1. lauyerman's Avatar
    tl;dr = 9930 > iPhone 4 and Sprint is a fine wireless provider for now.


    I've had my Sprint 9930 for a week now and would like to share my experience (1) moving from the iPhone 4 [back] to Blackberry and (2) moving from AT&T to Sprint.

    I had no floor model to play with so I bought it online from Sprint. When I got it, I was pleasantly surprised. It really is a "beautiful" phone. Very smooth and polished. I think the screen is better looking than the iPhone; the brilliance and clarity is really nice. It is larger than I expected.

    I prefer the BB form factor to the iPhone; the iPhone now feels bulky and oversized.

    Keyboard is awesome size for hands, but I am not typing as fast as I remember being able to on a BB. The keys seem to have more angular facets than I recall from the BB 8830 and it is slowing me down. I seem to remember that I could slide my fingers over the 8830 keyboard without getting hungup as much.

    Phone calls are crystal clear. Speaker phone stomps the iPhone. Camera shutter is really fast and faster than iPhone and the video camera is cool.

    Battery life seems like what I recall for a BB. I went close to 40 hours before recharge yesterday. However, I must emphasize I wasn't using the phone, internet, or apps much. I did get 200+ emails and about 75 texts with the vibrate alerts on and Word Mole was used frequently. Brightness is on 30 (what is the difference between 70 and 30? they both are very bright in my opinion) and it goes dark in 30 secs.

    When using for phone, game, or internet the battery "quickly" drains but no more than my iPhone. Perhaps I have been using a battery hog for so long that any battery "problem" others see with the new Bold is just run of the mill for me? The afternoon recharge after many phone calls is typical daily routine and why I have chargers everywhere. At least now I can pack batteries instead of chargers.

    Finally the notifications, intelligent locking scheme, encryption, email handling, and brilliant menu navigation are wonderful and so much gravy for returning from the iPhone.

    The cons of the phone? The truncated email messages (arrgghh) and the calendar design. It is my understanding truncating is because of BIS so a change to BES will solve. But I do prefer the views the iPhone shows for calendar. It is cleaner and easier to see at a glance. But I prefer the input fields of the BB.

    Overall, I shouldn't have left the BB and I am glad I returned.

    Sprint has virtually no coverage at my home which really, truly sucks. Everywhere else I travel and work it is fine, but I like to work from home and I can't if I can't get a signal. Sometimes BB has trouble picking up 3G signal and displays 1x.

    I really wish AT&T would get the phone now or at least in the foreseeable future and/or I had patience. I have had none of the problems with T others have reported.

    But with the rumor of dropping the all you can eat plan thanks to the iPhone 5, I figured now was a good time to jump to Sprint and pick up a couple of the MiFi devices for replacing DSL at my office (it really works well) and for bringing with me instead of using iPad 3G service. The thing is small, slips into my briefcase easily and I have 4G wifi for the BB, laptop, and iPad everywhere I go. Cost savings for both DSL and 3G monthly plan have already made this a smart investment.

    I figure by the time LTE goes national, I can leave Sprint if the 4G service isn't up to snuff at that time.
    09-02-11 12:26 PM
  2. mud314's Avatar
    New here and currently on the OG Droid, I tried the HTC Thunderbolt for a while but after a week and it's little issues I took it back. First phone I have ever returned. Not sure why but while I do like some functions of Android (who could resist the little green guy too), I just am not that impressed with the OS it still feels as if it's in beta.

    I have an iPad and I do enjoy it a great deal but the iPhone just doesn't cut it for me. So then this pup came out and I have had my eye on it ever since, reading and reading about it. Now I need to make a decision as to whether or not I want to fork over the full price for this phone. Long story on that but let's just say that I don't qualify right now for an upgrade .

    Few thingsI want to know from any of you guys...
    Youtube: is there an app? Can you upload videos? Log into your acct etc?
    Bootup time? Slow, fast...?

