[iamshadow]

Hey Folks,
Excited today, well have been from Sunday. Got myself an unlocked Bold 9900. Brilliant device, awesome phone.

Previously I owned a Curve 3G(9300) which was carrier locked running OS6. On Thursday, I had the housing changed and the phone was like brand new. A neighbor of mine saw it and decided to take it off my hands for $450 BBD(Barbados Dollar). I decided then since my birthday was Friday the 11th, I should treat myself and get a Bold.

Carriers here sell the 9900 for $1599 BDD, so Blackberries are expensive for us. Actually the only phone more expensive is the iPhone 4s which you can get for $1899 BDD. Carriers don't subsidizes phones here. So we pay full price, and when they do, it's never nothing worth mentioning.

So I ventured off and found a guy selling one that he only had for 2 months. This phone has no dings, scratches, nothing, it looks like it just came out the box. Upon purchasing for $800 BDD, I asked, how comes he was selling? His answer was nothing but typical. He wanted to customize and wanted apps.

The conversion ratio for Barbados Dollar to US Dollar is $1.98, so we pretty much get it at 2-1. We are also tax 17.3% VAT (Value Added Tax) on pretty much everything (computers are considered educational and are not taxed) and there is also shipping charges.

By the time we buy a phone for $699 US (2:1 ratio $1398 BDD) add shipping and taxes we hit the BDD $1599 mark. But I was able to get a 2 month old phone in immaculate condition for $800 BDD... I am elated.

The previous owner has an app issue. Other friends had other Android phones and before the Bold 9900 he had another Android device and sold it to buy the Bold.

I find this app issue over rated. You can only use so many apps, play so many games, do so many customization. I installed Cynogenmod 9 on my gf's HP Touchpad and at first, all the options are great, all the apps are great, but after a while, I got so bloody tired of moving things around, I just wanted to use the tablet, do what I needed to do and my gf is the same way. She sets it one way and is over and done with it...

I get that Blackberry needs to get the popular apps that are on Android and iOS, but not everything. I got a steal because someone wanted apps. I have had the phone for 2 days now, upgraded to OS 7.1 and with a device, I have never been happier, this keyboard is AWE-FRIGGING-SOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. That in addition to the touch screen, creates a really wonderful experience. I use minimum apps, and my phone is a tool for communication. And the Bold 9900 and or Blackberry in general, this is the best in class, in my most humble opinion.

I agree, Blackberry's(blackberries) are for ppl who wanna get stuff done.

[dangerousfen]

You seem to be very happy with your new 9900. Enjoy.

Sent from my old faithful BlackBerry 9700 using Tapatalk

[T�nis]

Congrats on the purchase at the bargain price. Enjoy your new Bold.

[Ben1232]

Good news that you didn't have to pay full price. You won't get bored of it either if me with mine is anything to go on hehe.

[tr1ad]

my caribbean brother!
good to know there are still some that need a smartphone for stuff other than playing games or watching movies

[byul]

Congratulations on your new acquisition. I'm sure you will enjoy it! Have fun!

[Spencerdl]

Congrats on your new BlackBerry Device. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine

[erain54]

congratulations! I also have a similar story to yours as well. My old dumb phone was dying on me, it would constantly turn off by itself at full charge and it would just give me headaches and frustrations. I looked for a bold 9930 on ebay for $300. It was used and the user said it just has one tiny nick on the steel band. I wanted to see if the ESN was good so I called Sprint. Luckily it was clean but the rep asked my why I was buying a used one and I said I needed it because I don't have insurance. Sure enough this guy gave me a early upgrade and got me a brand new bold for the actual upgrade price with all the goodies.

I never really liked iphones or android phones anyways. I was straight up blackberry guy [always wanted one and now i do].



so congrats again and welcome to the family of Bold users !

[cezley]

ahhhh congrats on finding a great phone with such a good deal!
I currently own a Torch 9800, and decided that I want a 9900, but unfortunately my cheap hubby does not see the point.
so i guess i'll live vicariously through you!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

[emirozmen]

Enjoy the beast

[iamshadow]

my caribbean brother!
good to know there are still some that need a smartphone for stuff other than playing games or watching movies

Where you from?

[bdguru]

Tell your hubby he's grounded Go BOLD.

Sent from my VZW 9330.

[southlander]

After all, typing on the finest phone keyboard ever put on a device never gets old or boring. I agree about the apps. I have a PlayBook, iPad, etc. Yeah there are lots of apps. But at the end of the day 99.9% of the time I am doing the same thing on my phone- emails, texts, bbm and phone calls.

I like playing with tech as well. But I just do not have that time any more. Get things done. That's all. Then fish, lol.

Congrats!

Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9930 using Tapatalk

[BerryBin]

yeah! we need a tool not a toy, isn't it?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9000 using Tapatalk

[Morty2264]

Hooray! I am glad that you're so happy!
And my goodness! I thought prices were heavy in Canada... I will shut up from now on! :P Enjoy your new 9900! I've heard that the keyboard is stellar!

