Perfectly and exactly what it is meant to be.
I had a Blackberry Torch and returned it for this model. I am 100% happier with this model. I've owned more Blackberries over the years than any other brand, but most recently have been an iPhone and Android user. That being said, I can appreciate the niche that Blackberry fills, and it has a few things that it is very good at -- email being one of them.

Some of the reasons I like this phone are reason that it is NOT like the Torch. The torch isn't great at anything-- with a touch screen, navigation button and a keyboard, it tries to be the everything phone to everyone, and I don't feel like any of it was great. This phone has a very usable keyboard, a very good screen, great battery life and super build quality.

For someone who has never had a smart phone, I would never steer them to a blackberry first. But for someone who has to be on a blackberry, or doesn't want to change, this is my choice for a blackberry. There aren't nearly as many apps available for blackberry as there are for android or iPhone, but that being said, a lot of the big names are available.

After using phones with larger screens lately, this screen feels a little small. But it is what it is-- a blackberry, and it does what it is meant to do very well.

And to close: If Blackberry wants a touch screen phone to fly and do well, they need to start fresh with a new OS. The OS we have on this phone is optimized for a keyboard and a navigator key. Putting that on a touch phone screen just doesn't work for me. Keep this OS around as Blackberry Classic and start fresh.

Anyway, enjoy this phone, I think it is the best "real" blackberry.

Works Well for Me
I have had this phone for a couple of months now and I have to say it's very impressive. I've always been a simple kind of person and I thought these high tech phones would be too difficult to handle but that wasn't at all the case. The camera was amazing and took great pictures for being just a phone, also the keyboard and browser are really cool. Everything about this phone is beautiful. It's screen, speaker, apps, and themes. It all works really well for me and I can definitely recommend this phone for others looking to buy a cell phone.

Best in its (Blackberry) class
Any current Blackberry user should be happy and possibly happier with the 9700 if upgrading from a previous model. When it comes to new users, it's a crowded marketplace out there. Those who prefer great physical keyboards may want to look into the current Blackberries. I got this company-issued Bold a couple of months ago through my employer to replace my old 8830. As a Blackberry user for more than 10 years now, I am quite happy with what I got and I see many improvements over what used to be a standard-issue Blackberry some 2-3 years ago.

First, the good things about the 9700 Bold:

- IT'S STILL A BLACKBERRY - This is important to the many BB users who want their Blackberry to change only slightly from one generation to another, at least as far as the physical form and the user interface is concerned. While Blackberries evolved from the little 'wheel' to the track ball to the current touch-sensitive square that's replacing it, they are still recognizable and I bet that if a time traveler from, let's say, 2002, popped up in 2010, he/she should be able to use the 9700 in no time. All buttons are at the familiar locations and, at least when comparing it with the previous generation, the 9700 responds very much in the same way.

- IT'S SMALLER, LIGHTER - While the screen appears to be (very slightly) larger on the 9700, it's bulk is significantly reduced. The 9700 is thinner and it weighs a lot less than its predecessor. Not everyone may appreciate this in the beginning and I was one of those but I got used with the lighter device quickly and I would consider it an improvement now.

- IMPROVED PICTURE QUALITY - While not the best screen in business, the picture on the 9700 is significantly better as far as resolution when compared to previous models. I would not use the Bold to watch movies or read books with the Kindle application but... this is a Blackberry and it's good at doing what Blackberries are expected to do: email, voice, enterprise integration. Everything else I see as 'extras'.

- EXTRAS - Of course, you get a camera which I'm not likely to use but it's good to know it's there, you can get video for free or subscribe to some pay service, have the ability to store various media and so on. It's good to have them but I'm not likely to spend much time with the 'extras' except maybe for the Web browser.

- IMPROVED WEB BROWSER - This is good news. The built-in browser is not quite as good as, let's say, Opera but it's coming pretty close and it's a major improvement over what Blackberry used to offer. And you can always install Opera or some other browser.

- 3G - Of course. EDGE is still available as the fall back service but, whenever 3G is detected, the 9700 will take advantage of it.

- BLUETOOTH, WI-FI - they work great and pairing with a Bluetooth device can be done literally in seconds.


In addition to the above, on the 'the same' or not necessarily 'improvements' category, I noticed no significant change as far as battery life is concerned. The 9700 needs (and comes with a) MICRO USB power adapter so the old MINI USBs won't work on this model. You also get the official Blackberry black leather case with a belt clip.

On the not-so-good or 'really annoying' side, I really hated the abundance of bloatware - I call it 'crapware' - that seems to have invaded the Blackberry world. There is an abundance of little pre-installed apps and services that, shortly after you click on and go to the trouble of activating them, it turns out that they are 'pay' things, ranging from Pac-Man to TV services, and it's either impossible or very difficult to remove - I didn't have the time to waste so I was able to quickly hide them but... there SO MANY of them. If Research in Motion is listening, they should know that I do NOT love Blackberry more for turning the BB desktop into some apps and services peddling space.

