BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile) Reviews

10 Comments

1. J. Golton says:

   June 9, 2010 at 5:38 pm

   Review by J. Golton for BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   NOTE: This review is long and detailed, especially relevant for heavy users of Google services.

   This is my second Blackberry, obtained from T-mobile at an upgrade discount (now possible through Amazon). My first Blackberry was the T-mobile Curve offering (my review on the 8320 may prove helpful to provide context for this review and for first time smart phone buyers). Last time I purchased a phone, I was just looking for a really high quality phone, and the 8320 certainly delivered. However, over time I gradually used more and more smart phone features until by 2009 I was totally hooked. While the 8320 was great as a phone, its limited memory and sluggish processor made it painful to use for certain apps – and impossible to use for more than a handful of apps.

   So this time around my goal was to get a smart phone that made good sense for my current desired usage. Here were my requirements:

   Keep costs down
   
   Great phone (sound quality, speakerphone, quick dialing, coverage, vibrate options, international use, etc.)
   
   Alternative reception if needed (WiFi UMA or femtocell)
   
   Great e-mail (must handle Gmail well)
   
   Sync contacts/calendar with Google and otherwise works seamlessly well with Google
   
   Works seamlessly with other cloud apps I use heavily (Evernote, Dropbox, etc.)
   
   Media player with 3.5mm jack
   
   Camera of high enough quality to use in conjunction with Evernote OCR
   
   Easy to use (configuration, speed of device, shortcuts, etc.)
   
   Popular model with many accessories available
   
   Long battery life
   
   Enough memory so I don’t have to manage it
   
   Feels good in hand
   
   Able to charge by putting in a cradle
   
   Tethering possible (Bluetooth preferred)
   
   Reliable

   Optional but nice:

   Great browser
   
   Maps
   
   Turn by Turn navigation (free preferred)

   Other sections at the end of this review:

   Screen
   
   Keyboard
   
   Trackpad
   
   Battery Life
   
   Summary

   The 9700 with T-mobile strongly delivers on most of my requirements, and surpasses the 8320 in almost every respect by a wide margin. One by one:

   Costs: Was able to keep my grandfathered T-mobile Blackberry contract for 40/month for voice (1000 anytime, unlimited nights/weekends) and 20/month for unlimited data (but no text/SMS). Our family also has the hotspot home service for an additional 10/month to provide an unlimited domestic calling home line. And a 12% AAA discount off the bill – so this is far less expensive than we could get for these services than from any other carrier. On the other hand, for users who require few voice minutes, heavy data, no tethering, and no home phone, iPhone with AT&T could be only slightly higher in cost (and perhaps even competitive for light data users given the new June 2010 ATT 15/month 200MB/month plan option)

   Phone: Terrific – just as good as 8320 which was also great. I find the phone quality I experience to be better than using an average phone with a land line (cordless or corded). The speakerphone and internal phone is of higher quality but lower volume – so may be more difficult to hear in very noisy conditions, though ear buds or headsets can be used in such circumstances. The alternative UMA reception works just as well on 9700 as it did on the 8320. The quality of the speakerphone is so good that I often use it for music if I’m not in reach of my earphones – while of course not as good as what you get over a high quality headset, it is the best speaker quality I’ve heard from a cell phone – and I thought the 8320 was good.

   E-mail, Google apps: Built in Email function is great but is not geared for IMAP Gmail so I downloaded the Google Mobile App and then the individual components Gmail, Sync, and Maps. Gmail and Maps are outstanding, Sync is adequate. The search by voice feature of Google Mobile App is amazingly useful in so many ways I could write a couple pages just about this one feature (watch what happens when you do voice searches for “Phillies” or “Black Widow” or “3+11″ . . .). By using Gmail I give up push E-mail (it checks every 20 minutes or if I force it to with “refresh”) but is otherwise better – including the ability to search g-mail very quickly. None of this is any different from the 8320 – except that everything is much quicker – and I can use Maps without having to reboot the phone to get memory back. The Google Reader icon merely invokes the Blackberry browser with Google Reader RSS – and it is so tiny that it is unusable. I did figure out that I could use Google Reader reasonably well with the BOLT browser (which I had to download and then set to 3x Large font rendering). I also use Google Voice to replace T-mobile’s voice mail and it works great, though you have to wait a few minutes for voice mails and their transcriptions to show up on your phone. Of course, all of these things work way better on Android and the iPhone, but with the exception of Google Reader, they are plenty good enough on the Blackberry.

   Other Cloud Apps: Unfortunately, Blackberry is harder to develop for than the iPhone (and probably Android too), partly because Blackberry has so many models (too many, IMHO). The result is that Evernote for the iPhone is fantastic while it is passable on the 9700 and downright primitive on the 8320. The screen is bigger and the browser is better and faster on the 9700 (OS 5) than it was on 8320 (OS 4.5), and this accounts for why I’m actually beginning to use Evernote do search within the app and it brings up the notes with that term in the browser – you have to wait 5-10 seconds but it works. On the 8320 this was too slow to be workable. Dropbox does not have a client for Blackberry but is expected to release one by the end of 2010. Roboform has a primitive Blackberry client that doesn’t sync wirelessly – I have to manually copy over my passcards every once in a while. Blackberry is a major platform so I am assuming these apps get better over time, but they will always trail the iPhone.

   Media Player – the media player functions (mp3, pictures, video, voice notes, etc.) works just as well as it did with the 8320 – there’s probably been some changes but I didn’t notice them. However, the Pandora app runs much better on the 9700 than the 8320 due likely to some combination of 3G coverage and a faster processor. On the 8320, the application paused often in weak coverage areas and had a tendency to stop in the middle of a song and skip to the next on occasion.

   Camera quality – I am a huge fan of Evernote but the 8320 camera was not able to take pictures of regular size text that could be recognized as text by Evernote’s OCR. The 9700 camera specs are better and this proved out with Evernote in my initial tests. I found that with bright light and a distance of at least 11 inches away, I could take pictures of restaurant menus and Evernote was able to index most words in the picture. So I will have access to the menus of all of our favorite restaurants through Evernote once I take pictures of them all. This could also be done with business cards, wine bottles, white boards . . .

   Ease of Use – This is where Blackberry’s fall flat. It took me many many hours of fiddling to master the use of the 8320. While most of this knowledge transferred over to the 9700, it still took many hours to set up the phone as I downloaded apps, set preferences, etc. The iPhone is obviously much better in this regard, and for a heavy Google services user like myself, so is Android, from everything I’ve read. The menus of preferences were moderately better laid out than the 8320, which helped some. But here are some of the issues:

   1) The Apps store experience is frustrating (i.e. Quickpull is an app that worked for 8320 and appeared on the 9700 app store so I installed it but it froze up my system – why does this appear at all if it hasn’t been updated yet for the 9700?). Installing apps is slow and requires rebooting. Some apps are NOT in the app store (Google mobile app, Bolt, etc.).

