Is the Blackberry Bold 9700 still King of the Emails?

The Blackberry Bold 9700, which is the 2009 follow up to the Bold 9000 model, was right up there in its day with the iPhone and the top android. Arguably it was the best Blackberry on the market. Of course, three years later, that can hardly be said anymore so if you're looking for the top of the range Blackberry you'll have to look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a cheap Blackberry contract then this one is worth considering.

Specifications

Dimensions: 4.29 x 2.36 x 0.56 inches

Weight: 122 grams (with battery)

Connectivity: 3G, Bluetooth and wi-fi

Memory: 256MB flash memory

Screen Resolution: 480 x 360 pixels

Special Features: QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, Blackberry Internet Service

Find the full specs on the BlackBerry website.

Pros and Cons

Just as it's not really fair to compare a film made in the 1950s with a modern film of today, at least on technological grounds, we won't be comparing the Blackberry Bold 9700 with the latest phones of today, but rather what was available at the time. Put your head in the mindset of 2009 (not long ago by most standards, but practically aeons in this area) then you will get the idea of what we are talking about. On the other hand, if you don't want a phone from several years ago then there are of course plenty of current Blackberry and other smart phones available.

The main advantages of this phone are the qwerty keyboard, the vivid screen, the apps that are available and the quality of the wi-fi. The keyboard is of course the main draw for most people when it comes to considering a Blackberry. And although it is a major plus on this phone, you should be aware that the “clickyness” of the keys is not as good as it might be. Not as good, in fact, as it had been on the previous model. So that's a bit of a disappointment although at the same time, the chiselled keys make it very easy to type at speed and if you're looking for a Blackberry then that's probably what you're looking for. Even back in 2009 the iPhone was beginning to challenge the Blackberry as the “king of the emails” but of all that's changed in the last three years, the keyboard hasn't seen many changes. So if that's the main reason you want a Blackberry then there's probably no need to go for one of the more recent, high-end ones. The Bold 9700 should be fine.

The keyboard isn't the only thing it has in its favour of course, there are also a good (for its time) selection of apps to get. Also the screen is very good so you can very comfortably watch videos and view pictures. Having said that though, the user interface is dull compared to something like an iPhone. It's not touchscreen so it's not as user friendly although they replaced the trackball with a trackpad which is easy to use and it's also fun, whizzing it across the screen.

If you are going for a Blackberry though then the chances are it's because you're interested in more of the business-oriented features such as its email capabilities. What really makes this Blackberry great for emailing is that they have a dedicated Internet Service which means that your emails will go direct to your Blackberry and you wouldn't have to waste time checking for updates. It also means the emails are secure, as they are encrypted going each way.

Overall

As a three year old Blackberry, there are of course going to be places where the Bold 9700 is left lacking compared to more modern phones. However, if you're looking for something simple, functional and cheap then investigate Blackberry Bold 9700 deals to find the best price. Note that you can also get Blackberry Bold 9700 White contract deals as well.