[Trollheart]

Hi all.
I'm eligible for an upgrade with my provider and so am finally going to be getting rid of my HTC Wildfire (good riddance!), and I want to make sure the next phone I get is one I can live with for a while, as I'm unlikely to have another opportunity to upgrade for probably a year I guess.

The things that bugged me about the HTC: bloody touchscreen! I swear I'll never use a t/s phone again! Just TIP off it and it would dial, try to go on the internet, or something else. Bloody annoying! Also, it had this annoying habit of cheerfully going online about ten times a day and downloading updates for itself, which were then billed to my account, all without my knowledge or intervention!

I stopped that, but only by having the phone internet-disabled, which meant I couldn't even send/receive picture messages.

Now I'm looking at the above, the Blackberry Curve 9360, and wondered if someone could answer a few quick questions?

1. It has the QWERTY keyboard I have been wanting for some time, but LOOKS like it may also have a touchscreen, or semi-touchscreen. Is that the case?

2. As it IS a smartphone, does anyone know if it does the same automatic downloading of updates as the HTC?

3. I'm told you have to pay Blackberry a monthly fee when you use their phones, for their services. Does this only apply to internet stuff, or to texting too? And if the former, does that include pic messaging? In other words, if all I use the phone for is sending/receiving texts and calls and sending/receiving picture messages, will I be liable for this monthly fee?

4. Is the camera any use?

And finally, I guess, would anyone actually recommend this phone? My other choices are
Nokia ASHA 302
Samsung Galaxy Y Pro
Samsung Chat 335
Blackberry Curve 9320

(I mean, I have more choices, but these are the only ones with the QWERTY keyboard, which I want)

Any help/advice/warnings appreciated.

Thx
TH

[Gage]

The 9360 is an excellent phone. Its ultra thin has NFC, 5 Megapixel camera and runs on the new OS 7. Some people have complained about the battery life which in fairness isn't a smartphones best points at the moment.

Make sure you update your phone to 7.1 (If it hasn't already been done) this improves battery life and has a wireless hotspot feature which might be of interest to yourself.

[Trollheart]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Unfortunately, doesn't answer any of my questions. Still trying to make a decision here: questions 2 and 3 will be critical in making my final choice...

[James_Moore1]

1) No, it's got an 'optical trackpad' (that small black square in the middle) which is used for navigation. You push that button to select stuff, or just hit the blackberry logo button to bring up the options.

2) No, as long as you don't download any apps that need/want to be connected to the internet all the time. Usually it defaults to download any content (IF any, mind you) through Wifi only.

3) You pay for BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Services) which gives you access to the web browser and BlackBerry Messenger* (There are more things, but these should be the two most note worthy features). Texts are not affected and neither are calls. You can use it as a phone happily without paying the extra £5 (or however much your network charges)
Picture messaging still relies on your network, I wouldn't have though you'd need BES to send pictures.

4) The camera is adequate for a phone. It produces good enough images. If you're the type who likes better pictures, bring along your point-and-shoot camera or DSLR.


* BlackBerry Messenger is one of those 'free' texting apps which allows you to 'text' other BlackBerry users using your data connection (Or over Wifi if you like). I personally don't see the point of it if you get unlimited texts.

You can get around the web browser problem by downloading Opera mobile for BlackBerry and setting it up to use standard connections that don't go through BlackBerry servers.

[Bagsbunny]

I sell Blackberries, and HATE them. In my experience, a very high fault rate. As long as they work though, they work well.

[Trollheart]

Excellent! Thank you very much, that was exactly what I was looking for and you answered all my questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by James_Moore1

1) No, it's got an 'optical trackpad' (that small black square in the middle) which is used for navigation. You push that button to select stuff, or just hit the blackberry logo button to bring up the options.

That's brilliant! So, like the old Creative Zens or ipods then? That makes sense. No more trying to run my finger along a phone number to get to the one I want, and accidentally phoning for a pizza, or someone I want to avoid!

Quote:

2) No, as long as you don't download any apps that need/want to be connected to the internet all the time. Usually it defaults to download any content (IF any, mind you) through Wifi only.

