RIM is at it again with the BlackBerry Bold 9650, the successor to the BlackBerry Tour. The smartphone successfully delivers the best of BlackBerry’s features: the latest operating system, the best keyboard, camera, Wi-Fi and more.

Despite its outdated looks, the Bold 9650 seems poised to take over the role of most-desirable BlackBerry for Sprint and Verizon users. It’s available now from Sprint for $200 with contract, and Verizon will release it soon.

I’ve only had the device for a short time, but that’s enough to offer my first impression.

BUILD & DESIGN

You won’t be blown away by the looks of the 9650. In fact, after the initial unboxing I had to look twice to make sure that this was actually a new device. It looks almost identical to the BlackBerry Tour 9630, with the exception of an optical trackpad and slightly smaller dimensions. It couldn’t be more obvious that the new model is the replacement for the Tour, despite the new name.

Screen/Keyboard/Trackpad
The screen is crisp, vivid, and bright. Happily, it seems RIM has resolved the issue we saw with the Tour where the screen would ripple from the corner when pushing a talk button.

The keypad is taken almost directly from the Tour, maintaining the same layout, color scheme, and the same great rubbery keyboard.

The trackpad seems a little finicky but hopefully that’s just part of the learning curve.

Other Design Elements
Unlike the Bold models offered by AT&T and T-Mobile, the 9650′s back plate doesn’t sport any faux-leather. Instead it has a simple textured plastic center piece on a standard black matte finish.

There is a rocker key across the top for the mute and lock keys, but no dedicated media keys like we’ve seen on other RIM models.

PERFORMANCE

In keeping with its mission of delivering a top-quality device, the 9650 comes loaded with BlackBerry OS 5.0, which includes a collection of useful apps including email, a web browser and a calendar.

With the recent updates to the OS, the line between basic BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) features and the consumer-oriented BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) features continues to be blurred, which is a great thing for BIS users. Features that were once available only to corporate users are becoming available to individuals.

There don’t seem to be any major improvements or changes to this specific flavor of the OS compared to the versions on other RIM offerings.

Other Features
The Bold 9650 offers 3G (EV-DO Rev. A) and support for UMTS/HSPA overseas, so it can be used in the U.S. and abroad.

Unlike its predecessor, the Tour 9630, the smartphone offers Wi-Fi.  It also has Bluetooth.

Call quality is good so far, though the speakerphone can be a little choppy at the highest volume settings.

RIM includes its nearly-standard 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, and the lens is slightly offset from the center on the back of the device.

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 isn’t groundbreaking. Normally it would be a huge step for the CDMA crowd, envious of the 9700. However given how capable the Tour is, the only real improvements seem to be more connectivity and the trackpad.

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a 3G, Wi-Fi enabled smartphone offered in the U.S. by T-Mobile and soon AT&T. It has a beautiful HVGA screen, track pad, full QWERTY keyboard, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, and expandable microSD memory card slot.

The original Bold 9000 set the bar in terms of delivering a reliable, high performing device that sported the best feature set RIM had to offer. Just a year later, the Bold2 offers an enhanced feature set and an improved design that instantly leaves the original Bold feeling, well, old.

BUILD & DESIGN

The Bold2 may be the best looking BlackBerry yet. The most notable contrast with the first-generation Bold is its overall size. It’s thinner, shorter, and less wide than the Bold. It’s also less wide than the BlackBerry Tour, though not by much.

Its distinguishing features include subdued chrome accents around the bezel, a faux-leather backed battery compartment, black matte convenience keys on the sides, and of course, a track pad where users have become accustomed to seeing the iconic but sometimes finicky BlackBerry Ball.

Also changed in this version is the layout of the camera and flash on the back of the device – they’re now side by side rather than above one another. The Bold2 also has charging contacts on the side of the device that are discussed more below. The most practical change in styling is a redesign of the battery compartment which now feels more secure and in solid.

Screen
The screen is simply amazing. The iPhone’s screen was great, then the Bold took the same resolution and packed it into a smaller, richer screen. The Bold2 has done the same thing, but more so. Graphics are detailed, and smooth and pictures and web pages render sharply.

Of course, the screen itself is smaller than its predecessor, and is on par with a Curve 8900 or Tour so you’ll want to think twice if you’re primarily concerned with browsing. If this is your primary concern you might want to think twice.