    Thanks guys. I really think this is going to be my next phone.
    09-02-11 03:09 PM
  3. sam_b77's Avatar
    New here and currently on the OG Droid, I tried the HTC Thunderbolt for a while but after a week and it's little issues I took it back. First phone I have ever returned. Not sure why but while I do like some functions of Android (who could resist the little green guy too), I just am not that impressed with the OS it still feels as if it's in beta.

    I have an iPad and I do enjoy it a great deal but the iPhone just doesn't cut it for me. So then this pup came out and I have had my eye on it ever since, reading and reading about it. Now I need to make a decision as to whether or not I want to fork over the full price for this phone. Long story on that but let's just say that I don't qualify right now for an upgrade .

    Few thingsI want to know from any of you guys...
    Youtube: is there an app? Can you upload videos? Log into your acct etc?
    Bootup time? Slow, fast...?

    Thanks guys. I really think this is going to be my next phone.
    Yes there is a Youtube app which is basically a link to the youtube browser. The BB 9900 can play embedded youtube videos as well.
    And yes you can directly upload a video to youtube by simply selecting the video and choosing upload to youtube.
    mud314 likes this.
    09-02-11 03:52 PM
  4. Bold9930's Avatar
    Nice review
    09-02-11 03:59 PM
  5. anon(19759)'s Avatar
    OP - get a Sprint femtocell, gives you 4-5 bars of voice and data coverage in your house. Sprint plan isn't great, as it requires a monthly subscription compared to vzw or att where you just buy it and that's it. Also, BES still has truncated messages I believe, although I have yet to actually see one truncated in the 12 days I've had this device.
    lauyerman likes this.
    09-02-11 04:03 PM
  6. decypher44's Avatar
    ...
    Few thingsI want to know from any of you guys...
    Youtube: is there an app? Can you upload videos? Log into your acct etc?
    Bootup time? Slow, fast...?
    Thanks guys. I really think this is going to be my next phone.


    Boot up time is QUICK! Maybe 30-45 seconds. My old 8530 took like 6 freaking minutes! I hated that!!!
    mud314 likes this.
    09-02-11 04:11 PM
  7. o4liberty's Avatar
    There are a few things to miss from android and apple compared to this device. I still miss my droid but love this device overall.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-02-11 05:27 PM
  8. lauyerman's Avatar
    OP - get a Sprint femtocell, gives you 4-5 bars of voice and data coverage in your house.
    Thanks a million! Will be delivered next week.

    Looks like everything is coming up Milhouse for my move to Sprint.
    09-02-11 06:48 PM
  9. stanleywinthrop's Avatar
    lauyerman, what do you do about visual voicemail? Do you use the youmail app? If so does that work well?
    09-02-11 07:17 PM
  10. Crucial_Xtreme's Avatar
    The 9900/9930 and the iPhone 4 are the same height. The iPhone 4 is less wide than the 99xx. And the iPhone 4 is over a mm thinner than the 99xx, yet the iPhone 4 feels bulky even though it's smaller? Also the screen has almost 40 more ppi's than the 99xx yet it looks worse? Wow.

    The 9930's camera "shutter" is faster than the iPhone 4? Seriously? I totally agree that the shutter speed is faster on the 99xx. The main point is does the 99xx pictures look better??

    The speakerphone on the 99xx is definitely better than the i4. As for battery life, the iPhone 4 has better battery life than both the 9900 & 9930. Although I think that will change by an hour or so after further firmware updates from RIM.

    Wouldn't worry about draining the battery much playing games on the 99xx, as the BB platform is most definitely inferior to the iPhone 4 regarding games or apps in general.

    The 99xx's keyboard is to die for and far better than typing on glass regardless of the devices manufacturer.

    Notifications? For sure the 99xx has a leg up on the iPhone 4. That is if you're using OS 4.3. But if you're using iOS 5, well it's a completely different story and about equal. Keep in mind the iPhone 4 is over a year old. A more fair comparison would be of course the 99xx and the i5 which is due very soon. A month or two difference between new devices is much more fair than 14+ months wouldn't you agree??

