The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is here, and I can say that I haven't been this excited for a BlackBerry since, well, the Bold 9000.
The new 9700 slims down the overall package size while maintaining the same great feature set, including Wi-Fi and 3G. Most importantly it sports a track pad rather than a trackball. This latest offering also boasts the 5.0 operating system. RIM hit its mark with the 9700, and it promises to impress.
T-Mobile users will be delighted with the Bold2 as their first 3G BlackBerry, and AT&T users will welcome it as a worthy successor to a proven device. Both these carriers are going to introduce this model later this month for $200 with two-year contract, and it's already available in Europe.
I've only had this device for a short time, so I'm just giving my first impressions now; a more complete review will be available in short order.
BUILD & DESIGN
The Bold 9700 is smaller than its predecessor in every way -- thinner, shorter, and not as wide, although they weigh about the same and use the same huge battery. The 9700 even feels a little smaller than the BlackBerry Tour. Despite its smaller size, it doesn't make too many concessions in terms of usability.
What's best is that it just feels solid. There isn't play in the keyboard, and the battery compartment feels snug.
Screen
The HVGA display is still sharp, though not as big as its predecessor's. Its rich resolution somewhat compensates for its smaller screen size while browsing -- a topic I'll cover more in depth in the upcoming full review.
The display is stellar, but it seems less bright than the 9000. The 9000's screen is comfortably viewed in almost all lighting conditions at 10%, with the 9700 I've had to kick it up to 100% brightness.
Keyboard and Buttons
I loved the rubberized keys on the original Bold, and although they're slightly smaller on the 9700, they are still easy to use and accurate. I did notice that the keyboard seems to concave inward slightly near the center of the keypad.
A major improvement in this device is the more appropriately sized function keys: talk, menu, return, end.
One of the defining features of the Bold2 is its track pad. This one feels more comfortable and more responsive than that of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 that I recently reviewed.
The Bold 9700 adopts the now standard rocker key atop of the phone -- lock on one side, mute/standby on the other.
Appearance
The styling has been reworked as well in the newest offering. Just a year ago the Bold impressed with its chrome accents and black finish. The 9700 pares down the glitz and is understated. The chrome convenience keys have been replaced with a rubberized black finish, the chrome is more subdued, and there is less of it. All welcome additions in my opinion.
The Bold 9700 offers the same touch of faux-leather on the back, but it covers only a small portion of the back cover; here I think the 9000 has the leg up.
PERFORMANCE
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has solid performance with no notable glitches or falters during my initial testing. Menu transitions are smooth, navigation with the track pad is nearly seamless. Messaging and call quality has been consistently good so far.
OS and Software
The Bold2 comes with a standard set of software applications with no notable departures over other models. This includes BlackBerry Maps (likely T-Mobile only), DataViz Documents To Go office suite, instant messaging clients T-Mobile My Account, and some games (BrickBreaker, World Mole, Texas Hold'Em, Sudoku, and Klondike). Notably absent from the default software is BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry's answer to Apple's App Store.
The this model also offers Visual Voicemail as standard. Though it will not transcribe voicemail, it will tell you who called and the length of message.
The BlackBerry OS 5.0 software (v 5.0.0.330) performs reliably and offers many upgrades over previous versions.
Wireless
The Bold 9700 is the first BlackBerry from T-Mobile with 3G mobile broadband. Thanks to 3G, wireless coverage does seem improved in my test area, where previously T-Mobile coverage has fallen short.
Like other devices from this carrier, the Bold 9700 offers calling over Wi-Fi networks. This continues to work well, though I have noticed dropped calls when switching from UMA to wireless, and there is notable call quality degradation on stressed Wi-Fi networks.
Camera
The Bold2's camera is vastly improved, though it's only ‘on par' with its contemporaries such as the Storm and Tour. The 3.2 megapixel camera sports flash and video recording (the Bold 9000 only had a 2.0 megapixel camera), and the camera offers auto-focus as well.
Annoyingly however, the camera can only be auto focused by using the right side convenience key. I've had bad luck in the past with convenience keys that have stopped responding over time, and if that's the case the auto-focus feature will be for naught.
PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 will be the RIM's standard bearer for some time to come. After a disappointing offering with the BlackBerry Storm2, it's reassuring to see such a solid performer.
It's smaller, better looking, has a great track pad, and feels more solid than its predecessor. Initially there doesn't seem to be much that it is missing. Indeed it seems that of all the ‘Berries in the store, this is the one I'd have.