The screen is bright enough, but does seem less bright than the Bold… though that device was almost too bright.

Track pad & Keyboard
To fit the smaller form factor the keyboard had to be scaled down, though not at the cost of usability. The keys maintain the rubbery, responsive feeling from the Bold, albeit smaller. If you are used to a BlackBerry Curve or even a Tour, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this keyboard. If you’re coming from a Bold, you’ll notice only a slight difference, and if you’re coming from a Storm you’ll be thankful (for more reasons than just the keyboard) that you made the switch.

The trackpad is a delight to use, and has almost no learning curve. I liked it on the Curve 8520, and I love it on the Bold2. It’s responsive, accurate, doesn’t stick, is less likely to be damaged. Moreover, it simply looks better than the ball. I did notice that BrickBreaker was a little more difficult with the pad, perhaps its biggest flaw. In the future the pad could be improved if it scrolled when the user rested his/her finger on the edge of the pad.

The 9700 sports two programmable convenience keys — one on each side – as well as volume rockers, and a top mute/lock rocker. I did notice that the volume keys were sometimes slow to respond, or required me to hit them more than once before they responded.

Accessories
Like the Bold, RIM has built in charging contacts into the sides of the Bold2, intending it to be used in a charging cradle. Though useful, it is annoying that due to the different size, the latest model won’t charge in the original one’s cradle.

Like some of its contemporaries, and unlike the Bold, the Bold2 charges using a micro-USB port, so depending on what you’re trading up from, you may have to invest in some new accessories.

PERFORMANCE

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 overall offers solid performance in every area I’ve looked. The hardware and software combination work well together, and I haven’t experienced any major glitches.

Wireless
T-Mobile users will be happy to know that the Bold2 has better wireless access than their current BlackBerry, thanks to the 3G coverage. Though the coverage is increased, it’s still not on par with AT&T or Verizon in my test area.

This issue is somewhat overcome by being able to call over Wi-Fi (T-Mobile only). Wi-Fi calling is not always flawless; if your signal is weak there is noticeable quality degradation. On more than one occasion, my call was dropped when switching from Wi-Fi to cell tower.

Call Quality
Though the coverage isn’t always stellar, the call quality is consistently good. Calls are loud, and the sound is well balanced.

When using the speakerphone at the loudest volume, calls were tinny as compared to the Bold. This was a problem I noticed on the Storm2 as well; hopefully it isn’t indicative of things to come from RIM!

When making calls using the 3G signal on the Bold, the device can get uncomfortably hot. This problem seems to have been addressed in the new offering.

Like is its predecessor, the 9700 offers visual voicemail, another feature that will likely become standard on all ‘Berries in time.

Software
This BlackBerry sports the newest 5.0 operating system, and there are some notable improvements over the previous generation. Menus are easier to navigate and better looking. RIM borrows from the iPhone OS in areas such as time/date selection, which are now offered as a rolling wheel. My favorite feature of the 5.0 is the ability to more easily customize ringing profile settings. There are some features that were previously unoffered as well, such as the ability to set vibration to short, medium, or long sessions.

Another major improvement over previous versions is the ability to wirelessly sync contacts with Google accounts. The option to auto-sync is given after setting up an eligible email account, and it’s a great way to consolidate your address books.

Browsing
The smaller screen size is noticeable when browsing, and not in a good way. If no mobile version is available, pages that load are more zoomed out than the Bold, and from there you have to zoom in to the section you want. This process is manageable, but can easily be frustrating if you plan on doing a lot of browsing.

Additionally there are some media types and some pages that don’t play well with the BlackBerry; again, if browsing is your main concern this probably isn’t the device for you.

Messaging & Productivity
This is a BlackBerry, so of course messaging is quick and reliable, and RIM packs in plenty of options including threaded text messaging, email, and instant messaging options including BlackBerry Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo.

The 9700 also offers the DataViz Documents To Go Office Suite that allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and even send as attachments.

Media & Camera
The Bold2 can play basic media: audio files, movie files, etc. There is a standard headphone jack on the side. Due to the smaller form factor your headphones will not plug completely into the slot — some of the stem will be exposed). It doesn’t affect the audio but it does bother me.