Still on the 'not-so-good' but this could be only an isolated instance, my first 9700 was dead on arrival but I was able to get a replacement quickly from AT&T and this one works well.

When it comes to rating the Bold 9700, within the context of Blackberries, it's probably one of the best. It's lighter, brighter, sharper, faster and provides more functionality than previous models so it's a five-star.

A "Bold" new Phone
a great non touchscreen Phone from the RIM stable....fast,reliable and great at multi tasking
The only improvement can be in the Browser department and by ATT not compelling you to use 3G network for youtube and other video streaming...Great Call quality and a very accurate GPS service .... 3G service decent limited by ATT 3G network performance. apps run great on local wifi networks.

p.s : had a problem with ATT though. They charged me the activation fee despite the contract saying no activation fee on purchase. ATT needs to stop doing this if they intend to retain customers (especially for returning loyal customers like me). Had to argue with the customer service rep many times (with atleast 0.5 hr call hold each time) to finally get them to remove the charge

Couldn't be betterl
I use blackberries for 10 years and their biggest flaw was the trackball.
Now it's solved !!
Perfect !

Reliable, Excellent Camera, Fast, Loud, Excellent Sprint Coverage and Service!
Quick Daily Usage Summary: Driving and listening to Pandora internet radio streaming CD quality audio >>> Sprint navigation interrupts stream to notify of traffic alert and rerouting options >>> BB message alert from friend >>> AOL instant message >>> Google talk >>> E-mail received of Amazon shipping item >>> Calendar alert showing appointment later that day >>> When parked I send picture to Facebook instantly.

This is probably one of the best all around BlackBerry devices every created. I only upgraded from a 8530 because I needed to have international roaming capabilities. And with Sprint, the phones come natively unlocked and ready to roam on ANY GSM network in the world! (pop-in new SIM card and you're set)

This phone has ALL the features that its competitors have along with its storied and well developed BB e-mail / messaging system that has over 100 million users worldwide. The fact that it can be bought for less 0 is an excellent value.

If you're looking for a phone that keeps you organized, connected to all your family and friends, entertained, and more, this is a great phone.

The e-mail, contact lists, and how all messages are combined into shared boxes is efficient and easy to use. The keyboard is responsive and fast...much better than any touchscreen out there. The battery life is phenomenal and turning off the WiFi and Bluetooth radios and closing extra applications extends it even further.

Regarding the cellphone service coverage, Sprint has vastly improved over the last 5 years. My friends and I took our BB phones up and down the East Coast and had excellent service the entire way: e-mailing, chatting, texting, sending pics, receiving pics, facebooking, etc. There were a handful of dead spots, but coverage and reliability was rivaling Verizon Wireless (former VZW subscriber of 10 years!)

Unlimited use of their voice command GPS network (LIVE traffic updates and rerouting!) is truly amazing and at least worth 0 in my opinion. The Sprint TV network is DARN GOOD with various channels that include LIVE ESPN.

The camera actually takes better 3.2MP pictures than the iPhone 3GS with full color and detail...with a LED flash that is blinding! (flashlight mode is possible under the camcorder mode and is hilarious as it literally lights up an entire room)

Also, I've been able to stream Pandora internet radio nonstop for hours without barely using the battery.

Minor disadvantages: Yes the screen is small...but I'd rather carry a device that doesn't impale me while in my pocket. Web browsing is annoying at times, but update coming to the phone will vastly improve experience. Otherwise, most websites load fine.

Sprint's Family plans are the best currently on the market. To have unlimited mobile to mobile calling (ANY CARRIER!), unlimited texting, unlimited data, for less than per person per month is nearly miraculous. If you don't want to waste money on flashier smartphones, get this phone. You won't regret it! :)

Bold new Tour
Got this to replace my Sprint tour that everyone said I sounded muffled on. Nice update from the 9630 Tour. No complaints about the sound (no muffling) and the trackball issues others were having with the Tour are fixed with the new optical trackpad. Also happy to report that the slightly annoying battery cover that was loose on the Tour is fixed on this model. Other than those items, the Bold 9650 has more memory and WiFi now. If you are upgrading from a Tour or buying a case that was for the 9630 Tour, be careful because they moved the charging port up slightly (about 1/8 inch) so your old style case may not allow proper access for the charger. I have a Case-Mate "Barely there" 9630 Tour cover that works on this one fine (only because the openings are pretty big). The phone works fine on the Sprint network and already has a firmware update on the Blackberry site (although I couldn't figure out what it fixed). Always back up your data with the Blackberry Desktop software before attempting a firmware update just to be safe. I didn't give it a five because I think Blackberry is lagging behind in web browsers and Apps, but this works well with my work e-mail so I went for this over an Android phone.

terrible shopping experience
This is the first and last time I'm buying a phone on Amazon, the experience was terrible. I ordered the phone and the first ordere was cancelled, the reason that amazon gave me was that my credit had not been approved to go ahead and contact t-mobile. When I contacted t-mobile, they said that my credit was excellent and that they hadn't denied credit or even requested a deposit or flexpay. I called amazon again and they practically told me it wasn't their problem. After speaking to a customer care manager (which was quite a feat) I was told to purchase the phone again and the same credit application from t-mobile was applied to it. Resulting in my phone arriving one week later than it sohuld.

