If you've been following along in the forums with those who have been having issues with their BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930's, then you no doubt know there has been numerous reports of peoples devices seemingly just self destructing. Kevin wrote an article about it, I've experienced it firsthand and judging from the comments on the post and in the forums a lot of other people have as well. Now though, RIM has confirmed there is indeed an issue with the device with a statement given to CNBC:
"A limited number of customers have reported an issue where their device does not power on." She said the company is "actively working on a software update to resolve this issue".
The limited number comment is interesting, considering how many people who have come through the CrackBerry forums with issues. Granted, being a BlackBerry site we're more apt to hear about it but it makes you really wonder just how widespread it may or may not be. The other concerning matter is with the fix, it's being issued via a software update which we know from history for some carriers can take forever. Not cool.
Either way, they are aware of the issue and working on a fix but certainly -- if you come across the issue, don't hesitate to make use of that manufacturers warranty. If nothing else, that will make them want to resolve it faster. I certainly had to after my device wouldn't do anything but go in an endless bootloop.
Source: CNBC
Reader comments
RIM confirms issue with BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930, working on a fix via software update
how can i install OS software in blackberry 9930. i have been trying the multlang7 failing even alllang7. please any help.
my bb9930 does not have doc to go please help
My BB9930 goes off whenever i on the flash to take a picture, what's the remedy?
Blackberry silence is not good for the customers and for the company either. I have two Bold 9900 bricked and a Torch 9800. There is no way I can fix it installing teir previous OS.
Mine, BB 9900, died a few days ago and have after working flawlessly for 16 months. I've fallen back to me 8900 Curve. Still a great phone, just not as great as my 9900. Still hoping to find a fix.
mine crashed on me this morning :( I'm so sad. it won't power on, so impossible to load new os :(
reaching for my storm 9550 :(
Just want to add my Bold 9930 to the statistics. Crashed today for good and Verizon took it back no questions asked and will replace it...with another Bold 9930 :-(
bought myself a present for last xmas (2011)... the 4th BB and it's a 9900!
everything is fine and i was happy with it til i upgraded the fb through app world, was prompted for reboot, and "non-stop" rebooting thereafter...
just received back my "xmas" present about a week ago with NO proper explanation and reason!!
9900 came back with the "not so" latest official OS7, which i upgraded to the latest leak OS 7.1.0.250
i am still wondering myself, should i upgrade my fb and other software?? if the same issue happen, should i just aim and kick the 9900 into the rubbish bin??
cheers!!
I manage the wireless devices at my company. Not talking huge numbers here, but we have 30 or so devices, 8 of which are 9930's. In the past two weeks, two have died. So that's a 25% failure rate in two weeks. I envy those that have phones stuck in a reboot loop, that I at least have a chance of fixing. These two have just plain died. No screen, no LED, no recognition that the power is plugged in, no NOTHING. Zip. Nada. Just a complete hockey puck!
And to read that RIM's pulling the old "I have a cranial rectal intuition" routine for 3 months is infuriating to say the least.
As we're due for a tech refresh of our BES servers soon I'll now be heavily looking into Apple's corporate offerings. I simply can not see committing to RIM (Results In Mayhem) for another 4-5 years.
-Burned Blackberry Loyalist.
My UK O2 Bold 9900 has just died with the same symptom, so this must be a systematic issue with this device, not individually as someone may have thought.
Is RIM looking for the solution? Are they serious about their customer service?
Agreed, loyal BB user for years, cannot believe a fix is not out yet! Come on RIM your competitions would have had a fix out already! Let's roll!
It's been over a month, and they haven't fixed this yet? COME ON BB!
Since the new BB10 phones won't be out until late 2012, I was planning to just get the 9930, but I just wanted to know first if this issue has been dealt with?
Here is a video demonstration of the issue I've seen with 5 of my user's Sprint 9930 phones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GwNFpANRxg&feature=youtu.be
tried upgrading to all the new OS 7.0.0.503 & ..540 even the newest 7.1.0.74
still with no luck at all getting my 9900 past the red blinking light of death.
Any rumor on when's the software update coming out?
AT&T 9900 purchased 11/8/11, half dozen or so random restarts, constant screen freezes and as of yesterday, the white screen w/error message. Several consecutive battery pulls bypassed the white screen, now back to impromptu screen freezes and the most recently the letter N on the keyboard has a weird click to it. V7.0.0.440 platform 5.0.0.610
Woke up this morning to find my 9930 VZW phone doing the dreaded slow red blink. The screen will not light up at all. The phone had been functioning perfectly since August. Perhaps coincidentally, last night was the first time my battery was completely discharged when I placed it on the charger. All of the other nights, I had charged it with at least 10% battery remaining.