   2) The profiles system for setting alert preferences is powerful, and a bit easier to use than the 8320, but still complicated.

   3) The initial layout of icons on the phone screen was so cumbersome (including many links to useless apps promoted by T-mobile) that I spent quite a while rearranging them so I could more easily find what I was looking for.

   On the bright side, there are many handy shortcuts available on Blackberries. I especially like having each letter assignable to a speed dial, so I use the first letter of last names for home phone speed dials, and the first letter of first names for cell phone speed dials. As you learn the shortcuts, the phone becomes very fast to use, far faster than a computer for some things.

   Popularity – Blackberries in general are among the most popular smart phone brands and 9700s in particular appear to be a big hit. Within months there will be a flood of accessories but the phone is so new that there’s not too much yet. Many apps have not yet been updated for the 9700 or the OS 5.0.0.330 which powers the phone. However, it is harder to write Blackberry apps, so I am expecting iPhone to always have better and more up-to-date apps, and probably Android as well as that platform matures.

   Battery/Memory – Battery life is amazingly good – I have been unable to use more than 30% of the battery in one day despite a lot of fiddling, syncs in the background, Pandora use, etc. There is enough memory for apps that I don’t have to worry about it any more. This is a vast improvement over the 8320, which was a pocket computer in theory but in actual practice memory limited to less than a dozen apps, and required constant fiddling to manage memory if you used it like that. However, as application developers start increasing the size of apps, it’s easy for me to imagine 256MB of memory getting to be a problem a year or two from now . . .

   Phone in Hand – The 9700 is the perfect size for my larger-than-average adult male hand. The 8320 was very slippery and I kept dropping it until I bought a Seido protective cover. It was already thick and the cover made it thicker, so that I didn’t like holding it for long phone calls. The 9700 is only thinner by a few mm, yet it is much less fatiguing to hold, and it is not slippery so I will probably not use a protective covering. There are a few very minor things I like less than the 8320, though: The right convenience key is so low on the phone that I have to contort my thumb to reach it. This is especially problematic when using the autofocus feature of the camera to focus on a specific distance – which uses that key. The battery cover and micro SD cards are both a pain to take off. Both require using two thumbs to push away from your body with a lot of pressure. The manual does not explain this – took lots of trial/error and online googling to figure this out.

   Cradle – I bought the Blackberry Charging Pod for Blackberry Bold 2. I dock the phone each night and while charging it goes into bedside mode, which is a customizable alarm clock (which gives you options to turn off every kind of alerting if you want, including phone rings). Assuming you buy the dock, you won’t need an alarm clock any more.

   Tethering – It’s a bit cumbersome to set up but I had done it on the 8320 before so knew how. It works – and it is much faster than the 8320, likely mostly due to 3G. I did not do speed tests but some who have claim to be getting 3G speeds (which are 10x-20x faster than the EDGE tethering that happened on the 8320). I don’t plan to use this feature much – only while traveling and no WiFi is near. I am hoping people don’t heavily use this feature because if they do, T-mobile will be forced to stop allowing it or maybe charge for it. But having this as a backup internet connection (especially traveling) is a huge plus for me.

   Reliable (NEW SECTION added June 8, 2010) – My previous model, the BB 8300, was very reliable. It froze up twice in 2 years and never had a dropped call. The BB 9700 has not been reliable for me. I am about to start my 3rd unit after 2 units developed defects. I just decided to start insuring the phone at $5.99/month. I’ve have also occasionally experienced dropped UMA calls, during the handoff from UMA to 3g or EDGE – but this part has supposedly been solved by the OS update that came out in June 2010. Here are the details:

   2/26/10: Around mid February (2 months after I purchased the 9700), my external speaker began to go. At first I (incorrectly) thought it was glitch in the profiles settings but then it went out for 20 hours straight. After thorough testing I found that the internal phone speaker and headsets still worked fine – but the phone did not ring for incoming calls and I could not play music without a headset. I called T-mobile. After 15 minutes of troubleshooting and verifying that the phone was not water damaged, a replacement phone was authorized. I had to pay $9.95 for shipping, but otherwise no cost to me. I received the replacement phone yesterday, made sure it worked, and shipped my old phone back today. T-mobile customer service was terrific for this incident and in every other instance I’ve contacted them over the past 2 years.

   6/8/10: In early May I began to experience random crashes and reboots. The first few times it it happened I kept thinking it was likely due to some new app I had installed. But in the past week it started happening more often, until yesterday when the 9700 no longer booted at all. So once again I had to get a replacement unit from T-mobile. Once again T-mobile was very responsive, and this time waived the $10 shipping fee. The service was great but having 2 defective units in 6 months is getting to be a real chore – especially this time as the phone won’t boot so I can’t back it up.

   Browser – The 9700 Blackberry Browser is significantly better than the 8320 browser, partly due to more screen real estate (in pixels) and the faster processor. Disabling images makes it even faster. I didn’t try to analyze what all the changes are, but I do know that I can now use Evernote, where as it way too cumbersome to use Evernote with the 8320. Less busy web sites are now usable. But the browser is still nowhere close to what you get on an iPhone or Android device. I downloaded BOLT and it seems better for single column sites where I really need to reflow text, such as Google Reader. But clearly something better is possible. Opera Mini 5 is in Beta and is getting reviews so that may be available in a few months. But the big leap will likely happen with the webkit-based browser that was acquired a few months ago and is likely to be incorporated with Blackberries by the end of 2010. Based on what I’ve seen in the week I’ve played with my 9700, I’ll likely only use the browser for certain specific things like Evernote and Google Reader or the results of a Google Voice Search – but avoid general browsing as much as possible.

   Maps and Voice Navigation – I tested the Maps App for a few minutes and it did the job quite well when outdoors. Note that GPS can be used not only in Map apps but also in many other applications such as weather, search, geotagging pictures, etc. and all this comes in handy. To get high quality voice navigation you’ll generally need to pay $10/month, which is much more than I’m willing to pay. If I’m walking, then voiceless navigation is good enough, and if I’m driving I’ll use my Garmin Nuvi – which I would want to do anyway as it has a much bigger screen and is much easier to use while driving. I would use such a feature if I had it – and I’m sure users of Android 2.0 devices such as the Verizon Droid will greatly appreciate it. But this was not a critical feature for me.

   Summary:

   The Blackberry 9700 with T-mobile is a great phone and communication device that is also a pretty good pocket computer, all in an attractive, easy to hold and use form factor – all at a very reasonable monthly plan cost for the heavy phone and data user. It is a huge improvement over the 83xx series in almost every respect. The only significant disadvantages compared with other smartphones are a barely usable browser, a cumbersome setup for third-party apps, and the general complication of customizing the device. For those who value a browser and ease of use above all and are willing to pay for it, the iPhone is better – but for those who want a great smartphone on a budget – this is a great choice.

