1. leicashot's Avatar
    Firstly, let me say I've been a solid BB user for the last 15 years. I've owned them all, just about. I was excited when I first heard about the 9790, and considering I'm currently in Indonesia, decided to take the plunge. I got myself a Taiwan made unit without any apparent (major) defects as others have stated.

    Firstly, the good:
    - Screen is bright and sharp, even at 10% brightness, which is what I use.

    - the phone feels nice in the hand, the perfect width.

    - looks nice and clean, not too flashy and not too cheap.

    Now, the bad.
    - The resolution is fairly high for the screen size, so web browsing is sometimes a real issue. Some pages do not allow zooming, making it almost impossible to read sometimes. Basically, the resolution is just too high for such a small screen. For messaging purposes, the adjustment of the font makes this a non issue. But for those wishing to browse a fair bit, this will become an issue for many, and I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned previously (that I've read).

    The resolution is so high that when using such apps like Facebook, the icons are so close that it's easy to mis-touch the wrong option, even with smallish hands like mine.

    - Also when using the touch screen, it's too sensitive, sometimes just before I touch the screen, it has selected the option. I found this sensitivity almost identical to that on the 9860.

    - Secondly, my trackpad is slanted to the left. While not 100% perfect, it has nill effect on use, but still dissapointing.

    - The back cover has some play in it. It snaps on tight, but if you move it slightly, it has 1-2mm of play. So for those putting into a pocket and removing, I assume it will become even more loose in time.

    - Camera is ok, obviously better than the 9900, but still lagging behind the iPhone 4/4s. Considering this is NOT a multimedia phone like the iPhone, it does get away with it.

    - The keyboard is a step backwards from the previous BOLD 9700/9780. The buttons just don't have a smoothness about them, like the 9900. They feel clicky, but not snappy, if that makes sense. Also, to make the phone a little less wide, the new curved edges make the side 3 keys on each side a little awkward to type on. While this is a problem it isn't a deal breaker.

    - Battery life seems to be similar to the 9900, maybe a little better, but not enough to justify choosing this over the better keyboard IMHO. I think it's standby time is rated about 20 or so hours higher, but talk time is less than the 9900, so it's not that big of a deal if you talk much.

    - Top lock button is very stiff and you need to press very hard to get it to work.

    - Max upload is 7kbs vs 14kbs on the 9900

    - I just moved from the 9860 because I missed the keyboard, but the build quality is a decent step backward on the 9790. The back cover slides on and not that well. It's plastic compared to the nice snap on metal cover on the 9860. The top part around the LCD is glossy black, while the bottom plate where the operator logo (usually) is, is matte black, while the back is grey!?! A very odd combination.

    - Signal strength is ok but less than the 9860, but similar to the 9900 and iPhone 4S. The 9860 was the best phone I've used in some time in regards to signal. I've only just learned to appreciate it now.

    > So I hope you all don't see this as a BB bashing exercise. I'm just highlighting some concerns I have, that I had not heard of previously. These may not be concerns for some, but for me, they are. For now, I'll probably move back to the 9860 because I really didn't appreciate the LCD real estate at the time, and probably should be more patient with the on-screen keyboard, because the hardware really is top notch (excluding the plastic LCD). When picking up one over the other, they are totally different phones. To me, the 9790 does not exert the luxury feeling of the Bold series. It also has a significant drop in battery life over the previous workhorse models which is a real bummer.

    The 9900 (I've had 3) is fantastic and it's screen size increase enables decent web browsing over the 9790, but the lack of AF and well-known issues are enough to steer me away...at least until I decide to give the white version a go in hope for better hardware? Either way, the 9860, keyboard aside, seems to be the best BB currently available in every department expect the keyboard....

    All the best.
    Last edited by leicashot; 01-06-12 at 07:53 PM.
    01-04-12 04:24 AM
  2. gymwarner's Avatar
    Well written. I have not used a 9790 yet but was intrigued at the colour choices and the curved buttons on each side.

