BlackBerry 9720

BLACKBERRY 9720 REVIEW

The BlackBerry 9720 is the latest BlackBerry OS device to be launched by BlackBerry. Many have questioned the need for another BlackBerry OS device as opposed to BlackBerry 10, however I think that there is still a place for this little guy, especially in the corporate section. It is already available in the U.K. and should be popping up in other regions soon.Going back to a BlackBerry OS device was certainly no easy task for me as I hadn't used one since I got my Z10 on the January 30th launch day. However, I felt in order to give this device a chance I had to jump in and use it full-time to really get to know it. It was a bit of a learning curve and I was swiping here and there for a while but soon the old habits came back and I was able to get back into the stride of using BlackBerry OS - though I do find myself still swiping every now and then. The 9720 comes with an IPS touchscreen display at 2.8 inches. Where previous BlackBerry OS touchscreen devices have sported a TFT touchscreen display, the 9720 has an IPS (in-plane switching) display. This type of screen offers a wider viewing angle and quicker response times. Definitely an added plus, although I'm not entirely sure a wider viewing angle is welcome.I didn't run into any issues with using the touchscreen but with the trackpad I found myself using that more than the touchscreen for selecting things. If I did use the touchscreen, it just made me want to swipe and gesture but existing BlackBerry OS users will have no trouble here.Overall the screen is bold and bright and pretty much what you'd expect on a device like this. The 9720 comes with a 5MP camera, sadly there is no auto-focus to be found here but it does have an LED flash. It isn't the best but you can get some decent low light shots with it. It definitely won't be your main camera but for quick snaps to share on social networks it will suffice. Auto-focus would have been nice but seeing as it looks like it's part of the Curve line, it fits the bill. Beefing this up a bit would have been a plus but the combination of a 5MP camera with no autofocus really kills the ability to get any good quality photos from the 9720. Being a low end BlackBerry, it feels pretty cheap, albeit nice and light in the hand, with a plastic body and an unusually patterned, rubberised back plate that offers good grip at the expense of pleasing aesthetics. In essence, form is most definitely following function with this latest offering from BlackBerry. With an 800MHz single-core processor and 512MB of RAM, we weren’t expecting anything close to the slick BlackBerry 10 experience we’ve seen thus far in 2013, but the 9720 takes an awkward step backwards. To the software front then, which is frankly the 9720’s talking point. Though on paper it runs on a dated BB7.1 OS, it has been modified with aspects carried over from BB10. For example the device can be unlocked by swiping up on the screen, and the unlock screen also features a shortcut key to the camera. A unique feature included on the device is the ‘Multicast’, which is essentially an app that lets you broadcast a message over Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn from a single window. The FM Radio too gets a sharing option, letting you share what you are listening to over BBM. The messenger app also features BBM voice, which essentially lets you make voice calls over 3G or Wi-Fi. The battery is a 1450mAh JS1 and I found it did last me a day. It took a while to break in as do most batteries in general but once it was in full stride, I could go from morning to night in one charge - though on very heavy usage days, I would have to plug it in earlier but it would get me through most of the day. The BlackBerry 9720 has a great form factor and a great price tag. It’s light but durable, and is priced just right for the young smartphone user. It has a nice QWERTY keypad, and a touchscreen that is responsive. So far, it looks like a skimped out Q5. But it isn’t. It doesn’t have the latest OS and has the older app ecosystem. The specs are far from being on par with the competitors on other platforms. And it doesn’t have anything that we haven’t seen on a BlackBerry so far. It might appeal to those who still like the BIS experience and like the feel of OS 7.

SPECIFICATION & FEATURES

BLACKBERRY 9720 PRICE

Price in USA $297

Price in UK £180

Price in EURO €220

Price in PAK Rs.33,000

Price in INDIA Rs.15,990