By the time it arrived I expected it to be activated. Not only was it not activated, but t-mobile had no record of the rate plan and data plan that I wanted this phone on. So I had to go through that process all over again.

Great communication device, pretty good pocket computer
NOTE: This review is long and detailed, especially relevant for heavy users of Google services. It is identical to the review I posted for the T-mobile black model, which I own, and which only differs by color from this model.

This is my second Blackberry, obtained from T-mobile at an upgrade discount (now possible through Amazon). My first Blackberry was the T-mobile Curve offering (my review on the 8320 may prove helpful to provide context for this review and for first time smart phone buyers). Last time I purchased a phone, I was just looking for a really high quality phone, and the 8320 certainly delivered. However, over time I gradually used more and more smart phone features until by 2009 I was totally hooked. While the 8320 was great as a phone, its limited memory and sluggish processor made it painful to use for certain apps - and impossible to use for more than a handful of apps.

So this time around my goal was to get a smart phone that made good sense for my current desired usage. Here were my requirements:

Keep costs down
Great phone (sound quality, speakerphone, quick dialing, coverage, vibrate options, international use, etc.)
Alternative reception if needed (WiFi UMA or femtocell)
Great e-mail (must handle Gmail well)
Sync contacts/calendar with Google and otherwise works seamlessly well with Google
Works seamlessly with other cloud apps I use heavily (Evernote, Dropbox, etc.)
Media player with 3.5mm jack
Camera of high enough quality to use in conjunction with Evernote OCR
Easy to use (configuration, speed of device, shortcuts, etc.)
Popular model with many accessories available
Long battery life
Enough memory so I don't have to manage it
Feels good in hand
Able to charge by putting in a cradle
Tethering possible (Bluetooth preferred)
Reliable

Optional but nice:

Great browser
Maps
Turn by Turn navigation (free preferred)

Other sections at the end of this review:

Screen
Keyboard
Trackpad
Battery Life
Summary

The 9700 with T-mobile strongly delivers on most of my requirements, and surpasses the 8320 in almost every respect by a wide margin. One by one:

Costs: Was able to keep my grandfathered T-mobile Blackberry contract for 40/month for voice (1000 anytime, unlimited nights/weekends) and 20/month for unlimited data (but no text/SMS). Our family also has the hotspot home service for an additional 10/month to provide an unlimited domestic calling home line. And a 12% AAA discount off the bill - so this is far less expensive than we could get for these services than from any other carrier. On the other hand, for users who require few voice minutes, heavy data, no tethering, and no home phone, iPhone with AT&T could be only slightly higher in cost (and perhaps even competitive for light data users given the new June 2010 ATT 15/month 200MB/month plan option)

Phone: Terrific - just as good as 8320 which was also great. I find the phone quality I experience to be better than using an average phone with a land line (cordless or corded). The speakerphone and internal phone is of higher quality but lower volume - so may be more difficult to hear in very noisy conditions, though ear buds or headsets can be used in such circumstances. The alternative UMA reception works just as well on 9700 as it did on the 8320. The quality of the speakerphone is so good that I often use it for music if I'm not in reach of my earphones - while of course not as good as what you get over a high quality headset, it is the best speaker quality I've heard from a cell phone - and I thought the 8320 was good.

E-mail, Google apps: Built in Email function is great but is not geared for IMAP Gmail so I downloaded the Google Mobile App and then the individual components Gmail, Sync, and Maps. Gmail and Maps are outstanding, Sync is adequate. The search by voice feature of Google Mobile App is amazingly useful in so many ways I could write a couple pages just about this one feature (watch what happens when you do voice searches for "Phillies" or "Black Widow" or "3+11" . . .). By using Gmail I give up push E-mail (it checks every 20 minutes or if I force it to with "refresh") but is otherwise better - including the ability to search g-mail very quickly. None of this is any different from the 8320 - except that everything is much quicker - and I can use Maps without having to reboot the phone to get memory back. The Google Reader icon merely invokes the Blackberry browser with Google Reader RSS - and it is so tiny that it is unusable. I did figure out that I could use Google Reader reasonably well with the BOLT browser (which I had to download and then set to 3x Large font rendering). I also use Google Voice to replace T-mobile's voice mail and it works great, though you have to wait a few minutes for voice mails and their transcriptions to show up on your phone. Of course, all of these things work way better on Android and the iPhone, but with the exception of Google Reader, they are plenty good enough on the Blackberry.

