[Chris5626]

Hi everyone at CrackBerry.

I tend to go through mobile phones quite quickly seldom finding one I truly love and wanted to get your advice on whether or not a BlackBerry is for me. I have read plenty of reviews but I wanted to get the opinions of real BlackBerry users as I personally think the opinions of people that use a handset every day are just as if not more important than those that knock out a review then move on to the next handset.

I have spent days looking through all the resources I could find online and reading up on the specs but I just need to get some real feedback from real users that understand what it is I am looking for. I need your help.

I am looking for a phone I can purchase Sim Free or Pay as you Go which I intend to use with a 02 Pay Monthly Sim.

What I am looking for

I rarely actually make phone calls on my phone but I do send a lot of text messages, I also use hotmail a lot. I find a physical keyboard considerably more comfortable than a touch screen in terms of typing speed I am probably not much faster on a keyboard but I just prefer to touch a key than a screen.

Aside from messaging I do quite a bit of web browsing on the go buy mainly just for keeping up to date with the news (BBC News, The Sun (sports coverage), MCV (work)) so none of the sites I visit are that complex.

As an OS I do really like Android and I think in an ideal world an Android handset with a physical keyboard would be what I am after but they are few and far between

Galaxy Pro (poor reviews, poor screen, ugly as , not around in shops any more)
HTC ChaCha (mixed reviews, not as nice or professional looking as a BB)
Sony Xperia Mini Pro (still not as nice looking as a BB, not around in shops any more).

So if I have to take the OS out of the equation that basically only leaves BlackBerry if I want a Smart Phone.

My Current Phone

I currently have a HTC One X which is by no means a bad phone but there are a few things about it that make me regret buying it. Firstly the size, obviously the phone is going to be pretty big as it has a huge touch screen but I have trouble getting it to fit in smaller pockets and given how thin the device is and how large the touch screen is I am in constant fear of sitting down and breaking the thing. I also just prefer a physical keyboard to touch screens. Whilst I love Android as a OS you just don't have many options for Android phones with touch screens.

My Phone History

HTC One X - Too big, battery life not great, no keyboard.
BB Bold 9900 - Only had for two days as I ended up with a faulty handset. Seemed a bit too big/heavy for my liking as well.
HTC Sensation XL - Despite size felt sturdier than One X. Battery life issue.
iPhone 4 - Died due to water damage. Nice replacement for my iPod so didn't have to carry both.
HTC Desire - Started to die from old age but other than that really nice phone.
BB Storm - Found to be quite buggy.
iPhone 3 - Ended up just using it as a iPod as I didn't like it as a phone.

Best phone I have ever had was probably the Nokia e75. I think the only phone I have owned that I didn't upgrade as soon as I could. Small, good built quality, good spec (for the day) and had a lovely keyboard. Back when I had it it did everything I needed and I loved it for it.

Looking at

I had a BB 9900 for a couple of days but the device was faulty. The actual phone when working right I seemed to get along ok with (although needing to reset the phone to install an App I found a little annoying) my biggest gripe would probably be the size and weight of the handset, the phone seemed a bit too wide to be really comfortable in my hand and the phone seemed a bit too heavy. I can't really justify spending the money on buying the handset again and the size/weight just aren't for me.

The 9790 looks a bit more like what I am after from a size perspective but I am really liking the styling of the 9360. I know the 9360 doesn't have a touch screen but I am wondering if this will really be much of a loss to me since for my usage the only thing I can think of using the touch screen for would be pinch zooming on websites, the handset is also available for quite a bit cheaper and has the option of more than one colour (I know there is a white 9790 around but only available from a few websites and at a higher price than the black model), I also think the keyboard looks a little easier to use (since the keys although smaller are spaced which I have to assume would reduce the risk of hitting the neighbouring keys) and is slightly lighter.

The only thing that gives me pause about a BlackBerry is really the web browsing, although the sites I visit whilst on the go are pretty mobile friendly I like my browser to be fast and from the reviews I have read the current BlackBerry handsets whilst much improved on previous generations do still lag behind the competition some what. I am not really that fussed about the lack of Apps, I don't play games on my phone and I have never really found that many good productivity apps available for Android or iOS that were of use whilst on the go.

