The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Bold 9300 smartphones will run on BlackBerry OS 7
RIM's BlackBerry Bold line is set for a major upgrade with the imminent arrival of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Smartphones. Combining the familiar full QWERTY keypad with a new "Liquid Graphics" touch screen, the 9900 and 9300 will run on the new BlackBerry 7 OS and pack 720p HD video, built-in NFC (Near Field Communications) technology, a 1.2 GHz processor and the thinnest BlackBerry form factor yet – 10.5 mm (0.41-inches).
On the hardware side, the new Bold's get a 1.2 GHz Processor, 768 MB RAM, 8 GB on-board memory (plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards), a 5 megapixel camera and 720p video recording. There's also a built-in accelerometer and a compass (magnetometer) for location-based services and augmented reality overlays like the Wikitude browser, and support for high speed 4G/HSPA+ networks.
The 2.8-inch Liquid Graphics capacitive touch screen display has a 640x480, 287 ppi resolution (the iPhone 4 has 326 ppi by way of comparison) and offers "up to 60 frames-per-second performance with instant UI action/response" according to RIM.
The key specs:
- 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, approximately 130 g
- 2.8" capacitive touch screen display – VGA (640x480), 287 dpi resolution
- Ultra-easy QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad
- 1.2 GHz Processor, 768 MB RAM
- 8 GB on-board memory, plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards
- NFC technology
- 5.0 MP camera, supports 720p HD video recording
- Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), Digital Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity Sensor
- Built-in GPS / aGPS
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi® - 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz
- Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support
- Wireless Network support: 9900: Tri-Band HSPA+, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE, 9930: Dual-Band CDMA/EV-DO Rev. A, Dual-Band HSPA+, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE
- 1230 mAh removable, rechargeable battery
I first off want to say, even though I am a huge RIM fan, I was having my doubts. I now own an iPhone 4 and have had 2 Android devices in my possession within the last 5 months. All of them competing for my dedication, and each wanting to become my primary device, replacing my tried and true 9700. Then I got the call from my local Bell World (I have become friends with one of the sales guys) that the 9900s are now in the store, and locked in his managers office.2 days later, they were able to sell them, a very sneaky and stealth release, as a Bell CSR told me on the phone that the official launch is August 16th. I went down yesterday and picked one up, and immediately I was impressed. It feels slick , well engineered, the keyboard is very big and spacious. It beats my old favorite keyboard of the 8900. The screen is very bright, and detailed, and the over all aesthetics of the device are best to date on any BlackBerry I have held or seen.
One thing I was worried about, was the integration of the touch screen in to the normal navigation and use of the device, and let me say it is very intuitive and comes natural. I find myself using it more and more, and my trackpad being ignored. I am still not accustomed to using it for pictures or viewing web pages, but I am sure it will come. I will say it is very nice to be able to flick scroll through the navigation panes on the homescreen; and it is very fluid, with no lag.
The device is solid, and very fast. I barely see the hourglass (I have only seen it while service books were rolling in, and while I was installing/uninstalling apps), the big keyboard is superb, a little clickity, but it will break in. And over all I would say one of the only downsides would be the lack of auto focus on the camera, but its a phone, I carry a camera for pictures.
I am still awaiting for app support for applications such as SocialScope, and other apps that work, show up as unsupported in AppWorld so it a s hunting game right now looking for latest updated OTAs and finding out if they work correctly.
Overall I am impressed, I wont say it is a home-run that will save RIM, but it is a huge step in the right direction, using the 1.2Ghz processor makes the device so fast, and I honestly had to get used to scrolling because there was no lag what so ever. One thing I will say though, is that this device will remain my primary, and the others will get dusty on my shelf.
Note: Please note that I did not include more screenshots because it is very very similar to OS6, but upon request will show more.
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