Other Cloud Apps: Unfortunately, Blackberry is harder to develop for than the iPhone (and probably Android too), partly because Blackberry has so many models (too many, IMHO). The result is that Evernote for the iPhone is fantastic while it is passable on the 9700 and downright primitive on the 8320. The screen is bigger and the browser is better and faster on the 9700 (OS 5) than it was on 8320 (OS 4.5), and this accounts for why I'm actually beginning to use Evernote do search within the app and it brings up the notes with that term in the browser - you have to wait 5-10 seconds but it works. On the 8320 this was too slow to be workable. Dropbox does not have a client for Blackberry but is expected to release one by the end of 2010. Roboform has a primitive Blackberry client that doesn't sync wirelessly - I have to manually copy over my passcards every once in a while. Blackberry is a major platform so I am assuming these apps get better over time, but they will always trail the iPhone.

Media Player - the media player functions (mp3, pictures, video, voice notes, etc.) works just as well as it did with the 8320 - there's probably been some changes but I didn't notice them. However, the Pandora app runs much better on the 9700 than the 8320 due likely to some combination of 3G coverage and a faster processor. On the 8320, the application paused often in weak coverage areas and had a tendency to stop in the middle of a song and skip to the next on occasion.

Camera quality - I am a huge fan of Evernote but the 8320 camera was not able to take pictures of regular size text that could be recognized as text by Evernote's OCR. The 9700 camera specs are better and this proved out with Evernote in my initial tests. I found that with bright light and a distance of at least 11 inches away, I could take pictures of restaurant menus and Evernote was able to index most words in the picture. So I will have access to the menus of all of our favorite restaurants through Evernote once I take pictures of them all. This could also be done with business cards, wine bottles, white boards . . .

Ease of Use - This is where Blackberry's fall flat. It took me many many hours of fiddling to master the use of the 8320. While most of this knowledge transferred over to the 9700, it still took many hours to set up the phone as I downloaded apps, set preferences, etc. The iPhone is obviously much better in this regard, and for a heavy Google services user like myself, so is Android, from everything I've read. The menus of preferences were moderately better laid out than the 8320, which helped some. But here are some of the issues:

1) The Apps store experience is frustrating (i.e. Quickpull is an app that worked for 8320 and appeared on the 9700 app store so I installed it but it froze up my system - why does this appear at all if it hasn't been updated yet for the 9700?). Installing apps is slow and requires rebooting. Some apps are NOT in the app store (Google mobile app, Bolt, etc.).

2) The profiles system for setting alert preferences is powerful, and a bit easier to use than the 8320, but still complicated.

3) The initial layout of icons on the phone screen was so cumbersome (including many links to useless apps promoted by T-mobile) that I spent quite a while rearranging them so I could more easily find what I was looking for.

On the bright side, there are many handy shortcuts available on Blackberries. I especially like having each letter assignable to a speed dial, so I use the first letter of last names for home phone speed dials, and the first letter of first names for cell phone speed dials. As you learn the shortcuts, the phone becomes very fast to use, far faster than a computer for some things.

Popularity - Blackberries in general are among the most popular smart phone brands and 9700s in particular appear to be a big hit. Within months there will be a flood of accessories but the phone is so new that there's not too much yet. Many apps have not yet been updated for the 9700 or the OS 5.0.0.330 which powers the phone. However, it is harder to write Blackberry apps, so I am expecting iPhone to always have better and more up-to-date apps, and probably Android as well as that platform matures.

Battery/Memory - Battery life is amazingly good - I have been unable to use more than 30% of the battery in one day despite a lot of fiddling, syncs in the background, Pandora use, etc. There is enough memory for apps that I don't have to worry about it any more. This is a vast improvement over the 8320, which was a pocket computer in theory but in actual practice memory limited to less than a dozen apps, and required constant fiddling to manage memory if you used it like that. However, as application developers start increasing the size of apps, it's easy for me to imagine 256MB of memory getting to be a problem a year or two from now . . .

Phone in Hand - The 9700 is the perfect size for my larger-than-average adult male hand. The 8320 was very slippery and I kept dropping it until I bought a Seido protective cover. It was already thick and the cover made it thicker, so that I didn't like holding it for long phone calls. The 9700 is only thinner by a few mm, yet it is much less fatiguing to hold, and it is not slippery so I will probably not use a protective covering. There are a few very minor things I like less than the 8320, though: The right convenience key is so low on the phone that I have to contort my thumb to reach it. This is especially problematic when using the autofocus feature of the camera to focus on a specific distance - which uses that key. The battery cover and micro SD cards are both a pain to take off. Both require using two thumbs to push away from your body with a lot of pressure. The manual does not explain this - took lots of trial/error and online googling to figure this out.

Cradle - I bought the Blackberry Charging Pod for BlackBerry Bold 2. I dock the phone each night and while charging it goes into bedside mode, which is a customizable alarm clock (which gives you options to turn off every kind of alerting if you want, including phone rings). Assuming you buy the dock, you won't need an alarm clock any more.