So, CrackBerry community hit me with your wisdom and knowledge!

[ForgWorm]

I'd suggest getting a blackberry that is rather small, the 9790, the 9320, the 9220, and all those small handsets. I'd really prefer if you get the 9900 since in my opinion its size and processor is much better than the 9790, but go for the 9790 since its better than the curve series. Oh and once you go bold stay bold

Or you could wait for BB10

[Chris5626]

I had considered the 9320 and I personally think it is a pretty attractive handset, the thing that turned me off from it was the screen resolution. I think if I go with a Curve it would have to be the 9360 since it has the better quality screen and is a lil more compact and lightweight.

I do appreciate that the BB 9900 is the highest spec of the bunch and usually for me I do go for higher end phones (which is why I got the HTC One X I am currently using) but I am not sure I can justify spending all that money on a handset right now. The 9790 I think would be the absolute most I could justify spending on a handset at this time, although the spec isn't as good as the 9900 the weight and dimensions of the device are more suited to what I am after.

I have read up a little on BB10 but I am not sure I can wait that long since it has been delayed until 2013 and I gather the first BB10 phone is going to be touch screen only so I might have to wait a little longer for one with a physical keyboard? If BB release a really good BB10 handset with a keyboard then I probably will buy it (another reason I am not sure I can justify spending too much right now on something like the 9900).

[ForgWorm]

then go for the 9790


Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[Chris5626]

Would you say the additional cost of the 9790 is good value over the 9360? Aside from the touch screen the two phones seem to be pretty much the same spec. I am just wondering if I would miss the touch screen if it wasn't there. They are both very nice phones just want to make sure if I do get a BB I grab the right one.

[Chris5626]

If I were to go for a BB I think it would be between the Curve 9360 and the Bold 9790. I know the 9790 is the superior handset in terms of spec mainly it would seem because of the touch screen but for my needs I am not sure how much of a factor that would be. The price difference certainly seems to be considerable given the fact that aside from the touch screen there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two. The bold does have a slightly faster processor and a bit more RAM but does anyone know if that results in a noticeable difference in terms of performance between the two?

9360 is currently �149.99
9790 is currently �279.99

[_StephenBB81]

I have the 9790, and 9900,
and Prefer the 9790 because of size, and the buttons over the 9900
Both are great devices especially since OS7.1

as for a device comparison with the 9360
The 9790 has a
11% larger battery
20% faster processor
50% more RAM
16 * the device storage

I think it is worth the additional cost.

[Chris5626]

How would you rate the web browsing on the 9790? The HTC One X being a quad core phone is naturally pretty nippy. I don't expect the same performance from a single core processor but in terms of the time it takes for you to enter a web address for it to be viewable how do you find the 9790?

[_StephenBB81]

How would you rate the web browsing on the 9790? The HTC One X being a quad core phone is naturally pretty nippy. I don't expect the same performance from a single core processor but in terms of the time it takes for you to enter a web address for it to be viewable how do you find the 9790?

compared to my Samsung Galaxy 3, my 9790 is much slower at loading pages, but the zoom view on BlackBerry seems to naturally zoom to were I need to view and wrap the page content properly where my Galaxy zooms very Apple like you need to scroll around far more to enjoy the content.

even with the slower speeds of loading web pages I pick the BlackBerry most of the time to do it because navigation is easier with a trackpad & Keyboard shortcuts vs a touchscreen

[Chris5626]

Thanks for the comparison. Pity the 9790 isn't cheaper lol

[AidenSurvival]

For a 1 GHZ processor, I say web browsing is sub-par. I currently have a 9310. Web browsing seems snappy to me.

This is coming from a guy that had an Evo 3D.

[_StephenBB81]

For a 1 GHZ processor, I say web browsing is sub-par. I currently have a 9310. Web browsing seems snappy to me.

