BlackBerry Bold 9700
Bluetooth 2 .1 | |
Development status | Discontinued (December 2011) |
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The BlackBerry Bold 9700 (codenamed Onyx
Upon release, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 received mostly positive reviews from critics. The smartphone was commended for its design and most changes were favored, such as the trackpad. However, critics were ambivalent towards the dated software and the slow browser, and some concluded that the device did not set itself apart from previous models.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 was succeeded by the upgraded version, the
History
Rumors and prototypes
Starting April 2009, various rumors circulated regarding the smartphone and other reportedly planned models for the BlackBerry line-up. The first rumor reported that a trio of devices were being developed as
An image of one of Onyx's early prototypes surfaced online, with a similar hardware to the 9000's, including the same trackball.[3] That prototype was early reviewed by website CrackBerry, which confirmed diverse details about the device, such as the 480×360 display, the 3.2 megapixels camera and connectivity features—Wi-Fi and GPS.[4] The same day, other information regarding technicalities were revealed on a surfaced AT&T filesheet about the smartphone.[5] Already known as the BlackBerry 9020 and having started production, a photo of the device surfaced, though it replaced the trackball with a trackpad.[6] A previous prototype with a trackball was put up for sale on eBay, where it passed the mark of $600;[7] four days later, a pre-launch list of then-upcoming smartphones for AT&T surfaced online on August 9, 2009, which listed the device.[8] A T-Mobile press image was leaked on September 8.[9]
Announcement and release
On October 7, 2009, technology website Engadget reported that mobile carriers T-Mobile and AT&T would publicly announce the Bold 9700 on October 21, 2009.[10] Two days later, the website posted that rumors were circulating on the Internet, which predicted that the smartphone would be released to the United States T-Mobile on November 11, 2009.[11] The aforementioned carrier was then revealed to be sending invitations to "executive briefing" events—taking place in Los Angeles on November 3, 2009; in New York City.[12] T-Mobile Germany announced on October 15, 2009 that the Bold 9700 would be released in that country in November.[13]
The device was officially presented in Bochum, Germany—where it was developed—on October 21, 2009. The launch event was hosted by BlackBerry (then known as RIM) vice chairman Mike Lazaridis.[14] Boy Genius Report reported on November 4 of that year that the smartphone would be available early five days later for "select business customers".[15] On November 16, it was officially released to the general public in the United States under T-Mobile; AT&T released it on November 22.[16][17] A new white version of the Bold 9700 was hinted at by Research In Motion (RIM)'s Thai website, which posted an image of that version.[18] On April 7, 2010, it was exclusively released on T-Mobile Netherlands.[19] It was first released in North America by operator Rogers Communications in Canada, followed by its first release in the United States by T-Mobile, in May 2010, at a retail price of $100 with a contract.[20] The AT&T release occurred on the 26th of that month.[21] A special "Team Canada" edition of the Bold 9700 was also given to Future Shop employees once they reached a certain number of sales.[22]
Features
Hardware
The smartphone considerably reduces its predecessor's sizes, measuring 4.3 by 2.4 by 6 inches (10.92, 6.09 and 15.24 centimeters, respectively).
The 3.2-
Software
Upon release, the smartphone came with version 5 of BlackBerry's
An updated version of the operating system, BlackBerry 6, was announced by Research In Motion on August 3, 2010.[29] It was initially announced for the Bold 9700, Bold 9650 and Pearl 3G models, while it debuted on the BlackBerry Torch smartphone.[29] It improves several functionalities of BlackBerry 5, such as: icons on the home screen are arranged in five different views, which the user can view separately by swiping the trackpad; a search tool ("Universal Search"); an improved web browser, based on layout engine software WebKit, which contains diverse tabs that can be open simultaneously; pre-loaded social networking apps and enabling "rich content" on text messages, which are displayed in a chat-like format.[29] It was released by T-Mobile on March 4, 2011;[30] AT&T released it for Bold 9700 and Curve 3G models on April 29, 2011;[31]
Critical reception
Gareth Beavis of TechRadar awarded the smartphone four stars out of five. He pointed out that users who would upgrade to the phone from its predecessor could experience difficulties with typing, due to the reduced size of the keyboard, which he called "a little cramped for [his taste]".[26] Beavis stated that he liked its "solid build quality[, which] cradles a battery with unrivalled lasting ability", the screen quality and the new optical trackpad. However, he opined that the device "still feels like the BlackBerrys of old" and felt it needed to be upgraded, along with its software features.[26] Laura June from Engadget said that the "device feels nice in the hand" due to the "smaller, more sleek form factor of the whole package".[32] Unlike Beavis from TechRadar, she felt "typing on [the keyboard] is a joy", while she agreed that "the larger-handed among us [could feel] pretty cramped".[32] She wrote:
And, at the end of the day, that's one thing we can't get past—serious BlackBerry enthusiasts will tell you that the interface is doing just fine, and there are plenty of reasons to get hooked on these devices. For us, however, the BlackBerry UI is showing its age, and ultimately, beautiful hardware aside, this device is essentially exactly the same as every other BlackBerry.[32]
Digital Trends' Nick Mokey referred to the Bold 9700 as a "recommended product". Awarding it four stars out of five, he stated that the overall "solid feel of the phone helps" stand out an "overall aura of quality".[26] He found that the keyboard was "bordering on too small", although he named it the "finest" keyboard that can be "fold[ed] into a space this size". He also called the screen "amazing" and its call voice quality "excellent". Concluding the review, Mokey compared the smartphone to a Curve 8900 with a better battery, keyboard, a trackpad and what was missing on that phone—3G Internet coverage. He wrote: "Although the Bold 9700 lacks the frills of an iPhone or Palm Pre, for utilitarian business users, it’s one of the most polished smartphones on the market today."[33]
Jamie Lendino and Sascha Segan from
References
- ^ Allen, Danny (September 9, 2009). "RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 (aka Onyx): T-Mobile's First 3G BlackBerry". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ a b Ziegler, Chris (April 6, 2009). "Trio of new BlackBerrys rumored for the high end". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (May 10, 2009). "BlackBerry "Onyx" in the wild". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (May 24, 2009). "BlackBerry Onyx reviewed way before RIM intended it to be". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ^ Miller, Ross (May 24, 2009). "Blackberry Magnum, Onyx, Pearl 3G, and Gemini to harmonize on AT&T". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- PMC. July 10, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ^ Stevens, Tim (August 5, 2009). "BlackBerry Onyx, desperate for attention, sells self on eBay". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ^ Patel, Nilay (August 9, 2009). "AT&T's upcoming handsets include BlackBerry 9700, Garmin-Asus nuvifone G60". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Patel, Nilay (September 8, 2009). "T-Mobile BlackBerry Onyx press image leaks out". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (October 7, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 2 to be announced October 21 for T-Mobile, AT&5". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ L. Flatley, Joseph (October 9, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 2 set for November 11 T-Mobile launch?". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (October 10, 2009). "T-Mobile sending out early November event invites for Bold 2 launch?". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Savov, Vlad (October 15, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 official on T-Mobile Germany, November launch confirmed". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Herrmann, Thaddeus (October 21, 2009). "Engadget Deutschland live aus Bochum: Hier ist der BlackBerry Bold 9700" (in German). Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (November 4, 2009). "T-Mobile BlackBerry 9700 gets suited". Boy Genius Report. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (November 13, 2009). "T-Mobile launching BlackBerry Bold 9700 on November 16 for $199.99". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ "Bold Gets Even Better for AT&T Customers with the New BlackBerry Bold 9700" (Press release). AT&T. October 21, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- CXO Media, Inc. Archived from the originalon March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ Sage, Simon (April 7, 2010). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 in White Official on T-Mobile Netherlands". IntoMobile. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- CXO Media, Inc. Archived from the originalon March 3, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (May 20, 2010). "Nothing black about these berries: T-Mobile outs fuchsia Curve 8520, white Bold 9700". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ Falconer, James (April 12, 2010). "Sexy Shots of the Limited Edition 'Team Canada' BlackBerry Bold 9700". IntoMobile. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ About.com. Archived from the originalon 27 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Beavis, Gareth (13 November 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 review". TechRadar. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ a b Kao & Sarigumba 2011, p. 75
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ a b c "RIM Unleashes BlackBerry 6" (Press release). BlackBerry. August 3, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Epstein, Zach (March 4, 2011). "T-Mobile's BlackBerry Bold 9700 finally gets OS 6". Boy Genius Report. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Munchbach, Andrew (April 29, 2011). "BlackBerry 6 comes to Bold 9700, Curve 3G on AT&T". Boy Genius Report. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c June, Laura (November 5, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 review". Engadget. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Mokey, Nick (November 30, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review". Digital Trends. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
- ^ Segan, Sascha (November 5, 2009). "BlackBerry Bold 9700 (T-Mobile)". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
Works cited
- Kao, Robert; Sarigumba, Dante (2011), BlackBerry For Dummies, For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-118-10035-6