[DOCTOREVIL8]

I'm looking at Bold, Pearl, Curve. Any of the older BlackBerry phones. OS 6 and older.

What can they do in 2020? If I nabbed one, put in a SIM (with adapter of course) what should I expect it can do? Phone calls, texting I figure. I'm guessing email is all but dead with BIS support lacking. Is that about it? Are the quality of the calls any good? Camera, if I recall, very poor quality by today's standard. BBW still up to grab a cheesy game or two?

[conite]

I'm looking at Bold, Pearl, Curve. Any of the older BlackBerry phones. OS 6 and older.

What can they do in 2020? If I nabbed one, put in a SIM (with adapter of course) what should I expect it can do? Phone calls, texting I figure. I'm guessing email is all but dead with BIS support lacking. Is that about it? Are the quality of the calls any good? Camera, if I recall, very poor quality by today's standard. BBW still up to grab a cheesy game or two?

They won't do anything without a BIS plan. Even on Wi-Fi, the push email won't work.

Call quality is fine, brick-breaker still works, and so does the calculator.

[howarmat]

and depending on where you are you could lose calls and text at any time

[anon(10512033)]

^ as above. You'll have calls and SMS. No MMS unless you want to do some hacking (and you're on the right carrier). Why not OS7?

[DOCTOREVIL8]

^ as above. You'll have calls and SMS. No MMS unless you want to do some hacking (and you're on the right carrier). Why not OS7?

I was liking the longer battery life of the older 'berries. And the smaller nature of them. OS7 phones lost the battery life advantage by quite a bit.

I'm in the process of some digital detoxing. Haven't used social media in months. Just wondering how far back I can go without losing it all. I really like the look of some of the older ones (like the Tour), still want texting (with photos) and email, if possible. I already accept no email with OS7 and older.

[anon(10512033)]

I was liking the longer battery life of the older 'berries. And the smaller nature of them. OS7 phones lost the battery life advantage by quite a bit.

I'm in the process of some digital detoxing. Haven't used social media in months. Just wondering how far back I can go without losing it all. I really like the look of some of the older ones (like the Tour), still want texting (with photos) and email, if possible. I already accept no email with OS7 and older.

The battery life benefit makes perfect sense, provided you can find a good battery.

I've never done it, but other people have said that some of the information on my site works with OS6. Check it out: http://darkstar.x10host.com/nibble/

[joeldf]

Was battery life really all that on OS 6?

My 9800 only got a day when it was new in 2010. By the time I replaced it with a Z10 in 2013, it got half a day and the battery was beginning to swell.

[DOCTOREVIL8]

Was battery life really all that on OS 6?

My 9800 only got a day when it was new in 2010. By the time I replaced it with a Z10 in 2013, it got half a day and the battery was beginning to swell.

The last BlackBerry I recall using before 9900 was 9780. It had 3 day battery, easy. The 9900 dropped to a day or less with my usage.

[Kommandant]

in Germany I can so something with this old phones.

Sms, Phone, browsing internet with Opera Browser. visit every site with the opera browser.
receive emails with the logicmail app.
And use Google maps app.

and play some old games.

Without BIS

perfect for digital detox

[DOCTOREVIL8]

in Germany I can so something with this old phones.

Sms, Phone, browsing internet with Opera Browser. visit every site with the opera browser.
receive emails with the logicmail app.
And use Google maps app.

and play some old games.

Without BIS

perfect for digital detox

Are you talking phones like 9780 with OS6 or 9900 with OS7? Or both?

[Kommandant]

are you talking phones like 9780 with os6 or 9900 with os7? Or both?

os 5 - os 7

[elfabio80]

in Germany I can so something with this old phones.

Sms, Phone, browsing internet with Opera Browser. visit every site with the opera browser.
receive emails with the logicmail app.
And use Google maps app.

and play some old games.

Without BIS

perfect for digital detox

Really? Does Opera works that well?

[Kommandant]

Really? Does Opera works that well?

Yes. I can read my twitter timeline and my Facebook messages. Also youtube videos

[elfabio80]

Yes. I can read my twitter timeline and my Facebook messages. Also youtube videos

What about other websites. Like Die Welt or Focus.de....do they work well or bad as with BB10?

[the_boon]

I wouldn't waste time with anything running BBOS at this point.

If you want retro fun, get a Classic or Passport is my recommendation.

[DOCTOREVIL8]

I wouldn't waste time with anything running BBOS at this point.

If you want retro fun, get a Classic or Passport is my recommendation.

I half agree with this. The problem is me trying to get Android apps working on the bb10 phones. I do this every time I grab one, and completely defeats the purpose of a digital detox.

I had z10, q10, leap and passport not too long ago. Decided to sell them all.

