1. inicophone's Avatar
    Hi,

    I recently switched back to BlackBerry after a quick spell with Android. I love BlackBerry for it's communication tools, size/form factor, BBM, and of course - the keyboard.

    However, I have sent back my 3rd Bold 9900 for a faulty keyboard and right button. The first had a faulty lock button, and the second also had this problem and the space bar stopped working. I'm very disappointed! And all three had creaky, poorly fitted plastics.

    Before that I had a Torch 9800 which was fine, although the first one did have a faulty display and weak slider.

    So in total, I've had 2 9800's and now 3 9900's. I am now debating whether or not I want another 9900 (I bought it on eBay so I think I have a long wait before I get a replacement or a refund, not to mention the wait without a phone and I need BBM for work!)

    What are your thoughts on the 9900 build quality in comparison to the 9810? I love the keyboard on the 9900 but I can't keep having the problems I seem to get from this particular model. I am not made of money so buying such an expensive phone for me really is disappointing when they all seem to be so poorly made. I just want a BlackBerry that is properly made and won't break!

    All 3 9900's were made in Mexico 4. The Torch I had were all made in Hungary.

    I love RIM and I love my BlackBerry but seriously, quality control has to improve!

    What are your thoughts on 9900 and 9810 build quality and problems?

    Thank you!
    05-17-12 05:25 AM
  2. lnichols's Avatar
    My first 9900 from Mexico4 had a faulty trackpad that wouldn't work in sunlight. Would go crazy and move itself all over the place. Second one has been flawless and solid build. Reminds me of my 8830 tank in build quality. They probably do need to work on the qa out of that plant though because it does seem to be involved in most device complaints I see posted here.
    05-17-12 06:14 AM
  3. uyi2g's Avatar
    I think its a bit unfair you are judging the build quality from phones you got of ebay. Were they brand new phones? If they were second hand the seller might have disguised a fault caused by accidental damage before selling it to you. I dont think the build quality on blackberry are any worse than any other manufacturer, especially in their high end phones.

    I have the S2 and the 9810, and although the 9810 looks like something from the past compared to the S2, I wouldnt say the S2 build quality is better. The 9810 is however far more likely to develop a fault than the S2 as it is heavier and have more moving parts; it will suffer more from accidentally dropping it.
    05-17-12 06:17 AM
  4. anthogag's Avatar
    Previous 9800, made in Mexico, no hardware issues

    Current 9810, no hardware issues! The battery door was 'creaky'. I put a few layers of tape to stop it...now the phone is solid

    I agree, maybe you're getting 'reconditioned' phones on eBay
    05-17-12 06:45 AM
  5. alnamvet68's Avatar
    If it's not a new phone from the carrier to you, then the risk of getting a much abused phone owned by a wack job texting away 24/7 is extremely high. That said, my 8330 Curve is built like the tank that it is, and still looks as new as the day I bought it a few years ago. Build quality of RIM products...on a scale of 0 to 10, I give them a 15+.
    05-17-12 06:59 AM
  6. scouts36's Avatar
    My guess is that at E-Bay you are likeky to get refurbished devices.
    I am not saying some devices might come faulty, but if you usually purchase at E-bay you never were 100% sure that any of those are brand new.

    So far I've had a Bold 9000, a Bold 9700, Torch 9800 and presently a Bold 9900. Except for a faulty speaker in my 900 (which was an issue with that model), I naver had a problem.

    Most of my devices are made in Mexico.

    In all cases I see the build quality as very good, except for some creacky battery doors.!

    Cheers!

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
    05-17-12 07:02 AM
  7. sleepngbear's Avatar
    If it's not a new phone from the carrier to you, then the risk of getting a much abused phone owned by a wack job texting away 24/7 is extremely high. That said, my 8330 Curve is built like the tank that it is, and still looks as new as the day I bought it a few years ago. Build quality of RIM products...on a scale of 0 to 10, I give them a 15+.
    Ayuh. BB's are among the best built phones out there. I put my 9000 through he11 and it never failed me. My 9900 feels just as solid. I even dropped the 9800 a few times and thought for sure the slider would be toast, but it too just kept on going without so much as a wiggle.

    Edit: My 9900 has had a charmed life so far. The worst it's seen so far is being cussed at thanks to at&t's crappy signal where I worked.
    Last edited by sleepngbear; 05-17-12 at 07:31 AM.
    05-17-12 07:29 AM
  8. robsteve's Avatar
    At least if you buy from your carrier, you will have warranty support from your carrier. This forum is riddled with posts about defective 9900 that are not covered by warranty. Is the 9900 any worse than other phones or does this forum become the destination for seeking help on phones not covered by warranty?
    05-17-12 07:37 AM
  9. inicophone's Avatar
    Thanks for your replies! All of these phones originated on networks, and the last Bold I bought was the only one from eBay.

    I didn't really want to start a flame war about quality of BlackBerry against other phones! Just a discussion as to whether to Torch 9810 has less reports of problems against the Bold 9900.
    05-17-12 08:20 AM
  10. sleepngbear's Avatar
    Thanks for your replies! All of these phones originated on networks, and the last Bold I bought was the only one from eBay.

