RIM BlackBerry Bold
Review by Julian Prokaza on Tue 19 August 2008
Page 2 of 4
So far though, all RIM has really done is produce a sleeker, shinier version of its usual BlackBerry fare and mere looks alone are not enough to compete with the iPhone. Fortunately, it has also twigged that that a major factor in the iPhone’s success is its slick user interface, and so it’s given the new BlackBerry OS 4.6 that runs on the Bold a cosmetic makeover, too.
The familiar colourful icons of old are gone, replaced with a classy monochromatic set that will undoubtedly fox some old hands the first time they clap eyes on them. The applications themselves don’t look too much different than before, though there are a few new ones of note.
Perhaps the most notable new ones for anyone considering an iPhone are the web browser and media player. RIM last gave its browser an overhaul in OS 4.5 and the version supplied with the Bold is yet another dramatic improvement – at least in some ways. Thanks to added support for a whole host of recent web standards (CSS 2.1, HTML 4.01 and JavaScript 1.5, to name three), web pages now render flawlessly and look fantastic on the razor-sharp 480 x 320 screen. They’re also largely illegible at full-page view (so surprises there, of course), but the trackball controls an on-screen pointer that when clicked, intelligently zooms the corresponding part of the page for easy viewing – just like a double-tap in Safari on the iPhone, in fact.
Unfortunately, as excellent as it is in delivering a desktop-like web browsing experience on a small screen, the BlackBerry Bold’s web browser is just far too slow to be a serious alternative to the iPhone. The Bold is the first BlackBerry with 3G support, but even over a more reliable Wi-Fi connection, our iPhone 2G repeatedly finished downloading a web page several seconds before the Bold had even got past a blank screen and a “Requesting…” message.
Update 1: After looking into this a little more, it seems that the BlackBerry Bold may not have been using Wi-Fi for the web browsing session we shot in this video. Quite why this should be the case when the Bold was connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone 2G (via a router barely six feet away – see the on-screen Wi-Fi indicator at the start and end of the video) is unclear at this stage.
Of course the situation wasn't helped by the fact that the BlackBerry OS has no option to disable the cellular data connection and leave Wi-Fi active – it's either both or neither. Which is pretty ridiculous. Perhaps we needed to manually configure the Bold's web browser to prioritise Wi-Fi over cellular data. Ok, that's also pretty ridiculous. But rather than mock the Bold for having a web browser set-up that appears to be counter-intuitive by design, we'll run some more tests as soon as RIM can get another Bold to us and either confirm or refute our original findings.
But know this – even with just its 3G connection active (and a full signal), the Bold still lagged behind the iPhone 2G with its mere EDGE connection (and we're kciking ourselves for not videoing this...). Either Apple is doing something right or RIM is doing something wrong with their respective web browsers, but whatever the case, it’s a pretty poor show for the Bold.
Update 2: Here's a video that a BlackBerry Bold owner has kindly shot that shows the Bold web browser in action over a definite Wi-Fi connection (note the status icon top-right of the screen). Is it faster than in our tests? Yes, but the Bold still takes around 59 seconds to display the Mobile Computer site over a Wi-Fi connection – the iPhone 2G took 31 seconds in our test. We'll concede that this user is (probably) in the US and downloading from a UK server, but does that really account for a 28 second difference..? We doubt it. Here's the video:
Update 3: RIM has asked us to pull the browser video, since it did not show a fair comparison between the BlackBerry Bold and the iPhone. Without a Bold to hand to establish what it's actually doing with its Wi-Fi connection, we think it's wisest to comply. So we'll have to leave you with the above video made by a Bold user and we'll re-run our own tests and post the findings as soon as we can.
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RIM BlackBerry Bold specification
- Operating system
- BlackBerry OS 4.6
- Processor
- 624MHz
- System memory
- 128Mb
- User memory
- 1Gb
- Memory expansion
- microSDHC
- Screen
- 480 x 320 (2.7in) transmissive
- Bands
- UMTS: 2100/1900/850 MHz, GSM: 1900/1800/900/850 MHz, GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA
- Camera
- 2-megapixel with flash
- Connectivity
- 80211a/g, Bluetooth 2.0+A2DP,
- Other
- GPS. 3.5mm headset socket
- Quoted battery life
- Standby GSM: 9 days; Talk-time GSM: 4.3 hours (1500mAh removeable lithium cell)
- Size
- 114 x 66 x 15mm
- Weight
- 136g
Comments
That's an unfair browser comparison test. The Bold doesn't have the WiFi icon on. And we can see it drops from 3G to EDGE.