So I'm going to try something older and see what happens.

[Kommandant]

What about other websites. Like Die Welt or Focus.de....do they work well or bad as with BB10?

Kann ich gerne nächste Woche testen

[DOCTOREVIL8]

I just grabbed a new Bold 9790 off eBay. Should get it mid-week.

I know, it's an OS7 phone. I never owned one before, just the Bold 9900. I am happy the camera has autofocus. The lack of autofocus was my only complaint with the 9900. Couldn't take pictures of documents.

Can't wait to see how the phone feels and what I can / can't do with it.

It would be cool if there were a way a consumer could create their own BIS/BES to push out emails. I know that won't happen, but would be neat if there were a digital detox revolution pushing that.

[joeldf]

It would be cool if there were a way a consumer could create their own BIS/BES to push out emails. I know that won't happen, but would be neat if there were a digital detox revolution pushing that.

BIS/BES requires special data service from your carrier. No matter what, if they don't offer the service anymore, that's it.

Besides, with every current device offering native Exchange ActiveSync, what does BIS/BES really offer anymore when it comes to emails?

[DOCTOREVIL8]

BIS/BES requires special data service from your carrier. No matter what, if they don't offer the service anymore, that's it.

Besides, with every current device offering native Exchange ActiveSync, what does BIS/BES really offer anymore when it comes to emails?

All its good for is full functionality of older BlackBerry phones. Push email is all I can think of, really. Lol

[joeldf]

All its good for is full functionality of older BlackBerry phones. Push email is all I can think of, really. Lol

BIS offered push email for only certain email services. My home email was from my ISP, and was on the standard 15 minute polling. Same for my work email which was an Exchange server, but not on BES, so I had to use the OWA way of connecting it to my 8100, later 9800, email. Of course, no contact or calendar syncing at all with either.

I was so happy when BB10 came out with native EAS.

[idssteve]

I was liking the longer battery life of the older 'berries. And the smaller nature of them. OS7 phones lost the battery life advantage by quite a bit.

I'm in the process of some digital detoxing. Haven't used social media in months. Just wondering how far back I can go without losing it all. I really like the look of some of the older ones (like the Tour), still want texting (with photos) and email, if possible. I already accept no email with OS7 and older.

Nice thing about swappable batteries... if ya want a bigger battery, get a bigger battery. The 5000mah monster pictured below still, after nearly 5 yrs, powers my 9900 thru a three day working weekend with plenty left Tuesday morning... that particular one is no longer found but others out there .

One thing about the extended thickness... I type faster, with fewer errors, thanks to added grasp of the added thick...

justasuggest...

Also, Opera mini still surprisingly useful on 9900, at least.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

BIS/BES requires special data service from your carrier. No matter what, if they don't offer the service anymore, that's it.

Besides, with every current device offering native Exchange ActiveSync, what does BIS/BES really offer anymore when it comes to emails?

PAIN..... Many systems won't support TLS 1.0 due to it's risks and being outdated. Heck even TLS 1.1 was just EOL this year for many systems.

Does your carry support BIS? Will it active a 3G phone or a BIS device? Other wise your taking digital detox way too far, be better off just buying a feature phone that will work with today's RCS texting systems and HD Voice Calls. And they have great battery life...

I know I had to have a spare with by OS 6 9650.... it wouldn't go all day on a single battery. And that's without any Games, looking at websites or news, streaming music to my headset or car. Back then it was mostly just email and phone calls as Internet was painfully slow on OS 6 and 3G (maybe a little brick breaker).

[DOCTOREVIL8]

I know I had to have a spare with by OS 6 9650.... it wouldn't go all day on a single battery. And that's without any Games, looking at websites or news, streaming music to my headset or car. Back then it was mostly just email and phone calls as Internet was painfully slow on OS 6 and 3G (maybe a little brick breaker).

I recall how great the battery life was back then. But the phones were ONLY used for communication then.

Today I joke that BlackBerry's battery lasts longer because there's nothing you can use them for. Lol

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I recall how great the battery life was back then. But the phones were ONLY used for communication then.

Today I joke that BlackBerry's battery lasts longer because there's nothing you can use them for. Lol

Compared to my PALM TREO or STORM... 9650 battery was great! But I used a spare battery everyday. And again with the Z10 it was the same - very disappointing battery life. Battery issue are a thing of the past now.

The iPhone has a Screen Time app that allows you to set all kinds of limits - Downtime, App Time Limits, Communications Limits, Always Allowed, Content & Privacy Restrictions. And it has it's own passcode if you want to allow someone else to force you to limit your usage. My kids use it with their kids apple accounts, along with some other paternal controls.

A "smartphone" can be as dumb as you want to make it.