The latest edition in the BlackBerry family, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 promises to be one of the more sought for devices this year. We compare it to another new device and competitor in the budget messenger market, the HTC ChaCha.
Dimensions and Form
- HTC ChaCha – 114.4 x 64.6 x 10.7mm, 120g
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – 115 x 66 x 10.5mm, 110g
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 makes little alterations to its traditional design, with its QWERTY keyboard and smooth interface. The square keys create a tight, compact appearance, as opposed to rounded and spaced keys on the HTC ChaCha. Overall, the HTC ChaCha’s design is a bit peculiar, with a sloping keyboard and uneven shape.
Winner: BlackBerry Bold 9900
Display
- HTC ChaCha – 2.6 inch TFT display, 480 x 320 pixel resolution
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – 2.8 inch TFT display, 640 x 480 pixel resolution
At a stunning 287 pixels per inch (ppi), the BlackBerry Bold 9900 provides amazing clarity and pixel density in its 2.8 inch TFT screen. The ChaCha screen is both smaller and of lesser quality, albeit at 221ppi it is still no slouch, and is hardened with Gorilla Glass and features the HTC Sense 2.1 UI. Each device has an accelerometer sensor and multi-touch, but the Bold 9900 includes an optical track-pad common on BlackBerry devices.
Winner: Blackberry Bold 9900
Storage Capacity
- HTC ChaCha – No internal space (512MB ROM), 32GB Micro SD support
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – 8GB, 32GB Micro SD support
The HTC ChaCha has no dedicated storage, only 512MB of read-only memory (ROM) for the manufacturer’s software. Storage can be done through the 32GB Micro SD slot, and HTC does include a complimentary 2GB Micro SD card with a purchase. The BlackBerry Bold 9900, meanwhile, provides a massive 8GB of internal storage along with a Micro SD expansion.
Winner: BlackBerry Bold 9900
Processing Power
- HTC ChaCha – 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processor, 512MB RAM
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – 1.2GHz Qualcomm 8655 processor, 768MB RAM
Previous models of the BlackBerry have been notoriously low on processing power. The BlackBerry Bold 9900, however, breaks the 1GHz barrier with its 1.2GHz processor and healthy 768MB RAM. Furthermore, it features an Adreno 205 GPU to increase performance. Although the 800MHz ChaCha is once again an adequate device, it falls short in comparison to the Bold 9900.
Winner: BlackBerry Bold 9900
Operating System
- HTC ChaCha – Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – BlackBerry OS 7
RIM has consistently improved on its operating system and version 7 is by the far the fastest and most efficient. The browser has been updated with Flash support, pinch zoom, javascript, and even a voice activated search mechanism. The OS 7 also adds support for video capture in 720p HD, a well timed addition given the recent advance in smartphone camera optics.
The Android 2.3 Gingerbread is equally as formidable, with tons of new features, apps, and multi-tasking support. The interface has been revamped for a smoother experience, and Gingerbread is far more responsive than previous versions.
Winner: HTC Chacha
Camera
- HTC ChaCha – 5 MP primary camera at 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution, VGA secondary camera
- BlackBerry Bold 9900 – 5 MP primary camera at 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution
The HTC ChaCha and BlackBerry Bold 9900 are both equipped with 5 megapixel cameras at 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution. However, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 offers video capture at 720p HD, whereas the ChaCha is limited to D1 quality video (720 x 480). The HTC does have a secondary VGA camera, which the BlackBerry has decided to do without.
Winner: BlackBerry Bold 9900
Conclusion
The BlackBerry Bold 9900 has both technical and aesthetic ownership on the HTC ChaCha. The RIM product is markedly better in all areas save software, and is the clear choice between these two budget messengers.
Personally I think RIM (BB) have lost the game. There are just not being innovative enough and have become too complacent at their market share (which is now tumbling).
I still think BB’s are the correct solution for the corporate environment but they others are catching up real fast.
Just my thoughts!
.-= David@theOnlyCog´s last blog ..Blackberry failing to impress the market =-.
You are rite… Blackberry is better than Chacha phone… I agree that other phones are better than this model…
.-= VISHAL´s last blog ..Windows 8 Developer Preview Is Now Available for Download =-.
I still go for Blackberry. I am used to this model in fact I have just purchase this Blackberry smartphone and I love the Skype feature.
.-= nikkiezach@driverupdate ´s last blog ..Canon Driver Download – The Easy Way =-.
Great Man..Thanks for sharing your views with us.
Got the htc cha cha & not happy with it! Battery life is terrible, and it’s always showing the error message low on internal space. I cant even get my mails, refresh or sync twitter to my contacts or even access my photo gallery, although I have moved all my apps that can be moved to the SD card.