[Dubdub]

Anyone have this device ? Would please provide a short review with your initial thoughts?

[JSanders]

A friend of mine picked one up yesterday, but only after asking for it (because I told him they were now selling the 9810) and they initially refused saying they only had the 8520 to sell. ;-(

Anyway, the ATT person decided to "look in the back" and found the 9810.

I'll see how he like the device after a couple of days.

[dulcamara]

It looks like I'm not the only one waiting to see how good this device is before getting one and/or waiting for the 9900 and/or waiting for QNX. When the 9000 came out there were 100s of posts here about it within a couple days.

[nike9090]

Ordered one and should be delivered tomorrow.

Buying one was no brainier as my contract was up for renewal. BB 9810 is $50 and the 9800 sold on Sell and Recycle Used Electronics - Gazelle for $165.

[dulcamara]

Let us know how you like it. I've been out of contract for over a year.

[scottae316]

My local corporate AT&T had them on Sunday, several working demos and a very nice display that was Blackberry designed and specific.

As for how I like it, one word yes. I have the 9800 and was able to upgrade to the 9810. It is what the 9800 should have been, the build quality is better and the keyboard feels better. The screen is very nice and the device is snappy. No to very little lag. It responds very well to trackpad and touch screen. At $49.00 it is an awesome phone, I thought it would be higher priced.

[blackbelt]

for a forum dedicated to solely blackberries, the Torch 2 9810 has a very quiet noise level people seem to only really care for the well build bold 9900...

Though i'm NOT crazy on the feel and construction of the blackberry 9810, i got it because 1. it's a leap from my 2 year 9700 2. but not least, the ATT rep over the phone sold it to me for $29 and waived all activation or reg fees... though i've ONLY been on att 10 months!!!

i'm still wondering what the catch is... And why a blackberry starts at a ridiculously low price.... though 9900 starts at normal pricing...

[palomartian]

Well... perhaps because the 9900 is a Blackberry with a big honkin' keyboard, which people want, and the 9800/10 is some kinda of iPhone wanabe mutant hybrid that they need to give away to generate interest? Just a thought.

[DallasFlier]

Originally Posted by scottae316

My local corporate AT&T had them on Sunday, several working demos and a very nice display that was Blackberry designed and specific.

As for how I like it, one word yes. I have the 9800 and was able to upgrade to the 9810. It is what the 9800 should have been, the build quality is better and the keyboard feels better. The screen is very nice and the device is snappy. No to very little lag. It responds very well to trackpad and touch screen. At $49.00 it is an awesome phone, I thought it would be higher priced.

Two questions, please - one which you can hopefully answer now, and another I'm interested when you've had enough experience and time to answer.

1. Is it exactly the same physical size/shape/form factor as the 9800? I ask this because I want to know if my cradle & car windshield mount for the 9800 will work.

2. What's the batter life compared to the 9800?

[DallasFlier]

Originally Posted by palomartian

Well... perhaps because the 9900 is a Blackberry with a big honkin' keyboard, which people want, and the 9800/10 is some kinda of iPhone wanabe mutant hybrid that they need to give away to generate interest? Just a thought.

Sorry, but that's just a flatout stupid statement. The 9900 width is 2.60 inches, while the 9810 is 2.44 inches. So, with 10 keys across each row, that means that each key on the 9900 would be .016 inch larger. Now, I realize that there appears to be a bit more "border" on the 9810, so maybe each key is more like .02 inches larger in reality. Oh yeah, 2 hundredth's of an inch larger, that obviously makes it a "big honkin' keyboard!" Of course, the screen on the 9810 is about DOUBLE the size of the 9900. And as for "some kinda of iPhone wanabe mutant hybrid," last time I looked, the iPhone didn't have any slider, or any physical keyboard whatsoever. I guess they're both smartphones, maybe that's what you meant.

[nike9090]

Originally Posted by DallasFlier

1. Is it exactly the same physical size/shape/form factor as the 9800? I ask this because I want to know if my cradle & car windshield mount for the 9800 will work.

Yes, it's the same physical size and the location of all ports appear to be at the same. Doesn't feel any different other than the finish/color.

[nike9090]

Received the 9810 device this morning. I am going to compare this to a 9800 device. Just an FYI, I had the 9800 since day one in August 2010. Here are my observations.

