QUICK LOOK

• Qwerty Keypad, Capacitive Touch Screen and Optical Trackpad Navigation
• 5MP camera
• BlackBerry 7 OS
• Dual-band Wi-Fi
• 8GB onboard memory 

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is far from forgettable but as a Torch user who is somewhat confused by Qwerty keypads (I do not understand why they still exist) it took a little time to get used to this change. Yes, I know the Torch has the Qwerty keypad but in all honesty, I have no time or patience to slide the phone open to type away...it has a touchscreen option for a reason.

The super-skinny Bold 9900 was a very comfy fit in my hand and the fact that it is, almost, as light as a feather adds to its appeal. The screen is a touchscreen (yay!) with the practical, user-friendly and wider Qwerty keypad for easy typing and navigation around the apps and websites.

I’ve heard many people say that they wouldn’t get a phone with itty-bitty keys because they would be awful at using it but the Bold 9900 makes even the most awkward fingers feel right at home as they lightly touch the keypad. (I however cannot guarantee the end of those embarrassing typo moments where you accidentally call your daughter a “cow” when you meant to end your sentence with the word “now”, however it will be a step up from the one-finger typing.).

The 9900 is stylish, with the look and feel of not-quite-an-entry-level phone. It certainly offers top quality performance, especially with things such as the 5MP camera with flash – the images you get are as close you will get to using an entry-level digital camera – as well as the 8GB of onboard memory that allows you to save more onto your phone without any hassles. The stainless-steel trim and matching buttons around the edge of the device add a lot to the phone’s aesthetic appeal. I didn’t think that it was trying to be any other type of smartphone on the market except for a Blackberry Bold 9900 and it does it well.

One of the exciting things about the phone that I was looking forward to testing out was the BlackBerry 7 OS. Verdict? It is faster! It did hang a few times, but I think that may have been the overly-enthusiastic 5 or 6 tabs I had open at once. Along with a wicked OS, add a 1,2GHz processor, 768MB of RAM and 3G HSPA+ aerial, EDGE functionality, integrated GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities - the 9900 is quite the smartphone! 

In my snapshot review I did say that the phone is for the working set but it can certainly be used just as well for the social media enthusiast who cannot survive without their daily fix of Facebook and Twitter and for those (like me) who need their e-mail to follow them wherever they are.

Your e-mail options are there no matter if you are Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! or Windows user. There are also MySpace and YouTube options for those who have them and, of course, how can I forget the ever faithful BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) along with the usual Instant Messaging (IM) offerings on App World?

The BlackBerry 9900 is an option if you are shopping around for a phone that offers you what you need of a smartphone and just a little more. If you are familiar with BlackBerry, then it’s just a matter of getting comfortable with a new handset, everything else that you know and trust is what you will get with just a little more with the 9900.

In all honesty it didn’t really surprise, wow or thrill me but I did enjoy using it and if I wasn’t happy with my Vixen (Torch), the Bold 9900 would be a great option.

Turn ons

• The Qwerty keypad as well as the trackpad navigation – it doesn’t “stick”
• Supersonic OS 7 – it’s a great big leap of a step up from the OS 6
• Great camera with flash and HD video capabilities
• Amazingly light – easy to forget you even have it in your pocket

Turn offs

• The hanging when too many tabs are open or you’re running a couple of apps at the same time – it will annoy the multi-taskers
• The back cover when trying to insert your SIM card – it will test your patience and improve your cuss words vocabulary

Price: R 7000.00 (without a contract,  shop around for a good deal)