BlackBerry Bold 9790 review

Another day, another high-end BB7 handset

BlackBerry Bold 9790
A BlackBerry 7 smartphone to rival the Bold 9900

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Blackberry bold 9790 review

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 gives you the latest BlackBerry operating system, BB7. It's a stretch to call it the 'new' OS, since it's been out for a few months. And even when it was first released, we didn't particularly feel that it was fresh or new compared to OS6.

Nevertheless, moaning aside, it does the job and bridges the gap before we get our hands on the all-new BBX later this year.

Blackberry bold 9790 review

The icons in BB7 are a bit of an acquired taste. Like the BlackBerry PlayBook, they look a little bit hotch potch and cobbled together, although they do have the benefit of being incredibly detailed and looking like they could jump of the screen at any time, albeit at the risk of looking rather busy.

Blackberry bold 9790 review

As introduced in BB6, RIM gives you several drawers to swipe between on the BlackBerry Bold 9790. The idea is that you can view all apps, just favourites or just, say, media apps. It's well-intentioned but not something we ever used, and nor did anyone else we asked.

Blackberry bold 9790 review

Searching through the phone is a cinch, and you can access apps, contacts, music and more by just beginning to type on that home screen, like a number of the other big operating systems.

Ring profiles are as comprehensive as ever, with several available, although there are so many options to customise that even for an advanced user, it can get a bit confusing.

The big difference between the BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BB6-rocking devices is that the BlackBerry Bold 9790 has that touchscreen as well as a physical keyboard - just like the Bold 9900. It's useful to have but not essential by any means, and we found ourselves instinctively using the trackpad more often than not.

The 1GHz processor whizzes along so much faster than the older 9700 and 9780 handsets, and we must say that we were impressed with the speed, despite the reduction in grunt compared to the Bold 9900.

Blackberry bold 9790 review

Sadly that's about it, because BB7 hardly pushes the boundaries, and if you're a previous BlackBerry owner, you won't find this to be that different to handsets you've used before.

Latest in BlackBerry Phones
BlackBerry Torch
How I retrieved 10-year-old photos from a classic BlackBerry Torch
BlackBerry
OnwardMobility shuts down and ends the 5G BlackBerry dream
BlackBerry Key2 LE
Blackberry 5G won't ever release, report claims
BlackBerry Pearl
5 things BlackBerry phones got right (and 5 things they didn’t)
BlackBerry Key2 LE in a hand
BlackBerry 5G phone is still coming – and possibly soon
Astro Slide
Waiting for the Blackberry 5G? The Astro Slide could be a good alternative
Latest in Reviews
MacBook Air 15-inch with M4 chip on a creative's desk with screen open
I've reviewed the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) - and it remains the best 15-inch laptop I'd recommend for most people
Samsung Music Frame on a table beside some books and a vase
I spent six weeks listening to the Samsung Music Frame and it kept missing the beat
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
An AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D on its retail packaging
I've reviewed three generations of 3D V-cache processors, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the best there is
Mac Studio on a desk
Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra): the ultimate creative workstation
Apple iPad Air 11-inch M3 (2025) Review
I tested the 11-inch iPad Air with M3 for five days, and it stretches the value even further with more power for the same price