I waited patiently with no contract for months so I could go back to BB where I felt I should have never left. I got my phone on day 1 (9930) at Verizons Website. The first phone was awesome until I stated talking to people on it. They all complained I echoed. The second phone came via warranty and it was awesome. Then I started talking to people, it echoed too. The third phone echoed too but I learned if I turned the volume down it wasnt as bad except now I had trouble hearing people I talked to. I dealt with it. Friday night 18th of Novemeber I put the phone on the charging pod, went to sleep. Wake up and grab phone but wait, it's not on (I program it to shut off at 12 and turn on at 6AM. So I turn it on and its just a blinking red light. I do what every BB user does when there is a problem, pull the battery. Nothing. I put it down to deal with my kids and came back later and it was on. Mystery. Phone seemed to work fine all day Saturday and Sunday with hour glasses which I havent really had with this phone before. Sunday night I put the phone on the charging pod and this morning same thing, but it never came back. I went to the Verizon store and they can't help and they don't keep warranty phones in the store anymore. I call the warranty line and they ran me through what I had alredy done and nothing. So, My fourth phone since August 15th will be here tomorrow. I missed an appointment with a client today and will miss another tomorrow because I cant get their info out of my "business" phone. RIM, I am sorry to even say this because I have been a backer for so long, but its time to merge or something. Sell the tech to another carrier to make a superphone, but stop selling junk. I happened to back up on Thursday so I wont lose much data, but I lost a client (at least one) and that hurts a lot. I have read every post about this Bricking issue and the only common denominator I see is the charging "pod" versus just plugging in? Could it be that simple????????? I had to activate my Droid incredible today so I had a phone at least for a day, wow, the new mobile Facebook is amazing on Droid, RIM I would have never known that if your phone worked.
Made an incredible mistake once. (I guess I am back to my Incredible, ughh.)
I just went through 2 devices this weekend. I won't be leaving my Bold on while it is on the Pod overnight again. It happened to me on the weekend and my phone was not set to turn off while on the pod during the weekend. I'm going to change my settings so that it ALWAYS turns off at night and back on again in the morning and see what happens with Bold number 3..
My 9900 died within a week of getting it which was the laungh day for Telus and I thought it was a battery problem so Telus gave me a new battery, free of course. I then did a os reinstall from my carrier to fix a bobo I did and I have not had any problems since. All this was done the same day so I think the OS install was the big fix for me.
Hope this helps.
reading these comments it reminded me that my 9930 rebooted 2 or 3 times on me also. But to it's defense, it worked fine other than that. Oh. and the battery charging issue.
Bought my 9900 on release day from Rogers and its been working perfectly fine. The day after I read that this was happening to some people, I took my phone off the charging pod before I left for work only to find the black screen and blinking red light. After about an hour my phone started back up all on its own and has been working fine since. I can see why people would be pissed. I didn't want to sign a contract with Rogers, so I paid well over $500 for the phone. I don't install leaked OS updates or anything else for that matter that would harm my phone and still I have to deal with server outages and software/device issues. Rogers charges a hell of a lot of money for their service and for these devices so there is no reason why I cant expect more from these companies and for these issues not to occur. If RIM/Rogers knows these devices have issues and their software isn't stable, they should not be charging me these ridiculous monthly fees or price these phone so high..
Its not just the 9900 that is having this issue. My Torch 9810 has done this 5 times now since I got it in August. And so have many of my friends 9810's. It seems to have more to do maybe with OS7 and the memory management on it. I have watch the meomory status through the options and it seems that the memory keeps getting stacked with crap and then causes a crash leading to a fatal error on restart. Not sure what is happening to cause the memory to max out or whats causing the fatal error but I have stripped my phone of all apps and have still have this happen 3 of the 5 times. There doesn't seem to be any reason for this error other than a bug in OS7
Wow... glad to see that it isn't only Android phones that have issues! The carriers should do what T-Mobile did when the LG G2X had major software problems out of the box. They pulled every one off the shelf until LG had the software fix ready for prime time. Once that software fix was ready... it was made available... problems gone... G2X back on the shelf for sale. Easy!
I bring you this message from my Droid Incredible. Why? Because my 9930 pricked on start up this AM. So discouraged.
Made an incredible mistake once.
i havent had this issue yet, but i am experiencing the spinning clock quite often and for long periods, i believe there is an official vodafone os& update, will this fix my issue?
thanks
I swore I would never do drugs or become addicted to anything.... Thanks RIM for making me a liar, I can't put this bitch down lol
I'm extremely thankful that the bricking issue has not (yet) affected me. I had one issue with my first 9900, the microphone was defect (horrible noise when speaking into the phone or recording something, the noise went away when using a headset ore bluetooth carkit, so it def was the microphone of the unit). I swapped that the next day.
I broke that second phone in a thunderstorm (those Adidas waterproof pouches on your arm when out running only go so far, and when you try to clasp your pouched phone in your hands but still see water running over your screen and into your phone, you know that you are damned...).
So, I'm on my third 9900 but it has nothing to do with these issues of bricking. It has redlined several times, been my nightstand while on a charging pod etc and so far has just been an amazing device. Timesaving because of the great keyboard (even for a BB!) and the quick processor. The only time it ever failed me was when I had a 2Gb video on pause, Docs2Go open, Rollercoaster Rush 3D open and was updating two Apss simultaneously and then switching back to the vid. It froze for such a long time that I did a battery pull, after which all was fine.
The only thing I miss is the battery life of my 9700, so if the new builds of OS (leaked or otherwise) hold some kind of improvement, I would normally be all over that, but now I dare not move a muscle, unwilling to upset the Bricking Gods... So, I'm still on .296, but the bugger just works. And I LIKE it!
My thoughts go out to everybody that was hit by this malfunction, however. The prolonged outage of BB service we had a couple of weeks back painfully pointed out to me how addicted I am to my BB, and that I don't want to be a day without one...
