Introduction

The Javelin is a great device from RIM, that runs OS 4.6, like the Bold (and Storm), but is much smaller than the Bold and doesn’t have 3G or as fast of a processor. Here’s an indepth review of the Bold and 4.6 OS that we’ve done in the past, so please read it to get background information. Since these devices are very similar in many ways; I’m not going to repeat anything we covered in the Bold review in this one, but I am going to highlight the unique qualities of the Javelin.

Major differences

1. The Javelin is much smaller and lighter than the Bold.
2. It’s easier to hold in one hand and operate. It is much more ergonomic for everyday use, and fits in both small and bigger hands.
3. The screen is very similar, in that they have the same display resolution, but the Javelin’s has higher pixel density and is physically smaller. They are both bright, but the Bold’s is brighter, and the color calibration is different, the Javelin seems to have a warmer display profile than the Bold.
4. The battery life on the Javelin is incredible! Without 3G to drain it’s batteries, it can last a lot longer between charges, even with extensive Wifi, Bluetooth use, and use of the media player to play music.
5. The keyboard is different than the Bold; they are both great keyboards, the Javelin’s is much smaller though.
6. It’s missing 3G, which means that the data connection is really slow compared to the Bold when you don’t have Wifi coverage.  But, if you are near Wifi most of the time, it isn’t so bad.
7. The processor is slower, but not that much slower for most tasks and apps. You can tell the difference if you’ve just put 6-8 GB or more of photos, videos, and mp3s on your media card and are loading it into the Javelin for the first time. For the same amount of media, the Bold is more responsive while loading the media, and loads it much faster.
8. The Javelin does not get warm like the Bold does when you’re pushing it’s capabilities.
9. The mute/standby and lock button layout is very different on both devices. The Javelin has a better arrangement of these buttons on top of the device. On the top of the Javelin, it has a keyboard lock button and standy/mute button, which are really easy to press. The Bold on the other hand only has a recessed standby button which is really difficult to press. On the sides of the devices, the layout is similar, there are convenience keys on both sides of the device.
10. The camera on the Javelin is much better than the one on the Bold. It’s a 3.2MP autofocus camera, which is great. Almost every picture comes out great even if you shake the Javelin a little. The autofocus feature is the one area that makes the Javelin camera so much better than the Bold’s. After using the Javelin to take pics, using a non-autofocus camera is really frustrating.  With the Javelin, if you save really high res pictures, it takes the Javelin longer to save these pictures than the Bold.
11. The speakers on the Bold are far superior than those on the Javelin. The Bold speakers have more range and the sound is richer than the Javelin. However, the Javelin speakers are way better quality and much louder than any speakers on any BlackBerry that came before it (OS 4.5 and earlier devices).
12. The Javelin feels solidly built. The Bold feels more delicate, and the Bold’s screen gets distorted when you apply pressure to the edges of the device or even the buttons just underneath the bottom of it’s screen. None of this in the Javelin – it feels SOLID.
13. The Javelin has a micro USB connector that’s used to charge the device. The Bold uses a mini USB connector.

Similarities

1. The Javelin and Bold have great call quality, as phones.
2. They both work very well with Bluetooth devices, and they support A2DP.
3. They both support 3.5mm stereo output jacks.
4. Both their displays have the same resoulution, even though the Javelin screen has much higher pixel density (ie, smaller size screen)
5. They both run 4.6 OS, and higher.

What the specs don’t capture – emotional connection

All specs aside, the Javelin feels much greater than the sum of it’s individual parts. The is special something about the Javelin as a whole, I love it. I have a very different connection with it than the Bold, and there was only one other BlackBerry I ever felt this with in the past, which was the BlackBerry 8700 from a long long time ago . I have owned nearly every BlackBerry since the 8700 up until now and never felt a connection with another one until now, with the Javelin. The Javelin is just friendly, inviting, and becomes a part of you. I have a small panic attack when I don’t know where it is or misplace it. Other BlackBerries, and this includes the Bold and all OS 4.5 devices just don’t have this lovable quality and do not feel like a trusty companion like the Javelin does. RIM got something very right with this device. All of its features, technical specs, and measurable qualities come together to make something must greater and special than one might imagine. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts .

Fitting software

A lot of software doesn’t support all the features of the Javelin, since they are written for compatibility with older BlackBerry operating systems. This keeps the software from taking advantage of all the power and beauty of the Javelin. For software that leverages the Javelin to it’s fullest, be sure to check out mobile apps from ScreamingToaster. Here is a video of Wicked WordPress App for BlackBerry.

Where to buy unlocked devices and accessories

You can buy unlocked BlackBerry Javelin 8900 devices here. If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth headset, I recommend the Plantronics 855 – it’s a stereo headset when you want it to be, and you can remove an earbud and make it a regular Bluetooth headset when you want. For a regular Bluetooth headset, I recommend the Plantronics 835.

Details

Here’s a side by side picture showing the size difference between the Bold and Javelin. The Javelin is also much lighter and smaller in every dimension, and it doesn’t get hot when in use.

Here’s a picture of the Javelin from the back. It has a much better camera than the Bold. The autofocus feature is very handy when taking pictures.

Here’s a picture of the Javelin stacked on top of the Bold. The Javelin is smaller in every dimension, and way lighter.

Here’s a picture that shows the standby/mute and keyboard lock buttons on top of the Javelin. These buttons are awesome. The are integrated into the surface of the device, and there’s no outline of the button, but they’re there when you press to top left/right edges of the device. Beautiful!

Here are pictures of the convenience buttons on both sides of the Javelin. They are very easy to press.

The Javelin is just a beautiful device. Here are some pictures of it from different angles.

Summary

For sheer computing power and speed, the Bold can’t be beat. However, it’s big and heavy and bulky when compared to the Javelin. The Javelin is a much more balanced device which sacrifices a lot of the Bold’s functionality for greater battery life, smaller form factor. However, I don’t feel that anything is “missing” from the Javelin. It’s a great device. If I travelled a lot, I would get the Javelin . I really love both devices, and they are optimized for slightly different environments. To make a laptop analogy, the Javelin is an ultraportable, while the Bold is a mobile workstation.

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