Bold 9000 impressions

So far, I am definitely pleased to have exchanged the Bold 9700 for the older 9000 model. It is now a little after 1AM and I have finally completed setup of my device after updating it to the latest fifth version of the BB OS. With the help of some online resources, I was able to successfully bypass the fact the AT&T did not provide a network-approved update to this OS. Not only do I have a BlackBerry device that is almost perfect in hardware, but it is now worthwhile in its onboard software. Turning on the 9000 to a later version of BB OS 4 was not exactly a misfortune, but I did miss the updated look of OS 5 from the 9700 model. After spending a good amount of time with the Nexus One and its touch interface, it still feels refreshing to have simplicity with the BlackBerry OS.

This is made all the more pleasant in finally getting a hardware qwerty that can satisfy my need for prolonged writing. While the Bold 9700 was not terrible by any means, it was unable to grant me a comfortable typing platform due to its small form factor. Although I had previously been turned off by width from the likes of the HTC HD2, I am now loving this element on the Bold 9000. The extra widening of the previous generation model seems to grant larger keys. There is no doubt that quick thumbs can potentially get lost in a blur when speeding across these tactile buttons. There is certainly a clicking sound that emanates from the qwerty in swift typing, but I don't mind it all. The qwerty clicks remind me of an old fashioned typewriter and give a welcomed break from the soft, spongy feel of past keyboards. A pronounced curvature along with chrome row separators really lends an ergonomic and professional upper hand to the Bold 9000's design. More so than even the former E71, this device helps the time to pass by when I get into a writing frenzy. Yes, this phone has a better keyboard than the ESeries device that had my allegiance once upon a time.

In addition to having a welcoming environment for prolonged writing, there is also more substance to the build of the 9000 model. Being larger than the 9700, it has a more masculine construction even though it feels hollow and much cheaper. One has to be honest and call attention to the fact that this certainly doesn't have the solid feel of the 9700, but this isn't a dealbreaker by any means. Minor creaking is present over the headphone and miniUSB ports, but this is a non-issue in daily use. The added bulk is not as bad as I thought it would be for portability due to the abundance of plastic. Unlike Samsung, RIM has cleverly offset this plastic with a leather-like backing. While I can understand the potential for gaudiness with this design cue, it really isn't as bad in person as I thought it would be. There is a serious aura radiating from this phone that departs from the typical touch only slabs that have been dominating the mobile industry. I truly understand how RIM can be seen as the business consumer supplier in a market seemingly saturated with media-centric mini tablets. By the sturdy make of the qwerty buttons and its sizable platform of a body, the Bold 9000 is a certified writer's dream (or at least my dream).

There are indeed some flaws to be tolerated, but I was fully aware of the risk I was accepting in purchasing the 9000. Downgrades from the 9700 model include low internal memory for app downloads, lesser 2 megapixel camera, and supposed weaker battery life. I have had to be careful with what apps I choose to download from BlackBerry App World and be sure to only include the most essential. I did have an Endomondo app for GPS tracking on my runs, but then uninstalled it after deeming its redundancy with my iPod Touch Nike Sport. The low grade camera is of course not that great for even snapshots, but it works nonetheless. However, I won't even waste time with attempting to record any video footage with this kind of camera. As for the battery life, it has been simply amazing! Since there is no large touch screen or 1GHz CPU to power up, this Bold can last easily for a 1.5 days with Wi-Fi constantly running. One particular down side that I've noticed is the voice call quality that seems sub par in comparison to the Nexus and E72 I recently reviewed. Tinny sounds from the earpiece have no trouble getting distorted in upper volume levels despite the strong signal reception. Speakerphone works just fine with little fanfare, but could use a bit more volume. Facebook for BlackBerry has not been the best of experiences on this handset or the previous 9700 due to its unpredictable nature. After changing settings to have no effect on my contacts and calendar, the app insisted on integrating itself anyway. This caused a great deal of chaos with my PIM data, and I had no choice but to do a hard reset and vow to never use the Facebook app again. Even with the cons of this older Bold, my primary want is for comfortable writing and its broad qwerty provides that for me.

Nice surprises have emerged from the first few days with the 9000 in regards to making the most of its features and apps. While it is of course not a direct resemblance to what I was accustomed to on the Nexus One, it is certainly not too bad. The stereo speakers are a delight to have for media playback, and it causes me to wonder why so many current devices haven't had this feature in a while. A large touch screen with a Snapdragon CPU and a measly speaker opening just doesn't seem like a worthy combination for a flagship. This is not to say this Bold has outstanding speakers with flawless audio, but it can still give plenty of sound with them. Browsing the web is an absolute nightmare, but the new-found Bolt application brings a worthy substitute. Rendering desktop layouts for sites in a quick manner is Bolt's strong suit, and there's also support for playing online video files. While video is not that great and best supported with a wifi connection, it is still nice to have this resemblance to the Skyfire app. Moviefone gives a familiar function in the absence of Fandango, and Dictionary.com always rescues me in times of writer's block. Tether is a promising app that is self-explanatory, but at this point I'm not sure if it is worth the premium price after the free trial is over. One Touch Flashlight V2 from JaredCo comes in quite handy in using the camera's LED light, and ShareIt provides a convenient way to share content with both Facebook and Twitter. Having the Amazon Kindle app really eased the pain of an Android version being released just after I had sold my Nexus One. There may not be much amazement from the smaller screen, but I am glad to have the ability to read my Kindle books on the go without my first gen reader. Twitter for BlackBerry continues to be reliable with its non-touch interface, and Google services such as Sync, Mobile App, and Maps remain priceless for efficient mobile functionality. Last but not least is the DataViz Docs to Go application which has been nothing short of incredible with the Bold's hardware qwerty. While the default MemoPad app is sufficient for writing my thoughts, I must admit that I prefer the advanced options available on a bona-fide word document editor. To my favor, DataViz is now running an $18 sale on the mobile office app, and I of course had to take the offer while the getting was good.

With all that I have gained with the qwerty bar form factor from the BlackBerry brand so far, I admit that I do miss the E71 and its Symbian 3rd OS. While its qwerty may not be as impressive as the Bold 9000, the OS seems more intuitive. One can think this stems from my being familiar with Symbian after so many years, but I would have to disagree. The truth of the matter is both RIM and Symbian offer antiquated OS models for non-touch devices, but Symbian provides a more balanced usage experience. Oh well, maybe this is simply my own lamenting over no longer having the E71. There are plenty of good points about the BlackBerry Bold 9000 that I would not get with the E71: 3.5mm jack, stereo speakers, wider qwerty, better qwerty shortcuts, better tactile feedback, 2 shortcut keys, a dedicated messenger app (made for only correspondence between like devices), and a worthwhile app store.

At the end of the day, this 9000 is not a permanent device at all, but merely a stopgap as I continue to wait for a worthy Android device with a hardware qwerty. As much as I'm hopeful for an unlocked GSM version of the Galaxy S Pro to be available for AT&T's 3G network, this may not happen. Until the day comes for this, I will have to hold on and try to manage without the Android OS and enjoy the time allotted with this tactile keyboard.

TRENT
Sent via BlackBerry Bold 9000