Now Kevin's bricked on him again and he's posed the question of switching, which I don't think he would ever do. C'mon RIM, take care of this issue now!
All of you who have never had any problems with your 9900 should keep thanking God 'cos you ran through a minefield and came out unscathed! ClearEyes should lead. I bought my first 9900 from a different location and it had a sound seizure issue. I got frustrated and decided to buy a new one from another city I travelled to, so that I'll return the original one whenever I got back to base, since it was still within warranty. At that shop,I tried out FOUR brand new 9900 and they all had the same sound issue, whereupon the dealers informed me the 9900 had a Network issue and gave me a Samsung Galaxy S II. I'm putting my first 9900 on a different Network, while wondering if I should still return it for an HTC, or wait for the RIM update, since I do a lot of work on BBM. Its painful!
I love my 9900 but I do have a problem with the keyboard ligting it goes off on me specially at night and that sucks, the battery drains way to fast, I have to charge aroung 3 times a day, make it happen RIM
!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE RESPOND TO MY QUESTION !!!!!!!!!!
someone that has any idea
I have a bricked 9900 that will not start through any method.
I have even went as far as an MFI multiloader to try to wipe it.
Anyways - about 2 times i was able to get the phone in apploader to the section where it asks for install options. After it tries to load the new software it is still unable to reconnect to the device and is stuck in a loop. How will this update that blackberry is releasing help me save my phone if i cant even get the update installed? My problem is that my phone was not purchased from a provider, and therefore I cannot go back to them for a replacement. Rim also told me that they cant help me with anything...
Thank you in advance!
I had this exact same issue. Unfortunately, any patch or fix that RIM makes for this issue will be a preventative only. For devices that have already bricked themselves, there isn't much you can do but get a new device. My Torch 9850 did exactly what yours did. Red light flashing only- not even AppLoader or anything could reinstall the OS. So you're stuck with the only option of getting a new device, and hoping that you've done a backup recently.
Verizon replaced mine for free with no deductible or anything, but I'm not sure what carrier you have.
Good luck
Yesterday I wrote here that I was on my third BB 9900 and it was working fine. I should not have said that. This morning the white screen came up saying ERROR !! Too much ! This time I will give it back and get an Iphone 4s instead. I will keep my Playbook . I have had no problems with that one.
I just got the error 102 screen on my sprint launch day BB bold 9930 . I had the original OS installed!! this would be the second time i have seen this error!!! Not good
I've had my 9900 since late August and I'm fortunate it hasn't bricked. I just installed 7.0.0.540 a few days a go and noticed an increase in battery life for sure going from around 12 hours heavy use to about 14-15 hours heavy use and today, more stand by time if I don't pick up my phone every 5 minutes.
The one complaint I have is that my left shift key popped off - I notice that some of the edge keys have the potential to be lifted too far and bend or completely fall off. My manager's Q button is on the verge of falling off if the Q is bent a certain way - has anyone else had problems with keys on the 9900 pop off?
RIM should slowly start to think about changing its name to RIP...
Oh man, am i the only one who does not have any issue with my berry 9900. I got mine @Rogers on sept 5 with my playbook and so far everything is totally smooth. Only thing i havnt done was jumping on the os upgrades. I kept mine clean from the beginning and so far everything is flawless, and with bridge.
Paid over 500 for my new 9930. Dam thing resets about 5 times a day. Would rather get my money back than deal with a refurb that will probably fail again. Boy was I wrong to come back to rim. Burn in H@LL rim!
9700-9780-9900
Sadly the only reason I stuck with Blackberry was because of carrier data caps! I spend the whole spring research the 9900 and the Galaxy SII. Now I wish I chose the latter. Nothing more frustrating than spending hours on the phone with your carrier who can't help you or worse searching threads and forums just to see " I don't have this problem". Worse, is simplfied stupidity of "have you tried pulling your battery"? Really? Wow. Isn't that the first thing you learn?! I hope Rim release an update quick.
i had gotten myself a bold 9930 off of a dude on craigslist bc i wanted to wait until bbx phones to drop before i extend my contract and couldnt have been happier with the phone. up until yesterday i hadnt had a single issue, not even a hiccup with the phone it is absolutely the best phone on the market. weird that this post came out today because yesterday when i woke up phone on the charger it just showed a black screen and a blinking red light. very upsetting to me but i was able to call verizon, speak to an upper level tech who, even tho i didnt buy my phone from them directly, was able to cover this under the manufacturers warranty and they are sending me out a replacement right now. very happy about that and the phone is great when its working. only thing that sucks is that i now cant back up anything on there, good idea to make more frequent backups thru dm i guess
I have had 3 BB 9900. The first 2 froze and nobody could fix them. Gave them back to the company. Now I have a new one and it is still working OK . Some small problems are there like suddenly freezing for 10 to 60 seconds. I also have other phones and tablets in my work and as far as I can see I think RIM has a serious problem with the OS7. It is not working properly in many ways. It is really a pity because the 9900 is a very nice phone.
I too am happy with mine, however, I have had 2 weird random reboots that I'm aware of. Once while on charge and I went to use it to check email. It flickered and rebooted itself and was fine afterward. A second time while I was driving (not on charge) and while checking BBmaps, it rebooted on me. Other than those 2 odd times it's been solid. *fingers crossed*
It really maybe a soft issue because for me it happened with 9790 !
