Is the BlackBerry Bold Worth the Hype?

BlackBerry Bold

What it is

: A full-scale, sleek BlackBerry with a to-die for QWERTY keyboard and a one-of-a-kind vintage camera look — textured faux-leather back, chunky silver accents — that’s drawn celebrity (think John Mayer) and power users alike.

Why it’s different

: The Bold is a chunkier affair than its newer sibling, the Tour (a CDMA phone for the Sprint and Verizon networks), which, as the newest BlackBerry, is even sleeker than the Bold. Still, the HSDPA, GSM Bold is a "world phone," if you will, while the Tour — well, that one will work in beautifully in North America, but you’ll find its performance and features reduced when using it internationally. The Bold also (unlike the Tour) boasts Wi-Fi — great if you’re always near a hotspot! And, you’re trying to choose between the BlackBerry Storm and the Bold — well, the obvious difference here is the keyboard.

What we like

: The BlackBerry Bold is a serious smartphone. The operating system (OS) is renowned and well-loved for its sophisticated BlackBerry Messenger, Push e-mail service and snappy movement between applications. Using the built-in e-mail client will mean you’ll get your messages instantaneously. So, if you’re the kind of person that needs to get things done (or just can’t stand a lag-time on your friends’ hilarious forwards), then this could be the phone for you. The Bold’s 3G mobile broadband capability (it’s also got Wi-Fi) boosts Web-browsing speeds, and its 2-megapixel camera has a decent flash, a nice quality zoom that’s easily controlled via the trackball, and video capabilities. The Bold also has built-in GPS, and RIM’s custom BlackBerry Media Player. In terms of hardware, the keyboard is outstanding — it’s pretty rare to mistype on one of these babies, and with just a little practice you’ll find yourself typing almost as fast as you do on your laptop. Real, physical keyboards are one of the main reasons people love their BlackBerrys, and if you’re used to using a virtual touchscreen keyboard (like the ones on the iPhone or the Blackberry Storm), then you will quickly flip for the real thing. The Bold’s trackball is also particularly sensitive, and all the hard buttons have a great feel. Call quality is excellent, with a nice loud volume and speakerphone.

What we don’t like:

BlackBerrys are a bit behind the curve if you’re really into apps. If you’re a Gmail user, there is a BlackBerry app — but you’ll lose the quickness of Push e-mail — and the app itself is a lot slower than BlackBerry’s built-in Mail client, and while it will display conversation threading (which the BlackBerry client won’t do), you won’t be able to use your labels at all. There are a few great apps for Twitter and Facebook on the horizon (SocialScope is one), but we’ve found that a lot of add-on apps significantly slow down the response time of the OS, leading to the dreaded "clock" icon — proof that your BlackBerry is "thinking" and leaving you with a useless device capable of doing nothing until the phone catches up to you. Another drawback is the browser — RIM’s offerings are slow and complicated to navigate. If you’ve used, say, the iPhone’s Safari browser, then you will be really unimpressed with the Bold’s browser options. Loads times are usually slow (often even for mobile-specific sites), and navigation around pages is clumsy using the trackball. Essentially, while the operating system is really stable and solid, it’s already starting to show its age a bit, and this is evidenced in the relative dearth of apps being developed for the platform (compared to the burgeoning iPhone app store). There are third-party browsers like Opera you can opt for, but none are completely satisfactory. Finally, if you use your phone a lot — especially on high-speed 3G — expect your battery to drain pretty quickly.

Is it worth the hype?

Yes, especially if you need a physical keyboard. In that respect, BlackBerrys in general can’t really be beat. The Bold is also one of the best traveler’s phones out there, particularly for international types who can’t be without their e-mail. But even if you stay Stateside most of the time, this is a great choice for heavy e-mailers and texters.That said, if you’re looking for a phone that browses the Web with ease and elegance, then the Bold (or any BlackBerry) may not be the one for you.

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