Editorial: What About Us?

November 30, 2009 | By | 9 Comments

blackberry-bold-9700

I’ve got a question.  How many of you have had the opportunity to try out the new BlackBerry Bold 9700, regardless of the carrier?  Pretty cool device, don’t you think?  I mean with WiFi, HSPA, new optical trackpad, even the battery life has improved quite a bit.  So all in all, seems like the perfect BlackBerry, right?

Well, not exactly.

While I do feel that the Bold is probably one of the best BlackBerry devices ever due to all that’s mentioned above, it is my opinion (and I’m sure I’m not alone) that the Bold, along with other newer devices, is way too small.  It seems to me that RIM isn’t considering the fact that not everyone has tiny hands.  I’ve got pretty large hands, and have a hard time using it.  That’s why I haven’t purchased one, and will not.   I have service with Telus here in Canada, and now that we have the new HSPA network, it seems to me that my only viable option is to get a Bold 9000 and unlock it if I want the HSPA speeds on my BlackBerry.  Smartphones are small to begin with, and this doesn’t help.  I find it very hard to type on and make frequent spelling mistakes when I tried writing a long message on it.  If RIM would have made it just a bit bigger, then I think it would be perfect.

Now this is not to say there shouldn’t be smaller form factor BlackBerrys, because I know a lot of people who find some other ones too big and don’t want a Pearl due to the SureType keyboard.  So that’s all fine.  Then there are those who want the smallest phones possible, so the SureType works for that crowd.  So what about us?  I think RIM should come up with 3 major lines of device…

  1. SureType style – Keep the Pearl line the way it is so those who want a small device with BlackBerry features can have the best of both worlds.
  2. Curve/Tour/Javelin/Bold 9700 style – Those who want the full QWERTY keyboard without the bulky device
  3. Bold 9000 style – Make some bigger phones with a bigger keyboard so I don’t feel like Shaq trying to use an iPod Nano.

I know for a fact that the bigger style will sell.  I live in Alberta, where the Oil & Gas industry is king.  There are LOTS of guys who work on the rigs who are pretty big guys with big hands and don’t want to use such small little phones.  They want a bigger phone that they can use with ease.  I used to work for a Telus dealer out here and have had that complaint from so many people.  I feel the same way.

I  honestly think there’s plenty of market share out there for RIM to make bigger phones so they truly do have something for everyone.  I’m not saying we need to bring back the 72xx series, but at least make the length/width bigger so it’s easier for those of us with catchers mitts for hands to use.  I also have noticed that in most of the positive reviews of this device, a lot of them have mentioned that they would like this device to be a bit larger.  I concur.

I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.  Please comment below and let us know your take on the situation.

So RIM, if you’re reading, I have a question for you…  What about us?

Filed in: BlackBerry, Editorial | Tags: , , , , , ,

  • DavidB

    I agree with you. I came to the 9630 from the 8830 and while only SLIGHTLY smaller it IS noticeable when typing. Before that I had a 7250.

    Oh yeah, don’t forget 4th “major line”: full touch

  • Steve M

    Well, I have had at least three different devices from RIM First was 9700R Probably one of the best for it’s time. Second 8800 world edition, and now blackberry Bold.
    I have not seen anything innovative coming out of Waterloo for some time, and it’s becoming very disappointing to continue to see new product announcements and it’s the same old same old with some cosmetic changes. I have now moved away from rim over to Apple, not because I like apple any more, but their engineers seem to be on the ball and the companies direction is there for the iphone 3GS they have active sync built in already, and many many more features, RIM is still popular but mark my words they will lose market share over the next two years… over to apple.

  • http://sprint thom

    I agree about bigger phones. I have the Otterbox case for my tour, and it feels just right.

  • jim abbassian

    I just bought a Bold 9700 and I’m verry happy but the missing model fron RIM is a slider. This gives you a big screen and big keyboard.

  • JD

    I don’t get the whining (and it is whining) about the 9700 size.

    Just buy a Bold 9000. Put 5.0 on it. Congrats!!

    I went from a 9000 to a 9700 and thought I’d miss the 9000. I don’t, not a single bit. If pushed, the #1 thing I miss is the 9000′s phenomenal stereo speakers – the best and clearest and deepest sound I’ve heard on any phone. Every time I touch the 9000 now it feels like an ancient slate.

    But in all seriousness, I’m sure you’ll get a manly man big hands BOLD to compete with the testosterone DRIOD. I’m not joking, I think RIM will indeed not want to give up the title of unabashedly masculine phone, in addition to providing a smaller phone.

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