Sprint BlackBerry Bold 9650 Review

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Over the last few days I have been using the BlackBerry 9650 RIM sent for us to review. Compared to the 9700 from T-Mobile the 9650 from Sprint is similar in specs and form factor. The 9650 is the Bold version for CDMA carriers and an upgrade to the Tour 9630. Some of the new features that the 9630 didn’t have and new to the 9650 includes Wi-Fi, optical Trackpad, and more memory. For my review I am going to compare it to the 9700 since it is the other device that I have been using and they pack most of the same features.

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Form factor : The 9650 and the 9700 look almost the same but there are some differences. The 9650 is a little bit bigger and weights more. Both devices share a similar design except that the bezel in the 9650 is curved more and the bottom edge the 9700 bezel is a bit wider. Another difference is the keypad; The keypad on the 9700 is leveled with the, where the 9650 keypad is raise above the screen. I don’t believe this will be a problem with holstering or cause any wear.

KeyPad, Convenience keys & Ports: Typing on the 9650 is just as comfortable as typing on the 9700, if anything it might be better. It might be because it’s a new device but it does feel smoother when typing on it. The convenience keys are located as follow, one on the left side, can be set for any kind of shortcut, Top side on the right a 3.5mm head set jack, +/- volume keys, Middle button is pre-set to activate the camera. The micro USB port is on the bottom right hand side for charging and connecting to the computer for transferring files and upgrading the operating system. At the top you get the usual key lock on the top left side, the standby/Mute key on the top right.

TrackPad: This is a new addition to the 9650 if you have a 9630 and you are waiting to upgrade you are going to love using the trackpad on this device. The trackpad allows for easier navigation you don’t have to worry about it getting stuck like the trackballs do. It only takes a couple of hours to get used to navigating with the trackpad.

Camera: The camera is a 3.2 MP with auto focus both the 9700 and the 9650 have the same camera along with flash and video recording. On the 9700 The camera’s flash is on one corner and the camera on the other corner of the device but the 9650’s flash is right above the camera.

Memory : The 9700 only has 256MB of memory where they 9650 has 512MB of flash memory. Both devices allow for expandable memory with via microSD cards. The 9650 comes with a 2GIG memory card. The 9650 way more memory for 3^rd party apps compare to the 9700 or the older 9630. With the OS installed and a few 3^rd party apps the 9650 stock has about 315 MB of memory left.

Wi-FI – This is a great feature and I really can’t see myself using a device without it. The 9630 does not have Wi-Fi and all the BB’s with the Bold Brand have it. This is a nice upgrade for the 9650 because if you live in an area that has no poor data coverage the Wi-Fi allows for data over Wi-Fi while you talk on the phone.

Accessories : With the 9650 you get a swivel holster, Wall Charger, a micro USB cable, and a 3.5mm stereo headphone.

Battery: The battery on the 9650 is the same battery on older devices like the 8900, a 1400 mAh Standard. Both the bold 9000 and the 9700 have a much bigger battery with about an hour more of talk time.

Operating System: The OS preloaded on the 9650 is version 5.0.0.621 but sprint already has pushed out an update to 5.0.0.699. The update wash also pushed OTA will write about that on a separate article.

Travel: The 9650 is a world phone which means it will also pick up GSM frequencies and has room for a SIM card. I was able to use my T-Mobile SIM right out of the box and it Picks up EDGE the T-Mobile 3G frequency is not supported. This device is perfect for business travelers.

To conclude the review the 9650 is a great device and a work horse. If you have been waiting for a device that has the latest and best options this is the device for you.



Specks – Specs and comparison from www.blackberry.com

BlackBerry Bold 9650 Sprint

BlackBerry Bold 9700 T-Mobile USA

Features Available

Wireless email
Organizer
Browser
Phone
Camera	3.2MP	3.2MP
Video recording
BlackBerry® Maps
Media player
Corporate data access
SMS
MMS
GPS	1	1

Size and Weight

Height	4.43″/112mm	4.29″/109mm
Width	2.40″/62mm	2.36″/60mm
Depth	0.56″/14mm	0.56″/14mm
Weight	4.8 oz (136g)	4.30oz/122g

Data Input/Navigation

Keyboard	Full QWERTY	Full QWERTY
Keyboard backlighting
Trackpad

Voice Input/Output

3.5mm stereo headset capable
Headset jack
Integrated earpiece/ microphone
Built-in speakerphone
Bluetooth® technology	Bluetooth v2.1 Mono/Stereo Headset, Hands free, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) and Serial Port Profile Supported, Bluetooth Stereo Audio (A2DP/AVCRP), DUN	Bluetooth v2.1 Mono/Stereo Headset, Hands free, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) and Serial Port Profile Supported, Bluetooth Stereo Audio (A2DP/AVCRP), DUN
Hearing Aid	M3	M3/T3

Display

Display	High-resolution 480×360 pixel color display	High-resolution 480×360 pixel color display
Transmissive TFT LCD
Font size (user selectable)
Color display
Backlighting
Light sensing screen

Notification

Approximate Battery Life

Standby time	up to 13 days/312 hours	GSM – up to 21 days/504 hours, UMTS – up to 17 days/408 hours
Talk time	up to 5 hours	GSM: up to 6 hours, UMTS: up to 6 hours
Music playback time	up to 18 hours	up to 38 hours

Memory

Expandable memory – support for microSD card
Expandable memory – support for hot swappable microSD card, SDHC supported
Onboard memory	512 MB	256MB
Flash memory	512 MB	256MB
Included media card	2 GB

Modem

RIM® wireless modem
Tethered modem capability

Wireless Networks*

Carrier Availability	Sprint, Verizon soon	Amazon.com, AT&T, Bell, Cincinnati Bell, LetsTalk, Mobilicity, Rogers Wireless, T-Mobile, TELUS, WIND Mobile, Wirefly
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g
Dual-band 900/1800 MHz GSM/GPRS networks
Dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1X Ev-DO networks
2100 MHz UMTS networks
North America: 850 MHz GSM/GPRS networks
North America: 1900MHz GSM®/GPRS networks
Europe/Asia Pacific: 1800MHz GSM/GPRS networks
Europe/Asia Pacific: 900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
EDGE networks
HSDPA networks
UMTS/HSPA networks: 2100 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 1900 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 1700/2100 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 900 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 850 MHz
UMTS/HSPA 800 MHz