• High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's 3G network: In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web or downloading content from the T-Mobile Web2go content portal. T-Mobile's 3G network now covers 170 million people in more than 235 cities nationwide and by the end of 2009 is planned to be available to approximately 200 million people across the U.S.

  In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

  While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.

  Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:

  • Email, instant messaging, and texting
  • Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
  • Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

  Activities that work best on a 3G network:

  • Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
  • Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
  • Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
  • Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

• T-Mobile HotSpot Enabled service: Effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk with T-Mobile's Unlimited HotSpot Calling service or the new Wi-Fi Calling with MobileOffice solution for business customers. Unlimited nationwide Wi-Fi Calling requires either Unlimited HotSpot Calling mobile plan or Wi-Fi Calling with MobileOffice service, qualifying rate plan, broadband Internet connection and wireless router. Regular plan minutes are used when call does not originate on Wi-Fi network.

Learn More

• Interactive maps allow you to pan left, right, up and down and to zoom in and out
• Local search lets you find locations based on keywords. Enter a search term like "pizza" to find pizza places near you
• Send maps via email
• Bookmark your favorite locations for future reference
• Fully optimized for BlackBerry smartphones for fast loading times and efficient data usage
• BlackBerry Maps works with your current wireless network, so no carrier switching is required.

• Video format support: DivX 4, DivX 5/6 partially supported, XviD partially supported, H.263, H.264, WMV3, MPEG4, Sorenson Spark & On2 VP6(Flash support)
• Audio format support: .3gp, MP3, WMA9 (.wma/.asf), WMA9 Pro / WMA 10, MIDI, AMR-NB, Professional AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
• Email support: BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service (POP3/IMAP4)
• IM client: Yahoo, MSN Live, AIM, Google Talk, ICQ
• USB connectivity: USB port allows charging and data synchronization of the device with a USB "A" to micro-USB "B" cable
• Bluetooth support: Mono/Stereo Headset, Hands-free, Serial Port Profile, Bluetooth Stereo Audio (A2DP/AVCRP) and Bluetooth SIM Access Profile (version 2.1)

Product Details

Customer Reviews

Review by Hansleiden, 2010-08-31

The Bold 9700 was a great choice. The quality of the phone surpasses the competition and you can depend on it working well with very few problems. Though I wanted to to get a phone with a super sized screen I resisted the allure because I depend on my phone to conduct business and T-Mobile's fast data capabilities on 3G are better than the other providers 3G networks and paired with Bold 9700's ability to "tether to a computer" and still send and receive calls at the same time I could not find a better choice. Even if I had bought a phone with a supper sized screen, there are many times when using a computer with an internet connection is essential. I have a mobile office and with the Bold 9700 and T-Mobile's free unlimited tethering (the other phone service companies charge extra $$$ for this feature) I am able to access the internet on my computer from any location without Wi-Fi access. At the time I purchased the Bold 9700 it was the only phone I could find that you could both make and receive phone calls while using the internet on a computer, the other phones could not do both at the same time and when I spoke with customer service and technical representatives for the other phones they told me no phone could do this and they would not believe me when I told them the Bold 9700 was able to. Someday I will probably purchase a second phone with a super sized screen and switch the SIMM card back and forth with the Bold when I want to use it, but while I have only one phone I am not willing to give up the advantages of having the Bold 9700. One other thing I would like to mention is T-Mobile's willingness to give you a discount on monthly plan charges if you do not get a contract with them, I see no advantage in signing a two year contract to get a phone for "free" and then pay higher monthly charges. I can stay with T-Mobile for only as long as I want and am free to go to another company at anytime without worrying about when my contract is up. T-Mobile does offer contracts for those who want them but they do not force it down your throat like the other companies do.

Review by LV George, 2010-04-29

I got my Blackberry Bold 9700 in December 2009 based on the advice of a close friend. The phone had problems from the gitgo and was finally replaced in March, 2010. T-Mobile's customer service was poor to okay. If you asked the same question to 3 different customer service rep's, you got 3 different answers. I called on New Years day for technical support and was told that tech support was closed for the holiday, but I could speak to someone in sales if I wanted to purchase anything. I asked for a supervisor who finally got me to tech support - yes, they were there. My most recent issue involved a credit that they agreed to give me. It didn't show up on my statement and I had to call 4 times to get it straightened out. I've been using the phone for basic calls and texting; receiving emails and limited camera use. I'm afraid to try any of it's more sophisticated functions. The positive is there is no contract and the monthly rate is reasonable. I guess you really do get what you pay for. I think it's time for an Iphone.

