BlackBerry Bold 9790 Review: Touchscreen Meets QWERTY

BlackBerry Bold 9790 (2011): Compact Bold with Touchscreen & BlackBerry 7 OS

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 is a premium compact business smartphone released by Research In Motion (RIM) in November 2011, positioned as a sleek, pocket-friendly iteration of the iconic Bold lineup. It marked a key upgrade for the series, blending the signature physical QWERTY keypad with a capacitive touchscreen—a first for the Bold line—paired with the new BlackBerry 7 OS, a 1GHz processor, and enhanced multimedia capabilities. Targeted at professionals and power users seeking portability without sacrificing productivity, the 9790 competed with the BlackBerry Torch 9810 and mid-range Android devices of the era, solidifying BlackBerry’s hold on the business smartphone market before the rise of modern touchscreen flagships.

Core Identifiers

Item	Details
Brand & Model	BlackBerry Bold 9790 (codename: Bellagio)
Launch Timeline	Announced: October 18, 2011; Released: November 2011 (global)
Positioning	Premium compact business smartphone (flagship mid-sized Bold)
Launch Price	~$499 USD (unlocked); ~$199 USD (2-year carrier contract)
Color Options	Black, White
Key Differentiators	First Bold with capacitive touchscreen + physical QWERTY, BlackBerry 7 OS, 1GHz dual-core processor, 5MP camera with 720p video, NFC support, slim 11.4mm profile
Predecessor/Successor	Predecessor: BlackBerry Bold 9780; Successor: BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 (larger flagship)

Key Technical Specifications

Hardware & Performance

Category	Details
Operating System	BlackBerry 7 OS (based on QNX; upgradable to BlackBerry 7.1 OS); BlackBerry Desktop Manager for sync
Chipset	Marvell PXA940
CPU	1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9
GPU	Vivante GC500
Memory & Storage	768MB RAM; 8GB internal flash storage; microSDXC expandable up to 32GB (dedicated slot)
Display	2.45-inch capacitive touchscreen TFT LCD; 480×360 pixels (HVGA); 246 ppi; 262K colors; scratch-resistant glass; optical trackpad navigation (below screen)
Design & Build	Premium plastic unibody with metal keypad frame; Dimensions: 110×60×11.4mm; Weight: 107g; No official IP rating; textured back panel for grip
Keypad	Iconic BlackBerry four-row physical QWERTY keypad (backlit); dedicated call/end, menu, escape keys; optical trackpad (replaceable trackball from older models)

Camera & Multimedia

Component	Details
Rear Camera	5MP sensor; f/2.8 aperture; LED flash; autofocus; 4x digital zoom; 720p HD video recording (30fps); geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilization
Front Camera	None
Multimedia	MP3/AAC/WMA/WAV audio player; MPEG4/H.264/3GP video player; 3.5mm headphone jack; stereo speaker; BlackBerry Media Sync (for music/photos); FM radio (region-dependent)

Battery & Connectivity

Category	Details
Battery	1230mAh removable Li-Ion (model: M-S1); Talk time: up to 6 hours (3G)/7 hours (2G); Standby time: up to 300 hours (12.5 days); Music playback: up to 30 hours
Network	3G HSDPA/HSUPA (14.4Mbps down / 5.76Mbps up); Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz); Single SIM (micro-SIM)
Connectivity	NFC (for mobile payments/device pairing); Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (A2DP for stereo audio); Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (WPA2); USB 2.0 (micro-USB, sync/charging); GPS/AGPS (BlackBerry Maps, Google Maps Mobile); No Wi-Fi Direct
Enterprise & Security	BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 5.0 integration; Push email (POP3/IMAP4/Exchange/Lotus Notes); remote device wipe; data encryption; VPN support; password protection; BlackBerry Protect (lost device tracking)

Sensors & Extras

Component	Details
Sensors	Accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Extras	Backlit keypad/display, vibration alert, ringer ID, customizable shortcuts, BlackBerry App World access, social media integration (Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn)

Core Features & Innovations

Touch + QWERTY Hybrid Design: The first Bold model to combine a capacitive touchscreen (for swiping, pinching, and quick navigation) with the beloved physical QWERTY keypad—an RIM first for the Bold lineup, balancing touch convenience with typing precision for business users.
BlackBerry 7 OS: The revamped QNX-based OS delivered faster web browsing (via BlackBerry Browser 7 with HTML5 support), smoother UI navigation, and deeper social media/enterprise integration compared to BlackBerry 6 OS.
Compact Flagship Performance: The 1GHz dual-core processor and 768MB RAM enabled seamless multitasking (email, messaging, apps) and smooth 720p video recording— a step up from the single-core Bold 9780, in a slim 107g body.
NFC Support: A forward-looking feature for 2011, NFC enabled contactless payments, quick device pairing (e.g., with BlackBerry PlayBook), and tag scanning— a rarity in compact business smartphones of the era.
Enhanced Imaging: The 5MP camera with 720p HD video recording marked a significant upgrade for the Bold series, catering to casual photography and on-the-go video capture for professionals.
BlackBerry 7.1 OS Upgrade: The official 7.1 update added Mobile Hotspot functionality (tether Wi-Fi to up to 5 devices), improved battery management, and enhanced GPS/AGPS accuracy.

Market Reception & Legacy

Legacy: The BlackBerry Bold 9790 is remembered as one of RIM’s best compact business smartphones, a fan favorite for its blend of portability and productivity. It was the last small flagship in the Bold lineup, before RIM shifted focus to the larger 4G-enabled Bold 9900/9930 and eventually to touchscreen-only BlackBerry 10 devices. The 9790 exemplified RIM’s late-2010s strategy to retain business users with the QWERTY keypad while adding touchscreen features to compete with touchscreen smartphones— a compromise that resonated with loyal BlackBerry fans but failed to stem the tide of Android and iOS adoption in the mainstream market.

Strengths: Critics and users lauded the perfect balance of touchscreen + physical QWERTY, compact and lightweight design (ideal for one-handed use), snappy BlackBerry 7 performance, long battery life, and premium build quality. The dedicated microSD slot and NFC support were also highlighted as key practical features.

Criticisms: The 480×360 HVGA display was low-resolution compared to Android/iOS rivals; no front camera for video calling; limited app ecosystem (BlackBerry App World vs. Google Play/App Store); plastic build (vs. metal on the larger Bold 9900); no 4G LTE support.

Target Audience: Corporate professionals, frequent travelers, and BlackBerry loyalists seeking a pocketable business smartphone with the iconic QWERTY keypad, touch functionality, and enterprise-grade security—without the bulk of the larger Bold 9900.