The iPhone is also on edge, so the test is not really that unfair 8)
[quote=Timmy]The iPhone is also on edge, so the test is not really that unfair 8)[/quote]wrong. you can see the iphone's wifi icon next to the edge icon and signal meter. anyone who has used a wifi equipped blackberry can easily see that the bold was not connected via wifi as the icon was not showing in the browser plus it was greyed out on the homescreen... the wifi radio was turned on, but it was not connected to a network with that radio.plus, you can hear the gsm noise over the mic as the bold downloads over EDGE and not wifi.
sorry, but the iPhone is not a "smartphone". a smartphone is a device with an OS that is able to multitask, i.e. run multiple applications at the same time, relegating applications to run in the background to allow the user to actively switch between them.the iPhone is not able to do this, and therefore is a "featurephone", not a smartphone.
[quote=oakie]sorry, but the iPhone is not a "smartphone". a smartphone is a device with an OS that is able to multitask, i.e. run multiple applications at the same time, relegating applications to run in the background to allow the user to actively switch between them.the iPhone is not able to do this, and therefore is a "featurephone", not a smartphone.[/quote]This is the dumbest comment I've seen.. iPhone can multitask and it is a smartphone by any definition of a smartphone:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone
The BlackBerry Bold's WiFi radio was on but not using WiFi for data. Therefore it was only pulling data via EDGE.Here's a test of the same site with WiFi on and connected.[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YpvquVZw7U[/url]
It sure does look like in THIS test, the WIFI icon was not lit (right-click and hit zoom to see the icon better). However, analogtrail, in my head, I counted the seconds in your video and in the video here (iPhone) and the iPhone was still almost twice as fast. Something like 28 vs 50 seconds.So, yes, this video is bad, but the conclusion does seem to hold.
The iPhone DOES multitask, it just doesn't run third party processes in the background.This is a sensible decision by a responsible vendor.If iPhone couldn't multitask, you wouldn't be able to listen to Music and read email.Think about this before you rush to the defence of the Blackberry and whether it was/wasn't on 3g/WiFi/Edge:The fact that the Blackberry doesn't default to the fastest data network available doesn't speak volumes of RIM's efforts with usability.This is common sense option. If an independent reviewer from a trade magazine can't figure it out then what hope the rest of us?
the small screen sucks...the trackball sucks...the browser sucks...the iphone tops the RiM in all aspects... iphone osX is the best right now...
Verizon has had EVDO blackberries for awhile, the 8830 and Verizon's Blackberry Curve.
It should be pointed out that safari displays it's progress in displaying a page via the address bar at the top. In the video it's repeatedly missed.
[quote=oakie]sorry, but the iPhone is not a "smartphone". a smartphone is a device with an OS that is able to multitask, i.e. run multiple applications at the same time, relegating applications to run in the background to allow the user to actively switch between them.the iPhone is not able to do this, and therefore is a "featurephone", not a smartphone.[/quote]I'm used to reading poorly thought out comments in tech forums, but this one is really one of the worst I've read of late. I'm not really a big fan of the iPhone (or any phone for that matter) but pretending the iPhone is not a smartphone just makes you look irrational. It already meets the criteria you mentioned and pretending the iPhone is not a smartphone doesn't make the blackberry (which is a nice phone) look any better, it just makes you look as if you don't know what you're talking about.
wow what browser comparison test, a bunch of bull poo. bold was not on wifi. STOP DOING REVIEWS IF U DONT KNOW HOW
"the BlackBerry Bold is cheaper than the iPhone 3G over the whole contract (£548.79 over 12 months on Orange?s cheapest tariff, compared to £639 for the iPhone over 18 months)"Yes, cheaper over the whole contract, but the contract is shorter. It works out at £45.73 per month for the Bold versus £35.50 per month for the iPhone. Or, put another way, 18 months on the Bold, to match the iPhone, would cost £746.19 versus £639.
