Take a BlackBerry Bold, soup it up with sharp metallic edges and a leather finish, and what you get is the BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981. It’s a touch-and-type smartphone with enhanced styling and essentially offers a premium feel to the BB OS 7 experience. Hot lines to be sure, but what about performance? Unfortunately most reviewers agree that's a bit of a mixed bag.
The P’9981 is equipped with a speedy 1.2GHz CPU, 768MB RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. The rest of its features make it look like one of the better mid-range models available on the smartphone market. It supports quad-band GSM and dual-band UMTS networks, as well as EDGE, HSDPA, and HSUPA data speeds. It has a 2.8-inch 640x480 touchscreen display, 5MP camera, microUSB connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and NFC. And of course, as a BlackBerry, it has a easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard. It may look different, but when it comes to messaging and communication it works quite well, just like a proper BlackBerry is supposed to.
The number one complaint made about the Porsche designed phone by most reviewers—apart from its price—has little to do with its hardware components and everything to do with its pre-installed software. Apparently, despite the many software improvements that are included as part of BlackBerry OS 7, it still can’t compare to the likes of Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. Everything from the built-in Web browser to the aftermarket app store just can’t compete. To make matters worse, the standard 1,000 mAh battery can’t even last for a full day of normal use. That means charging needs to be done every night, which can be quite troublesome even with the special charging dock that’s included inside every package.
For what it’s worth, the P’9981 is a superb BlackBerry smartphone, but at nearly $2,000 its hard to justify driving this Porsche.
Need to Know: BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981
1. Speedy processor and an ample amount of RAM for good performance. (The Good)
2. Built-in touchscreen display uses a hi-res panel that makes text and pictures appear crisp. (The Good)
3. Nearly $2,000 price tag can’t be justified either through hardware or software. (The Bad)
4. Doesn’t offer anything new over the BlackBerry Bold, the basis of its design and features. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Edward Chester, TrustedReviewsThe BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9881 is clearly an overpriced fashion handset that does little to truly justify its £1275 price. However, there is a charm to its build and styling that does make it stand out from the crowd. Moreover, the keyboard is superb and there are some nice extras included in...
- Vlad Savov, The VergeIn case it wasn’t clear from the foregoing, this phone has excited a deep level of antipathy in me. BlackBerry 7 was an uncompetitive OS the moment it launched and hasn’t aged well since then. The one thing that RIM really got right with the Bold 9900 was actually its design, which was attractive, c...
- Chris Hall, Pocket-lintIt's expensive, but if you can afford it, that will be of little concern to you.
- Brad Molen, EngadgetThe P'9981 isn't going to change the world. It won't fight hunger or cure diseases. Yet to the general population, that's exactly what it's expected to do for a whopping $2,350 sticker price. The first Porsche Design smartphone will be a screaming deal to anyone who has way too much money to burn an...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 user manual here.
BlackBerry backs up the Porsche Design P'9981 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Porsche Design P'9981 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact BlackBerry support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find BlackBerry's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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