Tethering - It's a bit cumbersome to set up but I had done it on the 8320 before so knew how. It works - and it is much faster than the 8320, likely mostly due to 3G. I did not do speed tests but some who have claim to be getting 3G speeds (which are 10x-20x faster than the EDGE tethering that happened on the 8320). I don't plan to use this feature much - only while traveling and no WiFi is near. I am hoping people don't heavily use this feature because if they do, T-mobile will be forced to stop allowing it or maybe charge for it. But having this as a backup internet connection (especially traveling) is a huge plus for me.

Reliable (NEW SECTION added June 8, 2010) - My previous model, the BB 8300, was very reliable. It froze up twice in 2 years and never had a dropped call. The BB 9700 has not been reliable for me. I received a 3rd unit after 2 units developed defects. I just decided to start insuring the phone at .99/month. I've have also occasionally experienced dropped UMA calls, during the handoff from UMA to 3g or EDGE - but this part has supposedly been solved by the OS update that came out in June 2010, and is on my replacement unit. Here are the details:

2/26/10: Around mid February (2 months after I purchased the 9700), my external speaker began to go. At first I (incorrectly) thought it was glitch in the profiles settings but then it went out for 20 hours straight. After thorough testing I found that the internal phone speaker and headsets still worked fine - but the phone did not ring for incoming calls and I could not play music without a headset. I called T-mobile. After 15 minutes of troubleshooting and verifying that the phone was not water damaged, a replacement phone was authorized. I had to pay .95 for shipping, but otherwise no cost to me. I received the replacement phone, made sure it worked, and shipped my old phone back the next day. T-mobile customer service was terrific for this incident and in every other instance I've contacted them over the past 2 years.

6/8/10: In early May I began to experience random crashes and reboots. The first few times it it happened I kept thinking it was likely due to some new app I had installed. But in the past week it started happening more often, until 6/7 when the 9700 no longer booted at all. So once again I had to get a replacement unit from T-mobile. Once again T-mobile was very responsive, and this time waived the shipping fee. The service was great but having 2 defective units in 6 months is getting to be a real chore - especially this time as I was not able to back up the phone before returning it.

Browser - The 9700 Blackberry Browser is significantly better than the 8320 browser, partly due to more screen real estate (in pixels) and the faster processor. Disabling images makes it even faster. I didn't try to analyze what all the changes are, but I do know that I can now use Evernote, where as it way too cumbersome to use Evernote with the 8320. Less busy web sites are now usable. But the browser is still nowhere close to what you get on an iPhone or Android device. I downloaded BOLT and it seems better for single column sites where I really need to reflow text, such as Google Reader. But clearly something better is possible. Opera Mini 5 is in Beta and is getting reviews so that may be available in a few months. But the big leap will likely happen with the webkit-based browser that was acquired a few months ago and is likely to be incorporated with Blackberries by the end of 2010. Based on what I've seen in the week I've played with my 9700, I'll likely only use the browser for certain specific things like Evernote and Google Reader or the results of a Google Voice Search - but avoid general browsing as much as possible.

Maps and Voice Navigation - I tested the Maps App for a few minutes and it did the job quite well when outdoors. Note that GPS can be used not only in Map apps but also in many other applications such as weather, search, geotagging pictures, etc. and all this comes in handy. To get high quality voice navigation you'll generally need to pay /month, which is much more than I'm willing to pay. If I'm walking, then voiceless navigation is good enough, and if I'm driving I'll use my Garmin Nuvi - which I would want to do anyway as it has a much bigger screen and is much easier to use while driving. I would use such a feature if I had it - and I'm sure users of Android 2.0 devices such as the Verizon Droid will greatly appreciate it. But this was not a critical feature for me.

Summary:

The Blackberry 9700 with T-mobile is a great phone and communication device that is also a pretty good pocket computer, all in an attractive, easy to hold and use form factor - all at a very reasonable monthly plan cost for the heavy phone and data user. It is a huge improvement over the 83xx series in almost every respect. The only significant disadvantages compared with other smartphones are a barely usable browser, a cumbersome setup for third-party apps, and the general complication of customizing the device. For those who value a browser and ease of use above all and are willing to pay for it, the iPhone is better - but for those who want a great smartphone on a budget - this is a great choice.



UPDATE 1/20/2010: After owning/using the 9700 for a week, I wrote the above review. I intentionally said little about the the keyboard, screen, and trackpad because I felt these kinds of things may take getting used to, so I didn't want to be too hasty to judge. I now have enough data to comment:

Screen: The screen is very high resolution which means that it is very easy to read text in 8pt type. Unfortunately, this sometimes means the browser or certain apps decide that they can cram more text in at 5pt or 6pt type, which requires that I use my reading glasses - those with better eyes than mine may appreciate cramming in more text with a smaller font. Pictures are crisp and vibrant. The backlight brightness is extremely bright - too bright for night in fact. I do have the "Automatically Dim Backlight" feature enabled which dims the 9700 automatically at night and I have screen brightness set to the minimum setting of 10. It is still too bright to me for use in a room with no light on. Furthermore, the unit occasionally has an abrupt change of brightness - getting brighter all of a sudden for a few seconds or just staying that way. It is impossible for me to know if my unit has a defective light sensor or this is an O/S issue - I've read that others are experiencing similar issues so perhaps it's the O/S and it will be fixed some day with one of the O/S updates. Another brightness issue is that the difference between maximum brightness and minimum brightness is pretty narrow. I never have viewing problems in even the brightest sunlight so it's the lowest brightness setting which I think is not low enough.