   UPDATE 1/20/2010: After owning/using the 9700 for a week, I wrote the above review. I intentionally said little about the the keyboard, screen, and trackpad because I felt these kinds of things may take getting used to, so I didn’t want to be too hasty to judge. I now have enough data to comment:

   Screen: The screen is very high resolution which means that it is very easy to read text in 8pt type. Unfortunately, this sometimes means the browser or certain apps decide that they can cram more text in at 5pt or 6pt type, which requires that I use my reading glasses – those with better eyes than mine may appreciate cramming in more text with a smaller font. Pictures are crisp and vibrant. The backlight brightness is extremely bright – too bright for night in fact. I do have the “Automatically Dim Backlight” feature enabled which dims the 9700 automatically at night and I have screen brightness set to the minimum setting of 10. It is still too bright to me for use in a room with no light on. Furthermore, the unit occasionally has an abrupt change of brightness – getting brighter all of a sudden for a few seconds or just staying that way. It is impossible for me to know if my unit has a defective light sensor or this is an O/S issue – I’ve read that others are experiencing similar issues so perhaps it’s the O/S and it will be fixed some day with one of the O/S updates. Another brightness issue is that the difference between maximum brightness and minimum brightness is pretty narrow. I never have viewing problems in even the brightest sunlight so it’s the lowest brightness setting which I think is not low enough.

   Keyboard: I do not use the Blackberry extensively for typing – The rare e-mail I write or reply to is usually less than 10 words, and I don’t use text messaging in any form. So it took a while for me to conclude that the keyboard is slower for me than the 83xx keyboard, which had spacing between the keys. I actually timed myself and found I did around 30 WPM (words per minute) with the 83xx and 25 WPM with the 9700. If I try typing faster (say, 30 WPM), I hit several double keys per minute which needs correcting and ends up lower than 25 WPM. So the result is I purposely type slower and more cautiously to avoid hitting two keys simultaneously. For the way I use a Blackberry, this is not a big problem – I use the keyboard mostly for things like speed dial, quickly looking up a contact, navigating the menus, etc. and there is no speed hit that I can notice for that. But for those with big hands who type a lot, the Bold 9000 is going to be faster, and probably the 83xx series as well. Note that my fingers/hands are slightly larger than normal for an adult male.

   Trackpad: Most people rave about how great trackpads are on Blackberries but for me it’s a mixed bag. I find it to be sometimes jumpy with applications that require frequent moving around – particularly with the game Ka-Glom, which I tried both on the 8320 and the 9700. I have better control on the 8320 and can score significantly higher as a result. Also, any form of moisture on your fingers – sweat, water, lotion, etc. can have an impact on the responsiveness. Nevertheless, I find it easier to use than the old trackball style when my thumbs are dry and I’m using a typical app – it is easier to use a light touch to move just a tiny bit, and it is very easy to swipe it all the way to one side or to the top/bottom. The trackpad is harder to accidentally press than a trackball. And it is quiet. Overall, I prefer the trackpad because it is yet one more little thing that reduces the weight/bulk of the unit and is much less likely to go bad than the trackballs on all older devices.

   Update 2/14/10: Battery life is possible to kill if you get too adventurous with your phone. I have found 4 ways to kill it so far: Themes, heavy syncing, tethering, and upgrading the O/S. The theme I tried for a week caused sluggish performance and battery to deplete twice as fast. Bluetooth tethering caused me to go all the way through the battery in less than 6 hours while using an tethered EEE PC constantly during that time. Syncing is not a big deal if you just have two or three apps syncing every 2 hours or so, but some apps will sync every few minutes if you let them and if you have a few of these running the battery can drain quickly and the phone becomes sluggish during syncs. And while I haven’t experimented with a different OS version myself, I have read that the 5.0.0.330 Blackberry OS that comes with the T-mobile 9700 is the most battery efficient OS ever – later versions are all less battery efficient. If you keep things simple on your phone you’ll have great battery life – just use one of the preloaded themes, don’t tether much, sparingly set up syncs, and don’t upgrade away from OS 5.0.0.330 that T-mobile ships with the 9700 model.

   Changed Summary/Conclusion: Overall, my conclusion about this device has changed slightly over time, so I here’s a rewrite of the Summary incorporating my extensive testing of the physical features:

   Summary: The Blackberry 9700 with T-mobile is a great phone and communication device that is also a pretty good pocket computer, all in a slim, light, attractive, and easy to hold and use form factor – all at a very reasonable monthly plan cost for the heavy phone and data user. It is a huge improvement over the 83xx series in terms of speed, memory, and connectivity options. However, the keyboard is slower for me to use than the 8320. For me this tradeoff is worthwhile, as it is no longer a noticeable lump in my shirt or pants pocket and does not fatigue my hand on a long phone call.

   I’ve had to return 2 defective units in 6 months, compared with none for the 8320 in 2 years.

   The only significant disadvantages (compared with other smartphone brands) are a barely usable browser, a cumbersome setup for third-party apps, and the general complication of customizing the device. For those who value a browser and ease of use above all and are willing to pay for it, the iPhone and perhaps certain Android-based phones (such as Google’s Nexus One) are better – but for those who want a great smartphone on a budget – getting the Blackberry Bold 9700 with T-mobile service is a great choice.
2. Always Samsung says:

   June 9, 2010 at 6:27 pm

   Review by Always Samsung for BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RYXE5ZFJZZA51 I’ve been a long time AT&T costumer. I thought I could live without having an actual keyboard when it comes to texting, but after a week without my Sidekick Keyboard – I decided to ditch my Samsung Eternity for the Blackberry Bold 9700.

   I was hesitant about purchasing this smart phone because I was never a fan of Blackberry’s (RIMM). I had a BB during their initial boom in the early part of the new millennium. However, the poor browser, poor cell phone network, lackluster screen color, non desirable keyboard, awful battery life, whack OS, & lack of T9 predictive text just couldn’t win me over.

   After I realized that I couldn’t text on a touch screen phone, unless it was the iPhone. I decided that I must have a cell phone device with an actual qwerty keyboard, if I expect to survive my text message & email addiction.

   I picked up the Blackberry 9700 with my corporate discount and walked away with a nice high end phone at a very reasonable price. I have to say that I really enjoy the web browser on the new BB. You can zoom in & out with ease. I thought no browser could compare to the iPod Safari besides the Android G1, but after getting this device – I can safely say that this browser is also one of the best. Its right behind the safari and G1. Prior models were confined to small screens, thirty-five dollar internet only data plans, and no ability to zoom in or out. You were subjected to a small screen and reading small text till your eyes was squinting like grandmas.

