BlackBerry Bold 9650 (Verizon Wireless)

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 33 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 7 stars

  So far, so good, with limitations

  by LiveGreenMom on June 10, 2010

  Pros: WiFi, finally! Better camera, 3.2 MP, not bad video camera

  Cons: So far, I'm only getting1-2 bars where I used to get 3-4. Called *228 and pressed 2, hopefully this updates the roaming capabilities. And you have to left click to get to the next screen where your apps are, I would rather scroll down.

  Summary: I got the Incredible in late april, after 2-3 days decided that the battery drain and lack of coverage despite all the hoops I had jumped through wasn't worth ...

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  Summary: I got the Incredible in late april, after 2-3 days decided that the battery drain and lack of coverage despite all the hoops I had jumped through wasn't worth is. (See my review on the CNET Incredible Droid reviews.) It was a good phone, but for the $$, it wasn't incredible enough for me. I got my first bb curve 8330 in Dec 2008, and it changed my life. Between the phone and Outlook, I loved the organization capabilities. I was eligible for the upgrade, and I have plumb wore out my old curve, I have used it so much. I didn't love the old trackball on the curve, which would get stuck and have to be cleaned out with alcohol and a swab to get it going again. The new Bold of course doesn't have that, and it works well, very responsive. Set up was relatively painless. I asked at the store today if I needed to load the cd rom that came with the bold, they said no, but I found out that YES, you do need to load the CD ROM to sync your Bold with Outlook. After I did that, no problems. My husband says I sound crisp and clear, which was not the case w-the incredible. My husband said I was cutting in and out on the incredible - and we were talking within our home! There was just NO coverage w-the incredible. And I am in Boston, where it should be no problem. Anyway, the Bold is heavier than my Curve, noticeably so, but no biggie. Bold has a crisp screen. That's nice.
  My BIGGeST gripe is that I wish Verizon could have gone the EARTH FRIENDLY GREEN ROUTE and stayed with the same charger cords for all BB, instead of changing them from phone to phone for the profits. Verizon/BB could use this as a huge GREEN PR platform that would encourage eco-conscious folks to go with their line of BB products, maybe promising to always stay with these standard chargers. It makes me ill to see the USB cords & chargers pile up just for profits sake. No one can convince me that they cannot stick with these same sizes, if you can make smartphones like the ones we use today you can make a standard cord. Come on, Verizon, you have the best coverage, now do something dramatically different! Surprise us all!
  Otherwise, so far I'm happy. i will update as I use this phone more. i just got it today, after all!
  
  Updated on Jun 10, 2010

  Also, I like the fact that I will be able to use this phone in Germany this summer when i am with my family in August. The charger even comes with international charging adapters! That's a nice extra touch. The Incredible wasn't international capable.
  
  Updated on Jun 15, 2010

  I've had my bold for a few days now and I am happy with it. Smooth interface and mouse. One thing I need to get used to is the fact that cell phones w-wifi and 3G are going to have a battery that runs down faster. I just keep my wifi turned off unless I really need it. But this battery does not run down anywhere near the lightening speed that the Incredible did. It was distressing! I have a great outlet for restored cell batteries at www.greenbeansrewards.com. I got my curve battery through them and it was less than $10. And they recycled my old bb battery for free. They also recycle old wires & cell phones for free. That appeals to the green side of me. (I make no $ and do not receive products for mentioning them, BTW, just spreading the GREEN word!) So I am keeping my Bold and going on my merry blackberry way.

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  4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Solid, Attractive and is a really smart Smartphone

  by GratefulBerry on May 4, 2011

  Pros: The OS 6 adds a lot of improvement to the way the contact list stores and retrieves information. There is plenty of room for apps and the phone can be "quick booted" using the keyboard which eliminates taking it out of the case, removing the back and the

  Cons: Even though the color and resolution is outstanding..... the smaller Screen size can be limiting and harder to see than on my Storm 2. The touch screen spoiled me with large size images but always remained a hassle in typing and touch selection.

  Summary: A beautiful functional Blackberry. Short learning curve if you've had a Curve or the Storm 2..... not bad if you haven't. The typing and selection process is sure ...