    I have no problem with you preferring the 9930 to the iPhone 4. It's all about what best works for you and your needs. But there's no need to smear another device or platform in the process. FTR, I carry both devices(9900) everyday. I won't try and tell you that the iPhone 4 is completely superior to the 99xx. And people shouldn't try an act like the 99xx is completely superior the the 14 month old iPhone 4 either.
    09-02-11 07:25 PM
  11. Jaguarr40's Avatar
    The 9900/9930 and the iPhone 4 are the same height. The iPhone 4 is less wide than the 99xx. And the iPhone 4 is over a mm thinner than the 99xx, yet the iPhone 4 feels bulky even though it's smaller? Also the screen has almost 40 more ppi's than the 99xx yet it looks worse? Wow.

    The 9930's camera "shutter" is faster than the iPhone 4? Seriously? I totally agree that the shutter speed is faster on the 99xx. The main point is does the 99xx pictures look better??

    The speakerphone on the 99xx is definitely better than the i4. As for battery life, the iPhone 4 has better battery life than both the 9900 & 9930. Although I think that will change by an hour or so after further firmware updates from RIM.

    Wouldn't worry about draining the battery much playing games on the 99xx, as the BB platform is most definitely inferior to the iPhone 4 regarding games or apps in general.

    The 99xx's keyboard is to die for and far better than typing on glass regardless of the devices manufacturer.

    Notifications? For sure the 99xx has a leg up on the iPhone 4. That is if you're using OS 4.3. But if you're using iOS 5, well it's a completely different story and about equal. Keep in mind the iPhone 4 is over a year old. A more fair comparison would be of course the 99xx and the i5 which is due very soon. A month or two difference between new devices is much more fair than 14+ months wouldn't you agree??

    I have no problem with you preferring the 9930 to the iPhone 4. It's all about what best works for you and your needs. But there's no need to smear another device or platform in the process. FTR, I carry both devices(9900) everyday. I won't try and tell you that the iPhone 4 is completely superior to the 99xx. And people shouldn't try an act like the 99xx is completely superior the the 14 month old iPhone 4 either.
    I have to agree with Crucials thread here and especially the last sentence of summing it all up. A phone is to be judged by what works for that individual person but to smear and knock another device proves nothing and does no good either.

    I just suppose upgrading from my 2 year old flawless Tour believe it or not there was never any question in my mind about getting the Bold 9930 and I have not looked back. If there are any bugs, as I had mentioned in another thread... That is what updates in OSs are for andthat goes for ANY and every device.
    09-02-11 07:38 PM
  12. elgolfman's Avatar
    OP - get a Sprint femtocell, gives you 4-5 bars of voice and data coverage in your house. Sprint plan isn't great, as it requires a monthly subscription compared to vzw or att where you just buy it and that's it. Also, BES still has truncated messages I believe, although I have yet to actually see one truncated in the 12 days I've had this device.
    Continual thread/emails on mine (BES) truncate initially then load fully once you scroll down. My 9650 didn�t render them at all.
    09-02-11 08:24 PM
  13. ugahairydawgs's Avatar
    Glad you're enjoying your phone, but one should never, EVER pick a carrier based on a device. Pick the carrier that is best in your area and then find the phone that suits you best that they offer (or go the unlocked route).
    mud314, Crucial_Xtreme and Vihzel like this.
    09-02-11 08:39 PM
  14. anon(19759)'s Avatar
    Continual thread/emails on mine (BES) truncate initially then load fully once you scroll down. My 9650 didn�t render them at all.