    Will stick to my 9780 WhiteBerry.
    01-04-12 08:00 AM
  3. SnoozerBold's Avatar
    I've loved mine so far. I haven't had the issues you've had. I don't use the touch screen much except for scrolling through apps and maybe selecting the odd thing. I'm coming from a 9700 so it feels almost the same to me except thinner. I like the keyboard as well. Since I'm coming from the 9700 the camera is a step forward for me but maybe not as good as the iphones.
    You make a lot of valid points about your dislikes of the 9790. Its been a great device for me so far.
    01-04-12 08:45 AM
  4. emirozmen's Avatar
    Wow!
    First of all, well written, thank you.
    Before I read your review i was so impressed with this device, i even considered swtiching from 9900.
    Your argument is valid i have nothing to disagree.

    Give the white 9900 a try. I am sure this time it will turn out to be pretty good.
    01-04-12 09:29 AM
  5. xanadome's Avatar
    - The keyboard is a step backwards from the previous BOLD 9700/9780. The buttons just don't have a smoothness about them, like the 9900. They feel clicky, but not snappy, if that makes sense. Also, to make the phone a little less wide, the new curved edges make the side 3 keys on each side a little awkward to type on. While this is a problem it isn't a deal breaker.
    Thanks for your review.

    I actually thought the keyboard for 9790 was better as they are softer to press. I do not know if this by design or just my copy.
    01-04-12 10:43 AM
  6. blakobecwa's Avatar
    Very thorough review! You bring up good points regarding the Bold 9790.

    I've been using this phone for over a month now and I can honestly say i'm completely satisfied with it, i love the combination of touch and type. The screen, although small, is still a big plus that it is touch. I use both the trackpad and touchscreen quite a bit, the touchscreen comes in really handy when using it for pictures - pinch to zoom to almost any size you want, rather then just clicking the trackpad and zooming in big sections, using it for playing media, and sending files to BBM friends is so much faster (touch, touch, touch, send ) I love the way i can retain my existing Bold 9780 look but in a thinner, faster and more appealing design.

    Some more advantages that i see are the fact that 9790 has dual band wifi (all bands a/b/g/n) 1 Ghz processor (sucks it couldn't stay at 1.2 Ghz though, but it definitely does the job) smoother operating system and enough internal hard drive space. Plus all the other goodies you get from the 9780. I will have to favour the keyboard of the 9790 rather than the 9780, I find it much better than the 9780, its less stiff. I also didn't know if i'd like the SLIGHTLY raised buttons by the trackpad, but once i got the phone, i love the buttons, they feel really nice to the touch and press very well. The trackpad on my 9790 has no tilt to it at all its flush works great plus the back cover has a great feel to it and fits firmly in place, there's no play to it...so it must be a RIM quality control issue from device to device.

    The only area's in this phone that are not so good IMHO are the fact that they decreased the Processor speed by 200 Mhz from the first OS 7 lineup which does make a difference in CERTAIN area's such as browsing and application installations. Another thing is that they limited the 9790 to 3G instead of 4G... which shouldn't have been done considering the Bold series are always more for advanced BB users. Then lastly i guess i could say the screen size is a bit small for touch screen but its the same screen size as the 9700 and 9780 which is what you'll get if you want a nice sleek compact BB. If you want something bigger then the 9900 would be the better choice.

    Other than this, I dont see much else as an issue, i still consider this one of the best Bold's out to date and love itttt but then again this is just my opinion.
    toolop75 and BullGuard8 like this.
    01-04-12 04:17 PM
  7. xanadome's Avatar
    this is just my opinion.
    Pretty much my opinion too.

    Re 3G vs 4G, you won't notice the practical difference. I briefly had a 9900 and it displayed HSDPA+ but it did not mean a thing to me.
    Re CPU speed difference, again, the difference is easily offset by a smaller screen size. The benefit is a longer battery life than the 9900's. 9900s seem to be having a lot of battery related problems now, but the battery for my 9790 has been humming with absolutely no problem.
    CPU speed may have made a slight difference in browser rendering speed, but nothing to mind at all, as far as I am concerned. Re screen size difference, while it might look a large difference between 9790 and 9900, it is not. Both screens are small anyway. If you use it extensively for internet browsing and map etc, you are much better off with touch screen model anyway.
    The beauty of the 9790 is its compactness while packing performance that is comparable to a big brother (sister?) without a size penalty (a lot of people do not like wider and unwieldy 9900, and that's not just men).

