[retsub60]

Multi-year 9900 user seeking to upgrade; desire PKB, considering Classic or KEYone.
Primary needs: Sync to Outlook/work email, sync music to iTunes, text and talk, Yahoo email access. Rarely if ever access internet. Seek advice on what device would best serve my stated needs.

[johnny_bravo72]

Based on your needs and choices, get the KEY¹, preferably the 4GB version.

[Amaroni]

Multi-year 9900 user seeking to upgrade; desire PKB, considering Classic or KEYone.
Primary needs: Sync to Outlook/work email, sync music to iTunes, text and talk, Yahoo email access. Rarely if ever access internet. Seek advice on what device would best serve my stated needs.

As much as I would like to say Classic, knowing that the OS is end of life at the end of 2019 , I too am going to suggest the Key One.

However, given that you can obtain a used Classic at a ridiculously low price, you could try one and it would be just that ..to try it as long as you appreciate using it for texts, emails and calls is as much as you can do without having to find work arounds. (Yahoo email I believe requires a work around solution which is to dump Yahoo )

[Karan Riar]

I suggest you should get the key2,, coming from 9900 the key2's keyboard is much alike the 9900's keyboard. It's overall more sleek, business looking device than the keyone. I'm currently using black key2 after using the silver for couple of months, have used all 3 keyones and I can assure key2 is better than keyone in every aspect.

[retsub60]

What is the difference between the Key 2 and the Key 2 LE?

[Tsepz_GP]

Multi-year 9900 user seeking to upgrade; desire PKB, considering Classic or KEYone.
Primary needs: Sync to Outlook/work email, sync music to iTunes, text and talk, Yahoo email access. Rarely if ever access internet. Seek advice on what device would best serve my stated needs.

If you plan keeping the device for as long as you did the 9900, why not go straight for the KEY2, it will last much longer due to 6GB RAM and better SoC.

[Tsepz_GP]

What is the difference between the Key 2 and the Key 2 LE?

The KEY2 LE has a much Smaller Battery, as well as less RAM. They KEY2 LE seems to sit between the KEYONE Black Edition and KEY2.

[Rootbrian]

Multi-year 9900 user seeking to upgrade; desire PKB, considering Classic or KEYone.
Primary needs: Sync to Outlook/work email, sync music to iTunes, text and talk, Yahoo email access. Rarely if ever access internet. Seek advice on what device would best serve my stated needs.

Yahoo! Mail with POP access works fine. Yes, has to be added manually. However it will work just fine, you'll have to login to the Web interface (mail.yahoo.com) from a computer to mark mail as read, as pop doesn't have that ability to do so on the server.

Key2 LE is the direct path from the classic, and 9900. Plus side, it's not adhesive hell (keyone isn't either). Key2 isn't either. Battery replacement would be easier, via tips from ifixit if somebody writes a howto on that site.

Typed on my BlackBerry passport, via freedom mobile DC-HSPA+/LTE

[idssteve]

Sadly, there really is no UPgrade for 9900. Imo. Best we can expect is a tolerably serviceable downgrade. Imo. This 8 year old 9930 I'm typing this on will work to its grave in my hand. Lol. Then my migration plan is to press toolbelt equipped Classic into service for as long as securely possible. Then on to K2? or LE?? or K3???

FWIW, Typing happens to be a VERY essential part of 9900 use case. Stability assured by solid grasp affords 9900 a great part of its legendary PKB typing experience. Solid grasp afforded by 9900's diminutive form factor.

I've personally found type rate to decrease with each increase in handset size over 9900. Oversized Classic achieves about 85% of 99's type rate. In my hand. As with 9900, trackpad/toolbelt nicely tames Classic's excessive dimensions to better pursue activities like text selection, tho. An inevitable part of typing.

Best performance on my gargantuan K1 barely achieved 35% of my 9900. K1's simply too huge to afford adequately secure grasp. Imo. K1's slippery & rounded keys also do little to inspire typing confidence. In my hand, at least.

In contrast, my ridiculously huge D60 slab VKB achieves a slightly better 40% of 9900's "gold standard", in my hand. !! Go figure. Lol. BUT, K2 has managed about 50% of my 99. Similar to my PP. I'm still green with LE but have already achieved about 55% with it. Owing mostly to improved weight distribution, I'd say. Keyboard "feel" contributes somewhat but it's no 9900. Imo.