I've never downloaded an app, probably never will. Don't see the point in them. I have never seen my phone as a mini-computer: I have a big computer so why would I need a smaller, more restricted version? I'm almost always at home so dont need mobile internet or anything. That's a huge burden off my decision-making mind. Thanks!

Quote:

3) You pay for BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Services) which gives you access to the web browser and BlackBerry Messenger* (There are more things, but these should be the two most note worthy features). Texts are not affected and neither are calls. You can use it as a phone happily without paying the extra £5 (or however much your network charges)
Picture messaging still relies on your network, I wouldn't have though you'd need BES to send pictures.

So unless I want to text another BB user (of whom I know precisely none) or use the web I shouldn't need to pay the extra? Great, though if I had to it wasn't going to be a deal breaker. Still, eight euro a month is eight euro a month...

Quote:

4) The camera is adequate for a phone. It produces good enough images. If you're the type who likes better pictures, bring along your point-and-shoot camera or DSLR.

Yeah, the camera on the HTC is 5 megs too and it's adequate. I'm however not about to go skydiving and shooting lingerie models in the sky, as per their ad!

Quote:

* BlackBerry Messenger is one of those 'free' texting apps which allows you to 'text' other BlackBerry users using your data connection (Or over Wifi if you like). I personally don't see the point of it if you get unlimited texts.

Don't see the point either. Seems more an elitist thing: Oh, you've got a Blackberry? So have I! and so on.

Quote:

You can get around the web browser problem by downloading Opera mobile for BlackBerry and setting it up to use standard connections that don't go through BlackBerry servers.

Thanks but as I said I have never used mobile internet, and can't envisage any situation where I would need to.

Thanks again, great answer and really appreciate it. Think I'll probably go for one now, after that.

TH

[c4rv]

My mrs found the wildfire too sensitive to begin with, fixed the problem by fitting a screen protector

[Trollheart]

Yeah, sensitive as a, um, really sensitive thing!

My main problem with it though was that bloody update download thing. Very annoying. Also the way the contacts are organised, or I should say, NOT organised. Whoever heard of all your recent calls/contacts coming first, THEN the rest in alphabetical order?? And as for MAKING a call? Press A and you get A, press A again and you don't get B but AA, and god help you if you want to FIND someone in your contacts!

Awful, awful phone. Just terrible. And Quickoffice? Wouldn't read a single document I loaded, even Word. And no other way to take notes, unlike my previous phone, the SE Satio. Alarms? Want to shut one off? Be quick or it will just take a touch to send it into "snooze" mode and you'll have to wait another ten minutes for another try.

I'll never use a HTC phone again.

[Gage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bagsbunny

I sell Blackberries, and HATE them. In my experience, a very high fault rate. As long as they work though, they work well.

Most of the faults can be resolve with a software re-flash. I do about 6 a day, only the odd occasion they need a new keyboard, trackpad or screen.

[TV King]

Post deleted sorry.

[Trollheart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gage

Most of the faults can be resolve with a software re-flash. I do about 6 a day, only the odd occasion they need a new keyboard, trackpad or screen.

Six flash updates a day? You think that's a solution? That's something that would worry me. Are these major problems, or things linked to the likes of apps (which I won't be using) --- either way, I've more or less decided to go for a Blackberry at this point.

[benbenalen]

I have this phone in my hands right now!

It dosnt auto update! not that I know of!
No touch screen!
No fees what so ever! not that I no of anyway

Camera is good, but it does freeze quite abit for no reason!

I only got this phone on April and have to wait 2 years to get rid of it!

I personally hate it! I want the iphone!

BBM is free
Internet is fast!
Bluetooth is fast
Wifi is fast
Apps are crap but are ok!
Games are the same as apps!

[Trollheart]

Update: went with the Curve 9360, happy so far (have it since Friday so early days) but trying to d/l the software from BB's site, I click on the link and get a blank filename and type, and the prog shows in Download Accelerator Plus as "exe" (the name, not the filetype). When I, against my better judgement, go ahead with the d/l the file is "broken".

So, question: do I need the software for the likes of just putting pictures/videos/music on the phone, and if so, is anyone aware of a problem with the s/w, or how to d/l it? PC version, Win 7.

Thanks. This is the link in case anyone wants to try it.
http://uk.blackberry.com/services/desktop/