On my second 9930 Bold.......first one over heated severally twice in my pocket. When getting a replacement I was given an absolutely NEW phone with all the accessories instead of a refurb
My 9850 bricked itself when I was at the Dev Con San Francisco 2011 the first night. I thought it was just random, but am rather relieved it wasn't just me!
Slightly different experience with mine. I attempted to reload the OS using both Desktop Manager and App Loader but to no avail. I had a few RIM Employee experts at Dev Con take a look at it, but they couldn't figure it out either. Ended up getting a new one through Verizon.
Not sure if my issue is related, but I hope RIM investigates this issue across all devices rather than just the 9900
Blackberries phones are full of issues..They suck. RIM is dead.. fu*king ridiculous and expensive.. who in the hell would pay 600 $ dollars for a crap of phone?? that freezes all the time and doesn't even work!?? I can't wait till my upgrade and buy the new Iphone 4S.. I'm tired of all the headaches these phones have given me!!
I guess that I've been one of the lucky one's through this ordeal with no problems with my 9930. I didn't know there was a problem until I came to the site and read about it.
Haven't had the bricking happen yet, my battery has been draining super speed all week though and I'm not using it any more than normal but it can't keep charged past 2:30pm from the time i take it off the charging pod at 8am. Has anyone else noticed that?
When i go to my application switcher it shows a small square box with a question mark in the middle titled "startup" what would that be as when i click it my phone just freezes?
My 9860 working great !
9700-9780-9900
First 9900 I took back because of the annoyance of my loud "return" key. Second 9900, T-mobile "help" transfer my photo from one device to the other. This sent me photos from every site I ever visited. Including Appworld! Continual Reboot! Third 9900, downloaded One song and three appworld upgrades. Bunch of media problems, including no access to youtube. Tried service books, wipes, and finally tried restoring OS. Three hours later at work-NUKE! 30 day warranty been up for a few weeks. Just received a new device Nov.17th via U.P.S.(Probably refurbish). Now I'm getting http errors. 5-0-whatevers! I paid 600. cash! From 9700-9900. Its the slower my device, the more stable. My friend still has the same device! His secret? Never touch an app!
Mine just did it today. Verizon 9930 bit the dust. So long 9930, back to the trusty 9650 and Droid RAZR.
When robooting loop is mentioned are you referring to a error? If so I have had the same issue multiple times with my 9930. Appoximately 6-8 times. The device would not sync. I used the following method: >Check for upgrade >reload software. The only solve I could do was reload the whole software and back-up from my last one that was done on desktop. Therfore, have lost so much information and contacts. First time it happened only a week after getting the new device. I've had mine since the launch date. I didn't want a refurbished one and was determined to fix it myself. After doing a reload a few times decided to get a replacement one about a month after purchase. Same problem. Seems every week or two it fails. Verizon refuses to give me another device since I kept it past their new 14 day replacement period. (That's right! Verizon only exchanges a new purchase up to 14 days!) They also informed me there were no known issues with the device. Clearly that isn't true. I've used several blackberries. This by far had me so upset. I paid a hefty price, used my upgrade, and it is not even reliable. Fails at the worst times and then you can't even use the phone! Disapointed to say the least. I'm a avid blackberry fan. Have used droids and it just isn't as reliable either. That being said they all have issues. I really hope they get a fix soon. Otherwise I may need to look for a reliable one. When there is not a failure the device works flawlessly and am incredibly happy. I'm crossing my fingers. Mine hasn't crashed in 3 whole weeks. Better get a new back-up today. Good Luck everyone. :).
Had same error with 9930 in October. Verizon replaced it because Desktop would not recognize that the software needed to be reloaded as you've described.
I hope they fix it soon or else I'm not buying any BB anymore! I'm sure glad I been holding off buying one of the phones, waiting to hear of any issues like ALL new phones do.
Wow. Didn't realize this issue was so widespread. Will be curious to see what type of fix comes out. New OS I guess...
my phone just recenlty bricked itself as well on the 17/11/11 i just only put it on charge the night b4 and the next morning it was only showing the red light and not coming on luckily my network vodafone UK said they will replace it with a new one on the 21 of this month.
It sounds as though it is going to take more than just a software patch to completely resolve the problem for the 9900. I would expect a new revision to the hardware build. Sure hope RIM works with the carriers to develop a kind customer service experience.
So maybe AT&T was better served by delaying the 9900 release until recently. Not nearly as many users as the other carriers.
Like I said when the 9900 came out, I know everyone was excited and giddy and were blinded by the new epic phone, I said, how great is the new Blackberry? Greater than the other phones out there or just better than the last Blackberry? I LOVE Blackberry, don't get me wrong, but when is enough is enough? We are riddiculed by Free Apps like "The Sims"? Are you F**king kidding me or just F**king me? Check this link by Fox News about RIMS Doom!:http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/11/12/heavyweight-to-scrap-heap-what...
im glad that i have yet to purchase mine...something told me to hold off on it...maybe around Christmas
i'm still waiting for my 9900 to be fixed or replaced, virgin says it's waiting on RIM, in 3 days it will be 2 months i've been waiting. HEY whats another month or 2 for a software fix ;)
There is no reason it should take that long. It should be 10-15 days tops. Are you sure Virgin hasn't misplaced the device?