[iamshadow]

After all, typing on the finest phone keyboard ever put on a device never gets old or boring. I agree about the apps. I have a PlayBook, iPad, etc. Yeah there are lots of apps. But at the end of the day 99.9% of the time I am doing the same thing on my phone- emails, texts, bbm and phone calls.

I like playing with tech as well. But I just do not have that time any more. Get things done. That's all. Then fish, lol.

Congrats!

Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9930 using Tapatalk

I heard a guy who is an apple fan guy, call blackberry garbage. Here is why, he is basing it's value based on apps. Misguided to say the least. at the end the day. and today makes exactly one week that i have been using the 9900, I have never been happier with a blackberry than I am with the Bold 9900.

If more people would get that Blackberry's aren't play toys but communication devices for people who wanna be functional on the go, there wouldn't be an issue.

Folks are caught up with how many cores, games and what not, and they all have their place, but they aren't the end all... This phone using a single core chip and runs like sonic the hedgehog on steroids. Cores aren't everything, but hardware and software in proper bond, with the correct tools integrated, makes the 9900 the best blackberry i know of. I would go further to say, (welcome trolls) based on communication and functionality, Blackberry 9900 is the best phone, period.

I challenge anyone to show me in such a category, what android or iOS can do better... maybe they can ask Siri

[SugarMouth]

Phones have become more than just communication tools; they have become productivity tools. Operating systems with ample supply of apps offer greater production. Larger screens (9850/60 only 3.7") allow for a better view of PDF documents for example. When I see you say "I find this app issue over rated", I can only think you don't do much more than traditional talk, text, email type things with your phone.

To say apps are overrated is like saying Microsoft Office is overrated. People use the tools that allow them to be more productive. Blackberry does not offer the solutions iOS or Android does for example.

Each to his own, some people are happy with a flip phone as long as they can dial a number. People like me use phones more like a life and business management device.

[iamshadow]

To say apps are overrated is like saying Microsoft Office is overrated. People use the tools that allow them to be more productive. Blackberry does not offer the solutions iOS or Android does for example.

Ok... let me see if this will help clear my perspective. Rate the devices on what they come with stock and not 3rd party applications.

There are plenty great apps out there. All I am saying, basing the value of a device on just apps in insane.

office is a great tool, won't deny that, anyone who does need surgery.

[tr1ad]

Where you from?

Trinidad & Tobago

[iamshadow]

Trinidad & Tobago

Just a ways south.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[southlander]

To say apps are overrated is like saying Microsoft Office is overrated.

That is a good analogy. 90% of what "normal" users do in Office they can do as well in Open Office/Google Docs and other low priced alternatives. So you make a good point (as I read it) in that Office sells not because people need it so much as because they want it. Brand power.

Same thing with phones. My friends all have Android and iPhone devices and hardly use anything beyond the basic communications functions.

[ubizmo]

My friends all have Android and iPhone devices and hardly use anything beyond the basic communications functions.

I'm in week two of my Android experiment, and I find that just about all the apps that I have installed and actually use are the same ones I have on my 9900. So as far as that goes, it's a wash. There is one difference, however, and it's significant for me. The Kindle app on my Galaxy Blaze is full-featured: I can highlight passages, create annotations, and search for text in books. I can't do any of these things on the Kindle app for the 9900. Since I use the Kindle app for a lot more than just pleasure reading, this is important for me, and it was one of my main reasons for trying another Android phone. In fact, there is no Kindle app for the 9900; only the beta OS 6 app, which happens to work on the 9900.

The moral of the story is that even though a large number of apps may not matter much to a given person, there may well be a specific app that does. That app can be the difference between "brilliant" and "doesn't work for me" for that person.

I'll probably go back to the 9900 at some point, but I'm not burning to do it quickly, as I was with prior Android phones, because I'm getting respectable battery life with this one, and Swype is about as efficient as the keyboard for me. There are some things I miss about the 9900 and some things I'm happy to have on the Blaze. When I go abroad this summer I will certainly use the 9900 with the T-Mobile International BB Email option, which is hard to beat.

[veritas_vincit]

Enjoy your device. It goes hand to hand with productivity.

[southlander]

The moral of the story is that even though a large number of apps may not matter much to a given person, there may well be a specific app that does. That app can be the difference between "brilliant" and "doesn't work for me" for that person.

I agree 100%. If there is one app someone really wants that is not on "X" they're leaving most likely.

The one "app" RIM has that keeps me after all is the physical qwerty keyboard.

[SugarMouth]

Ok... let me see if this will help clear my perspective. Rate the devices on what they come with stock and not 3rd party applications.

There are plenty great apps out there. All I am saying, basing the value of a device on just apps in insane.

office is a great tool, won't deny that, anyone who does need surgery.

To rate the device on what it comes with to me is backwards. That would be like not buying a Windows 7 PC because it comes with very little actual software. I mean, rate the device on its potential.

Lets put it this way, if a Mac PC did more out of the box but did not have compatible software you needed would you buy it over a Windows PC that did less out of the box but had more compatible software?

It's the same with phones, I don't care what it does out of the box if it ultimately does less. This is why developers are so important to phones!