Review by R. Marshall, 2010-03-29

got this phone as an upgrade primarily for its UMA-calling capability through my homes wifi router because the t-mobile service in my neighborhood is very limited.

First off, the bold is sleek and comfortable to hold. Its weight and look are genuinely appealing.
....Its nothing special though, offers basic functionality but with a new "track pad" which is a pretty neat feature, but nothing groundbreaking compared to the new smart-phones with touchscreens.

I found that the qwerty keyboard is difficult to use because the buttons ARE too small for my fingers. Maybe if I was a hobbit with small hands the button-size would be ideal, but no I'm human...

My biggest problem with this phone is that it had connectivity problems from the first moment it connected to my wifi router; always disconnecting though the signal was strong, even under "WIFI ONLY" mode. This was a horrible situation for me. People would call me and not get through to me, going straight to my voicemail.... I tried everything. I have another UMA capable phone that works flawlessly and holds a connection no problem.

To make a long story short, I sent this phone back on day 12 of my trial upgrade period and feel that I made a very good decision with not keeping it.

Review by Dutch Oven Guy, 2010-02-28

The 9700 Bold is a wonderful e-mail machine, especially if you have multiple accounts to manage. The web browser stinks. I use an iPhone for anything more than casual checks on news sites. When carefully managed, battery life is great. RIM has finally recognized that us Mac users carrys BBs. The new Mac desktop application works well. Check it out here. [...]

The Bold's camera was a surprise to me. It is excellent. Within a few feet the flash is OK, the color is fine and the focus is much better than any other smartphone I have seen.

While not its forte, the Bold does well connecting to the social media like Twitter and Facebook.

In short, if you are an e-mail person, the Bold is your best choice, If you are a web browser, get an iPhone.

Review by Ben, 2010-02-11

This phone is simply fantastic. If you are considering a smartphone, there are many factors to consider and you need to take time to decide what is important to you. Do you want to use it to play games, or run nifty applications? Do you need great battery life? Is WiFi or GPS important? Will you be traveling and need access to a variety of cellular networks?

My first foray into smartphones was a Samsung Moment, which I returned. You will find Android phone users spend a lot of time figuring out how to maximize battery life: many people run widgets that let them turn on and off WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth in order to get extra time before the battery dies. Placing calls with an Android phone involves multiple steps, which I thought took too much time.

The Bold 9700 performs the main functions I need extremely well. Some highlights:

1. Calls are easy to make and receive. I can pick up the phone and press one speed dial key and the call is made. Or I can enter a few letters of a contact's name and the phone finds the match. Making a call is much faster on this phone than on an Android phone.

2. Battery life is terrific. I never worry about turning off GPS, WiFi, or Bluetooth. They run all the time. With full use of the phone - voice, messaging, streaming music - I can use the device for about 36 hours.

3. Messaging is great. Emails, SMS texts, chats on various services, ie Blackberry Messenger and Gmail, are all simple to use.

4. Google integration. I use and share Google calendars, and they're automatically synced.

5. Great international performance. I took this phone to Haiti after the earthquake, and used it to talk, chat, text, send back pictures... it worked flawlessly. (Go to the Blackberry website and look up the specs - I think it worked so well because it seems to support about every cellular band there is!)

6. Polish. There are a lot of little things that show how well developed this phone is. For example, if the phone is ringing in the holster and you pull it out, it stops ringing. A silence key on top of the device is accessible through the holster. The keyboard is terrific, the screen is terrific. There's a message indicator light. It's got a great camera. At home, it routes calls automatically over my router.

Negatives? The web browser is pretty terrible. It's very slow. Free alternatives, like Opera, are available, but the BlackBerry is not nearly as good a web browser as the iPhone, Palm Pre, or an Android phone. There is also a lack of applications that are available on the iPhone. You won't be able to AutoTune your voice with this phone, or play an Ocarina.

I would recommend the Bold 9700 to anyone who needs a device that first and foremost works great as a phone and handles email, texts, instant messaging, and calendars very well. It may not browse the web or play games as well as some other phones, but at the end of the day, my phone still has plenty of battery power and is keeping me in touch - just what a phone is supposed to do.