Full RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review November 17, 2009

Look and Feel – Very Good

As opposed to the last BlackBerry Bold 9000, which was a strange mix of styles and textures, RIM got the style just right with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. The phone oozes class, and though it still sports a mix of faux-leather plastics and soft touch paint with that now-signature chrome band, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 now feels understated and slight in the hand. It’s smaller and lighter than the BlackBerry Tour, even though it packs more features. Overall, the outer shell is not a departure from the modern BlackBerry look and feel, it’s just the most refined version we’ve seen so far. (more…)

Review of RIM’s worthy new BlackBerry Curve 8900 QWERTY smartphone November 17, 2009

Review by Michael Oryl on Thursday February 12, 2009.

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900

RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 is the second generation of the company’s compact, full-QWERTY messaging smartphone. It features the same basic form factor as the original 8300 series devices, but gets some nicely upgraded features as well as a bit of the BlackBerry Storm and Bold’s styling. We reviewed a T-Mobile USA version of the 8900, which supports the company’s UMA^(INFO) based HotSpot @Home VoIP calling service.

Physical Aspects

At 112g (3.9oz) in weight and measuring 109.5mm x 60.5mm x 13.5mm (4.3″ x 2.4″ x .5″) in size, the new Curve is basically the same size and weight as the original, though it is appreciably thinner. The keyboard on the device is much like the original’s and offers great feel. The new trackball is a bit stiffer and slightly harder to use, though. The 8900′s display is a beautiful 480×360 pixel unit that measures 2.4 inches across the diagonal. It’s smaller than the display on the Bold 9000, but sports more pixels.

The overall build quality of the device is very good with one exception: the rear battery cover. RIM cut some corners with it, and it shows. The cover is loose fitting and rattles. The Curve 8900′s overall design is nice, the finish is attractive, and I appreciate the soft-touch rubbery surface used on the sides and bottom of the phone. It’s a solid piece of hardware.

Core Functions

Call audio quality on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is exceptionally good, especially when on UMA based VoIP connections. Reception on GSM networks seems perhaps slightly better than on the 8320, but not much so. The speakerphone functions very well from the perspective of the remote caller, though it can sound a bit harsh to the Curve user. RIM rates the Curve 8900 for 6 hours of talk time or up to 19 days of standby time, and we can at least offer that the battery life seems better than in the 8300 series devices. For T-Mobile USA users, the Curve 8900 is compatible with the carrier’s My Faves calling service.

Contact management on the Curve 8900 is very good, and the ability to search for contacts merely by typing a first and/or last name from the home screen is handy. Ring profiles on the 8900 are hugely customizable, though still a bit complex due to all of the available settings. Speed dials and speaker independent voice dialing is also available on this newest member of the Curve family.

Messaging is still the focus of any BlackBerry, and the Curve 8900 deals with such tasks well. Multiple email accounts can be easily configured on the device, and users have options as to whether they prefer combined or separate inboxes for their email and SMS/MMS messages. RIM thoughtfully included a large number of keyboard shortcuts to make messaging even faster, such as hitting the ‘R’ key to reply to a selected message in the inbox.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 functions on any of the four major GSM/EDGE network bands, but lacks 3G connectivity completely. WiFi access will help mitigate that omission, but even the WiFi data speeds seem sluggish at times. The Curve 8900 supports USB mass storage emulation and Bluetooth connectivity for headsets as well as stereo headphones.

The Calm Before the Second Storm… November 17, 2009

The BlackBerry Storm2. To say it has been highly anticipated would be an understatement. Before the original BlackBerry Storm was available to customers, the first rumors of the Storm 2 began to surface. Research in Motion even acknowledged the existence of the new device much earlier than they historically would, when RIM’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie said in a presentation to analysts and investors (reported by Reuters) in May 2009 that they were working on a next generation of its BlackBerry Storm as part of a continuing push into the retail market. From that point, it was less than two weeks later when the first photos of the new BlackBerry Storm were posted to the internet right here at CrackBerry.com which was followed up soon after when we brought you the first video of the BlackBerry Storm 2 in action. In the weeks following and leading up to the Storm2′s “official” announcement, youtube has been full of “unofficial” BlackBerry Storm2 9550 and 9520 previews (Verizon’s Storm2 is the 9550; Vodafone’s is the 9520) showing off early-stage hardware and firmware. Due to this unofficial nature, most early Storm2 videos/photos disappeared from the web as quickly as they appeared, but now that we have an official review unit you can rest assured knowing Storm2 content is now here to stay. (more…)