   Pros:
   
   3G
   
   New Optical Trackpad (Over the old Trackball)
   
   Big vibrant screen
   
   Threaded Text Messaging
   
   3.5 MM headjack
   
   New OS (Runs a bit quicker without the lag time)
   
   Decent call quality
   
   Excellent new broswer
   
   Mini SD up to 32GB
   
   Use your songs as ringers
   
   Wi-Fi
   
   Personal Email (Up to 10 accounts can be added)
   
   IM
   
   Themes
   
   App Store
   
   My Favs
   
   Full HTML Web Browser (Sometimes)
   
   Excellent Multimedia Player (Accepts every format possible)
   
   Includes 2 chargers (Wall Charger & USB charger)
   
   Includes ear phones and carry case

   Cons:
   
   For long time BB users, this device is really just a cosmetic upgrade with a new OS (Flashier Icons)
   
   Micro USB (No more Mini USB)
   
   Video & Camera (3.2 Megapixel as oppose to 8.0)
   
   Cheap plastic rubber casing

   Non RIMM Consumer Changes Mind!

   For anyone who has wanted a BB but held off on getting one and want an entry level Blackberry at a decent price – this is the model to get. Everything about it is an upgrade. The device is basically the BB Bold with a different casing. The battery life could still use some more juice. With excessive email checking & non stop texting, the phone usually needs a charge after a day and a half of usage (Sometimes i can go a charge for 2 days before a charge so thats not bad). I did set the brightness of the phone to the lowest brightness available and it has lasted for a little over 2 days with no charge needed. Even on the lowest brightness, the screen is still very bright, sharp, & crisp. And i still do unlimited texting & web browsing. However, AT&T doesn’t offer the best mobile minute plans on earth & their data plan is probably one of themost expensive around. They are fully aware that their signal is one of the best & in doing so, make up for it by charging their non-friendly services at non-friendly prices, which usually doesn’t offers an abundant amount of minutes, unlimited data, internet, email, text etc will end up costing you a lot!

   I pay under seventy bucks a month for a decent amount of mins & unlimited everything else. My friend has a similar plan on Verizon, its not unlimited, and her bill is always over a hundred each month.
3. Menno Aartsen says:

   June 9, 2010 at 6:52 pm

   Review by Menno Aartsen for BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   Postscript, February 2010: T-Mobile lets me use a lot of free communications tools. I was really pleased to find an application, iSkoot, that uses a Skype module and runs on my BlackBerry Bold 9700. It is formally compatible with the Bold 9000, not the 9700, but I thought I would try anyway, and sure enough, it runs just fine. I just spent half an hour talking to my buddy Andy, who lives in Australia, but is currently working in Saigon, using Skype over 3G, and it was clean as a whistle, called from the car. Importantly, the Blackberry can handle internet access, accessing other apps, and Skyping or calling all at the same time, something that on most other phones is not possible. With a headset, being able to look something up during a conversation you are used to on your laptop, but you can now do it on the phone too.

   This isn’t just the Blackberry. While Apple and AT&T and Verizon Wireless limit the communications applications you can use, T-Mobile does not, and on its Blackberrys you can use both 3G and UMA to make calls and connect to the internet, UMA being a way to use GSM telephony over WiFi – this device lets you “tether”, as well, using your mobile phone as a wireless broadband modem for your laptop or PC. UMA lets me call back to the US over WiFi from abroad as well, for free (!), so for me, this is a totally gorgeous combo. It turns the Blackberry from a cellphone with internet into communications central. It isn’t just Skype, either. I am one of the lucky owners of a Google Voice number, still an invite-only affair, and that works brilliantly too, on the BB 9700. Google has a native Blackberry application available, and so everything you can do in Google Voice on a PC using a browser can be done in the Google Voice app, including downloading, playing and forwarding Google voicemail. Works even over the slower EDGE network, Google Voice gives you all the follow-me-calling, caller screening and centralized voicemail functionality those of us who worked for large corporations are used to.

   Why is this important? Unlike Apple and others, T-Mobile, Blackberry and Google do not restrict functionality. Blackberry does not censor what you can install on your phone, T-Mobile lets you make calls on your 3G handset using their networks, like Google and Skype, and Google provides a plethora of useful communications and professional tools.
   
   ————–
   
   Here is my original review, from December 2009:
   
   I can’t say the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is pretty – it looks to me like a cheapie, bits of chrome and leather on a plastic casing, with a “keyboard” whose keys can only be operated by a kid. Blackberry used to make more fashionable phones.

   But then, as they say in the world of motor vehicles, we get under the hood. This thing (in the version that T-Mobile sells) has: WiFi (a.k.a. wireless networking), 3G, GPS (free) and: UMA! This is too cool.

   I am going to assume you’re well familiar with the jargon by now, except perhaps for UMA. UMA, or Unlicensed Mobile Access, is a technology that lets you use a wireless Ethernet (WiFi, in common parlance) network for voice calls, using an otherwise standard GSM cellphone. It’s been around for a while, and I’ve used the service for several years, but what excited me so much is that the Blackberry is the first phone T-Mobile offers that has both 3G and UMA. The terms I am using – 3G, EDGE, GPRS, UMA, all belong in the European GSM technical cellular standard, the same system that is used by T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless, in this country, a system that is in use in over 90% of the world. Verizon and Sprint are using an American developed technology called CDMA, which is, to all intents and purposes, dead outside the USA. American wireline companies, back when, had no option but to use this technology when cellular telephony was introduced, for very valid legal and regulatory reasons, but Verizon, Sprint and Nextel did not switch to GSM when they could, while other North American carriers did, and so their CDMA phones are unusable on anybody else’s networks (with exception of a few specially designed hybrid handsets, which are effectively two cellphones in one, using two different carriers). A GSM phone you can buy anywhere, and use anywhere, provided it is a modern quadband phone, and it is “unlocked” (or “no-line”, as it is called in parts of Asia) – all GSM phones can be.

   But back to Blackberry’s new Bold 9700, which I just began using. There is a lot wrong with it – the keys are too small, the display is too small, Blackberry has been trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. I understand they want to get as close to a “regular” cellular phone form factor as they can, while retaining Blackberry’s PDA features, but they have gone too far, IMO. It is functional and usable, but a pain. The old Blackberry 6230 I got in 2004 is the smallest form factor that is comfortable to use as a PDA.

   But there is a lot right with the Bold 9700, much more so than there is wrong. For one thing, I live somewhere with little cell service, so UMA, for me, is the ideal solution – when I get home my UMA phones automagically switch to my wireless network, and then I receive and make my calls using that. Additionally, calls made over WiFi do not count toward your airtime minutes, all calls within the United States are effectively completely free of charge. I can’t tell you how wonderful this is – T-Mobile (the only carrier in the United States that offers UMA) charges a flat rate across my account to put UMA on all lines – and “Hotspot service” is available at most MacDonalds and Starbucks outlets in the US, too. The only problem was that the choice of handsets was limited, and no handset was available that offered 3G as well as UMA. They do exist – an LG phone available in Europe has UMA, but that is enabled only when you buy the phone from Orange in the UK or France.

