at the executive level of RIM I fervently hope the RIM of old comes back. Innovation and solid product launches. Look at your history, give us the bullet proof RIM devices, it just worked out of the box products of old. Yes, we are so far removed from a 950 these days with the hardware inside and the firmware interactions combined with the crap we load on the phone ourselves to hose it up. Get the core values of what the RIM products stood for back and forefront in your offering. This is just a small request from a loyal follower who is very disappointed in your flagship offering.

    Now T-Mobile, how about a 9790 launch???
    01-27-12 08:24 PM
  2. sulcopete's Avatar
    I hope you don't mind but I copied and pasted your comments here on the main page, where Thorsten is looking for feedback. I had just finished posting about how BlackBerrys need to work first, for working people like yourself and me. I just hope he hears us.

    Sorry again if I took liberties with what you wrote.
    01-27-12 08:37 PM
  3. DaNii1985's Avatar
    Man I can imagine your frustration but I carry extra battery with external charger with me and never ran out of battery. I know this might not be practical solution but at least am surviving When I say external charger, that doesn't mean a bulky heavy charger. Search for BlackBerry JM-1 Battery Charging Bundle and you will not be disappointed
    01-27-12 08:44 PM
  4. sulcopete's Avatar
    Man I can imagine your frustration but I carry extra battery with external charger with me and never ran out of battery. I know this might not be practical solution but at least am surviving When I say external charger, that doesn't mean a bulky heavy charger. Search for BlackBerry JM-1 Battery Charging Bundle and you will not be disappointed
    I do the same as you do...but it is a pain especially if you use a case like I do on my phone. And every time I'm swapping out batteries in public, I'm wondering if the people are looking at me and saying "oh there goes another 99xx user dealing with crappy battery life." The point is, RIM is losing sight of the things that put them where they are today. They need to return to the priority of making phones that work for people who work. It's a values thing.
    Last edited by sulcopete; 01-27-12 at 08:50 PM. Reason: correction grammar
    01-27-12 08:49 PM
  5. DaNii1985's Avatar
    I use only leather holster which is not that bad for me to change battery. New CEO accepted it and we all know that Blackberry is lacking quality now. They need to speed up before someone else take their place so am hoping they will wake up before its too late. Actually am not a Blackberry person at all like you all businessmen and recently joined Blackberry community but still I have many other positive things about this device that I am ignoring battery problem, but as loyal customers, you all have right to raise eyebrows
    01-27-12 08:58 PM
  6. palomartian's Avatar
    I use my phone for work all day long every day and NEVER have battery issues. I usually end the day (often 12-14 hours) with 35% or more battery left. Text, email, bluetooth, looooong conversations, GPS, compass, streaming video, database... No matter what I throw at it it takes it in stride. I never worry about the battery letting me down. I also leave it on the charger overnight, every night, even if shows fully charged. I think I've used my car charger once since I got this thing. Unprecedented! Sorry for your woes, but I don't think it's a design flaw.
    01-27-12 09:48 PM
  7. sulcopete's Avatar
    I use my phone for work all day long every day and NEVER have battery issues. I usually end the day (often 12-14 hours) with 35% or more battery left. Text, email, bluetooth, looooong conversations, GPS, compass, streaming video, database... No matter what I throw at it it takes it in stride. I never worry about the battery letting me down. I also leave it on the charger overnight, every night, even if shows fully charged. I think I've used my car charger once since I got this thing. Unprecedented! Sorry for your woes, but I don't think it's a design flaw.
    It's great that you have no problems with the battery. But take a quick scan through the 9700 forum or any of the curve forums, and note how many are concerned with battery life. Then come back to this forum. We've got more about the battery on the first page then they've got in multiple pages. I do know how to use a BlackBerry and close apps, I've been using one since my Curve 8300. There is something going on here, and I think it's related to the physical size of the battery.
    01-27-12 09:59 PM
  8. James Wang's Avatar
    if you're really hating battery life and might even think about switching phones, check out my post, maybe try it, and let us all know the results!

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...y-life-692600/
    01-27-12 11:10 PM
  9. airems's Avatar
    You have never owned or used an Android. BlackBerry compared is way ahead of that OS battery life. Geezzzz
    01-28-12 12:12 AM
  10. palomartian's Avatar
    It's great that you have no problems with the battery. But take a quick scan through the 9700 forum or any of the curve forums, and note how many are concerned with battery life. Then come back to this forum. We've got more about the battery on the first page then they've got in multiple pages. I do know how to use a BlackBerry and close apps, I've been using one since my Curve 8300. There is something going on here, and I think it's related to the physical size of the battery.
    The battery might not be as good as a 9700, and this may tweak a few noses, but it still doesn't constitute a design flaw. Do the math. People don't search out forums to ask why their battery lasts all day and then some.
    01-28-12 12:55 AM
  11. dkonigs's Avatar
    I still have to say that the 9900 has the worst battery life of any phone I've ever owned. No matter what usage I have, if I unplug it around 8-9am, its usually on the verge of going dead by late afternoon.