That is one reason I like Rogers, they send you another device and get the other repaired.
they sent me a 9300 loaner phone YAY :)
I am glad RIM finally acknowledged the problem and released a statement. My friend had mentioned they were investigating the issue.
He also mentioned they are investigating the battery issues for OS7 devices as well.
My sympathies to all those who have/are experienced(ing) issues. I've been using this 9900 since August 27 and I haven't had any such issues; It's been working great really! I did notice though that any time I installed the app "Email spam filter live" I got an occasional "reset" error where I had to reset the phone! I put it down to that app cause I've unintalled and reinstalled the app and it kept reoccuring and that problem didn't happen when I didn't install that app! Another thhing I noticed was that when I switched from the original to an OEM replacement battery the phone reported an error that it couldn't read the memory card! However I simply remove and reinserted the card and it worked only that I make sure to repeat that each time I'm forced to switched batteries! Otherwise my device works like a charm and I'm happy :) 9900/7.0.0.503
I'm also a victim to this as well. Verizon 9930.
Well, I can say it's keep freeze and error at the first time before I upgrading to the higher version of the OS... Some apps also not suitable with the OS, and make my devices keep an error... After I'd upgraded to a higher version and deleted some of third parties apps, the problem was solved... Then everythin went smooth except the touch pad keep stuck sometimes... And, when I'd upgraded to the version 503... My wallpaper turned in Black... I restart my device, and after that it back to normal... Now, I'm using the latest version... 540... And its runs well till today... Battery gettin better... That's it...
What?
I got my Blackberry Bold 9900 approximately on September 5 after my Bold 9780 passed away... The first two weeks the device was great, it was super fast and no problems rebooting or doing anything! but then one night at 11:00 before going to sleep when I was rebooting my device..BAM... I got the error ( I can't remember which one) and device couldn't boot, I had to wake up at 6 am so that ruined my next day....A week later I got the error again.... And now every single time I restart de device it gets stuck for like 30 minutes a little forward than the middle! Its so annoying and I hope they fix it soon...
I also have problems when pressing the lock button... The device doesn't react at all.....
This will be a very good phone if it didn't have all these problems, everyday I get a little more convinced of getting an iPhone
I'm so glad this problem has been addressed , I've experienced this problem as well , although my phone is back in order I'm afraid it may happen again , so I'll be anxiously awaiting this update!..I still love my bold tho its an amazing phone and a major upgrade from my bold 9700.
David Banks
Right on the released date I picked three 9900s. Two of em are working great. One with the Operator software and two I keep updating with leaked released. One has gone into the infinetly boot loops. However, the place I got the devices from offeres 1 year warrenty for any issues, so they replaced it for me. I gotta say that the bricked 9900 got drained out of battery and basically didn't power up after that despite my many trials to revive it.
Overall,
I love my 9900 and I will contine using. In my opinion and for my use, it is the best device out there
In my opinion OS 5.0 has been the most stable platform, ever since running OS6 the battery and memory drain haven't reached that stability. I've been waiting for over a year now for this QNX superphone. I would have updated to the 9900 if it was out earlier, but now I'd rather wait for the BBX phone. Even so, I'm a bit weary about the dual-core processor, it might pose some issues with battery life (like the I-phone 4S). We can only wait and see.
This just happened to my Bold 9930 yesterday morning . I woke up to check the time and it was in a continuous reboot cycle and there was nothing I could do. Tried everything. Plus to top it off I'm traveling and 6000 miles away from home. Good thing I brought my backup Bold 9650.
The second I get home I'm making use of my manufacturers warranty.
I am with my second Bold 9900, both bought unlocked, both made in Mexico and both having the same problem. The first one came with one of the stereo channels mute, not working at all and I sent it back to be replaced. The second one came working perfectly for a month or so and finally came to do the same thing as the first one: the right stereo channel stopped working.
My intention is to use my Bold (as I previously used my Curve 9300 3G that was given to me by AT&T without cost and it is wihtout any doubt, THE BEST Blackberry that I have ever owned, even though made in Mexico as well!) to replace the iPod Touch because the sound reproduction of the BB is far superior. To my sad surprise, I had to give up and now I am carrying the two, the Curve and the 9900, one for music and the other for communication.
The 9900 is the ideal BB for me. I love the keyboard and otherwise it works perfectly well.
Three days ago, I decided to call BB technical support and they were not aware of this problem, and also gave me no hint as how to solve it.
This is placing me in a doubtful position as to go to AT&T and get the 9900 they are offering now in fear that it will have the same issue as the ones I have. (My contract has expired and I qualify for the upgrade, but I am also waiting to see if their price for the 9900 will be reduced).
I don't know is RIM will be capable of fixing this issue also with a simple firmware upgrade. Let's hope.
Otherwise, like said before, I am fully satisfied with the Bold 9900.
Hi, I'm no tech guy, but I have noticed when I plug my 9900 into my stereo thru the headphone port, I have to push harder on the jack into the phone to get the second speaker connection than my previous BB9700.