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  Summary: A beautiful functional Blackberry. Short learning curve if you've had a Curve or the Storm 2..... not bad if you haven't. The typing and selection process is sure and the touchpad can really speed you up in some situations. There are functions you can do without selecting a menu first...... press the touchpad and it gives a small window of menu selections. Then press again. I really like this phone.... I especially like doing things once and not having to retype or reselect something as I had to do with the Storm 2. (I really, really enjoyed my Storm when I had it, but It will take something special to win me over from the Bold.) The Bold keyboard is well designed and easy to use, especially if I am careful to use my thumbnail which improves the accuracy of key selection.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  This is a great phone

  by texaslax on August 15, 2010

  Pros: best keyboard I have ever used, great media capability, bbm

  Cons: browsers a little slow but blackberry 6 will fix that

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Good Business Phone,but falling behind Apple and Google

  by nyjd1339 on July 6, 2010

  Pros: Wi-Fi, keyboard, World Calling with GSM, Mobile Hotspot

  Cons: Camera Stinks, Screen is small, Web Browser, Features are not on par with similarly priced phones

  Summary: I've always loved Blackberry's but the it seems like the only reason people want to buy one now-a-days is because they seem "professional" not because they are actually ...

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  Summary: I've always loved Blackberry's but the it seems like the only reason people want to buy one now-a-days is because they seem "professional" not because they are actually better phones. For the cost, I'd rather have an android phone on Verizon. RIM needs to go back to the drawing board and find a way to be truly competitive again...they have become too complacent in recent years. They cannot count on the business market forever to support their company or they will go the same way as Palm.
  
  If you want to check out my full review..you can look at my blog. Thanks! (link is below)
  
  http://semiprose.com/2010/07/06/blackberry-9650-review/

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  2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  Pain and misery

  by weathercrafter on August 20, 2011

  Pros: It can text.

  Cons: See the summary below for all the pain this phone has caused me.

  Summary: We'll start with the list of problems I've had with this phone and then end with a rant.
  1. The F key works half the time.
  2. Occasionally ...

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  Summary: We'll start with the list of problems I've had with this phone and then end with a rant.
  1. The F key works half the time.
  2. Occasionally the phone decides to no longer ring and/or vibrate.
  3. The phone once died completely and required a replacement.
  4. Calls are often dropped for no apparent reason, even when the call recipient and I are both standing still in locations with full signals.
  5. The internet browser is the slowest I've ever seen and hangs up constantly.
  6. Sometimes apps don't actually close when you close them.
  7. The battery's life span is shorter than that of a fruit fly even when no apps are running, but when apps are running, you might as well drop the phone in a puddle of burning jet fuel because that's how long it will last.
  8. Reboots often take over 10 minutes.
  9. I pay a lot of money every month for the enterprise data plan so that my phone will sync calendar entries and contacts with my office PC. My phone has not accurately synced calendars or contacts for at least 4 months now despite hours of troubleshooting.
  10. Emails do not accurately sync with my office PC running Microsoft Exchange Server.
  11. One time the memory card was 'damaged' and required that I manually run a 'repair' feature each time I booted the phone, which never actually worked.
  12. Changing the theme sometimes alters "hidden" settings that cause unusual problems for months to come.
  13. The camera is of the poorest quality and is worthless in low light.
  14. The camera has a delay of more than one second.
  15. Deleted apps are sometimes not removed from the menu screen, leaving a phantom button.
  16. Home page notifications are often incorrect and are notoriously difficult to alter.
  17. Phone settings are scattered under multiple locations and subfolders.
  18. The phone often hangs up and refuses to accept any input for periods ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.
  19. The 'lock' feature is not dependable and often results in unwarranted calls while the phone is in your pocket/bag.
  20. There is no available setting which will allow the alarm clock feature to work while silencing phone calls and texts.
  
