BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review: Specs & Features

BlackBerry Bold 9700 (2009): Premium Business QWERTY Smartphone | Full English Details & Specs

Brand: BlackBerry (Research In Motion, RIM; Canadian mobile tech company, model number: Onyx / 9700)

Category: High-end business-focused 3G QWERTY smartphone, successor to the iconic BlackBerry Bold 9000; targeting corporate professionals, enterprise users, and power communicators seeking enhanced performance, a compact design, and seamless productivity/connectivity for on-the-go work.

Core Value: 2.44-inch QVGA display, 624MHz Marvell PXA930 CPU, 256MB RAM, 3.2MP autofocus camera, built-in Wi-Fi 802.11n, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, a slimmer tactile QWERTY keyboard, and BlackBerry OS 5.0 with enterprise email/calendar integration; refined the Bold 9000’s flagship formula with a more portable form factor and upgraded hardware.

Launch Timeline: Announced October 21, 2009; released November 18, 2009 (US carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile; global rollout Q4 2009); discontinued 2012; variants: 9700 (GSM/3G), 9650 (CDMA/3G World Edition); colors: Black (matte plastic + silver trim).

Core Specifications

1. Display & Design

Display: 2.44-inch TFT LCD QVGA (480×360 pixels), 65K colors, ~246 ppi, non-touchscreen, high outdoor visibility (RIM’s Brightness Control); scratch-resistant plastic screen (no Gorilla Glass).
Body: 109×60×14mm, 122g; slimmer than Bold 9000 (14mm vs 15.5mm), matte black plastic chassis with silver aluminum trim, rubberized back panel for grip; iconic BlackBerry tactile QWERTY keyboard (reduced key size, improved spacing), optical trackpad (replaced trackball for smoother navigation—RIM’s first major trackpad implementation); Mini-SIM (single-SIM); no water/dust resistance rating.
Build: Premium feel for 2009 business phones, with a rigid frame and spill-resistant keyboard (basic liquid protection).

2. Performance & Storage

SoC: Marvell PXA930 624MHz single-core CPU; GPU: Adreno 130 (integrated); optimized for BlackBerry OS and enterprise multitasking.
OS: BlackBerry OS 5.0 (launch); officially upgradable to BlackBerry OS 6.0 (major UI/feature update, 2010); no further official OS upgrades; supports BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) for email sync.
RAM/Storage: 256MB DDR2 RAM (double the Bold 9000’s 128MB); 256MB internal flash storage; microSDHC slot (expandable up to 32GB, hot-swappable, dedicated slot—no SIM sharing); supports BlackBerry Media Sync for desktop music/photo transfer.

3. Cameras & Multimedia

Rear Camera: 3.2MP CMOS, f/2.8 aperture, autofocus, LED flash, 2x digital zoom; photo resolution up to 2048×1536 pixels; video recording: VGA (640×480)@15fps (basic for 2009); features: white balance, scene modes, picture geotagging.
Front Camera: None (no video calling support—common for 2009 BlackBerry business models).
Multimedia: Media player (MP3, AAC, WMA, MP4, 3GP), 3.5mm audio jack (first Bold model with a standard 3.5mm jack—replaced 2.5mm), mono rear speaker; FM radio (no RDS); supports BlackBerry Podcasts and YouTube (via native app).

4. Battery & Charging

Battery: Removable Li-Ion 1500mAh (model: JM1); improved battery life vs Bold 9000; talk time up to 6h (3G), standby up to 384h (16 days, 3G); music playback up to 30h; mixed usage (email/calls/browsing) up to 2–3 days (a flagship feature for business users).
Charging: Mini-USB 2.0 (wired data/charging), BlackBerry Desktop Charger compatible; no fast/wireless charging (non-existent for 2009 mid-range/flagship phones).

5. Connectivity & Extras

Network: 3G HSPA+/UMTS (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz); HSDPA 7.2Mbps (downlink), HSUPA 2Mbps (uplink); global roaming support for enterprise travelers.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4GHz, faster than Bold 9000’s 802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (A2DP/AVRCP for stereo audio), Mini-USB 2.0, GPS (A-GPS + BlackBerry Maps, third-party app support: Google Maps), no NFC/IrDA/USB OTG.
Sensors: Accelerometer (screen rotation for media/photos), proximity sensor (auto-screen off during calls); no gyro/compass/ambient light sensor.
Enterprise Features: BES 5.0 support, IT policy management, remote wipe, secure email/calendar/contacts sync, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) 5.0 (with group chats/file sharing), push notifications for all apps.
Launch Price: ~$199.99 (US, 2-year carrier contract; AT&T/T-Mobile); ~$599.99 (unlocked, global market, 2009).

Key Features & Series Significance

Optical Trackpad Revolution: Replaced the problematic trackball (prone to dust/grime) with a smooth optical trackpad—this design became standard on all future BlackBerry QWERTY phones (9900, Q10, etc.).
Slimmer Compact Design: Trimmed down the Bold 9000’s bulk while retaining the premium business feel, making it more pocketable for daily use.
Doubled RAM & 3.5mm Jack: 256MB RAM eliminated the 9000’s multitasking lag, and the 3.5mm jack added consumer-friendly multimedia functionality to the business-focused lineup.
OS 6.0 Upgrade: The official OS 6.0 update brought a redesigned UI, better web browsing (WebKit engine), and improved app management—extending the phone’s lifespan by 1–2 years.
Flagship Business Benchmark: The 9700 became RIM’s best-selling Bold model of the late 2000s, defining BlackBerry’s premium business smartphone design until the touchscreen QWERTY hybrid Bold 9900 (2011).
Seamless Enterprise Integration: BES/BIS support, secure sync, and remote management made it the gold standard for corporate IT departments, competing with the iPhone 3GS/4 for business users (pre-Android enterprise dominance).