I don't "swipe type" (too many one-off acronyms & nomenclature in my work) but can visualize where PassPort, K1 & K2 style capacitive PKB might prove useful for some. Capacitive KB is a poor joke of a substitute for well implemented trackpad but I DO miss it on my LE simply for lighting up the KB lighting as with a swipe on K1-2. Fwiw.

In short, good luck finding something resembling an UPgrade for 9900. Once BIS is killed off & Classic degenerates through neglect, K2LE might just become the "best available" choice. Far from "best ever" but they literally "broke the mold" after creating our beloved 9900!! Imo. Fwiw.

[retsub60]

Very helpful response. Thanks for the info; I feel your pain. It frustrates the hell out of me the lack desire on Blackberry's part to provide upgrades for work minded customers like us. Alas, we are dinosaurs; let's face it. Blackberry's mobile device development is merely a side-line venture; so much so they've farmed out the production to the Chinese for heaven's sake! That says it all.

[Tim-ANC]

Very helpful response. Thanks for the info; I feel your pain. It frustrates the hell out of me the lack desire on Blackberry's part to provide upgrades for work minded customers like us. Alas, we are dinosaurs; let's face it. Blackberry's mobile device development is merely a side-line venture; so much so they've farmed out the production to the Chinese for heaven's sake! That says it all.

Your third post and you already went on a rant. You'll fit in here just fine. Welcome to CB.

I suggest a Key device as well. I've only used the K1. Skipping K2 to see what K3 brings. If you can wait a bit longer we should hear something about it within the next 3 months.

[Chuck Finley69]

Very helpful response. Thanks for the info; I feel your pain. It frustrates the hell out of me the lack desire on Blackberry's part to provide upgrades for work minded customers like us. Alas, we are dinosaurs; let's face it. Blackberry's mobile device development is merely a side-line venture; so much so they've farmed out the production to the Chinese for heaven's sake! That says it all.

Agreed with Tim-ANC, welcome to CB !!!! Post early and post often.....

BBOS was kept operating much longer than anyone expected. Since the carriers don't like sharing revenue with BB, there's not really much if any serious revenue to support BBOS and more users do leave each year for ecosystem reasons and ecosystem support.

That being said, I've had every BB device offered by AT&T since 2003 and some factory unlocked as well. I've stopped at the AT&T KEYone and hope there's AT&T Key3 since it appears they've skipped the Key2 and Key2 LE for now.

The LE probably offers the closest feel to what you're familiar with. The Key2 is nice but I'm personally not a fan of the capacitive PKB on any of my BB PKB devices. That's just me though, although it sounds like VZW agrees with officially supporting the LE offering.

Anyway, hope to see you here often and good luck with your next choice...

[conbrio29]

Strictly speaking in regards to the 9900's keyboard, the KEY2 LE will probably give you the best feeling in terms of being really close to the 9900's keyboard. If we consider the other KEY device compared to the 9900 (all of which I've used before):

-the KEYone's keyboard is stiffer and the keys are glossy
-the KEY2 has been billed as having a keyboard close to the 9900 but the keys are much larger and the spacebar has a different sounding click compared to the rest of the keys
-the KEY2 LE has a more uniform click sound, and the spacebar doesn't click differently. Furthermore, the LE retains the click resistance of the KEY2, while also having smaller keys closer to the size of the Bold's keys.

Hope this helps!

[The_Passporter]

If you haven't dabbled in BB10 then don't start now. I recommend going straight to the KEYᵒⁿᵉ 4 / 64GB Black Edition only

[the_boon]

If you haven't dabbled in BB10 then don't start now. I recommend going straight to the KEYᵒⁿᵉ 4 / 64GB Black Edition only

How's the Black Ed KEYone better than the LE? Aside from a bit bigger battery, slightly better camera and capacitive touch?

[hplovecraft]

Get the Key2 or the Key2 LE - depending on the cash you wanna spent.

Having had the KeyOne and using the Key2 now I really recomend to skip the KeyOne.

[The_Passporter]

How's the Black Ed KEYone better than the LE? Aside from a bit bigger battery, slightly better camera and capacitive touch?

Exactly

[Chuck Finley69]

Exactly

But trade off is Oreo for Pie so it’s a wash....

[The_Passporter]

But trade off is Oreo for Pie so it’s a wash....

I prefer Oreo 's with milk

[the_boon]

I prefer Oreo 's with milk

Whole milk?