    All in all, I believe this is the best BB Bold, depending on how you look at it.
    01-04-12 04:58 PM
  8. blakobecwa's Avatar
    All in all, I believe this is the best BB Bold, depending on how you look at it.
    Very good clearification on ur points.

    Agreed
    01-04-12 05:31 PM
  9. leicashot's Avatar
    Well I had my fire extinguisher ready just in case

    I'm glad it didn't come off like I was trolling. I did forget to mention the decreased speed compared to the 9900 in terms of processor because it hasn't affected the way i use the device, nor have I seen a decrease in speed during any use of applications.

    The drop from 14kbs to 7kbs is irrelevant right now as I'm in Indonesia where data kinda sucks. But I must say, I'm preferring to use the Berry here because it just seems t work much better. Even with GPRS, I get excellent use, especially with BBM, where whatsapp just craps itself.

    So it's clear to me that in some countries like this, if you NEED to be in contact, Blackberry is still the most robust form of communication.

    One thing I didn't mention was how nice the phone feels, or doesn't feel in the pocket. It's nice and slim, very close to the 9900 if not the same.
    01-04-12 06:41 PM
  10. fusioncal's Avatar
    Thanks for the through review there, leica. You're absolutely right on the back cover being able to get looser in time. That's what I'm having right now my Bold 9790 back cover is noticeably looser compared to the first week.

    Reading some comments others posted I came to think that Bold 9790 could've been made better than this. It's not like RIM had to take time to do researches and tests. It's simply just finding better quality parts. RIM could have put better keypad similar to Bold 9900, perhaps carbon fiber back cover, brushed stainless steel bezel and every minor stuff.

    Feels like Bold 9790 is launched half-baked overlooking small (but many) details.
    01-04-12 09:54 PM
  11. emirozmen's Avatar
    Despite build quality, I think it was a successful device.
    01-04-12 11:23 PM
  12. blakobecwa's Avatar
    Hmmm so it seems as if there is a build quality issue from phone to phone... which does suck for people that are having problems.

    I guess its the luck of the draw on who gets the ones that are fault free...well as far as i can tell i have one...fingers crossed.... but that does suck cuz all phones should be made the same and checked before it goes out to the market.
    01-05-12 09:08 AM
  13. Krashedin2u's Avatar
    Well written and informative, Thanks for that. I have to agree with most of the points. I am still on the fence whether I like this phone or not, the build is definitely cheap (battery cover, trackpad) so the pros this phone has are quickly being replaced as cons as time goes on.
    01-05-12 02:46 PM
  14. uniquest's Avatar
    I added a Blackberry to my set up, felt like using a physical keyboard for a change...

    Since my goal was the 'best' keyboard I think I should of went with the 9900 instead. But, I had the 9000 some time ago and I don't really like a wider phone. But it might be worth the trade off, width for excellent keyboard.

    Not sure what to do now, exchange my 9790 for a 9900 or just stick with my iphone 4s. I'd forgot about truncated email and how folders are handled ... having a hard time going back to it.
    01-05-12 08:24 PM
  15. xanadome's Avatar
    I added a Blackberry to my set up, felt like using a physical keyboard for a change...

    Since my goal was the 'best' keyboard I think I should of went with the 9900 instead. But, I had the 9000 some time ago and I don't really like a wider phone. But it might be worth the trade off, width for excellent keyboard.

    Not sure what to do now, exchange my 9790 for a 9900 or just stick with my iphone 4s. I'd forgot about truncated email and how folders are handled ... having a hard time going back to it.
    Same here.
    I will probably stick to my IP4S in the end.
    Initially thought that 9790 was so pocketable, toss-around, use/abuse email reader (it is) but I found myself struggling with the physical keyboard. 9900 was OK obviously. I'm using the 9790 almost as an email reader (and occasional composer). IP4S is better for anything else.
    I am so used to the IP's keyboard, which is so smooth and fast, and I am beginning to find perhaps I should stick with my IP4S.

    I still value keyboard shortcuts and one-hand operation etc, but coming to think of it, they are not anything critical, not worth having 2 different devices.
    I'll see how it'll go :-).
    8230 and Dlanod like this.
    01-06-12 01:12 PM
  16. uniquest's Avatar
    Well, took my 9790 back to Rogers this evening, once I got past the usual "what's up with returning the phone routine" from the kid at the Rogers store I was happy to see it go.