Keyboard: I do not use the Blackberry extensively for typing - The rare e-mail I write or reply to is usually less than 10 words, and I don't use text messaging in any form. So it took a while for me to conclude that the keyboard is slower for me than the 83xx keyboard, which had spacing between the keys. I actually timed myself and found I did around 30 WPM (words per minute) with the 83xx and 25 WPM with the 9700. If I try typing faster (say, 30 WPM), I hit several double keys per minute which needs correcting and ends up lower than 25 WPM. So the result is I purposely type slower and more cautiously to avoid hitting two keys simultaneously. For the way I use a Blackberry, this is not a big problem - I use the keyboard mostly for things like speed dial, quickly looking up a contact, navigating the menus, etc. and there is no speed hit that I can notice for that. But for those with big hands who type a lot, the Bold 9000 is going to be faster, and probably the 83xx series as well. Note that my fingers/hands are slightly larger than normal for an adult male.

Trackpad: Most people rave about how great trackpads are on Blackberries but for me it's a mixed bag. I find it to be sometimes jumpy with applications that require frequent moving around - particularly with the game Ka-Glom, which I tried both on the 8320 and the 9700. I have better control on the 8320 and can score significantly higher as a result. Also, any form of moisture on your fingers - sweat, water, lotion, etc. can have an impact on the responsiveness. Nevertheless, I find it easier to use than the old trackball style when my thumbs are dry and I'm using a typical app - it is easier to use a light touch to move just a tiny bit, and it is very easy to swipe it all the way to one side or to the top/bottom. The trackpad is harder to accidentally press than a trackball. And it is quiet. Overall, I prefer the trackpad because it is yet one more little thing that reduces the weight/bulk of the unit and is much less likely to go bad than the trackballs on all older devices.

Update 2/14/10: Battery life is possible to kill if you get too adventurous with your phone. I have found 4 ways to kill it so far: Themes, heavy syncing, tethering, and upgrading the O/S. The theme I tried for a week caused sluggish performance and battery to deplete twice as fast. Bluetooth tethering caused me to go all the way through the battery in less than 6 hours while using an tethered EEE PC constantly during that time. Syncing is not a big deal if you just have two or three apps syncing every 2 hours or so, but some apps will sync every few minutes if you let them and if you have a few of these running the battery can drain quickly and the phone becomes sluggish during syncs. And while I haven't experimented with a different OS version myself, I have read that the 5.0.0.330 Blackberry OS that comes with the T-mobile 9700 is the most battery efficient OS ever - later versions are all less battery efficient. If you keep things simple on your phone you'll have great battery life - just use one of the preloaded themes, don't tether much, sparingly set up syncs, and don't upgrade away from OS 5.0.0.330 that T-mobile ships with the 9700 model.


Changed Summary/Conclusion: Overall, my conclusion about this device has changed slightly over time, so I here's a rewrite of the Summary incorporating my extensive testing of the physical features:

Summary: The Blackberry 9700 with T-mobile is a great phone and communication device that is also a pretty good pocket computer, all in a slim, light, attractive, and easy to hold and use form factor - all at a very reasonable monthly plan cost for the heavy phone and data user. It is a huge improvement over the 83xx series in terms of speed, memory, and connectivity options. However, the keyboard is slower for me to use than the 8320. For me this tradeoff is worthwhile, as it is no longer a noticeable lump in my shirt or pants pocket and does not fatigue my hand on a long phone call.

I've had to return 2 defective units in 6 months, compared with none for the 8320 in 2 years.

The only significant disadvantages (compared with other smartphone brands) are a barely usable browser, a cumbersome setup for third-party apps, and the general complication of customizing the device. For those who value a browser and ease of use above all and are willing to pay for it, the iPhone and perhaps certain Android-based phones (such as Google's Nexus One) are better - but for those who want a great smartphone on a budget - getting the Blackberry Bold 9700 with T-mobile service is a great choice.

Best BlackBerry on the Market at this Time!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RBC5JL46QEXF1 I've been a long time AT&T costumer. I thought I could live without having an actual keyboard when it comes to texting, but after a week without my Sidekick Keyboard - I decided to ditch my Samsung Eternity for the Blackberry Bold 9700.

I was hesitant about purchasing this smart phone because I was never a fan of Blackberry's (RIMM). I had a BB during their initial boom in the early part of the new millennium. However, the poor browser, poor cell phone network, lackluster screen color, non desirable keyboard, awful battery life, whack OS, & lack of T9 predictive text just couldn't win me over.

