BlackBerry. Remember them? Back in the early 2000s and pretty much until the end of the first decade of the new millennium, BlackBerry were the numero uno brand in mobile phones. Sure, Nokia sold the most phones, but owning a BlackBerry was a thing of prestige, of status. Not to mention that offices would load them out to managers to ensure that they were always in touch with their email(thought that increased their workload).
… but cut to 2014 and BlackBerry is struggling. The touchscreen smartphone revolution started by Apple has resulted in an entirely new market, that of touch screen smartphones. This market is dominated by Android, iOS and Windows Phone. So where does that leave BlackBerry? Well, Blackberry refused to use android and decided to follow their own path. They still have a presence in the corporate market, but even that is decreasing as companies adopt a Bring-Your-Own-Device approach. But, But, there are still a small segment of customers who want a physical keypad phone.
And that’s where the BlackBerry 9720 comes in. The fact is, as good as Android and iOS are, there are very few, correction, no physical keypad phones available under them. In fact, the last Android Keypad phone seems to have been the Motorola Fire which came out in late 2011-early 2012.
So, as my mother wanted a QWERTY keypad phone, there was only one option. Which brings me to the BlackBerry 9720.
Key Features and Specs
The BB 9720 is a traditional BB.
Runs on BB OS 7.1
2.8”touchscreen+ QWERTY Keypad
800mhz processor+ 512 MB RAM
5MP fixed focus camera+ 480p video recording
1450 mAh battery
Cost Rs. 15, 999
The BB 9720 is not the BlackBerry which runs on their new OS10 software. That was too expensive(Rs. 20, 000 and above). The 9720 runs on the ‘old’ BB software, specifically OS 7.1. Still, it was a smartphone, and should be able to do most things, right? I’m afraid not.
Normally, I would go down the features of the phone and note where it excels and where it falls short. Unfortunately, the 9720 is a phone that is too old, too outdated and too frustrating to use. So I have instead decided to list its(Short) list of pros and long list of cons below.
Pros
1. Excellent Keyboard – A BlackBerry cannot be called a BlackBerry without an excellent physical keyboard. Here the 9720, like all BlackBerry’s, excels. The keys have a very nice feel, a tactile response, and with a bit of practice, you can type on them with your eyes closed, something you cannot do on a touchscreen phone. So full points here.
2. Excellent Handling of Messages, Social Media, Contacts – A BB is a communication device, designed to handle your emails, messages, calls and other communications well. The BB 9720 seamlessly integrates your Social Media(twitter, FB, Linkedin), SMSes and mails, making it very easy for you to keep track of what you are sending and receiving. The fact that it has a plain looking interface makes it business like and to the point.
3. Good Telephony – As a phone, the 9720 cannot be faulted. Signal reception is excellent in most places, and call quality and volume is very good, making it easy for you to make calls even in crowded, noisy areas. It is reminiscent of the good old Nokias.
Cons(there are a lot)
1. BB OS 7 limited in functionality – The software which the 9720 uses is the old BB software, and it looks like it came from the last decade. In fact, it is similar in many aspects to Nokia’s now defunct Symbian OS. Even with a touchscreen the OS is mostly menu based, with options hidden in deeper and deeper menus which are not intuitive. It is difficult to navigate and is slow to respond in many cases. Case in point being it takes almost a minute and a half to boot up.
2. Lack of apps – If you thought Windows Phone had a bad app store, wait till you see BB OS7. The number of apps available is abysmal, and the versions available have limited functionality. Even essential apps like LinkedIn, Facebook and the web browser are crippled due to lack of features and slow loading times. And forget about gaming on the small 2.8”touchscreen.
3. Screen is poor – The screen, at 2.8” feels small in today’s landscape, but that is forgivable due to the presence of a QWWERTY keypad. What is not forgivable is the poor resolution and the fact that the screen washes out in sunlight. Also, the touch sensitivity is poor, and the response is easily bested by even 6k android phones.
4. GPS is pathetic – The GPS on the 9720 finds it difficult to lock signal unless you are in a wide open area. Also, the BB mapping app is very basic and will only help you navigate from point to point. Google Maps is not available for the 9720.
5. Depends upon BB Internet Service – The new BB OS10 based phones(Z10, Q5, Z3 etc), use the new BB OS 10, which does not depend upon BB Internet Service. Unfortunately, the BB OS 7 needs BlackBerry Internet Service to work. I did not think this would be a big problem, but it is. Unlike normal cellular networks, you do not get BB Internet Service everywhere, especially on roaming. And for a phone that is meant to connect you wherever you go, that is unacceptable.
6. Poor Fixed Focus Camera – The 9720’s camera is 5 Mega Pixels, but the problem is that it has no autofocus. That means you cannot shoot close up shots or scan documents with your phone. Also, the camera is just about acceptable in bright sunlight, but in anything darker like indoors, it struggles. The picture quality is bad, grainy and without fine detail. The video recording also tops out at a measly 480p when even a Lumia 520 gives you 720p.
7. Low Memory, slowdowns and crashes due to 512MB RAM – The processor and RAM on the 9720 are too low to cope with the software. There are frequent crashes and many apps take time to load. It is a very frustrating user experience.
Now, you may be asking, if you knew this phone was bad, why did you buy it? Two reasons:
a. The phone was purchased when it was new, and there are hardly any reviews for it on the internet even today
b. Even if I wanted, there is very little choice. Android, iOS and Windows Phone do not do QWERTY. So we are stuck with BB or old Nokia Phones like the E5.
Verdict:
The BB 9720 might have been acceptable five years ago, but it is completely unacceptable today. The problem it, it seems like physical QWERTY keypad phones are a dying breed and no one wants to buy them anymore. Luckily, the BlackBerry Q5 has fallen in price to around Rs. 14, 000 and is a much better proposition than the 9720 because:
It has the newer BB OS10, which supports android apps
You can use any SIM and internet connection with it, you do not need BlackBerry Internet Service
It has a bigger touchscreen
It still has an excellent QWERTY keypad