    I didn't really want to start a flame war about quality of BlackBerry against other phones! Just a discussion as to whether to Torch 9810 has less reports of problems against the Bold 9900.
    Most of the reported quality issues I had seen with the Torch were mostly regarding slider wobble on the original 9800. I don't recall seeing many about the 9810. I know mine was rock-solid; I just didn't like the smaller keyboard and found the slider itself to be a nuisance, especially after trying the 9900. But that's just a personal preference thing that has nothing to do with the build quality of the device itself.

    That's a risk you take buying this kind of thing sight-unseen. I bought a used Curve 3G a few years ago that arrived in like-new condition, and then last year I bought a piece of sound gear that was supposed to be new but looked like it had been rerouted through Kabul; so ya just never know for sure what you're getting until he package is delivered.
    05-17-12 08:45 AM
  11. o4liberty's Avatar
    I find the build quality to be pretty good right on par with other manufacturer. Just cruise the forums and you will see the issues others are having.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk
    05-17-12 08:58 AM
  12. llllBULLSEYE's Avatar
    My 9810 has gone to war an back. dropped from moving car. dropped from a second story building and various times dropped getting off my car. Phone screen is still perfect and slider works perfect. never used a case just screen protector. This Blackberry is by far the best built phone I have ever owned in my life.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9000 using Tapatalk
    05-17-12 09:08 AM
  13. hondateg91's Avatar
    When I had the 9930 there were no problems at all and everything worked fine. Assuming you got it off ebay it was "used" and could've possibly been why it was in poor condition.
    05-17-12 09:48 AM
  14. inicophone's Avatar
    Looks like I will get my refund and purchase the device from a network instead!
    05-17-12 10:59 AM
  15. dwaynewilliams#WN's Avatar
    I also think that it is the luck of the draw. I hadn't ever had to return a BlackBerry until I got a 9700. Had to return it twice due to hardware issues. Every other BB I have had, there have been no issues.
    05-17-12 12:54 PM
  16. BerryOttawa's Avatar
    I don't post very often, but my 9900 has been great so far, and i had an older curve before that which i dropped several times and once it flew off the roof of my car going 40km/h and the battery didn't even come out. it was a beast.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
    05-17-12 01:48 PM
  17. shaleem's Avatar
    I really feel lucky because I've never had a problem with any BlackBerry that I've owned. I've had an 8100, 8110, 9000, 9700, 9800, 9780 and now have the 9900.
    05-17-12 11:51 PM
  18. reeneebob's Avatar
    I had to return my first Pearl because the OEM pouch actually tore off a button on the second day I owned it. I haven't had to return my 9900, but I have had to swap out the battery 3 times as I kept getting faulty ones.

    The only other time I ever had issues like that was my Palm Pre - my first one had a faulty touchscreen after a week but the second one was perfect.
    05-18-12 01:44 AM
  19. mikeo007's Avatar
    I think the quality definitely dropped with the release of the 9700. Seriously, think back a couple years, there were sooo many people complaining about wobbly trackpads. I went through 4 9700s myself in the first 15 days, and 2 more within the first year. The quality slide has continued.

    Not saying they're not solid devices, but little things like wobbly trackpads, squishy keyboard keys, and creaky, loose plastic trim all take away from the perceived quality.
    05-19-12 09:15 AM
  20. xandermac's Avatar
    I agree. I had 2 replacement 9780's with keyboard stutter, 1 replacement 9800 for a faulty trackpad (ghost movement, quite common apparently) and I just ordered a new front keypad for another 9800 because the buttons are only attached with tape and they peeled off. TAPE! Who does that on a device that retailed for over $500!!!!!!

    in general blackberry are bulletproof devices but RIM have certainly taken some shortcuts with certain device along the way. Bad design decisions like stick on buttons, or (so as not to single out RIM) a glass backed iPhone (which I replaced with metal) make for a bad consumer experience.
    Last edited by xandermac; 05-19-12 at 09:31 AM.
    05-19-12 09:29 AM
  21. ichat's Avatar
    Yea.... You bought it from eBay.... No wonder friend. They are second hand!

    I only buy new ones and no problem whatsoever!

    You are blaming a phone which has been used for a while....

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 on 7.1.0.342 with Tapatalk and my fingers
    05-19-12 09:41 AM
  22. palomartian's Avatar
    I agree. I had 2 replacement 9780's with keyboard stutter, 1 replacement 9800 for a faulty trackpad (ghost movement, quite common apparently) and I just ordered a new front keypad for another 9800 because the buttons are only attached with tape and they peeled off. TAPE! Who does that on a device that retailed for over $500!!!!!!

    in general blackberry are bulletproof devices but RIM have certainly taken some shortcuts with certain device along the way. Bad design decisions like stick on buttons, or (so as not to single out RIM) a glass backed iPhone (which I replaced with metal) make for a bad consumer experience.
    I have a $6000 Panasonic Toughbook which can withstand a tactical nuke strike. The keyboard is held on with tape (and other stuff). Tape is as strong as a mechanical fastener, but heat is it's enemy. That and negligent surface prep.
    05-19-12 09:54 AM
  23. reeneebob's Avatar
    Yea.... You bought it from eBay.... No wonder friend. They are second hand!

    I only buy new ones and no problem whatsoever!

    You are blaming a phone which has been used for a while....

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 on 7.1.0.342 with Tapatalk and my fingers

    Both of my Curves were bought new in box on ebay, so its possible his was as well.

    Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9900 using Tapatalk
    05-19-12 05:38 PM
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