This phone ships with the same ugly headphone/mic combination as other BlackBerrys. This is unfortunate because the headphones that came with the original Bold are far superior in comparison.

This BlackBerry comes with 256 MB of internal memory, and it has an microSD slot. It is bundle with a 2 GB card and is expandable up to 32 GB, giving you plenty of room for MP3s and video. The slot is accessible by removing the battery cover (but not the battery). It was located on the side of the Bold 9000, but given that most users don’t switch cards very often it won’t be a big annoyance.

The camera is vastly improved.  It boasts 3.2 megapixels, auto-focus, flash, and video recording. The downside the camera is that you can only auto-focus by using the right convenience key. I’ve had experiences of these keys failing over time. If that were to happen here the user would be unable to take advantage of this great feature.

Battery Life
The Bold 9700 uses the same huge battery as the Bold, but it seems to last a little longer, I’ve been getting as much as two days, depending on use.

CONCLUSION

In just a little more than a year RIM has proved that it can improve on a design that was already great. If you can afford it, there are very few reasons not to get the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

The browsing experience isn’t on par with some competitors, but that’s not why you buy a BlackBerry. There is a decent number of apps available, but again that’s not RIM’s core competency. The Bold2 has a great track pad, excellent form factor with a very solid feel, an improved OS, and I’ve experienced nearly no glitches. I can’t wait to pick mine up.

Pros:

• Smaller form factor
• Trackpad not a trackball
• Better camera
• 3G and Wi-Fi calling (T-Mobile)

Cons:

• Accessories not backward compatible,
• Poor browsing experience
• Speakerphone quality degrades at high volumes

The new BlackBerry Bold 9000 is the successor to devices like the BlackBerry Curve and the 8800.

It is evolutionary, not revolutionary. But RIM’s long years of experience really come through in the Bold, and it is far and away the best BlackBerry I’ve ever used.

Part of this is the elegance of the design, but a number of new features contribute as well, like the HVGA screen, HSDPA, and greatly improved software for working with Microsoft Office files.

DESIGN & BUILD
RIM has dramatically improved the looks of its devices in recent years, and the Bold is a new high point. Its rounded corners and leather-textured back make it somehow both professional and sexy.

And the higher-resolution screen is great, too.  The Bold has a 320-by-480-pixel display, which is at least twice the resolution of the earlier RIM models, like the Curve. This is a beautiful screen that makes everything you do with the Bold look great, but especially watching movies.

This smartphone is wider than many of its competitors, but it’s also relatively thin. And its width allows the aforementioned screen to be larger, and also makes room for a bigger keyboard. This isn’t as wide as the landscape-oriented keyboards you’ll find on some smartphones, but it’s large enough to be comfortable to type on. There’s no separation between keys, but each key has a raised area that makes it easier for you to be sure you’re hitting just one at a time. Sadly, the Bold doesn’t fix one of my biggest complaints with BlackBerry keyboards: there are no keys dedicated to the most frequently used punctuation marks, including the period and the comma.

Between the screen and keyboard is the trackball. As the Bold doesn’t have a touchscreen, you’ll do much of your interacting with it through this, and it’s up to the job. After a couple of days of use, I began to think that a trackball is a better option than a D-pad and definitely superior to the old BlackBerry track-wheel.

There are programmable keys on both the left and right sides of this device, which is another thing I’d like to see on other smartphones.

There’s also a button on top you can use to mute incoming calls. This doesn’t answer the call or send it to voice-mail, it just quickly shuts off the ringing sound. You can use this same button to put the Bold in standby mode, which locks the keys and turns the screen off until you hit this button again. It will still take calls, so it’s a good way to carry your smartphone around.

PERFORMANCE

I have been using the Bold for a couple of weeks now, and I have have found it to be rock solid. If it has crashed a single time, I can’t remember it. And its 624 MHz processor is easily capable of handling any of the tasks I threw at it, always responding quickly.

I have no complaints about this device’s performance as a phone, but then I live in an area with excellent AT&T coverage.

Wireless
The BlackBerry Bold is the first model from RIM with HSDPA, the latest version of high-speed wireless networking used by GSM carriers. This is welcome news for AT&T customers, but isn’t going to impress Verizon or Sprint users, as their BlackBerries have had equivalent data transfer speeds for a long time. But like I said, AT&T customers are going to enjoy a noticeable speed increase when accessing web sites.