   Enter the new Blackberry. It has 3G and UMA, and more besides, like WiFi and GPS, something I have gotten used to as I have been using the Nokia 6110 Navigator 3G phone for this purpose since 2007. GPS shouldn’t be in cars, it should be right in your hand, and go where you go. We stopped buying carphones, too, nobody in their right mind would have a phone locked to their vehicle, right? As I had not seen the magic “3G” indicator on the screen of one of my cellphones in the US, I drove out towards Fredericksburg after receiving and setting up the Blackberry 9700 I just bought. Much to my surprise, I got a good 3G signal on T-Mobile’s network much closer to home than I expected – at the local Giant store, which sits in a nearby shopping center built only two years ago. That is actually on the edge of the semi-rural area I live in, where cellular service is spotty at best. And it is quite a bit farther from Fredericksburg than I had expected.

   What is important about 3G? As many teenagers and students already know, you can have reasonable speed internet, voice and your primary life databases all in one device. There really is no longer a need (depending on where you live) to have anything “wired” any more. Especially a device like the Blackberry, coupled with a technologically savvy phone company like T-Mobile, gives you everything.

   The device itself has 3G internet as well as WiFi internet, and it can, in T-Mobile’s version, be used as a digital modem for your laptop or desktop computer – something called “tethering”. Having a separate data card for your laptop is completely obsolete – using Google Voice, you can even have a secondary phone ring when the primary does, so you don’t have to break your data connection when a call comes in. The cost of the second line is only $10 per month, good if you do a lot of talking as well as a lot of internetting at the same time. Having said that, with your laptop connected to the internet using a 3G connection on a 3G phone, you would be able to use Skype for voice communications, and need not bother with the phone in that respect.

   Now, I gotta talk to you about GPS. You know the GPS units we’ve been getting for the car – standalone GPS, maps loaded on the device, etc. And then there is the GPS mobile phone companies are trying to sell us, which actually isn’t GPS at all, but just a clever application that uses the GPS chip that has to, by law, built into a cellphone in the US, these days. Its sole purpose is to let the emergency services know where you are when you make a 911 call.

   Unlike “true” GPS, this method relies on the phone using the chip to figure out your location, then downloading local maps, provided yours is a wireless broadband phone – 3G or EV-DO. That’s fraught with problems – if you lose your network connection your GPS is dead, I’ve just experienced that with the LG phone I was trying out, whose GPS application spend most of its time not working, when it cannot get a data connection in the rural area that I live in. When I leave the house, where it uses my WiFi connection, it dies as soon as I am halfway down my driveway.

   So: if you want a phone with GPS, you’re best off getting one that can function as a standalone GPS unit. Like the Nokia 6110 Navigator I picked up in the Philippines in 2007 (they weren’t sold in the US), which has a complete GPS unit, with Route 66 navigation software, and preloaded maps, those that are not included with the phone you can buy and download from Route 66. The Nokia (its successor is the Nokia 5800, which Nokia does sell in the US, but the 5800, too, uses instant download mapping) does the “on the fly” GPS as well, where you can access free maps from Nokia itself. Nokia does let you download maps to your PC using the Ovi Map downloader, but once you have them on your handset you have to buy a subscription if you want to use navigation with them.

   I will be trying out RIM’s own application, Blackberry Maps, which comes with the 9700, and which, from a quick peek, uses the on-the-fly download principle, but has a cache you can set the size of. I am hoping that cache will retain maps after they have been downloaded, obviating the need for 3G where there is none. At least this application comes with the phone for free, and can use WiFi as well as 3G and EDGE. With T-Mobile’s Hotspot service, you could stop in at a Starbucks or McDonalds, I suppose, and download local maps using their free WiFi. Something I had gotten used to with my Nokia, using an external Bluetooth GPS antenna, the 9700 can do too. Using a GPS antenna built into the handset in a car, where the metal prevents the GPS antenna from functioning properly, is a headache – the external antenna you can park on the dash, against the windshield, its rechargeable battery will easily last a day or so, and the phone does not have to power its built in antenna. I am using Nokia’s LD-3W antenna, which set me back $100, a couple of years ago. Holux M-1000 32 Channel Wireless Bluetooth GPS Receiver is a cheaper version, that works in the same fashion, providing a Bluetooth serial port.

   For the moment, that is really all I can tell you, not having used this unit extensively. I have moved all of my email addresses to the Blackberry, although final storage of my email happens on one of my laptops, but it is very convenient to have the mobile alert me to all emails, and being able to weed out the spam directly from the phone. I’ve tried to get rid of all of the links and applications I don’t need, loaded a very few apps that are central to my life: Tivo, Maps, Google Voice, Google Maps (just because I like seeing a picture of my house from satellite , synchronization is now set to go to Yahoo rather than Outlook (which means you can sync your life even when you’re nowhere near your laptop or PC) – Yahoo and Blackberry both use Intellisync to synchronize PDA data, if you want to know why it is Yahoo and not Microsoft’s Live attempt at gathering even more marketing data from you.

   I am genuinely not interested in running a million apps on my PDA. Its primary function is that of a phone (Blackberry’s Bluetooth audio implementation is a cut above the rest, by the way), I run applications on my travel laptop, a tiny 10.5″ Acer. Having GPS, calendar, address book and a secure document available is part of what I must have, even the Tivo app I do not need, I can log into my Tivo from my laptop using the Blackberry as a data modem. This is not a religion for me, it is a tool…
4. Tarun Chachra says:

   June 9, 2010 at 7:09 pm

   Review by Tarun Chachra for BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   The Blackberry Bold 9700 is a great new Blackberry with speed that I have yet to see on any model out there. Before this model my favorite was the Blackberry 8900 which lacked 3g capabilities and thus was a little tedious at times. The 9700 truly has everything that you will ever want out of a Blackberry:

   * 480×360 High Resolution Screen
   
   * Touch Sensitive Track PAD Which is FANTASTIC (the track ball on previous models was always a problem)
   
   * A new upgraded CPU which makes this device SCREAM with speed.
   
   * 3G and EDGE Cellular Service
   
   * Wi-Fi (Which can be used for UMA on T-MOBILE – allowing you to use your internet connection to make/receive calls and email, etc).
   
   * 3.2 MP Camera with Auto Focus, Image Stabilization and a LED Flash.
   
   * A new operating system – Version 5.0.x to be specific.
   
   * Includes a 2gb Micro SD Card for storage of Music, Images, Videos, and Applications.
   
   * Super clear speaker both in the handset and as a speakerphone. Loud and Clear… (Note, the previous bold had stereo speakers, this one does not)
   
   * Micro USB Charging (Industry standard – previous bold had mini-usb)
   
   * Elegant design with leather embossed battery cover

   If you are looking to find a negative here then you will not…I have used these devices ever since the first one was introduced in the mid/late nineties and I can say will full confidence that it is the BEST BLACKBERRY I have ever used.

