Not as fun as picking real blackberries.

February 28, 2011 4:22 PM

Blackberry-filter: do I pick the Curve 3G, Bold 9700, or Torch?

I've had the Curve 8300 for 2 years and been moderately pleased, now work is giving me 3 options for my replacement. I'm trying to decide between the Curve 3G, Bold 9700, or the Torch.

I want the Torch mainly because A) touchscreen (yay! fun!), and B) memory (a whole bunch more than the Curve or Bold). My boss has one and it feels heavy, plus there's the potential to crack the screen if you drop it, and she says the OS locks up a bit (but that might just be hers).

I travel regularly so I need a durable phone, but one almost exclusively used for email / text and almost never for voice. My biggest complaint about my 8300 was the shitty battery life.

Have you had any / some / all of the above models, and if so, what would you pick, and why? Bonus: link to anywhere that allows me to compare / contrast the 3, preferably with reviews?

posted by allkindsoftime to Technology (11 answers total)

My SO has a Torch. It's one of the few phones that stands up to her abuse of the battery, so I declare it good on that front. Also, she's not complained about it locking up on her, but it did get godawful slow when making/receiving phone calls until I went in and deleted/disabled the call log in the messages application. (the one in the phone application is fine)

It's a pretty nice phone, IMO. And unlike many BBs I've had hands on time with in the past, it feels very, very solid.

I've also read good things about the Bold, but you have to keep in mind that its screen is smaller, if that matters to you. If you do a whole lot of typing, you'd still probably be better off with a Bold. Its form factor is definitely superior for it. The Torch's keyboard, like all portrait orientation QWERTY sliders is simply too narrow to type as quickly as is possible with a wider thumb-board. Also, the way the keyboard is sunken makes it more difficult to type than it would be on a Bold or Curve. (or my personal all-time favorite QWERTY, the now hopelessly outdated Nokia E71, which I would take over a Bold, TBH)
posted by wierdo at 4:40 PM on February 28, 2011

I would not pick the Curve. I played around with getting one, checking one out at length at the store, and it didn't seem much better than the kinda rinky dink non-3G Curve I'd had before.
posted by elpea at 4:46 PM on February 28, 2011

I think you want the Torch. The Bold has a pretty big screen that is just as easy to break, plus it's fucking gigantic.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:50 PM on February 28, 2011

I have a curve that I carry for work. I would never pay for one or recommend one. You don't want the curve. Rinkydink is a good word for it.
posted by Sternmeyer at 5:03 PM on February 28, 2011

If you're worried about physical durability, you can always buy an Otter Box (or similar competing product) and expense it.
posted by AMSBoethius at 5:03 PM on February 28, 2011

I had a Curve 8320, upgraded to a Bold 9700, quite happy I did, 3G & WiFi are a big step up. The Torch looks really nice with the big screen and the slide out keyboard. If I had the choice now I'd have gone with the Torch just for the screen but it wasn't available when I upgraded.
posted by Long Way To Go at 5:15 PM on February 28, 2011

9700 has been replaced with 9780. Same dimensions, a really excellent 5mp camera, twice the RAM and OS 6. Plus it's actually cheaper than the 9700. I have a 9780 and am pretty happy with it- I can't do without a physical keyboard.

Note that the Bold has the same resolution as the Torch at 480x320. This is crappy for the Torch's 3.2" screen but for the Bold's 2.4" screen that makes for some pretty amazing pixel density and (compared to my Nokia E71 in particular, which is 320x240) a damn brilliant display.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 5:23 PM on February 28, 2011

Don't get a Curve. We ordered I think 12 in August, and had issues with 4 or 5 of them. Swapped them all for Bolds last month. Bolds definitely feel nicer/sturdier.
posted by radioamy at 6:40 PM on February 28, 2011

Another vote for the Bold. But, like ethnomethodologist said, get the 9780. OS 6 is officially available for the 9700 now, but the extra RAM in the 9780 will make it run that much smoother.
posted by purephase at 7:08 PM on February 28, 2011

i have used both a Curve and a Bold for work, my personal phone is an iphone. the screen on the Curve is totally blah compared to the Bold. based on screen alone i'd get the Bold.
posted by karmaportrait at 7:33 AM on March 1, 2011

I'm new to blackberries but got myself a Bold 9650 for a late xmas gift. The battery life is phenomenal if I use it for (few) calls, a good amount of texting and maybe 10min of web browsing a day, bluetooth off but gps/wifi on, my usual routine. I haven't specifically tested it but it easily lasts a couple, maybe a few days before it really needs a charge, but I charge it almost daily anyway.

I'd recommend it (and the very similar 9700 and 9780) to anyone interested, but phones are just so personal in what you really do or don't want. I specifically didn't want a touch screen, I hate finger marks on the screen and feel they're worthless when you have the trackpad/keyboard.

Also since you mention 'durability' I figure you must already be planning on getting a case!!! IMO A must have for any phone durability issues!
posted by BurnMage at 4:12 PM on March 1, 2011