After I realized that I couldn't text on a touch screen phone, unless it was the iPhone. I decided that I must have a cell phone device with an actual qwerty keyboard, if I expect to survive my text message & email addiction.

I picked up the Blackberry 9700 with my corporate discount and walked away with a nice high end phone at a very reasonable price. I have to say that I really enjoy the web browser on the new BB. You can zoom in & out with ease. I thought no browser could compare to the iPod Safari besides the Android G1, but after getting this device - I can safely say that this browser is also one of the best. Its right behind the safari and G1. Prior models were confined to small screens, thirty-five dollar internet only data plans, and no ability to zoom in or out. You were subjected to a small screen and reading small text till your eyes was squinting like grandmas.

Pros:
3G
New Optical Trackpad (Over the old Trackball)
Big vibrant screen
Threaded Text Messaging
3.5 MM headjack
New OS (Runs a bit quicker without the lag time)
Decent call quality
Excellent new broswer
Mini SD up to 32GB
Use your songs as ringers
Wi-Fi
Personal Email (Up to 10 accounts can be added)
IM
Themes
App Store
My Favs
Full HTML Web Browser (Sometimes)
Excellent Multimedia Player (Accepts every format possible)
Includes 2 chargers (Wall Charger & USB charger)
Includes ear phones and carry case

Cons:
For long time BB users, this device is really just a cosmetic upgrade with a new OS (Flashier Icons)
Micro USB (No more Mini USB)
Video & Camera (3.2 Megapixel as oppose to 8.0)
Cheap plastic rubber casing

Non RIMM Consumer Changes Mind!

For anyone who has wanted a BB but held off on getting one and want an entry level Blackberry at a decent price - this is the model to get. Everything about it is an upgrade. The device is basically the BB Bold with a different casing. The battery life could still use some more juice. With excessive email checking & non stop texting, the phone usually needs a charge after a day and a half of usage (Sometimes i can go a charge for 2 days before a charge so thats not bad). I did set the brightness of the phone to the lowest brightness available and it has lasted for a little over 2 days with no charge needed. Even on the lowest brightness, the screen is still very bright, sharp, & crisp. And i still do unlimited texting & web browsing. However, AT&T doesn't offer the best mobile minute plans on earth & their data plan is probably one of themost expensive around. They are fully aware that their signal is one of the best & in doing so, make up for it by charging their non-friendly services at non-friendly prices, which usually doesn't offers an abundant amount of minutes, unlimited data, internet, email, text etc will end up costing you a lot!

I pay under seventy bucks a month for a decent amount of mins & unlimited everything else. My friend has a similar plan on Verizon, its not unlimited, and her bill is always over a hundred each month.

Sent it back The Same Day
I really wanted to like it but a very sensitive screen like this will drive you crazy,, read the other one star review and learn from it... i decided to send it back the same day when i realized i was dialing 911 because of the damn sensitive screen.

I did order iphone 4 today instead

LOOOOOOOOVEEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!
I just purchased a new Blackberry Torch 9800 an I must say for my first blackberry it is an awesome phone! It hasonly froze up one time since I've had it,the app world is great! The keyboard is perfect for texting amd the internet speed is fantastic!

Perfect combo of security and functionality
My Info Security folks laughed at me for asking about an iphone or android product. Apparently, RIMM has a stranglehold on the business user. The new BB Torch is a pretty good combo of security and functionality. Compared to Apple & Android, BB easily wins out on security & physical keyboard; looks about tied in browsing experience; and really delivers on data compression. Besides the security advantages, I almost never have a dropped call on a BB.

Best Blackberry Ever
I am a long time Blackberry user. When I lost my BB a while back I switched to the iPhone. I used the iphone for about a year then came back to BB when the Torch came out. I can't say enough good things about this phone. I can type literally type 10 times faster using the trusty bb keyboard. The BB implementation of the touch screen takes a few days to get used to but the combination of touch screen with a good keyboard makes for a very productive combination. I have good call quality and it seems to be able to hold a connection where my old BB and the iPhone would always lose their connections. The browser actually works and works as well as the iPhone. The old BB browser was terrible. The text messaging is much better as it groups and organizes text messages with the same metaphor as BB IM. If you are a teenager the iPhone may still be for you. If you are a grown up and need to use your phone for email, messaging, and calls first, then as a secondary goal to manage media then the BB is the only serious phone to use. The droids and the iPhone have been hacked and the number of viruses for these phones is growing. The BB has not been hacked and there are no viruses. Overall the phone is fast, well built, has great tools, good media management and is secure.

Disappointed
Totally disappointed. Phone constantly locked up after each use. I was looking forward to the new touchscreen, but replaced the unit with a Bold 9700 instead. I'm totally satisfied with the 9700.

Bluetooth headset
Very Good Product Great Price.
Battery life not long must recharge about every 3 hours

Not the best choice
I bought the Discovery 925 as a replacement to the Discovery 975 that was stolen out of my car by a Peabody Orlando parking valet attendant.