  There are some more general features about the phone which I don't like but these may be a matter of preference. In short, I hate this phone as much as a human being can hate a phone. When I can afford to upgrade to a better phone, I will do so, and then I will urinate on this Blackberry, douse it with lighter fluid and set it on fire. I will then drink a beer and watch Office Space on my new phone which will be able to stream the entire movie without freezing, dying, or losing a connection. That is all.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Sweet Phone

  by ThisIsMyQuestion on April 1, 2011

  Pros: Keyboard, Battery, Easy & Customizable

  Cons: None, this phone is sweet, esp. for the price.

  Summary: I bought this phone for the form factor and have never looked back, it's my first Blackberry and it has made me a BB user for life.

  Summary: I bought this phone for the form factor and have never looked back, it's my first Blackberry and it has made me a BB user for life.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Good phone , but could be better.

  by bikrider27 on February 27, 2011

  Pros: nice design, love the keyboard.

  Cons: bad coverage with verizon, noticing tht you get worse connection plugged into the charger, slow internet browser

  Summary: Okay phone

  Summary: Okay phone

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Great phone no problems

  by on February 9, 2011

  Pros: Fast, easy to use, nice design, very good phone.

  Cons: i cant think of any

  Summary: I like this phone so far, its great and i have had no problems with it. Nice looking screen, nice feel to the phone. Overall fantastic phone. The best phone ...

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  Summary: I like this phone so far, its great and i have had no problems with it. Nice looking screen, nice feel to the phone. Overall fantastic phone. The best phone ive ever owned.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Messaging powerhouse

  by andrew_p_lee on February 4, 2011

  Pros: Keyboard, messaging capabilities, data efficient, good looking device, nice feel in hand

  Cons: Browser, lack of apps, small screen, battery life

  Summary: I'm basing this review on my Bold running OS 6.0, which was recently officially released by Verizon. The Bold is an excellent messaging device. I've had many, ...

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  Summary: I'm basing this review on my Bold running OS 6.0, which was recently officially released by Verizon. The Bold is an excellent messaging device. I've had many, many smart phones including most recently the Bold 9000, Storm 2, iPhone and Droid X. This phone connects me with everyone in my life flawlessly. Whether its email for work, BBM and IM for friends, or google voice for texting, the Bold provides a very enjoyable experience. The keyboard is easy to use. It's not as spacious as the Bold 9000's keyboard but is still very comfortable. The phone has a nice weight to it and feels great in the hand. Good looking phone in my opinion. Multimedia functions are solid. The camera has a flash and takes good pictures and video. Itunes and pandora radio give me all the music options I need.
  
  Blackberry is heavily criticized for its primitive operating system. I think this criticism is unfair. Sure it's not as pretty as apple's UI and doesn't have widgets like android, but it gets the job done and well. There aren't a ton of apps available, but you can find what you need. The browser is still disappointing, even on OS 6, but is much improved over the old browser. The screen is also small, so watching videos is not as enjoyable on the Bold as on most touchscreen devices. Also, the battery life has also been disappointing so far. It will barely get me through the day without having to be recharged, but I suspect my battery is old.
  
  Despite its shortcomings, however, I'm very pleased with the phone. At the price you can get it for ($150-$200 w/o contract) I think it represents value. If you are looking for a phone that does messaging extremely well, consider the Bold 9650.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Impressive at first, ends up being more trouble

  by ashley51769 on December 19, 2011

  Pros: Text looks like chat box - easy to keep track of whick text came from who.
  
  Can enter multiple email accounts and get notified when you have a new message

  Cons: Con's are listed in the Summary section.

  Summary: Battery does not last long
  
  Phone starts freezing after a week of use
  Such as.. can't open internet, when pressing any keys phone won't show them for minutes ...

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  Summary: Battery does not last long
  
  Phone starts freezing after a week of use
  Such as.. can't open internet, when pressing any keys phone won't show them for minutes at a time (lagging), phone screen won't shut off/turn on for minutes at a time
  
  Can't type or text while phone is frozen
  
  Internet does not load
  
  Takes ten minutes to turn the phone on
  
  Hard to change phone settings
  
  I get less reception bars with this phone, never had a phone that had horrible reception until now
  
  
  All in all, the phone looks impressive and seems like a professional business phone, but it is very dissapointing.

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