You will quickly notice that RIM uses touch-sensitive optical trackpad instead of the usual BlackBerry trackball for this handset. Optical trackpads are popular among users, and Bold 9700 has one of the most precise optical trackpad you will ever use. The 624 MHz processor is more than powerful enough to run the latest BlackBerry OS 5.0 with fabulous new features. The BlackBerry Messenger, allowing you to communicate with other BlackBerry users through Pin exchange, appears to be smoother and more user-friendly. Native applications for IMs and social networking sites are available; Yahoo! Messenger, Live, AIM, GTalk, Facebook, Twitter, you name it you got it. Since these applications are natively made for BlackBerry and endorsed by the principal company, using them will feel the same as using similar software on your desktop.

The keypad on Bold 9700 is superbly comfortable to use. It may still be too small for people with large thumbs, but regular users will be able to type using the keypad comfortably. Some avid BlackBerry users can even type at 50-70 words per minute using the QWERTY keypad. You will still be pampered with HSDPA support, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP support, and of course built-in GPS with A-GPS support. The 2.44-inch screen will be the window to all these amazing features, offering bright and clear display for comfortable use.