I got my 9930 4 days before Verizon officially launched it. By the next week it "turned" off without that special theatre dimming trick it does. It committed suicide! I don't know how Verizon had refurbished phones to give replace new units with. Ever since I got my replacement I been okay. But does anyone have a screen circuit issue? My screen doesn't respond to touch (without a cover) when it lays on any surface...
Just the implication (and now an admission of a potential problem), with RIM's latest "obsolete" models (as RIM moves to QNX OS next year), has serious repercussions with current and future sales of their OS7 devices. We've already seen reports of lower than expected sales figures as RIM continues to lose more and more market share to competing brands. As a former Bold 9700 user, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 9900 series phones, but hesitated when reports of "problems" with the device starting to surface more frequently. Sadly, I am no longer a member of the Blackberry community and apparently the gentleman to whom I sold my Bold 9700 (also a long time Blackberry user since the "thumbwheel" days), was considering leaving to purchase a more "cutting edge" Android device. Don't get me wrong, RIM isn't by no means dead yet...but they have certainly been handed their hat!
Sincerely;
Former RIM Customer :-(
right there with you man, as a former 9630 and 9650 user i couldnt wait til the 9930 came out. i tried to hold out and see the reaction and how they were working but i bit the bullet after a week and caved.
was great for 2 weeks, then the return window closed and the problems began.
i spent 300$ on my 9900, and im locked into a contract for 2 yrs. and i dont even use it because the UX is such garbage, and it bricked itself long before kevin finally admited that BB quality control is non existant and his all mighty 9930 might not be as great as he thogt when he wasted 2 grand buying 4 of them.
i went iphone and while i miss the form factor of the 9930, i get more and more accustomed to touch typing and having the extra real estate. i flirt with the 9930 form factor often but snap back to reality when i see the dated UI and how non user friendly 80% of the OS is.
Apple would say its a battery saving feature...
:-)
I love my 9700...wack in a 1.2 ghz processor, a gig of ram, 64gb of storage, touch screen and I'm set!
battery saving feature!!!!!! hilarious!! LOL funniest comment of the last day or two!!
Curious to see if any of these units are from at&t...or was there something that was changed on those units that prevents this.
bought a 9900 the day it came out on ATT. havent had one problem.
I just finally got mine replaced after fighting with sprint due to connection issues with it. They offered to switch me to a Evo 3d or Photon and I almost wish I had taken it since the brand new one is doing the same things...not sending text, issues connecting to the network. Not sure what to do at this point...UGH
This is really frustrating. I bought my device about a week after it came out. Mine bricked last week,. Just an observation, but this seems to be battery related. The devices that are bricking, are the 9900/9930 and 9850/9860. They both use the JM1 battery, and from what I've heard, the problems seem to arise mostly when the batteries get extremely low. Some people have reported the bricking issue with various charges on the battery. It seems that the batteries are bad, which in turn is messing up the devices. This seems pretty widespread, although, I have heard of little to no issues with the 9810, which doesn't use the JM1. All of the new devices (9900/9930, 9850/9860, and 9810) use pretty much the same hardware.
I truly hope they get this sorted out.
If that was the case, they wouldn't be saying a fix will come via software update -- they'd be issuing new batteries to users.
Unless they plan to remove the battery programming authentication from the OS which -- would be stupid and would never address the real problem at hand.
But hey, who knows -- crazier things have happened. Sooner they fix it, the better.
Previous to my 9900 had a 9810 and it had the same bricking issue. Seems like it has something to do with OS7.
I've redlined my battery more than a few times, and never had any problems with my 9930.
Hi all, I have a iphone 4 and want to switch to Blackberry and I would like to know why I can make the switch ?????
I got no issues with my 9900 since got last saturday from bell mobilty.
No issues here with my first 9900 on release date (Rogers). Several of my friends have 9900s from Telus as well with no issues. My only feedback to the article is it makes it sound like the majority of 99x0 phones are affected, when that is not the case at all.
Around here, it is kind of the case. Those with issues speak louder then those with none. Which is why it's stated in the write up.
"Granted, being a BlackBerry site we're more apt to hear about it but it
makes you really wonder just how widespread it may or may not be."
This problem is definitely not exclusive to BB. I was in a busy Apple Store today and within the space of 5 minutes, 2 guys came in complaining that their iphones switched off and refused to turn on. One of the tech guys plugged the phones into a mac and said "sorry your phone is dead but we can't do anything for you until tomorrow afternoon. Would you like to make an appointment?" You all should have been there to hear the barrage of swear words and threats emanating from those mouths.
+1
My brother's iPhone had the same issue and replaced under BestBuy Canada warranty on phones two times now.
Sorry Bla1ze...
The tone of the blog encourages the tone of the posts.
Just my observation and opinion.
Did you want me to paint a picture of totally fine scenario when clearly there is an issue?
If people are pissed, they have a right to be. I was pissed when mine bricked, Kevin was pissed when his bricked, Shao128 was pissed when his bricked.
The post confirms what many have thought all along, there is a problem
with either the OS / device - I'm not here to hide that fact, nor is anything I said in the article not true -- it's all accurate.
All smartphones have issues at one point or another, but that doesn't make anyone feel better about it when it happens. Some people have plunked down over $500 for these things only to have them fail on them.
Not to mention the one person with the biggest attitude -- is nothing more then a comment troll any way.
I think you miss my point...