1. Overall packaging is very similar to 9800 device.
2. The trim is matte finish compared to glossy on 9800. Looks and feels better to hold this phone.
3. Build quality seems to be lower. The battery door is way thinner and appears fragile, but feels solid when closed.
4. Boot time is way faster at 80 seconds from cold start.
5. Wireless symbol changed from 3G to H+. Browser is certainly faster. DSL Reports speed test indicates 3G speed x 2.5 = H+ speed.
6. Call and End call buttons (Green & Red) are now white. Looks sleek, but maybe difficult for kids to use in an emergency.
7. Many apps are not available on OS7 devices. Appworld listed 61 applications which were on my 9800 device or playbook, but not compatible on 9810.
8. Latest version of Sametime IM posted on RIM's site is not compatible.
9. 720p video recording appears to skip frames or not smooth. Have to test more to confirm.
10. AT&T didn't honor the mail-in rebate, so the phone cost $149.99. It's still worth the upgrade considering the old phone sold for more. Now, this is a business phone and it maybe a different story if I was paying for the phone.

[palomartian]

Originally Posted by DallasFlier

Sorry, but that's just a flatout stupid statement. The 9900 width is 2.60 inches, while the 9810 is 2.44 inches. So, with 10 keys across each row, that means that each key on the 9900 would be .016 inch larger. Now, I realize that there appears to be a bit more "border" on the 9810, so maybe each key is more like .02 inches larger in reality. Oh yeah, 2 hundredth's of an inch larger, that obviously makes it a "big honkin' keyboard!" Of course, the screen on the 9810 is about DOUBLE the size of the 9900. And as for "some kinda of iPhone wanabe mutant hybrid," last time I looked, the iPhone didn't have any slider, or any physical keyboard whatsoever. I guess they're both smartphones, maybe that's what you meant.

So your contention is the keyboard on the 9800/10 is strictly comparable to the 9900? wow. I'm certain your math is just fine. I'm also certain it's irrelevant. I stand by my statement. People are paying $300 premiums over the no contract price to get a 9900. The 9810 will gather dust in the stockrooms next to the 9800. It's the keyboard. Or maybe its the metal trim. Golly, what a conundrum. Not.

[dulcamara]

Why didn't ATT honor the rebate?

[DallasFlier]

Originally Posted by palomartian

So your contention is the keyboard on the 9800/10 is strictly comparable to the 9900? wow. I'm certain your math is just fine. I'm also certain it's irrelevant. I stand by my statement. People are paying $300 premiums over the no contract price to get a 9900. The 9810 will gather dust in the stockrooms next to the 9800. It's the keyboard. Or maybe its the metal trim. Golly, what a conundrum. Not.

For every (silly, to be charitable) person paying $300 over the no contract price for a 9900 (prior to release date), there's an equally silly person paying the same premium for a 9810 - also prior to release date. They've been on eBay for crazy high prices since before release, and they were selling - there were threads about that.

And you stand by your statement that the 9810 is some kind of iPhone clone? About the only thing they have in common is that they're both smartphones.

EDIT: My no-contract upgrade price for the 9810 from AT&T is $449. The eBay seller who was selling 9810's for $899 is apparently doing well enough that he's RAISED the price to $999 now - that's a full $550 above the no-contract price. The 9900, on the other hand, is on eBay for "only" $750.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

NEW BlackBerry Bold 9900 8GB Memory Black Unlocked | eBay

[ognat42]

Originally Posted by dulcamara

Why didn't ATT honor the rebate?

I just picked mine up last Sunday and I'm loving it (no relationship to McDonald).

The AT&T rep quoted me the price of $49 without any mention of the rebate. I hate these rebates forms anyway. You end up paying taxes on the original amount!

Anyway, I had the original 9800 and after about two months of use I sold it. Couldn't deal with the lag. 9810 is a huge improvement. Still don't fully understand what OS7 brings to the phone but that's just me. Very responsive, and like others mentioned, the browser is a lot better. There is room for improvements but I'm a happy camper.

As for battery life, my wife's 9800 seems to last all day with room to spare. I still can't till on 9810. I have a leaked OS so not sure how much that might be effecting the battery life. But I do have to recharge in the middle of the day.

Overall, I love the phone.

[palomartian]

Usage has an effect on battery life. I can drain mine in 4 hours or have it last 3 days.

[Dubdub]

Got mine this afternoon. So far, I like it. Seems to be a major upgrade over the 9800. One problem so far is that it seems to be really difficult to get the back cover off. Had to do a couple battery pulls and it was a bear to get to the battery.

[nike9090]

Originally Posted by Dubdub

One problem so far is that it seems to be really difficult to get the back cover off. Had to do a couple battery pulls and it was a bear to get to the battery.

I would second that one, but this is better than the White 9800 device, which is impossible.

9810 --> I found that it's easier to remove the door with moist fingers. Just wet your thumbs.

9800 White --> Sadly the same trick doesn't work for White 9800 and found that sticking a tape on the battery door is an option.

[Dubdub]

Thanks for the tips.