The BlackBerry Bold 9900 comes as something of a shock. You see, for years, BlackBerry has, in a sense, been catching up. That’s not a dig at its parent company – it’s practically royalty in push email and corporate handset circles. But it has been rare for RIM to lead the way.
Cameras, internet browsing, HTML emails – all were included on RIM’s phones years after they’d become standard fare on other handsets. For recent examples of decent phones that didn’t really push the envelope all that far, just take a look at the Bold 9780 and 9700.
But the Bold 9000 finally offers some cutting-edge tech, and in an attractive package to boot. Its 1.2GHz processor, high-spec touchscreen, brand new OS7 and HD video camera are all specs we never really expected a BlackBerry to have before the next millennium.
Plus, the staple BlackBerry offerings of a fantastic keyboard and top-notch security will keep regular users interested.
Pick up the Bold 9900 and you’ll definitely know about it. It’s 130g, so it’s by no means feather-light. But would you want it any other way? Ultimately, this is a handset that’s supposed to feel like it means business, and at least it feels lighter than you expect it to be.
RIM’s also bucked the trend in making a phone that’s bigger than its predecessor, the 9780. In fact, it’s like looking at a smaller version of Ol’ Grandpa Bold, the original 9900 – albeit smaller than that huge elder statesman and with a trackpad instead of a trackball.
At 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, you can slide it into your pocket without too much bulk. In fact, that’s one of the 9900′s key selling points; RIM says this is the slimmest BlackBerry yet.
It probably is on paper, but due to the design and the way that the back protrudes out slightly, it looks a bit thicker than it is.
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