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BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 Features and Specifications

By Adam Zeis on 2 May 2011 08:30 am
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BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 (GSM) and 9930 (CDMA) have just been announced and bring together the classic full QWERTY keyboard of BlackBerry with a capacitive touchscreen display. Carrying on the Bold name, the BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 includes a 1.2 GHz processor, Bluetooth, Wifi, 8GB of onboard memory and is the first device to launch with BlackBerry 7 OS. Check out the full specs below and be sure to watch our hands-on video and check back for more on these great devices including our full review.

Bold 9900/9930 Features and Specifications

Size
 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, approximately 130g
Display 2.8" capacitive touch screen display - VGA (640x480), 287 dpi resolution
Keyboard
Ultra-easy QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad
CPU
1.2 GHz Processor
Memory
768 MB RAM; 8 GB on-board memory, plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards
Camera 5.0 MP camera, supports 720p HD video recording
Accelerometer/Magnetometer
Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), Digital Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity Sensor
GPS Built-in GPS / aGPS
Wifi

Dual-Band Wi-Fi - 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz:

  • 9900: Tri-BandHSPA+,Quad-BandGSM/EDGE
  • 9930: Dual-BandCDMA/EV-DORev.A,Dual-BandHSPA+,Quad-Band GSM/EDGE
Bluetooth Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support
Operating System
 BlackBerry 7 OS
Battery 1230 mAh removable, rechargeable battery
   

Topics: BlackBerry Bold 9900 BlackBerry Bold 9930 Devices

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Adam Zeis Adam Zeis 3043 (articles) 2792 (forum posts)
60 comments

bighap

Guess hotspot has been killed off. Boo.

Kennedy.L

good eye!
I have a 1gb data plan so I am not sure how much I would have used that but it was a nice option to have.

Supa_Fly1

Let's hope NOT!!!

Giving AT&T & Verizon is putting a fix to STOP tethering on Android cold in its tracks this is NOT the way to go.

ADS: Faster Speeds = MORE Data, More Video, Faster Browsing
Reality: Faster Speeds =/ the above and NOT for you to consume!

Reminds me of an old ICE T Track "Leathal Weapon" lyric ...
"Freedom of speech just watch what you say"

pauljc

I don't understand what you're saying here. That killing off the HotSpot option was bad or good? And what is ADS, if I can ask?

WANDMM

This better be what the torch was supposed to be !

skyboxer

Nah, it's what the Bold 9000 should have been. :)

mikedemoda

1230mAh battery is just a damn shame! my Storm 2 has a 1400mAh battery and it wont keep me from recharging it every single day! now the new Bold 9900 even with a 1.2ghz processor, the battery is going to drain in a matter of hours

simonstark

You can expect enough battery juice for a whole day of heavy abuse. Battery life is important to RIM.

skyboxer

If it helps, Crucial said the battery life is pretty much equal to a 9700.

Chynadoll_2

So what's the big difference between the 9900 & 9930? Just the wifi?

bforbaker

9900 GSM
9930 CDMA

legimpresn

What is GSM and CDMA ?

Thanks....just not that techno savvy yet.....

eliirodz

CDMA is Code Division Multiple Access is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies, allowing several transmitters to send information simultaneously over a single communication channel

GSM is Global System Mobile (2G and 3G)

lester78

so which of the two is better? CDMA or GSM? sorry for this question.

jwillits

That will start an argument LOL.

But practically speaking dont look at it that way. You're not really picking one or the other. The point is that Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, and TMobile and ATT use GSM. Which is your current company? That determines which phone you get.

If you want to switch companies, that's another story. But you're not picking one or the other, you're using the one your phone company supports.

ugomba

Look at my post below

ugomba

look at my post below

ugomba

look at my post below

shannon_au#cb

Is it why amazon dropped the price of 9780 overnight?

esbuenodun

So is mobile hotspot there? I'm not a spec guy and it looks like chinese arithmetic up there where the specs are listed. I need that for work. Would be a sticking point for me. No hotspot, no purchase. I would have to pick up a droid and I like blackberry.

curvezzz

From those specs hotspot is not included in either device. From my understanding the torch II will though?!

RobD-London

I agree with you, I am thinking of jumping from Android to BB, but I must have WIFI tethering (it really is very useful).

Be pretty cautious on a switch to Android, I have an HTC Desire HD, and I find the poor battery life very annoying. It may well be that the later phones have fixed this, but I find it boring having to constantly think about power consumption so that the phone does not need recharging before the end of the day (I recharge every night)

Coachbulldog

Add me to the list of those who really want to get this phone!

skyboxer

So it looks like the CDMA version will NOT have the charging port in a dumb place?

syedhaiderhshah

On the image of the phone above, look below '3G', to the left of the 'Bluetooth'. That radar-like thing is Wi-Fi.
All devices these days have Wi-Fi. Obviously.

legimpresn

And it also gives Wi-Fi specs for both models.

luis3590

I have 2 questions.

1] Will it have liquid lens technology? http://crackberry.com/blackberry-essex-spotted-dakota-use-liquid-lens-tech <-- It was once rumored that this new BB would have it, but no one has mentioned it at all.

2] What is that third button for in between the volume UP and DOWN buttons?

aris20

I guess that is a Play/Pause Button, just like the 1 in the PB

Omnitech

I'm a Verizon user and I don't really see much point in a 'hotspot' when VZW's network doesn't do simultaneous voice/data. Furthermore, the announcement talks about "4G" but none of these devices do "4G". (If they did, that would mean LTE on Verizon, which would make the 'hotspot' feature useful since it wouldn't preclude using the phone or SMS at the same time.)