    At least with 7.1, we have this new device analyzer utility which can track battery drain trends. It pretty much always thinks the battery drain rate is high. It also tends to show pretty much just radio activity as being a contributing factor. So either the radio code is doing something very bad, or the battery is just way too small, or both.
    01-28-12 01:27 AM
  12. snowindec9's Avatar
    stop with the ranting.go back to 9700.if you think 9790 will do the trick you are dead wrong.a main reason why 9700 has great battery life is because it has a smaller screen.
    01-28-12 01:33 AM
  13. Captain Scarlet's Avatar
    Welcome to the 13%.....87% voted on here that there are no issues with the phone, so RIM have no issues...

    My experience is exactly the same as yours, but moaning on here does not get any resolution but merely serves to brand you as a troll....If you switch off all the services and delete some apps "have a little know how..."and only use your phone on a Wednesday you will have no issues..
    01-28-12 01:53 AM
  14. zipped's Avatar
    I use my phone for work all day long every day and NEVER have battery issues. I usually end the day (often 12-14 hours) with 35% or more battery left. Text, email, bluetooth, looooong conversations, GPS, compass, streaming video, database... No matter what I throw at it it takes it in stride. I never worry about the battery letting me down. I also leave it on the charger overnight, every night, even if shows fully charged. I think I've used my car charger once since I got this thing. Unprecedented! Sorry for your woes, but I don't think it's a design flaw.

    I say that is a bunch of crap. I write in a humorous and hopefully a nonconfronataional manner however... Let me throw down the gauntlet. There is no way in you have this happen. I will give you my email, skype, whatever and offer a video challege to prove this is in no way possible. Firmware and apps loaded affect performance to a degree but not to the degree you infer. If you are real I have no problem flying to your location on my dime and proving what you wrote is BS. , I will even throw in lunch. Heck, invite the new CEO. There is no way a 9900 can do this based on the hardware. I will outwardly call BS on your response. Take me up on it, think Crackberry and RIM would like to see your miracle phone.
    Last edited by zipped; 01-28-12 at 09:36 AM.
    01-28-12 02:38 AM
  15. zipped's Avatar
    stop with the ranting.go back to 9700.if you think 9790 will do the trick you are dead wrong.a main reason why 9700 has great battery life is because it has a smaller screen.
    Stop ranting? You're kidding me. I have never complained once about any Blackberry and joined Crackberry in 2009. It's an honest evaluation and opinion. I paid $317 ($299 + tax) for what I would hope would last a day at minimum for a mix of calls and data useage. I would understand if the 9900 tuckered out with streaming Pandora all day or 3 hours of voice. I would just like a little common sense and logic applied in the design of the core use of the phone.
    Last edited by zipped; 01-28-12 at 09:48 AM.
    kpmel likes this.
    01-28-12 09:44 AM
  16. narci's Avatar
    I say that is a bunch of crap. I write in a humorous and hopefully a nonconfronataional manner however... Let me throw down the gauntlet. There is no way in you have this happen. I will give you my email, skype, whatever and offer a video challege to prove this is in no way possible. Firmware and apps loaded affect performance to a degree but not to the degree you infer. If you are real I have no problem flying to your location on my dime and proving what you wrote is BS. , I will even throw in lunch. Heck, invite the new CEO. There is no way a 9900 can do this based on the hardware. I will outwardly call BS on your response. Take me up on it, think Crackberry and RIM would like to see your miracle phone.
    i can see it lasting that long if the user was on 2G/EDGE all the time. on 3G/hspa+, no way.
    01-28-12 09:49 AM
  17. palomartian's Avatar
    I say that is a bunch of crap. I write in a humorous and hopefully a nonconfronataional manner however... Let me throw down the gauntlet. There is no way in you have this happen. I will give you my email, skype, whatever and offer a video challege to prove this is in no way possible. Firmware and apps loaded affect performance to a degree but not to the degree you infer. If you are real I have no problem flying to your location on my dime and proving what you wrote is BS. , I will even throw in lunch. Heck, invite the new CEO. There is no way a 9900 can do this based on the hardware. I will outwardly call BS on your response. Take me up on it, think Crackberry and RIM would like to see your miracle phone.