The Discovery 925 is very easy to pair and easy to reconnect when the headset goes out of range as compared to the later model. However, the voice quality has quite a bit to be desired. I have received a lot of feedback that my voice is low; it also does not do as well to mask ambient background noise.

I would suggest getting the Discovery 975 or one of the later Jawbone products.

Average
The plantronics discovery 925 bluetooth has a very comfortable fit. Very attractive, long battery charge. The only disappointment was the sound quality, which was not the greatest. This was the most important feature for me.

This Dam Plantronics 925
Well... this blue tooth is 'OK'....First of all it's too big and this thing slips out your ear...it's just ok ,I would not buy this one againPlantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Earpiece (Gold) [Retail Packaging]

plantronics discovery 925
Excellent clarity with voice & audio, light wieght & comfortable. Can be left in the ear for hours without any discomfort. Very good battery life with unique charging system (never be without a charge).

The best bluetooth
I use Sony Ericsson bluetooth for years until I got this one. Plantronics is doing better job on noise reduction, this is the best bluetooth I ever use. I would recommend this product to friends and family.

Light and easy to use.
I bought these after trying a friends pair and I think they are great. I love the fact that you can use them to talk on the phone.

Adequate - just
This could be a useful headphone set, primarily for use via Bluetooth connection, but it also has a cable connection for use if desired, however it leaves a lot to be desired.

The sound quality is acceptable, but far from great, maybe not even good, but perhaps better than some ear-piece sets.

The accompanying instructions are very scant, amounting to three pages in the tiny instruction book.

But my biggest concern is the construction. In order to turn the device on it is simply a case of unfolding the hinges on the headset and clicking them in place. However turning it off is another matter; the headset needs to be extended at the hinges and then folded, but this is not an easy operation, considerable force has to be exerted in order to release and extend the headset, and the construction is far from substantial; I would think it would not be long before something breaks.

Great gaming headset!!!
Bought the headset at a cellphone store for a little more than the price listed here on amazon. Audio quality is excellent. I have paired it to my Samsung Saga, a windows mobile device, with no issues and it even controls the media player from the headset with no issues. Best of all, I have used it more with my PS3 and my experience has been great! I have been using an older Jabra bluetooth that I purchased years ago but it was one that fit in the ear and wasn't stereo. I would eventually suffer from ear pain after using it for more than a couple of hours but with the stereo headset I have had no issues. Other players can hear me very well and there is less background noise and static now. I am very pleased with this device.

top notch
they are very comfortable, the battery life exceeds expectations every time i use them, their functionality is superb being able to bluetooth both my mp3 player and my phone simultaneously, you can use them while they are plugged into the wall!! i've never heard of that!! well worth every penny i spent!

Very Happy - Exactly what I expected.
Probably the best bluetooth headset I've used, as far as sound quality and functionality.

I was able to successfully pair it with my Mac Book Pro, iPod, iPad and Blackberry Tour. Sound quality is great. The volume control does take a little getting used to but I've adjusted to it. Just swipe up to increase the volume and swipe down to decrease. It may take a few swipes to get full volume. Don't expect it to be exact (ie. top of the control is full and bottom is mute), but if you swipe slowly you can get it adjusted perfectly (start at the bottom-up to increase, start at the top-down to decrease, don't start in the middle). There are incremental beeps to help you gage the volume.

Volume control works with MBP, iPad and Tour. It does not work with iPod.
Next/Previous track works with MBP, haven't fully tested it with the iPad, does not work with iPod.
Button in the middle accepts/cancels calls and pauses tracks.

PROS:

Taking calls is simple and callers report that they hear me clearly. Often they don't realize I'm on a bluetooth headset.

I love the fact that I can have it paired to 2 devices at once. I can use it with the MBP or Ipad and still take a call on the Tour. After the call the halo switches back to the other device.

Not as portable as my Jawbone II but it has better call quality (which is surprising with no noise cancelation). I'll still use the Jawbone in the car and on the go.

The Halo can be charged and in use at the same time. It accepts the standard mini USB (slim profile) connection which means I can keep it "topped off" on my laptop USB when I'm working and unplug it to move around.

Also included is a wired 3.5 mm jack (fits into the USB port) so you can use with non bluetooth devices and a self closing storage pouch. Nice touch.

CONS:

To turn off the device you have to fold it up. It does not fold flat and is kind of bulky, I suppose you could just hang it around you neck but it's not discrete by any means and it remains on as long as you have it unfolded.

I'm a bit concerned with the snap fold idea for turning the device on and off, one would hope that it's been fully stress tested to last repeated the snap-open snap-closed. It makes a satisfying pop when you fold it, just wondering how long till that hinge fails. I'm using it primarily in the office so it's open, on and charging most of the time.

The felt ear pads do make my ears warm, it's not unbearable. They appear to be non-user serviceable, I can't find any seam or way to replace them. As with the hinge concern only time will tell...

I researched this headset and understood it's limitations with the devices I was planning on using it with. Overall, very happy with it.