Out of context, that statement doesn't seem to carry much weight. However, there have been two major BlackBerry releases since the Summer with entirely new form factors, and what is essentially a refresh of an existing model is what has me pining.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700, which came out at about this time last year, was arguably the best device RIM has produced to date. It was slim, sexy, reliable and fast.
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The BlackBerry Torch, released this Summer, is a also a very solid device that makes great strides for RIM in the way of a greatly improved touchscreen and a fantastic slide-out keyboard.
The BlackBerry Style that just launched on Sprint at the end of last month, offered another all-new form factor to the family that surprised many with its wonderful build quality and pleasantly usable design.
However, when you ask a traditional, long-time BlackBerry user what his or her ideal RIM device looks like, I'll bet you it has an immediately-accessible portrait QWERTY keyboard on the front.
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Initial reactions to word that RIM was simply bringing a "refresh" of the Bold 9700 were less than enthusiastic. But I think after the arrival of the Torch and the Style, many BlackBerry users decided that if they could get OS6 on their 9700s, they'd have the perfect package, therefore making the 9780 a bit more enticing.
This was the case for me at least, and after BlackBerry 6 leaked for the 9700, my interest in the 9780 was only amplified. That's not to say I had trouble with 6 on my previous Bold, though. Quite the contrary. I was pleasantly surprised that, even with far less memory than the new BlackBerry standard, the 9700 performed extremely well with the new OS.
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Enter the 9780. The new Bold actually packs the same processor as its predecessor, but doubles the RAM. Even with that kind of difference on paper, I wouldn't have been at all disappointed if I couldn't notice an improvement in how the new device handled BlackBerry 6 -- that's how good my 9700 did.
As it turns out, though, the Bold 9780 offers more than a murdered-out appearance.
Having given the Torch 9800 and Style 9670 a thorough testing, and running BlackBerry 6 on my Bold 9700 for several weeks, I have to say that the experience on the Bold 9780 is by far the most enjoyable.
Navigating through the UI is incredibly smooth and fast, and it almost feels like I've been running an excellent -- but not perfect -- imitation theme on all the other devices. This is how BlackBerry 6 is supposed to be.
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Sure, the Torch has touchscreen, and swiping around with a finger seems like a natural navigation method for the OS. But I'd venture to say non-touch is a better fit, and that RIM should just wait for a QNX-based tablet-inspired OS for any future touchscreen smartphones.
I've been playing with the T-Mobile 9780, and call quality has been everything you would expect from a top-of-the-line BlackBerry. T-Mobile's 3G has been very solid and fast as well.
A 5-megapixel camera also makes its debut in the Bold line with the 9780. While the shots you take with it won't likely be winning you any awards any time soon, it more than gets the job done, and more importantly, it helps bring the core BlackBerry constituency into modern smartphone times.
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If you've ever been a user of a Bold 9700, the one thing you're probably dying to find out more than anything else is if the incredible battery life of your favorite 'Berry has carried over. With the same processor, same screen size and even the same battery, standby time has been every bit as good with the 9780 in the few days I've been using it -- another win.
I wasn't too kind to the last refresher device RIM released in the form of the Bold 9650 for Verizon, but the Bold 9780 is an incremental upgrade I can get behind.
It may not be some wildly-new hardware to look at, but with a brand new OS, a modern-day camera and arguably the best physical QWERTY keyboard in existence for mobile devices, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is a winner.
The BlackBerry Bold 9700, which came out at about this time last year, was arguably the best device RIM has produced to date. It was slim, sexy, reliable and fast.
Alternate Text
The BlackBerry Torch, released this Summer, is a also a very solid device that makes great strides for RIM in the way of a greatly improved touchscreen and a fantastic slide-out keyboard.
The BlackBerry Style that just launched on Sprint at the end of last month, offered another all-new form factor to the family that surprised many with its wonderful build quality and pleasantly usable design.
However, when you ask a traditional, long-time BlackBerry user what his or her ideal RIM device looks like, I'll bet you it has an immediately-accessible portrait QWERTY keyboard on the front.
Alternate Text
Initial reactions to word that RIM was simply bringing a "refresh" of the Bold 9700 were less than enthusiastic. But I think after the arrival of the Torch and the Style, many BlackBerry users decided that if they could get OS6 on their 9700s, they'd have the perfect package, therefore making the 9780 a bit more enticing.
This was the case for me at least, and after BlackBerry 6 leaked for the 9700, my interest in the 9780 was only amplified. That's not to say I had trouble with 6 on my previous Bold, though. Quite the contrary. I was pleasantly surprised that, even with far less memory than the new BlackBerry standard, the 9700 performed extremely well with the new OS.
Alternate Text
Enter the 9780. The new Bold actually packs the same processor as its predecessor, but doubles the RAM. Even with that kind of difference on paper, I wouldn't have been at all disappointed if I couldn't notice an improvement in how the new device handled BlackBerry 6 -- that's how good my 9700 did.
As it turns out, though, the Bold 9780 offers more than a murdered-out appearance.
Having given the Torch 9800 and Style 9670 a thorough testing, and running BlackBerry 6 on my Bold 9700 for several weeks, I have to say that the experience on the Bold 9780 is by far the most enjoyable.
Navigating through the UI is incredibly smooth and fast, and it almost feels like I've been running an excellent -- but not perfect -- imitation theme on all the other devices. This is how BlackBerry 6 is supposed to be.
Alternate Text
Sure, the Torch has touchscreen, and swiping around with a finger seems like a natural navigation method for the OS. But I'd venture to say non-touch is a better fit, and that RIM should just wait for a QNX-based tablet-inspired OS for any future touchscreen smartphones.
I've been playing with the T-Mobile 9780, and call quality has been everything you would expect from a top-of-the-line BlackBerry. T-Mobile's 3G has been very solid and fast as well.
A 5-megapixel camera also makes its debut in the Bold line with the 9780. While the shots you take with it won't likely be winning you any awards any time soon, it more than gets the job done, and more importantly, it helps bring the core BlackBerry constituency into modern smartphone times.
Alternate Text
If you've ever been a user of a Bold 9700, the one thing you're probably dying to find out more than anything else is if the incredible battery life of your favorite 'Berry has carried over. With the same processor, same screen size and even the same battery, standby time has been every bit as good with the 9780 in the few days I've been using it -- another win.
I wasn't too kind to the last refresher device RIM released in the form of the Bold 9650 for Verizon, but the Bold 9780 is an incremental upgrade I can get behind.
It may not be some wildly-new hardware to look at, but with a brand new OS, a modern-day camera and arguably the best physical QWERTY keyboard in existence for mobile devices, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 is a winner.
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