    I pm'ed you a fork so you can dig your panties out of your crack. I don't mind the back and forth on the 'net about this, but if you think I would entertain the prospect of actually meeting you, let alone spending a day with you as a ride along... wait, are you a hot chick? I just thought of something else, even when I was in a marginal area for part of the day, with the radio constantly changing carriers and frequencies, I don't think I had issues with the battery. I'll try to get some fresh perspective on that and report back. Sorry you guys got lemons, but it ain't the design. I wish I could quote you stats and be more specific, but since battery life is not an issue, I don't even have the motivation to load a free app. Try to get your head around the concept of the forum as a giant whinge magnet and maybe this will start to make sense.
    01-28-12 09:50 AM
  18. albee 1's Avatar
    Sorry to hear some have issues with the battery. I have not had any issues. Believe it or not mine lasts at minimum 12 hrs with heavy use with 25% left at the end of the day. Texting, calling, emailing, streaming, maps, gps, wifi and bridge. With minimum use it will last 24hrs. I have wifi and gps off unless required. No apps running in the background other than the standard 5. Press and hold bb key to see. No fb or twitter. Around 12 apps installed. Memory cleaner active and I clean my browser daily and soft boot every other day out of old school habit. Compression enabled on my media card. I really don't know why my battery life is so good. I have 236 mb free memory, deleted a lot of bloatware and languages and preloaded pdf's. I also "Nearly" fully discharged my battery when I first purchased it to correct the "only charges to 95%" problem. - hope some of these thing will help some of you. oh and auto dim is on, screen brightmess set to 10.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by albee 1; 01-28-12 at 10:12 AM.
    01-28-12 10:00 AM
  19. kbz1960's Avatar
    They were thinking.....well gee everyone says we have to be more like apple and android.
    dave1701 likes this.
    01-28-12 10:13 AM
  20. anon(3591572)'s Avatar
    My batteries dies quickly as well. I unplug my phone from the charger at 0445 and by 1200 I'm looking at about 60% and I don't even use the phone that much. The only third party application that I have open is whatsapp.

    I just got the phone two days ago so I'm hoping the battery gets better within the week. I haven't found any bigger battery for the phone. I found a 24xx mAh on eBay but I'm not sure if that is real or not.
    01-28-12 10:33 AM
  21. zipped's Avatar
    I pm'ed you a fork so you can dig your panties out of your crack. I don't mind the back and forth on the 'net about this, but if you think I would entertain the prospect of actually meeting you, let alone spending a day with you as a ride along... wait, are you a hot chick? I just thought of something else, even when I was in a marginal area for part of the day, with the radio constantly changing carriers and frequencies, I don't think I had issues with the battery. I'll try to get some fresh perspective on that and report back. Sorry you guys got lemons, but it ain't the design. I wish I could quote you stats and be more specific, but since battery life is not an issue, I don't even have the motivation to load a free app. Try to get your head around the concept of the forum as a giant whinge magnet and maybe this will start to make sense.

    No problem, my girlfriend has a hard enough time spending a day with me. I appreciate your comments, we have been on this forum about the same length of time, love to read yet rarely comment. I can easily say I don't use this a a complaint center and not going to make this a personal flame war.

    Albee made some helpful comments. I know how to use the phone as mentioned in my initial post. The only apps I ever let roam free are FB and BeWeather. FB was even reigned in and something I may use while standing in the airport security line. I'm not a BB newbie and understand some of the tweaks necessary to extend the battery and memory as much as possible. There is just no way unless I do have an issue with the hardware this battery could last as what you are mentioning. I would be overjoyed with performance as to what Albee refers. It is interesting to note both of you are using a 9930 which is CDMA and only a difference on the radio chipset side.

    Again, this is a phone I use for business, simply put the product in my lowly opinion does not meet an acceptable level of quality I expect from RIM in regards to usage. RIM's tagline shouldn't be taken from Forest Gump "Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get". It seems obvious there are much different user experiences with roughly the same hardware/software packages. After reading your positive comments likely my 9900 is going back to T-Mobile so I can hunt for one of the mythical 9900's that you say exist.
    Last edited by zipped; 01-28-12 at 10:46 AM.
    01-28-12 10:41 AM
  22. yauchunh's Avatar
    if u recently installed a new app, like whatsapp, make sure u do a battery pull/ full restart on your phone.

    and set facebook poll to 'never'. that option is completely useless, because notificaitons are pushed anyways even if it is set to 'never'.
    01-28-12 02:09 PM
  23. albee 1's Avatar
    The post about signal area is significant. I am with Vz and rarely have less than 5 bars, -80db signal (the lower value the better) this I am sure has a lot to do with battery life. Even so my battery life got better after initial purchase and I hope the same goes for all with new Bolds!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by albee 1; 01-28-12 at 05:14 PM.
    01-28-12 02:21 PM
  24. Ettasek's Avatar
    I dont see whats the big deal here, if you are such a heavy user, get a cheap extra battery, problem solved, no need for any other chargers to carry around
    01-28-12 02:47 PM
  25. anon(2947110)'s Avatar
    agree with the op, & also RIM should've kept the quick hot swap for the micro sd card! fail, now we gotta always turn our phones off, take out the battery, then take out the micro sd card...
    01-28-12 05:27 PM
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