    I stood there and typed for at least a half hour on a working 9900 demo model thinking maybe I shoild exchange the 9790 for a 9900 but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I'm so much faster on the iPhone keyboard there was no point. I really wanted to get using a blackberry again, going back the memories of some of my old Blackberry's is good. But doing so now seemed like a big step backwards.

    I hope and want Rim to pull out of this. To do that they're going to have to think one big step PAST what Apple and Google is working on now. It's going to have more to do with voice than qwerty keyboards I'll bet on that.

    As mentioned I'll see what this Droid 4 is all about in the coming weeks and go from there.
    01-06-12 11:52 PM
  17. GlowingBlue's Avatar
    Thanks Leica, great review that covered a lot of questions I had, but couldn't find answers to.
    01-12-12 11:01 AM
  18. mikegcox's Avatar
    Well I had my fire extinguisher ready just in case

    I'm glad it didn't come off like I was trolling. I did forget to mention the decreased speed compared to the 9900 in terms of processor because it hasn't affected the way i use the device, nor have I seen a decrease in speed during any use of applications.

    The drop from 14kbs to 7kbs is irrelevant right now as I'm in Indonesia where data kinda sucks. But I must say, I'm preferring to use the Berry here because it just seems t work much better. Even with GPRS, I get excellent use, especially with BBM, where whatsapp just craps itself.

    So it's clear to me that in some countries like this, if you NEED to be in contact, Blackberry is still the most robust form of communication.

    One thing I didn't mention was how nice the phone feels, or doesn't feel in the pocket. It's nice and slim, very close to the 9900 if not the same.
    I just switched from the 9900 to the 9790 and one of my complaints with the 9900 was screen resolution. The 9900 is even higher, I could not read web pages at all anymore unless I wore glasses. The 9790 is easer to browse the web with than the 9900 with my eyes anyhow.
    01-13-12 09:08 AM
  19. infinus's Avatar
    RIM is famous and excellent in repeating same mistake every time.
    More than 5 devices with trackpad and still they make tilted, cramped trackpad.
    God bless them
    01-13-12 01:54 PM
  20. mousdioufe's Avatar
    hope someone can help me, i have tried everything so far, i resent my service books, i checked the apn to make sure it was the correct provider. long story short, i have a unlocked blackberry 9790, my provider is at&t. my mms option is missing from my phone. cant find it anywhere, under text option or service book. when i switch it to my old phone 9700 it work again. anyone with the same situation? please i need advice!!! thank you in advance!!!
    01-14-12 07:00 PM
  21. Anipilot's Avatar
    RIM is famous and excellent in repeating same mistake every time.
    More than 5 devices with trackpad and still they make tilted, cramped trackpad.
    God bless them
    How exactly is the trackpad tilted? Horizontally...so that water will flow to one side if the phone were to lie on its back?

    or Vertically...so that its sides are not parallel with the sides of the phone?

    Am I just lucky or is the tilt so very slight that newbies wont able to notice it easily?
    01-14-12 08:38 PM
  22. taajir's Avatar
    good article............
    01-14-12 10:42 PM
  23. kevinnugent's Avatar
    Good article. My 9790 is sitting on my desk. I bought a 9900 too. Now, I can't stand the cheaper plasticky feel of the 9790. And the keyboard is just too small.
    BullGuard8 likes this.
    01-14-12 11:01 PM
  24. Phill_UK's Avatar
    Good article. My 9790 is sitting on my desk. I bought a 9900 too. Now, I can't stand the cheaper plasticky feel of the 9790. And the keyboard is just too small.
    My thoughts exactly Kevin.

    I haven't touched my 9790 for weeks now, and won't unless my 9900 bricks
    01-15-12 10:14 AM
  25. emirozmen's Avatar
    My thoughts exactly Kevin.

    I haven't touched my 9790 for weeks now, and won't unless my 9900 bricks
    Fingers crossed...
    But for the good part I haven't heard any Vodafone UK 9900 brick
    01-15-12 10:24 AM
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