I want to want the 9930 but...

I have a 9650, and really want to want the 9930.. but TBH i really dont see what i am getting out of the $250 to buy and activate this phone..

From occasional browsing of this forum i see i wil get..
a) poorer battery life
b) poorer camera
c) erratic, unfinised o.s.
d) no useful increase in functionality.. in particular hotspot.

So while i appreciate there is improved performance in the browser, a nit slicker UI, i actually want my phone to work, be useful and last the day..

Can 9650 > 9930 owners please comment on comparisons?..

thx!

Ive owned both very briefly.
The 9930 is far faster/thinner. Just seems like a much better device. I think its worth $250 :)

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I never owned a 9650 but I did own a 9700. The 9900 is much faster in running apps and like u said it is also faster at loading web pages. However depend on the OS version, you can improve the speed of the browser and battery runtime. Some app like dictionary.com do not work well in this phone because it is not updated to run on OS 7.

Compared to 9700, I personally like the new UI. I know many people hate the panel, but u can remove them if you want.

One bad thing is that camera is not as good as my 9700. At least accroding to pics I took. Also NFC and hotsspot are still being tested. I have NFC but I have to for for my bank to release an app for it. Hotspot is being tested in OS 7.1 which hopefully will be leaked soon. But service books for hp and NFC must be pushed by your service provider in order for them to work.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Pretty nice browsing, awesome youtube videos, and the UI is much improved from OS6. It is basically all the nice things about other manufacturers but all the great things about BlackBerry in one phone.
I had a Torch1 and the web and vide experience is just way better. WAY better.

The camera does not have crisp super close up pictures but seems to take better pictures on depth and multiple objects (like three kids running around) and it takes pictures much faster. That is decidedly a better picture to me.

I can't overstate the Youtube experience. Before I really did not use it. Now, I can actually watch the entire presidential debate with no problem. The screen will seem like a IMAX theater. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy but it is a great screen just bigger and the keyboard is awesome.

I read a previous note and did not know we had hotspot but I did order some NFC tags. This is pretty cool. You set-up a tag and put it in your car and it can automatically: shut down wifi, launch bluetooth, launch drivesafe.ly and e-mail my wife that I'm leaving the office. All I have to do is put it on the cradle. I still have not gotten my tags but I'm really looking forward to that. NFC is going to be awesome.

If you love your phone now, there is no rush but I'd be surprised if the upgrades don't make a material difference on your experience. BTW, you can order the Bold from Amazon for Sprint for 109.00 and from Verizon for .01! Worth a look.

The 9930 is an altogether better phone than the 9650, which in itself wasnt a bad phone. I never experienced to low battery problems that some others have, but I'm pretty careful about putting my phone on stand-by when I'm not using it. As you have heard the keyboard is much more comfortable, the screen is nicer. They say the camera is not so great, but it works well enough. I have a nice digital camera with me in case I need it. The vids come out nice. Its your money, I hope it works out for you.

Originally Posted by mystic205

I have a 9650, and really want to want the 9930.. but TBH i really dont see what i am getting out of the $250 to buy and activate this phone..

From occasional browsing of this forum i see i wil get..
a) poorer battery life
b) poorer camera
c) erratic, unfinised o.s.
d) no useful increase in functionality.. in particular hotspot.

So while i appreciate there is improved performance in the browser, a nit slicker UI, i actually want my phone to work, be useful and last the day..

Can 9650 > 9930 owners please comment on comparisons?..

thx!

I will tell you that my experience on the VZ 9930 has been fantastic. (BTW I just read that you can get the 9930 on Amazon for one cent on VZ with a new contract, other phones as well).

The battery life. Don't be mislead it is not great at first but over the past three days now my battery life has somehow started really improving. I have owned this baby for around two weeks and the battery life has increased from around 8 hours to now about 14. I don't need a phone that can go days.

The web browser is great yes, not iPhone or Android caliber when it comes to the text getting all aligned and pretty like it does on those phones. But I have found myself using it less and less, I mostly use the browser for news and that sorta thing. Well (since I am new I don't how long social feeds has been part of BB) I can tell you that Social Feeds is simply the best way to read your news. Then there's also the BB RSS Reader, they kinda work hand in hand.

The camera. Ah yes no auto focus. Seriously it's a phone bud. When you are shooting a picture on your phone you are generally acting on instinct to shoot something rather fast. The camera not having auto-focus, at least for me, is a god send. I don't like having to wait for the phone to focus in. The camera does have profiles that will allow you to take better pics depending on the situation. The quality of the pictures I'd have to say is that of the most popular camera phone, the iPhone's.

Yes, there is no hotspot, I too always looked for ways to use it as a hotspot and in the long run I found myself rarely to never using the hotspot feature on any phone.

I can tell you that as a Born again BB user I could not be happier. Please feel free to hit me up via PM if you want to ask more questions. I can only offer you my honest opinion. I am not a super fan of any mfr. I throw my cash at what suits my needs for the time being. I own a PC, a mac mini, a macbook air an iPad, several other gadgets as well. So loyalty is only to my needs.

Originally Posted by mystic205

I have a 9650, and really want to want the 9930.. but TBH i really dont see what i am getting out of the $250 to buy and activate this phone..

From occasional browsing of this forum i see i wil get..
a) poorer battery life
b) poorer camera
c) erratic, unfinised o.s.
d) no useful increase in functionality.. in particular hotspot.

So while i appreciate there is improved performance in the browser, a nit slicker UI, i actually want my phone to work, be useful and last the day..

Can 9650 > 9930 owners please comment on comparisons?..

thx!

Valid question...but the battery life thing is up for debate. I have had tremendous battery life on the stock os. I seemingly can't kill the thing. I never owned a 9650, but coming from my storm 2 which I loved, this thing is sooo much better in most every way. The speed, the keyboard combined with the touch screen is amazing.

I think you will just simply like this device better because everything is just crisper, faster and sexier...is it worth the upgrade money to you? You need to decide that...I think these os7 devices are huge step in the right direction.

Originally Posted by mystic205

I have a 9650, and really want to want the 9930.. but TBH i really dont see what i am getting out of the $250 to buy and activate this phone..

From occasional browsing of this forum i see i wil get..
a) poorer battery life
b) poorer camera
c) erratic, unfinised o.s.
d) no useful increase in functionality.. in particular hotspot.

So while i appreciate there is improved performance in the browser, a nit slicker UI, i actually want my phone to work, be useful and last the day..

Can 9650 > 9930 owners please comment on comparisons?..

thx!

Came from a 9650 on Sprint and thought it was a great device. 9930 has a great feel and screen is awesome. Keyboard much better and I seem to get better bridge connections. Glad I made the move and would pay the price again tomorrow knowing what I know now.

Solution:
Wait a few months or a year until the 9930 is deeply discounted. Then upgrade. It's all about timing. I know I am more please with my upgrades if I didn't pay $250 for it! $150-49 seems more reasonable and worthwhile.

Just a thought. Since getting my last device and paying a premium I have decided to only upgrade to a new device once it's 6 months to a year old. That way, all the glitches will be resolved and it will be inexpensive. It's pretty much a win-win unless our current device is busted, or you have to have the newest devices right away.

And it's still an upgrade. :)