On the issue of whether the test being run in the US on the Bold's browser suffers from being overseas from the server, I tried the test in the US using my iPhone (3G, not 2G) over wifi. 18 seconds to download www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk.
Interesting. Sorry to the iPhone haters here, but iPhone FTW. It's better in so many areas, as revolutionized my life in so many ways. Interestng to read Blackberry centric comments -- good luck with that, guys.
Well, if you want a useful tool, go for the BlackBerry. If you want a useless but definitely nice toy to show off with, buy an iPhone. It's as simple as that.The BlackBerry is a phone for power users whereas the iPhone is more for the casual user. Emailing, instant messaging, word processing on the iPhone? Not impossible, but certainly not a lot of fun. The same with a BlackBerry? No problem at. I spent hours chatting in ICQ on my BlackBerry. And it took me hours to get an iPod Touch (same OS as iPhone) configured properly ...
Thiesi:Funny, the very things you talk about being, "Not impossible, but certainly not a lot of fun," are the very things I quickly configured on my iPhone and have a ball doing. Your opinion is right for you but not for me. Thus your statement is NOT "as simple as that." Quite the opposite actually. Because you are not competent with an iPhone, it is reaching quite a bit to think that the rest of us are also not competent with it.And because the interface if the iPhone is so much better (for me) I am a lot more productive on it than I was on a Blackberry.
I don't think you can legitimately compare hacking on the iPhone with hacking the BlackBerry. The iPhone is hacked because people are passionate about adding functionality to the device, beyond what Apple is willing to permit. With the RIM, no such passion is present, so nobody bothers to even try to hack it.I would bet if RIM could produce something like the iPhone, and generate that kind of passion for the device, RIM's device would also have been hacked.
Or you have never see a smart phone in your entire life or you don't know the meaning of your words.The iphone can receive calls and messages and manage 3g, edge or WiFi connection while you are playing a game. THAT MEANS THAT A BUNCH OF LITTLE APPLICATIONS ARE RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND. Apps for the iPhone are Cocoa based (a kind of C++), that is a REAL computer language, not a JAVA browser oriented programing language. I have a iphone, I am not one of apple's fan maniacs, I just got it because it really works great for me 'cause it has UNIX (that is a real computer OS, not like Symbian, windows mobile or Black Berry OS) and we use a lot as a network diagnostic tool in here.So, next time, you better do some tech reading before posting.
my BB Pearl loaded this page in 10 seconds.. don't see the fuss over 3G
I would be interested to see you actually set up a test environment that isolated both devices. Turn off all radio except for wifi and then navigate to a website. The bold wasn't even connected to wifi... this is the kind of thing that sways ppl to buying the wrong device for them because they "hear" that there is a problem when there clearly isn't.
I have a Blackberry bold I need the software update for the Bold but cant get it.We use macs and although the missing sync takes care of everything else it cant do software. I am not prepared to spend money on a windows os just for that, I could use a friends pc but then, he will have a copy of all my data. so while Apple attracts every one with a free windows i tune software and seamless i phone management what do RIM do nothing. Thanks ?
The Bold and the iPhone are 2 different phones, for 2 different user groups. I don't get why all these tests are putting them up against each other. On the e-mail front the BB is in a whole different league than the iPhone. Business men on the go that have to answer e-mails every 10 minutes is the kind of group that BB have and are going after. The Bold is just a nicer BB that might also attract the regular joe crowd better than previous models.The iPhone is for "regular Joes", that like music, like the cool touch screen feature, and all that regular joe type tech stuff.Thanks.
...as I found out, for the 30 minutes I was dumb enough to think the bold was better than the iPhone. I bought into the "blackberry is king of email" bit, buri soon found out that blackberries don't even offer basic email functionality unless you are on BES. Using BIS, you can't even access any email folders other than your inbox which makes it practicaly useless to me. So what can blackberry claim now that you don't even get basic email functions out of the box? Not looking so good RIM.
I just can't believe that it costs over a hundred bucks just to use the iphone plan. I mean i want one for me and my kids but 300 plus a month is rediculous. i don't know what it would be with the blackberry but jesus, its bad enough to have to pay 40 a month just for the stupid data plan for our regular cell phones. any suggestions cause i wouls like to get either blackberry or iphone for our family.
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