I don't think you should paint a fine scenario of the issue of devices bricking. I think a blog regarding all things good and bad are informative for those who use the platform.
Not only were Kevin, Shao128 and yourself were pissed that the bricking issue manifested itself. I was feeling sick about that as well. Since I love the platform, I hate to hear things like that. Makes me cringe. It also opens up RIM for a lot of negative comments. Which we really don't need.
As inferred, anyone who has read anything about this issue believed there was something inherently wrong with the device or OS implemented. Users were informed by CB. That in itself makes the end user more educated, aware, and ready to expect the possible unexpected, also more prepared in the event of such a circumstance.
People should feel comfortable with a device that they spent $500 for. I don't think random bricking was thought to be a condition of use after extensive research then a decision for purchase.
I agree with pretty much everything except the tone of your "personal" thoughts in the blog that's all. When you say...
"The limited number comment is interesting, considering how many people who have come through the CrackBerry forums with issues. Granted, being a BlackBerry site we're more apt to hear about it but it makes you really wonder just how widespread it may or may not be. The other concerning matter is with the fix, it's being issued via a software update which we know from history for some carriers can take forever. Not cool."
This is what I am speaking of. From what I read, I personally believe it is a limited number who are experiencing this. I have read far more posts about the love of members' choices for the 9900 than I have read about the bricking issue. I have also noticed the recent surge of reports after the big names (you guys) mentioned it. Looking at the number of threads & posts I see here seem quite small compared to an almost 3M user base, much less the larger 70M user base. I know you're upset, and wonder if the issue is much larger, but why try to retract the good RIM is doing with a fix? The comment regarding the carriers tardiness in OS releases just seems to be out of place to put a stigma on something RIM cannot control on their end as well IMO.
I like the fact that RIM has admitted this issue and is working on an update. I want everyone to be happy with their purchase of a 9900 or any other OS7 device.
You have done more to further the BlackBerry platform than most of all the users I know. Certainly more than I have. And when I see you start to bring negative personal connotations in as an afterthought, it saddens me. This brings people here to complain that RIM is trying to do something positive. It's like complaining about free apps. There was an outage, so people focus on that rather than the positive of what RIM is trying to do to make amends. Random bricking is not good, but at least RIM admitted it, and is trying to do something to fix it. It's not being swept under the rug.
Admittedly, RIM has contributed directly to the sour taste in your mouth, and needs to earn your full trust again. But I just remember you being so much more objective early on. I guess I had more respect for you than you do for those who may feel like I do. I miss your old enthusiasm and objectivity Bla1ze. That's all.
Ahh.. I get ya. Thanks for taking the time to further explain what you meant, I appreciate it. I will keep all of what you said in mind for future articles. :)
I had to have my 9930 replaced thru insurance Cuz I broke the screen, after which I had to have it replaced 3 more times due to this issue.
different model, os 7 torch 9810, same reboot cycle problem
downloaded and installed os 7 onto the pc
deleted 2 vendor.xml files from the pc:
c:\program files\common files\research in motion\ found and deleted vendor.xml
c:\users\my user name\app data\roaming\research in motion\ found and deleted vendor.xml
removed the blackberry battery
connected the blackberry to the pc
launched desktop manager and it initiated the update
put battery back into blackberry
phone works again
i am only posting this to try and help, it might work with any os7 device having this same problem, the same way it helped me with my 9810
peace
_______________________________________________________
in the time of your life, live so that in that good time, there should be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life that your life touches, seek goodness everywhere
dave weber
Have had my 9930 for approx 2 months.....no issues. This is my first Blackberry and love it. I find it hard to believe that with all this new tech stuff, something won't go wrong at times...no matter who is making it. I know some phones were made in Canada, then they started to make them in Malaysia....could that be where the problem came or went?
Wow. That's a shame. Almost makes me feel lucky I gave up waiting for the 9900 from AT&T and switched to an iPhone 4S -- just 2 weeks before AT&T finally relented. I hate to see these things happening, but RIM kept disappointing me and it was starting to feel as if they were rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Still have my PlayBook, but I'm wondering if the OS 2.0 is ever coming. The endless delays are certainly discouraging.
Not only the 9900, I have had to replace two 9860 because of the endless rebooting. I was able to catch it with apploader and after all the OS install it went into rebooting again, tried about 300 more times but was not able to use JL_Cmder or BBSAK to wipe it... This is indeed a big problem!
I realize the 9900/9930 is the flagship, but why no mention of the 9850/9860? I'm on the third because of this issue. so I certainly hope this fix is across-the-board and not specific for the Bold.
Huh! Well this isn't good. My 9650 was replaced 4x because of the endless rebooting. Now they did warranty replacement and gave me the 9930 in hopes to solve my problem.
"A limited number....." More like at least half! I know 7 people who have a 9900/9930 and none of them have their original purchase. They're all carring a refurb or have bought another one. If RIM doesn't get it together, even more customers will switch. Let's hope RIM gets it together, I love my Blackberry but may have to take a break from it until the issues are worked out.
My wife and I both have 9900's, and neither have had any issues. We got them from 2 different carriers, about 10 days from launch
Best phone I've ever owned!
Until this thread I had not heard one complaint from people I know who have the phone
I sure hope the 'fix' doesn't break my phone.