    I think that's different. Every bb I've had did the more thing with scrolling down. I think its supposed to only download the first part for header, then only retrieve the rest upon request. Truncating means it can only deliver the first 2MB of any message and won't retrieve the rest. That number of 2MB is a guess, can't remember, but I'm pretty sure there is a set limit.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk
    09-02-11 09:06 PM
  15. elgolfman's Avatar
    I think that's different. Every bb I've had did the more thing with scrolling down. I think its supposed to only download the first part for header, then only retrieve the rest upon request. Truncating means it can only deliver the first 2MB of any message and won't retrieve the rest. That number of 2MB is a guess, can't remember, but I'm pretty sure there is a set limit.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk
    Could be... when I hit "more" on my 9650, nothing happened. Now, get entire emails. Maybe a RAM/processor issue with the older devices?
    09-02-11 09:32 PM
  16. Tomo1971's Avatar
    I have moved from the iP4 to the 9900 too and love the 9900 for its email, keyboard, fluidity (is that even a word?) and its general feel and speed. Much easier to type on, much easier (IMO) to get to contacts, much more customisable and some nice touches in the OS too.

    BUT...

    I am going to miss some of the apps on the iPhone.

    I use a parking app a lot (in edinburgh for meter parking),
    Use a travel info service for scotland, lists traffic, roadworks and public transport info,
    Use google places a lot too and a few others.

    So, been a bit of a gadget feind am going to cancel my mobile broadband Mifi from 'three uk' @ �15.99 for 5gb and have signed up to a 24 month 'one plan' with a HTC Desire S. Loads of minutes and texts, but more importantly, unlimited, all you can eat data, that can be used for anything (tethering included). So at least I can use the desire as a wifi hotspot and for the apps that I use.

    Steve
    09-03-11 02:34 AM
  17. lauyerman's Avatar
    lauyerman, what do you do about visual voicemail? Do you use the youmail app? If so does that work well?
    Funny, I haven't noticed the lack of visual voicemail. I guess I never appreciated it on AT&T.
    09-04-11 12:25 AM
  18. lauyerman's Avatar
    Crucial_XTreme, in response to your thread crapping:

    I came to crackberry.com to learn about the 9900 and see if it would fit my needs. I've spent hours on this site since the first video review of the 9900 was posted. I am indebted to the staff and users here. They have shared information and their experiences and made my decision much easier.

    I suppose you don't realize that the 9900 has captured the attention of many non-BB users. It is radical enough or advanced enough or whatever enough that when I read about it on BGR or Engadget or somewhere, I thought "Hmmm...maybe I should switch?"

    Did the Evo make me think that? Nope.

    Nexus? Nope.

    [Insert any other Android superphone]? Nope.

    I used to use a BB, but left for a iPhone 3G and never thought of looking back. I upgraded straight through the iPhone 4 and never looked around at another platform, including BB.

    But there is something different about that 9900 series that did what no other phone could do and that is bring me to think about leaving the Apple platform.

    So I came to crackberry.com and, surprise, surprise, many people have the same idea I have: "Should I make the switch?"

    People start posting things like "the 9900 does this, and the iPhone doesn't," or "the 9900 won't let you do this like the iPhone" and so on and so on and this is huge. This is helping people like me understand the advantages and disadvantages of the 9900 and all without holding or using the actual phone.

    I read a lot of threads and over time I figured out what points I wanted to know more about and I looked carefully at other poster's reviews or links to other online reviews for the same points:

    What does it feel like in your hand/pocket?

    What is it like typing on it?

    Describe the camera.

    How is the battery life?

    Etc .Etc. Etc.


    Again, many people seem interested in making the switch to the 9900 and many of those would-be switchers are iPhone 4 users. Thus, iPhone 4 users are looking for people's experiences using the iPhone 4 versus the 9900.

    They use two different OS and so there are many questions that come with comparing two different tool sets. So many questions. How does it do this? How does it do that? Can I use this?

    Firsthand info is invaluable.

    I didn't need somebody to measure the screen or count pixels like you did; I needed someone to describe what it looked like [compared to the iPhone] or how it was to read a PDF on the screen [compared to the iPhone.]

