Bold 9780 Hands-on Review
We jumped on the bandwagon two days ago with
more pictures of the upcoming Blackberry Bold 9780. Well we're back today with exclusive video of the 9780 running OS6! We've seen plenty of videos of the 9800 running OS6, but to date there has been no video of a QWERTY device running the OS (except for the very early review of the 9670 we did!). More importantly, we haven't seen Webkit on a QWERTY device.
No more! Below, find a short video of the 9780 running OS6 and some more pictures.
As you can see, everything seems to run quite nice! Take note of times the screen seems to be white and "loading". This was not lag, rather just the camera getting adjusted to the light. As mentioned in the video,
it is important to note that this is a pre-release device and definitely not running the final software version. In fact, based on the picture below, this device is running App Version 6.0.0.79.
Some quick observations of this device:
-The 9780 has the exact same form factor and appears to be the same all around hardware of it's older brother, the 9700.
-The camera does not have the "5MP" stamp next to it that the 9670 has.
-Same screen resolution as the 9700.
-Appears ready to run on GSM networks (read: AT&T and T-Mobile in the US).
-Cannot tell if the processor is the same as the 9700, but runs smoother on OS6.
-Tough to tell from the pictures because of glare, but has a sharp black bezel around the device giving it a "black out" look.
-Has the same battery as Bold 9700 and Bold 9000
Some of these specs were referenced in the
upcoming Blackberry device article created over at Crackberry.
Obviously the biggest upgrade to this device is the OS, made possible by the
512mb of device memory. From the Webkit browser to the transitions to the redesigned home screen,
OS6 is what you have been waiting for! What's that 9700 users? You feel betrayed by RIM? Nothing more than speculation at this time, but I have a feeling that the 9700 could very possibly get a slim version of this OS to give current 9700 users the new OS that they so desperately yearn. More info on this to come soon!
You can imagine how this device fairs side-by-side with a 9650 (9780 is on right). All you have to do is compare a 9650 vs. 9700! The form factor is smaller, lighter, and feels a bit less bulky in the hand. I view this as a solution for GSM QWERTY users to get on the same page as the CDMA users who are rocking a 9650.
As far as release goes, I have to imagine that this launch is not far behind the 9800 launch (next week in US). Get excited, OS6 is right around the corner! I can't wait to see what this device and OS6 is like as a finished product!
Thanks to our source who sent these in and made this review possible! 