   All of that being said…my only gripe is with T-Mobiles lack of 3G coverage, at the moment. I sincerely hope that with a superb device like this that they will invest in their network and improve it quickly….

   Please ask me any and all questions via the comments system and I will answer them as best as I can.

   PS: Quick Note: I have a leather holster for my 8900 – the 9700 fits in it perfectly.
5. Ben says:

   June 9, 2010 at 7:16 pm

   Review by Ben for BlackBerry Bold 9700 Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   This phone is simply fantastic. If you are considering a smartphone, there are many factors to consider and you need to take time to decide what is important to you. Do you want to use it to play games, or run nifty applications? Do you need great battery life? Is WiFi or GPS important? Will you be traveling and need access to a variety of cellular networks?

   My first foray into smartphones was a Samsung Moment, which I returned. You will find Android phone users spend a lot of time figuring out how to maximize battery life: many people run widgets that let them turn on and off WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth in order to get extra time before the battery dies. Placing calls with an Android phone involves multiple steps, which I thought took too much time.

   The Bold 9700 performs the main functions I need extremely well. Some highlights:

   1. Calls are easy to make and receive. I can pick up the phone and press one speed dial key and the call is made. Or I can enter a few letters of a contact’s name and the phone finds the match. Making a call is much faster on this phone than on an Android phone.

   2. Battery life is terrific. I never worry about turning off GPS, WiFi, or Bluetooth. They run all the time. With full use of the phone – voice, messaging, streaming music – I can use the device for about 36 hours.

   3. Messaging is great. Emails, SMS texts, chats on various services, ie Blackberry Messenger and Gmail, are all simple to use.

   4. Google integration. I use and share Google calendars, and they’re automatically synced.

   5. Great international performance. I took this phone to Haiti after the earthquake, and used it to talk, chat, text, send back pictures… it worked flawlessly. (Go to the Blackberry website and look up the specs – I think it worked so well because it seems to support about every cellular band there is!)

   6. Polish. There are a lot of little things that show how well developed this phone is. For example, if the phone is ringing in the holster and you pull it out, it stops ringing. A silence key on top of the device is accessible through the holster. The keyboard is terrific, the screen is terrific. There’s a message indicator light. It’s got a great camera. At home, it routes calls automatically over my router.

   Negatives? The web browser is pretty terrible. It’s very slow. Free alternatives, like Opera, are available, but the BlackBerry is not nearly as good a web browser as the iPhone, Palm Pre, or an Android phone. There is also a lack of applications that are available on the iPhone. You won’t be able to AutoTune your voice with this phone, or play an Ocarina.

   I would recommend the Bold 9700 to anyone who needs a device that first and foremost works great as a phone and handles email, texts, instant messaging, and calendars very well. It may not browse the web or play games as well as some other phones, but at the end of the day, my phone still has plenty of battery power and is keeping me in touch – just what a phone is supposed to do.
6. Justin P. Bartels says:

   June 9, 2010 at 8:05 pm

   Review by Justin P. Bartels for HTC HD2 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   Let me start by saying I have been a T-Mobile customer since 2003. I have owned several Samsung handheld non smart phones, the T-Mobile Dash, First Gen Iphone unlocked on T-Mobile, The T-Mobile G1 and now the HDC HD2. All of my friends have Iphones, but I will never use ATT again because of their customer service (Cingular 2003). This phone is top notch and absolutely wonderful.I’ve been wanting a fully functional business, media phone for the past few years. The G1 was great, the Keyboard was so nice I really just loved it, but I couldn’t pass up a phone with a 1 GHZ processor, it is so awesome.

   Pros –
   
   The Screen is 4.3 inches and the resoultion is 480×800. The battery life is much better than the G1 and does last all day. Camera has flash, a really nice touch and the pictures look great. The camcorder also has a light. E-Mail setup was the easiest I have had on an HTC device and worked right away. 16GB card right out of the box is a nice touch, I’ve put 8 full length movies and about 1,000 songs on the device right now. I used the Telenav turned by turn device and it was solid. There is also an FM radio, I will enjoy this when I go to sporting events, since I can get the baseball games on the FM station. You can get a subscription to Mobile TV, but for myself I’ve been using Sling Mobile and it works over 3g so I can watch all my hundreds of DirecTV shows. I don’t believe the Iphone version allows you to use the 3g version of sling, and it’s not available for android phones yet. As far as a Phone, I like the facebook intergration and pictures with the contacts, volume is very solid and it is easy to talk to people.

   Cons –
   
   Media Syncing is a little harder (music is easy videos were easier to transfer via Disk drive, but it could have just been the way I ripped them), but if your a gadgethead you will love it. There is a program called multimedia sync by double twist on the device that I have been using instead of media player. I wish the video player was linked in with the music interface, I like the music player on the device (you can use windows media player as well and videos are found on photos and video tab), but I would like the videos to be more accesible, it is not hard to find them.

   The HTC Sense looks really cool on this device, especially the weather. If you want ease, go buy an Iphone, if you want super fast clear quick interfaces and a phone that rules, get the HTC HD2. I always find it funny that Apple has such a following, had it not been for that Iphone they’d still be a laugher like they were in the 90′s. This summer will be a pivotal time for Apple, with the HTC EVO coming out on sprint with 4G (very similar to this phone) and running on Android, they will have to step up their game. If you are on T-Mobile get this phone yesterday (If you can find it), for the Amazon price it’s going to be hard to beat.

   A+++++
7. diljs says:

   June 9, 2010 at 8:32 pm

   Review by diljs for HTC HD2 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   As an avid user of smartphones, for years I’ve completely ignored a series of dull, uncreative phones running windows. While a variety of hardware form factors, some even technically superior to the competition, have come out, the software continued to look incredibly boring compared to the iPhone, Android, and even Blackberry. The main selling points consisted of “It runs windows and has a start button like you’re used to on a computer” and “We have Office and sync with Outlook!”. While these may have appealed to some business customers, the consistently shrinking market share of Windows phones demonstrated their lack of appeal to consumers as the recent smartphone boom hit.

   With the HD2 this trend may finally be coming to an end. In conjunction with HTCs beautiful Sense interface, some aggressive hardware, and some genuine innovations, the HD2 is a Windows phone I can actually use and recommend. Let’s start with the pros and follow up with a few drawbacks.

   **Hardware**

   -The 1ghz Snapdragon processor coupled with 448mb of ram is blazing fast. This is the fastest speed in a phone currently available. The HD2 loads everything quickly, and can run multiple apps at the same time. You can feel how fast the phone runs by playing with it for a few minutes. Gone are the sluggish Windows Phones of old, constantly running out of memory and crashing. The HD2 is fast and has top notch hardware and you can feel it.

   -The screen is huge: 4.3 inches and stretching from corner to corner. The Resolution at 800×480 pixels means you’ll see much more on that big screen than average. That means more room for icons and that sexy weather display on the main screen.