    Well I finally became a 9900 user. I now can share firsthand info on the device. I now have information that others might find useful.

    So I shared it.

    I wrote about the points I had been curious about. If I had a question about a particular point, I believed other iPhone 4 users would also have the same interest.

    Certainly my approach was self-focused but it was not a "smear" effort.

    Yes, I think the 9930 carries easier than the iPhone...

    Yes, I think the BB screen looks better than the iPhone...

    Yes, I can't tell the difference between a iPhone photo and a BB photo but I know when I miss a shot because the shutter lags...

    Yes, to me the battery life appears to be the same between the two...

    ...notice the pattern yet?

    I wrote about my experiences so that others can read about them.

    Wait, you did notice the pattern of me referring to my experiences because at the end of your post you state: "I have no problem with you preferring the 9930 to the iPhone 4. It's all about what best works for you and your needs."

    But that's not true, is it?

    You actually have a "problem" with my preference and so you posted to mock and ridicule my preference. But no one reading my post cares what you think. They are reading about my experience.

    Go start your own thread if you want to redo an impersonal phone comparison.
    09-04-11 10:45 PM
  19. Jake Storm's Avatar
    ...You actually have a "problem" with my preference and so you posted to mock and ridicule my preference. But no one reading my post cares what you think. They are reading about my experience.

    Go start your own thread if you want to redo an impersonal phone comparison.
    I thought you had an honest personal review. I did not think you were smearing Apple.
    The first thing I thought when I read CX's post was that he was having a bad day, and was crapping all over you for no reason... but I won't apologize for him, he should do that himself.

    Having coffee with two iPhone 4 users. All three of us agree my 9900 feels much less bulky and fits much better in the hand than the square, sharp edged iP4. Also, both iPhone owners commented that the 9900 screen looked even better than their retina displays. I mentioned something about liquid graphics, which they didn't quite understand and now they just keep referring to the cool liquid display on the BB.
    lauyerman likes this.
    09-04-11 11:20 PM
  20. morrsn's Avatar

    You actually have a "problem" with my preference and so you posted to mock and ridicule my preference. But no one reading my post cares what you think. They are reading about my experience.

    Go start your own thread if you want to redo an impersonal phone comparison.
    This.

    As someone who hasn't had the chance to have a look at the device personally I really enjoy reading these kind of posts with real world personal experiences instead of the typical paper specs comparisons.

    Thanks a lot for a very informative and entertaining read
    Last edited by KrizM23; 09-04-11 at 11:39 PM.
    lauyerman likes this.
    09-04-11 11:34 PM
  21. ibigberries's Avatar
    nice Review!
    lauyerman likes this.
    09-05-11 12:12 AM
  22. lssanjose's Avatar
    I'm just waiting for the local stores to get their batches, so I could play with them

    Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
    09-05-11 12:24 AM
  23. scootnyinzer's Avatar
    Impressions don't necessarily translate into spec comparisons. Not many people can perceive the 40 extra iPhone pixels per inch. If the screen was brighter in a daylight, you might say it was a better screen, although in conditions more favorable to the iPhone.

    The iPhone is excellent, but not available on my carrier and a touch only device wouldn't be ideal for me since I get my hands dirty at work.. The 9900 is a nice package and the best typing experience ever . This is HUGE if you type a lot. Be ready for the sales person at the store to know nothing about the device and try to talk you out of it anyway. Never saw anything like it.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-05-11 02:20 AM
  24. grover5's Avatar
    Thanks OP. It was an interesting review and nice to hear your take on the two devices. I've heard similar opinions from a couple other iphone 4 users who made the switch.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-05-11 03:56 AM
  25. josh3326's Avatar
    I to came from an iPhone 4, but now use the 9930. I still have the iphone, but only use it for games when I'm bored. My contract is up on it next month, so I will just use it as an iPod Touch. When I'm working and need to post reviews or blogs, my Bold is the phone I pick up.
    09-05-11 07:30 AM
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