Many mobile phone users like the keyboard style associated with Blackberry, and are reluctant to switch to a slate style touchscreen phone. The mini keyboard that has been a key part of the design of many of Blackberry’s devices since long before the iPhone changed the way we think of smartphones, and made the brand huge with people who do a lot of emailing, writing and messaging on their mobile.
Blackberrys were the original email phones, and the Bold line has been the flagship with the premium build quality and materials and the great feel of the keyboard knocking the more entry level, run of the mill corporate Curve line. So how does the latest Blackberry Bold offering, the 9900, stand up to its heritage, and how does it compare to other keyboard phones on the market?
Touchscreen and Keyboard Together – Done the Right Way
The most significant change in the latest Blackberry Bold is the integration of a touchscreen. The keyboard and touchscreen on this particular device work brilliantly together, never giving you a sense that you would rather just be using one or the other because a combination is confusing.
For accessing applications, the touchscreen gives you a handy interface that is much faster than clicking with the keyboard, and it has been kept simple rather than over engineered to the point where it doesn’t suit the fairly small screen.
The Nicest Design on Any Blackberry
The newest Bold is, as you would expect if you have experienced any of the other devices in the Blackberry Bold line, a very well made device with a real sense of quality about it. What sets it apart and makes it to my mind the best designed Blackberry ever is the wide keyboard button layout, which is more comfortable to use than ever before, and the integrated touchscreen. This is a Blackberry that retains the classic elements we are used to while updating the form to really allow the prestigious Blackberry name to compete with other, perhaps more innovative, smartphone brands.
Beating the Competition
If you are certain you want a Blackberry, perhaps because that’s the standard you use in your workplace, or because you are already used to the Blackberry way of using your smartphone, then this is certainly the one to buy if you can afford an upscale model and want the keyboard. It is pretty much a no brainier to plump for the Bold 9900 if you want a keyboard Blackberry. However, if you want a keyboard phone but aren’t sure whether to go with a Blackberry or an Android phone, the choice really comes down to what you use your smartphone for most. If you want an extensive range of apps, then you are going to find an Android like the HTC ChaCha to offer you more. If however, you are most interested in the standard functions on a phone and just want one that works brilliantly, as well as looking good and feeling great to use, go with the Bold 9900.