   -The HD2 supports 3g on T-mobile, including the upcoming higher speed 3g. This means the fastest downloads and best call quality available. Note: the phone does NOT have ATTs 3g bands and the 3g will not work if you’re using it unlocked on ATT.

   -5mp camera with auto focus and 2 LEDs. 5mp is the highest we see on most phones, and the camera looks great. Having not 1 but 2 LEDs for flash seems a bit silly but works well. The phone even comes standard with a little flashlight app for a blindingly bright way to see in the dark.

   -Included 3.5mm jack – this is becoming standard on most phones, and it’s great to see it on the HD2. This allows you to use standard headphones without an adapter when playing music or listening to the built in FM Radio.

   -Included wifi, bluetooth, and a hardware (real) GPS for turn by turn directions round out all the bells and whistles included in the phone.

   -Battery life is similar to most smartphones. You will easily get a day’s use without having to charge, but most likely you’ll have to plug it in at night.

   **Interface**

   -HTC Sense is what really makes the phone shine here. This part of the software is done by HTC, not Windows, and runs on top of standard Windows Mobile 6.5 professional. HTC Sense expands on the previous TouchFLO 3d interface and enhances the way customers interact with the phone. Sense creates the beautiful Today screen, animations for messages, social networking features. It also lets you interact with the phone in unique ways, such as pinching to zoom. Some of these features are so close to the iPhone that Apple has recently filed lawsuits against HTC.

   -The home screen is customizable, though not quite to the extent of Android phones. It lets you place a few apps on the screen, along with a beautiful standard weather app that detects your phone’s location and shows the current time and weather in your city.

   -Touch is a much better experience on this phone than previous windows mobile phones. The screen is capacitive, meaning it uses touch instead of pressure. No awkward stylus or pushing is needed for the touch to work. The phone responds quickly and smoothly to any motions.

   -Basic phone features like placing a call or sending a text remain simple, with big buttons on the main screen to do so.

   -Typing on the touchscreen is a breeze due to the size of the screen allowing for a bigger keyboard. As someone who has often stuck to phones with hardware keyboards due to inaccurate screen keyboards, I found typing on the HD2 much easier than previous touchscreen keyboards, although still not as easy as using a hardware keyboard. The HD2 also includes the new SWYPE interface, which lets you type by dragging your fingers through all the letters of a word instead of tapping each one. SWYPE was surprisingly accurate in typing the correct word and will even learn new words once you type them manually.

   **Included Apps and Accessories**

   -This phone is being marketed as a media phone, and includes several media apps to demonstrate that. MobiTV lets you watch what is essentially Cable TV on your phone free for 30 days and then ten dollars a month after that. Blockbuster lets you rent or buy movies for your phone. Barnes and Noble eReader lets you purchase ebooks.

   -The phone comes with a huge 16gb MicroSD card out of the box. This is the biggest memory card available currently, and gives you plenty of room for pictures, videos, music, and apps. The best memory card pairs perfectly with the best processor and screen, and it’s great that HTC did not hold back on this extra.

   -Full videos of Transformers 1 and 2 are preloaded on the memory card. These videos look great and show off the beautiful screen. Note the movies do take about 4gb of space on the memory card.

   -The phone comes with a gel skin in the box to protect the phone, which you would have to buy separately on most phones.

   **Drawbacks**

   -Price is the number one concern here. The phone is priced higher than competing smartphones. This price seems justified, however, due to the cutting edge hardware in the HD2. It also comes with some nice accessories you’d have to buy separately from other phones. Upgrade and new customer deals will certainly lower the cost for those buying from T-mobile.

   -The app store is another drawback. The good news is that the phone has one, the bad news is it’s the smallest of ANY smartphone operating system. As of this review the Windows Marketplace carried less than 1,000 applications, compared to Android at 20,000 apps and iPhone at a staggering 150,000 apps. Even Blackberry, Palm, and Nokia carry more apps than Windows. You are also going to find significantly more paid than free applications for Windows Mobile apps. The Marketplace is simply far behind that of competing phones, which for a heavy app user will diminish the enjoyment of the HD2 by quite a bit.

   -Windows Mobile 7 upgradeability is still up in the air, but it currently looks like this phone will NOT be getting an upgrade when the new OS is released. The phone does not support some key hardware feature (front buttons) that WM7 requires, and therefore it is unlikely to be upgraded. The upcoming OS promises to be very exciting, and the fact that this beautiful phone will probably not receive the upgrade is disappointing.

   Overall this phone is fast, pretty, and offers top of the line features. The phone feels solid (and huge) in your hand, while the software is fast, works well and is fun to use. If the HD2 is any indicator, Windows Mobile may become a legitimate competitor in the smartphone market again. The phone seems to be selling very well, with T-mobile selling out almost everywhere the day the HD2 was released. I’d recommend this phone as a viable alternative to Android and the iPhone.
8. H. Sachan says:

   June 9, 2010 at 8:50 pm

   Review by H. Sachan for HTC HD2 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   I’ve been waiting for this phone a long time. I looked at everything in the market and the main reason to wait for this was the snapdragon processor (1 GHz) combined with the amazing screen resolution (480×800) and the operating system.

   I’m a longtime user of smart phones and you can say that I’m a heavy user. I typically have multiple email accounts, use GPS for occasional driving or just for walking tours during travel, WiFi regularly during international roaming and Skype on 3G/Wifi for calls. Plus watching some videos, listening to live internet radios and pod-casts as well as use it as a media player.

   All the websites provide the specs, so I’ll get into the plusses and minuses of the phone and my experience with them.

   Plusses:
   
   + great capacitive touch screen. Very responsive. 480×800 resolution for crystal clear colors and videos
   
   + Included Transformer movies (1&2) do a great job showing off the screen and the processor power. It’s just HD video without any lags or hazy-ness. Very impressive
   
   + comes with 16GB with only movies on it so you have ample of room for other media.
   
   + plays live audio and video flawlessly over 3G
   
   + HTC Sense is amazing and does a great job of hiding those Microsoft screens which you rarely get to. All the apps like email, messaging etc look much better with Sense.
   
   + Comes with a great animated weather screen
   
   + very slim though a little on the heavy side
   
   + 5.0mp Camera comes with flash which is good for close up photos.
   
   + charges thru PC USP port as well and has an option to be connected as a hard-drive, which is much better and faster compared to the Media Sync feature
   
   + good battery life, lasts up a day and a half with regular 3g usage and video watching
   
   + can be used as a WiFi Router/Access Point.
   
   + comes with FM when you plus the head set as an antenna
   
   + Swype app (included) as a replacement for keyboard rocks.. much faster to type with that.

   Minuses:
   
   - Huge screen is a plus but then you can’t keep it in your Jeans pocket as it might put strain on the screen or device
   
   - even though camera is a 5.0 MP, some pictures do tend to be grainy due to low light
   
   - Skype hs removed its support for WinMo 6.5 but the older version of apps can be found on the internet
   
   - Doesn’t come with the “Wifi Router” app which basically turns your phone into a Wifi Access Point.. So you can have many people connect to your phone thru wifi and the phone provides the internet thru 3G.
   