[idssteve]

Very helpful response. Thanks for the info; I feel your pain. It frustrates the hell out of me the lack desire on Blackberry's part to provide upgrades for work minded customers like us. Alas, we are dinosaurs; let's face it. Blackberry's mobile device development is merely a side-line venture; so much so they've farmed out the production to the Chinese for heaven's sake! That says it all.

Big bucks in consumer space. Can't blame RIM for lusting after that. Problem was, RIM simply lacked consumer space skill sets AND resources to develop them. AND were far too self destructively eager to surrender their hard won enterprise derived skill sets. Likewise, QNX not only lacked consumer space experience but also NO previous experience in mobile communications, AFAIK. Resulting bb10 "sorta consumer" compromises abandoned too much of BB's hard won experience while simultaneously embracing too little consumer enticements. IMO. Too typically, compromised solutions fail to satisfy everyone, if ANYone. Here we are.

Mike intentionally sequestered Bb10 dev from BBOS experience. Some sort of "fresh start" owing to a silly book he'd read, it seems. Lol. Nearly all of BBOS UI experience is now lost to history. Our 9900's represent a living example of that exquisit accomplishment. A living example condemned to involuntary euthanasia within a year. SOoo too many will then never know the proficiency they never knew. Imo. Lol.

[bb10adopter111]

Big bucks in consumer space. Can't blame RIM for lusting after that. Problem was, RIM simply lacked consumer space skill sets AND resources to develop them. AND were far too self destructively eager to surrender their hard won enterprise derived skill sets. Likewise, QNX not only lacked consumer space experience but also NO previous experience in mobile communications, AFAIK. Resulting bb10 "sorta consumer" compromises abandoned too much of BB's hard won experience while simultaneously embracing too little consumer enticements. IMO. Too typically, compromised solutions fail to satisfy everyone, if ANYone. Here we are.

Mike intentionally sequestered Bb10 dev from BBOS experience. Some sort of "fresh start" owing to a silly book he'd read, it seems. Lol. Nearly all of BBOS UI experience is now lost to history. Our 9900's represent a living example of that exquisit accomplishment. A living example condemned to involuntary euthanasia within a year. SOoo too many will then never know the proficiency they never knew. Imo. Lol.

It's worth adding that it's incredibly difficult for companies to navigate these sorts of industry transformations. Shareholders expect rapid growth to continue forever, and they likely would not have accepted a more realistic assessment of BlackBerry's competitive position and a more modest strategy that would have resulted in a huge hit to the share price, which had a very optimistic valuation. BlackBerry managers between 2008 and 2013 were caught between a rock and a hard place and lacked the vision and courage to respond in anything close to an optimal fashion.

Posted with my trusty Z10

[idssteve]

It's worth adding that it's incredibly difficult for companies to navigate these sorts of industry transformations. Shareholders expect rapid growth to continue forever, and they likely would not have accepted a more realistic assessment of BlackBerry's competitive position and a more modest strategy that would have resulted in a huge hit to the share price, which had a very optimistic valuation. BlackBerry managers between 2008 and 2013 were caught between a rock and a hard place and lacked the vision and courage to respond in anything close to an optimal fashion.

Posted with my trusty Z10

Yeah, I wouldn't presume to have done any better. As a businessman, tho, my kneejerk reaction almost always leans toward preserving existing customer base while expanding into new ventures. Hard to expand while contracting. Lol.

Water under the bridge... (bridge under the water?? Lol) at this point. Best we can hope for, at this point, is LE, imo. Far from best ever but mostly best typing experience CURRENTLY available. Imo. Still time for someone, somewhere, (TCL??) To get a living 9900 in hand and discover some possibly profitable tid bits of exceptional proficiency. Some of today's consumers may eventually become tomorrow's producers... producers who may find "real time" typed collaboration as essential as SOME of us still do...

[Bbnivende]

How does the LE perform in the Famous Steve KB efficiency test?

[idssteve]

How does the LE perform in the Famous Steve KB efficiency test?

Haha... I'm still only a month into LE so still green. Under my thumb, so far, LE achieves about 55% of 9900 "gold standard". That's slightly better than my best on K2 (about 50%) and significantly better than my K1 (about 35%). Fwiw. Most on my crew indicate similar trend.

That's by "in house" testing regimen. All K's sport a Seidio belt clip holster to aid grasp, for their best, in my hand. 9900 sports extended battery cover, to achieve its best. May, or may not, prove relevent to others' use case.