And the Bold’s web browser is a pleasant surprise. I’ve used some miserable browsers on BlackBerries over the years, but this one is significantly improved. It’s not amazing or even cutting edge by any stretch, but it’s more usable than the browser on any BlackBerry I’ve seen before.

That said, if you’re serious about web browsing you should install Opera Mini, which is much, much better.

This smartphone is also one of the first from this company with Wi-Fi, which can be used to speed up your browsing when you’re in range of a hotspot.

It also has Bluetooth. This is primarily intended to let you use wireless headsets and car-kits, and it does this job nicely, but many of you will be happy to hear that it will work for tethering the AT&T’s version of the Bold to your laptop, too. For any of you who aren’t familiar with this term, it refers to the ability to make your phone act as a wireless modem for another computer.

Software for Work and Fun
What separates a smartphone from an ordinary mobile phone is good software. Fortunately, the BlackBerry Bold is well supplied with this.

Like all RIM’s models. this device supports push email. Messages can come from a company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server, but AT&T also offers a version of this service for consumers, too.

One of the best new features is the bundled version of DataViz Documents To Go. This is a suite of applications for working with Microsoft Office files. It does a decent job of letting you see files in their original format, and edit them, too. It doesn’t support all the formatting options Word does, but if you edit and re-save a document with formatting DocsToGo can’t display, the unsupported formatting won’t be affected.

To be sure of this, I created a test Word document packed with formatting and then opened it on the Bold. With the exception of the fonts and the footnote, it did a good job of rendering the document as it had appeared on my desktop. I then made some small changes, re-saved the file, and then sent it back to PC, a process called round-tripping. The document’s formating hadn’t been thrown off by DocsToGo, and, of course, the changes were still in place.

Long-time BlackBerry users will also surely welcome the Bold’s new voice recorder.

And of course, this device has a suite of PIM applications: calendar, contracts, etc., that can be synchronized with a central server. I wish these were a bit more robust, though.  There’s no support for  categories in the address book, for example.

The Bold isn’t just about work.

In the “Fun” category, this smartphone’s HVGA display really shines when you’re playing movies. I loaded up some MP4 files and they looked outstanding. So did the YouTube videos I checked out, and the same goes for the shows I watched on AT&T’s Mobile Video service.

This model can also play MP3s, the better to keep you entertained on a boring trip.

RIM supplies desktop software to let you transfer audio and video files from your PC to your phone. You can put these in the internal 1 GB of storage or on a microSD card. You’ll have to supply your own card, and you can find these in surprisingly high capacities: 16 GB ones are out now.

The BlackBerry platform is still a bit behind its competitors in some multimedia-related areas, though. There’s no support for streaming audio over the Internet, for example.

The Bold does come with a few games, though, including the obligatory version of Solitaire. This and BrickBreaker can keep you entertained and get you accustomed to using the trackball, if you aren’t already.

The version of this device I’m testing has a 2.0 MPx camera, which is capable of taking decent pictures. It even includes an LED that tries to light up your subject, to make taking pictures in low-light situations a tiny bit better.

A feature that encompasses both work and your personal use is GPS. If you’re looking for decent, free navigation software, I recommend Google Maps. The client for BlackBerry is quite good, if a touch limited.

Battery Life
The Bold’s 1500 mAh battery is capable of getting through a day of heavy use, or three days of light to moderate use. Still, you can drain it faster by using some of the more power-draining features, like Wi-Fi and the GPS receiver.

CONCLUSION

The BlackBerry Bold 9000 is easily the best-looking keyboard-based smartphone on the market, and the software it includes makes it the best BlackBerry yet.

That doesn’t make it the best smartphone available, though. There are still some areas RIM needs to work on if it wants to reach that point. It’s weak web browser and its limited support for fonts are some of the things holding it back.

Still, you can install Opera Mini — for free — to shore up its web browsing capabilities. And there’s no doubt this is the best BlackBerry on the market.

Pros:

• Great design, including a high-resolution screen and keyboard
• 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth
• Bundles with a Microsoft Office editor

Cons:

• Somewhat large
• Weak built-in web browser

]]> http://www.phonello.com/smartphone/blackberry-bold-9000/feed/ 0