   - Microsoft says that it won’t provide Windows Mobile 7 on this device which could be a bummer since you might see new Windows Mobile 7 devices in next few months. I’m sure you can go to XDA developer website and get yourself a WM7 rom.

   Other Notes:
   
   o The T Mobile version of this phone will only get 3G on the TMobile and you won’t be use it with AT&T or any other network, for that matter, in Europe as TMO uses 1700 as one of the band which is not used any where else. On the other hand, the European version of the phone will do 3g with AT&T and vice versa but they won’t be compatible with TMO 3G.
   
   o The above is true only for 3G while GPRS and EDGE are quad band which will work everywhere in the world.

   I’ve been using this for few days now and am very impressed with it. Haven’t found any deal breaker issue so far, but will keep you guys updated.

   *** After few weeks
   
   - Lot of issues with getting flash player to work seemlessly with the browsers. I ended up installing flash player, plash player 10, flash lite 3.1, windows .NET compact framework to make it work and then installed the latest Opera browse, opera mini browser, Skyfire browser only to find that Flash now works in Skyfire.

   - Many people have stopped supporting windows 6.5 and are prepping for Windows Mobile 7 so difficult to get it working on this device. (e.g. Adobe flash player and Skype)

   - Different browser have different zoom in / zoom out settings which is frustrating.
   
   – The Opera browser which comes installed has the pinch in and pinch out (expand) to zoom in /out.
   
   – Opera 10 (new download) has click zoom in and out.
   
   – Skyfire has its own icon where you can click on + and -
   
   – IE also has click (tap the screen) and then a slider on the right side to zoo in and out.
   
   I’d like all the browsers to support pinch in and out or atleast a common method.

   - Very less applications on 6.5 marketplace, for example kids learning apps are not available easily (at all?). This is due to lack of ‘app marketplace’ when this phone launched and hence the apps are scattered on all different websites and it becomes difficult to find them. The problem might be addressed with the launch of Windows Mobile 7 marketplace.

   Given all the above issues and it becoming unresponsive every few days, I’d say that I had much higher expectations with the phone but the OS support might be pulling it down. Comparitively still a good phone due to specs but not as good on usability and what you need to do to make it customized to your taste and apps.

   == Changed rating from ***** to *** ==
9. F. Mcdonald says:

   June 9, 2010 at 8:56 pm

   Review by F. Mcdonald for HTC HD2 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

   Rating:

   This phone is great, although their are some cut backs, its good does what a phone should do, the texting is easy, has a new feature where you can drag on the screen and it goes along with what your aiming for, pretty neat, still getting the feel for now, but will update the review if i ever have problems, but for now, the 6.5 on hd is the best possible phone u can have, and you say wow, look at that screen, why get a iphone, when you can have so many more apps on a HD2, and have a cheaper bill with t-mobile, financing + no contract = best price ever .

   Edit 3/27/10: Phone is top notch, lasts a full day+ at full charge running more then 5+ apps, quality of picture, sound, camera and video is awesome. Thought i would never get use to not having a real keyboard lol, but the hd2 flexibility with both the little on screen one and the side keyboard works great, it will take you a day or two to get use to it, haven’t found any flaws yet, except i forget to close a lot of apps lol, (drains the battery faster) so much to do .
10. Hector Arias says:

    June 9, 2010 at 9:13 pm

    Review by Hector Arias for HTC HD2 Windows Phone (T-Mobile)

    Rating:

    I want to start saying that I cannot keep my hands off this phone, IT IS AWESOME!!!!!!

    Also, I will not go into phone technical specifications like processor and things like that since I am 100% sure you already know that. You want to know what people who own this phone think about it and what have been their experience, so here I go.

    I got this phone on April 6 thru customer service. I had to wait almost a week since they ran out the first time this phone was out to the public. It was worth the waiting. This phone does MUCH MUCH more of what I was expecting:

    * As a phone: excellent voice quality, easy access to contacts, touch screen very responsive (HTC Sence rocks here.) No dropped call so far and no issues with 3G connectivity as other customers have complained, at least not here in Houston TX where I live not even in any other cities or towns where I travel because of my job.

    * As a PDA: Could not ask for nothing else, appoinments, tasks, office documents all works great and with the big screen you forget you are working on your phone.

    * As a media device: WAO! WAO! and WAAOOOO!!!!!! you get HD quality, I have watched 4 movies already and it is awesome, it is like having a mini HD TV in your pocket, like my tittle says I forget it is a phone. Camera pictures are the best I have seen on a cell phone.

    I like every single thing this phone has, but above all this (no, this is not Whitney Houston) I like the big screen, you have a great user experience when browsing the internet. You dont like Internet Explorer, it is okay Opera browser is included. I have already used blockbuster application and it is great, the only thing is you need to have wi-fi connection to download movies, it will not do it over 3G.

    My advice to you is, know exactly what you are looking for on a phone, there are hundreds and hundreds of cell phones in the market, one for each specific user. It goes from a dummy phone for your 3 year old baby who wants to play with it to a simple basic phone for your 92 year old grandmother who just needs it to make a call when she is running out on her medication and needs to call her Dr. I have read some negative reviews on this phone that I just think why will people get a phone with so many applications if they don’t take their time to sit one hour a day with the phone to learn all it uses. ALL ELECTRONICS INCLUDE A USER’S GUIDE EITHER ON PAPER OR ONLINE BUT YOU WILL HAVE ONE. PLEASE PLEASE READ IT. Dont blame the Operating System, people say I dont like it because it is windows mobile, I dont like because it is android, I don’t like it because it is linux, I don’t like it because it is apple (iphone). You want to know why they really dont like it? Because they don’t know what they want, that is why.

    So, give it try, don’t like it? take it back and get something you like. One thing I like about this country is you buy it, you try it, you dodn’t like it, you take it back to the store and you get your money back. SIMPLE!

    ONE LITTLE UPDATE: When I first heard about SWYPE, you know….touch screen keyboard where you enter text with one finger sliding it to each letter until you type a word…anyway…I thought that was stupid!. Well guess what?? I joined the S… club….it is awesome, I love it, easy to use and faster to enter text. Once again if you want to start using SWYPE please READ THE INSTRUCTIONS dont pretend you know everything. ONE HINT ON THIS: If you “swype” one word and it does not recongnize it, all you have to do is enter the word letter by letter (not swyping)and at the end of the word hit space and there you go your phone will recognize it next time you swype that word. I found this on the SWIPE help user’s guide, READ, READ, READ instructions. This helps me a lot since I text a lot in spanish as well, so I enter the word in spanish one time and next time I “swype it” I dont get errors or suggestions because the phone already knows that is what I want to say.

    This phone has so many features you won’t believe, Give it a try.