I'm not much a fan of the UI lag on my 9650 since putting OS 6 on it, so I hope they have a handle on that for these devices - hopefully the faster CPU will help.

And if you're going to need to rub your greasy mitts all over the display, at least give us one large enough to make it useful. :P I'm not sure 2.8" is it, but as long as the usual buttons still work..

manzrif

Me want it...me need it

gordongr

I suppose no one knows if these new phones will be capable of qnx down the road? If not these do look nice but I might just hang on to my 9650 until a qnx bold comes out. The specs I've seen so far just don't thrill me all that much

RichardZA

I am going to get my hands on this device thank goodness I didn't buy the BlackBerry 9780 I would of actually regret it now thank goodness I am patient when it comes to new devices 9900 I cannot wait until you are launched

alhilal

the battery is a shame :(

elihl6

Announcement, etc. is great. Now Verizon, how about a hardcore launch date confirmation?!

mavricxx

Please bring the BB Touch to T-Mo with compatability on all bands for AT&T and T-Mo!

Gamesdmc3

nice specs,but where's mobile hotspot ?

mp5wes

so if these are the final specs, no 4G support then? :(

ob1tomi

i wonder if either will support UMA.........or why no CDMA blackberry has UMA

Connor83

K, i'm not sure if this phone has the option as a wifi hotspot. But what i can tell you all is that, all of you looking at these specs and freaking out that wifi hotspot isnn't on there. Maybe to you need to check what else is missing. No headphone jack? no camera flash? not even the NFC and we've seen it in use. lol this insn't every spec. so just cuz it's not on here don't mean it doesn't have it. I'm not saying it does or doesn't but really come on.

JBoz

Dude you need to take another look at the pics..

pauljc

Sigh, what is NFC? Can we please get into the habit of spelling out acronyms, since not everyone is familiar with them.

[Watch someone say 'Google it' - I did, a LOT of NFC related stuff came up :( ]

ugomba

look at my post below

demon_xxi

I use Bold 9900 for a week now and I'm not quite happy with battery life. Hope this is because pre-release OS version installed and final will be more optimized.
The interesting thing though specs says Tri-BandHSPA, on AT&T I see only 3G logo near bars, where on 9860 I see H+ with the same sim card. I could also get higher speeds on H+ comparing to 3G.

Any thoughts?

edit: I see no signs of wifi hot spot on AT&T 9900. A usual 'love' from att to their customers or was not planned by RIM at all.

coolcut

Anyone know *cough* demon *cough* if you have to remove the battery to get the memory card in/out? Kinda looked like it in the videos but it wasn't shown exclusively.

briannathan

Can't wait to get it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Detroiter06

Just in time for an upgrade!!!

resohio

This is the one I've been waiting for. Finally here

apirness

Memory: 768 MB RAM; 8 GB on-board memory, plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards

Is any of the 8GB on-board memory available for apps install?

agu2020

Hi the 9900 and 9930 are a 4g phone ...or not

eBud

Great specs, but no auto focus camera? Like a Cadillac without FM radio! Why shortcut on the camera when iP, Android and especially Nokia are using camera quality as a major selling point. Sad to reach so high and yet not quite make it. I message, I call and I take pictures. Well, maybe not.

ugomba

For people asking the difference between the 9900 and the 9930, this is it....... BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry 9930 are exactly identical in features and hardware except only ONE difference. BlackBerry Bold 9900 is a GSM phone that operates on GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 networks while BlackBerry Bold 9930 ALSO supports CDMA. Bold 9930 works on CDMA 800/1900 networks IN ADDITION to the GSM 850/900/1800/1900. In simple words for example in US, BlackBerry Bold 9930 will work on Verizon and Sprint Nextel while 9900 will work on rest of the networks. Yes 9930 works on both GSM and CDMA, so if you want to switch BACK AND FORTH from CDMA to GSM and back, IT'S BETTER YOU GRAB 9930.

ALSO people who were asking what NFC meant, NFC means NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION. It allows simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in close proximity to each other, usually by no more than a few centimeters. NFC smartphones have chips that can send encrypted data a short distance ("near field") to a reader located, for instance, next to a retail cash register. Shoppers who have their credit card information stored in their NFC smartphones can pay for purchases by waving their smartphones near or tapping them on the reader, rather than bothering with the actual credit card.

So if you guys are disappointed that the BOLD 9900/9930 model does not have NFC, then I RECOMMEND you guys go for the BOLD 9790 Model, which is an upgrade of the BOLD 9780 Model. And also THE BOLD 9790 HAS THE SAME FEATURES OF THE BOLD 9930. Isn't that amazing.
HOPE YOU GUYS ARE OK NOW??? Some one please thank me for this stress...........

cerone1970

I got it!!!! but my question... can i use it as a hot spot?

raf1919

not sure why they are cutting battery juice for. they are doing this with all their phones, gonna be like android now. They gave it touch screen and higher processor = higher batter consumption, so lowering the battery by 15-20% makes sense? really does it add that much size.. no. I left andriod to BB cause of crappy batt life and now BB is taking advice from andriod. build a phone with ton of features but you can use them unless you are near charger.

mackinlo

Is it normal that the LED notification light only blinks for about 20 mins
and stops?