Mine is working without any problems as well. I know several people at work who have this phone and theirs are working fine.
"at least half!" hmmm i'd like to see the data that you have to support this claim.
I disagree with more than half. We have atleast 500 Bold 9900's in our company and have only seen the issue once.
The bad news never seems to end for this company does it. As for "actively working on a software update". Well, let's just say that I have more confidence in a snail circumventing the globe....twice....in less time than it takes RIM to release a software update. :)
LOL, that was funny Good Sir! Bravo!
You know, I would honestly bet that the snail from your example would win in this case.
I'v had my first 9900 replaced after 1 day of use, got it replaced with a newer 9900 and that too bricked thrice! luckly i managed to salvage it and reinstall the OS, unlike the 1st device where i cant even do anything to fix it. thank god for the 7 day return policy.
I wonder what's the cause of the problem. I've a "not for sale" evaluation unit running 7.0.0.100 and it works fine.
Maybe this is the same reason my 9860 is melting down and misbehaving.
9930; been there times 5. twice on binary .2xx and the other 3 on .3xx of the VZW official OSs......two days ago i went crashing down twice in a 3 hour time frame...... hoping for some updates that focus on stability......battery life isn't too concerning when I'm staring at a white screen.......
Lucky for me I haven't had this issue yet!
You are very lucky! I hope you don't have any issues with yours, it can ruin your day. It's ruined mine 3 times.
Mine did come close to death during my last OS upgrade, but I was able to get the phone to reconnect luckily after a soft reboot and some determined clicking of the "retry" button in Apploader. That was during the move from the last leak to the current VZW official (which IMO is the best OS version yet). Not a single other hiccup so far (unlike the 9650 I replaced which rebooted every time I left the roaming coverage area of one of the repeaters my company has installed in its plant)
Me too. I am glad mine hasn't done this yet, because I'm usually the one with a bad gadget when it comes to stuff like this.
i'll count myself lucky too. my 9900 has "mysteriously" rebooted only 3 times but never rebooted endlessly or bricked itself since i picked it up from a Bell store on launch day. been a very reliable bb for me.
hoping everyone else gets their fix soon. c'mom RIM, don't tick off the group that's stood by your company thru all the mess.
man up and take care of your loyal consumers!
Greetings from Turkey to everyone.
I hope you're always counts himself a lucky man!
We have Turkey BleckBerry across a large portion of users were victims of the 9900 Bold! Although RİM has accepted the issue justified them commonplace location firm Seif. 9900 Bold devices to return to life again they are working on a new software that are 3-4 months ago, but still there's nothing there! What kind of irresponsible.Turkey market Bleckberry dismissed.Now he enters the market in Turkey cannot accept any user who does not use a Bleckberry! As a technical service only in my hands I have at least 20 pieces of the brick case Bleckberry 9900 bold You consider the worldwide problem users are no longer living.New devices makes old devices cannot be used as this company is doomed to sink. Still, even while there is a chance this fixes the problem, tell them to go to the victimization of thousands of users in our opinion.Or that they can't handle ! Regards and love from Turkey...
Wow, I really hope they get this sorted out as soon as possible. Atleast RIM finally acknowledged that there is a problem.
yea not all companies would acknowledge an issue, they would just ship a free "bumper" & be done with it
Or ship a phone that bricks itself.
or ship a phone that can't be fixed with a simple software patch.
at least its a quick fix, and device is still fully working even without bumper. good luck waiting the software fix from rim and carrier, it'll take forever.
Yeah or maybe free apps
.....and take advantage of manufacturer's warranty ???? sure for a $35 admin fee rogers will replace the unit.......
I dunno who you talk to but I have NEVER paid an admin fee with Rogers.. EVER.
I hope when I get mine from windmobile, that it doesn't self-brick! I might get the curve 9360 instead if that's the case, or the curve 9300. if WIND gets the 9810 on december, i'll jump for it, because I could use the autofocus, regardless if it's a slider because i used to own a horizontal slider, the PPC 6700, which wasn't all that bad. I'm going to see if and when wind will be getting it.
the problemS in the new 9900 is not only about failed power on, if this is the only problem gets recognized by RIM, I worry RIM does not really understand what crisis they have to deal with --- I can list a few more problems after a few weeks suffering from them:
- after 2+ months, the fully-charged battery can only last max. 5 hours. The real problem doesn't seem in the battery as I tried with a brand new battery and it's same, and the device itself is becoming "very warm" in hand, then no wonder where the power is spent on - heating up the device! (power leakage in the electronics?! Manufacturing quality problem or design defect??)
- experienced 3 times in the attempt of activating company email account, after 16 - 18 hours each time still with 2-3% synchronization incomplete, the program kept running endlessly until manually turned it off
- during the time when the above mentioned incomplete synchronization taking place, some one called my number and heard no one picks up the phone but actually my 9900 kept “quiet” (no incoming calls, no ring tones, and no missing call indications)
- cannot be certain that clock alarm will wake me up in the morning with the alarm set, as concurrently this happens (no one can predict) when the device failed to power on automatically
- to deal with the design problem: to pull off the battery in order to restart the device when it’s dead (when it’s getting more frequent), I have to keep a small tool in my bag (sorry I haven't get the habit yet to keep long nails) – a paperclip to help open the device in the back.