Hands on: BlackBerry Bold 9700
Posted on November 16, 2009 |
After a big run of flashy smartphone announcements, including the Motorola Droid/Milestone and even the BlackBerry Storm2, it was easy for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 to slip in under the radar. But this very solid, if unflashy, handset shows why Research In Motion continues to thrive even in a very difficult market.
The original Bold 9000, which hit the market in May, 2008, has been the flagship of the BlackBerry line. The Bold 9700, available today from T-Mobile for $200 on a two-year contract and on Nov. 22 from AT&T, offers everything the Bold did--sometimes better and sometimes smaller.
Physically, the Bold strongly resembles assorted Curve models, though it retains the Bold's premium look and feel with a metal bezel around the top of the handset and a leatherette back. Like recent curves, it replaces the fidgety track ball with an optical sensor that tracks finger movement on a pad below the screen--a big improvement. It weighs about half an ounce (14 g) less than then original Bold.