This is coming from a guy that had an Evo 3D.

It isn't the processor that is the issue I'd think with browsing, but the RAM,
my issues with the device come from low RAM available like when I have 5 or 6 tabs open

which happens a lot with the W short cut I find myself opening a page, while it waits to load I go and open another, and another and another, and worth through pages of content. and that tends to slow down each individual page load, but over all I get through more content faster

[antheauxny]

Why not just Trade your One X for a 9790?


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

[EdY]

not sure if still available, but I got my Torch 9810 for $0 and it has the largest screen of any BB plus a slider keyboard which is great!

i think Torch is the way to go!


Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Crackberry Tapatalk Forum app

[Chris5626]

Why not just Trade your One X for a 9790?


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

I plan on keeping my One X just in case I do get a BB and then decide I'm not getting on with it as well as I had hoped. I do actually have a few handsets that I can sell to raise some funds to either cover or off set a new purchase.

iPhone 4 (broken due to water damage but some places will still give some cash for it)
HTC Sensation XL (still brings in a fairly respectable price)
HTC Desire (not worth much but I haven't used it in a long time so something is better than nothing)
BB Storm (think I still have this somewhere, like the Desire really not worth much these days but something is better than nothing)

[Chris5626]

not sure if still available, but I got my Torch 9810 for $0 and it has the largest screen of any BB plus a slider keyboard which is great!

i think Torch is the way to go!


Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Crackberry Tapatalk Forum app

I hadn't really considered the Torch, I've read up about it and it does sound like it ticks the right boxes in terms of having a physical keyboard and apparently being the best BB for web browsing thanks to it having the same processor as the 9900/9930.

Two things are putting me off a little though, one the design itself, for me it doesn't quite look as attractive as the current Bold or Curve handsets and does sound like it is pretty weighty, the second is the price, I did a quick check of local retailers, only one (Carphone Warehouse) seemed to carry the Torch 9810 and whilst the contracts on it were quite well priced the handset only was a rather shocking �329.95 if I purchase �10 of credit so basically �340.

At that price the 9810 is a full �60 more than the 9790 and a massive �190 more than the 9360.

I appreciate that from the specs it is a top end BB device but I am not sure I can justify that price.

[ForgWorm]

I think the 9790's web browser is pretty decent compared to the HTC One X..
It can get laggy sometimes.. but other than that its a great web browser, much better than the old blackberries web browser.

[santino a]

I'd suggest getting a blackberry that is rather small, the 9790, the 9320, the 9220, and all those small handsets. I'd really prefer if you get the 9900 since in my opinion its size and processor is much better than the 9790, but go for the 9790 since its better than the curve series. Oh and once you go bold stay bold

Or you could wait for BB10

Exact same sit as you, and I got my 9790 today, perfect for my needs.

Don't get a curve, they spec are bad for browsing, my bold is amazingly good. You will NEED a touchscreen to flick around websites trust.

Don't get a 9900, they have barely better cpus and better size but battery life is very bad.

I needed my phone now and bb10 will probz be more ezpensive than a 9790, this phone couldn't be better for browsing and texting.

[Chris5626]

Hi all. I ended up getting the 9790 in the end a week ago. 02 were doing an offer �40 off all BlackBerry phones so I figured since I was looking at getting one why not?

I haven't yet ended up using it really though been manic at work and haven't had the time, think I only got round to typing in a half a dozen contacts but looking to start using it properly this week.

Just wanted to say a big thanks for everyone that responded here.

[BoldPreza]

IF you liked the Nokia e75 why not look at the Motorola Droid? Its shorter, narrower and a bit thicker than your HTC, has Android which you say you love and a similar form factor to your old Nokia.

If you do really want to go BlackBerry I would say the 9310/20 of the current range is probably your best bet as they will do everything you want, have a great keyboard, great battery life and they are cheap! Since you say you will be keeping your HTC anyway why put out major cash on another top end phone? Plus this base Curve line is solidly built little phones.

EDIT: OH, lol nevermind. I hope you enjoy your new Bold.