Getting Skype Working on Your BlackBerry Bold 9700 Over 3G
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 was a workhorse of the late 2000s, and plenty of Australians still keep one tucked away as a backup or hand it down. Running Skype over a 3G connection on this older handset is genuinely doable with a few tweaks, and the results can be surprisingly clear when conditions are right. The trick is knowing which settings matter and where the Bold's quirks tend to bite.
Australia's mobile landscape at the time leaned heavily on Telstra for regional reach, with Optus and Vodafone Australia making up the rest of the big three. Coverage in places like the Pilbara or coastal Tasmania swings wildly between suburbs and the bush, worth keeping in mind before relying on VoIP away from the capital cities. Data pricing also moved quickly through the early 2010s, so a sensible plan matters as much as the phone itself.
This walkthrough covers compatibility, network selection, app installation, first-call setup, and the common hiccups that appear when running Skype on a Bold. It is written for readers who want to squeeze more life from their trusty device, whether for travel, a backup handset, or simply the satisfaction of making it work.
Confirming Bold 9700 Compatibility
The Bold 9700 runs BlackBerry OS 6.0 as its highest supported version, which matters because older Skype builds were designed for that era of device. You will want around 200 MB of free application storage and a working SIM slot for 3G HSDPA, since Wi-Fi on this model is hit-and-miss. Press the Menu key, then Options > About, to check your OS and PIN.
If your unit still runs OS 5.0, most steps apply, although menu entries shift slightly. Australians who bought outright from retailers like JB Hi-Fi or through Telstra shops often received lightly customised firmware, so the paths described here are the generic ones from Research In Motion.
Do a quick sanity check first: open the browser and load a simple page. If it renders, your 3G stack works and you are good to proceed. If it fails, the issue is most likely your carrier APN.
Choosing an Australian Data Plan that Suits VoIP
A 3G Skype voice call can chew through 200 MB per hour, so picking the right plan matters. Telstra plans traditionally offer the strongest regional coverage, although per-gigabyte pricing is steeper than the alternatives. Optus and Vodafone Australia generally offer more generous inclusions for casual users in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
| Carrier | 3G Coverage | Cost Per GB | Best Suited To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telstra | Strongest in regional Australia | Higher outside CBDs | Travellers in remote NSW or the Kimberley |
| Optus | Solid in capitals, weaker remotely | Mid-range | City users in Melbourne and Adelaide |
| Vodafone Australia | Patchy beyond metro regions | Often lowest | Heavy talkers in Sydney, Brisbane or Perth |
If you only need Skype for occasional calls, such as while waiting at a mechanic in Parramatta or riding a train out of Flinders Street, a small prepaid recharge is plenty. For regular use, compare postpaid caps and watch the fine print about VoIP traffic, which some legacy plans quietly throttle.
Installing Skype on the Bold 9700
The official Skype app for legacy BlackBerry devices was discontinued long ago, so you will be relying on the older .jad or .cod installer found on archive mirrors. Many Australians grab the package from sources like Sidoharjo Blackberry, where mirrors and version notes are kept tidy. The file is under 3 MB and installs in seconds.
Once downloaded, open the file from the Downloads folder and accept the security prompts about third-party applications. You may need to whitelist the install through Options > Applications. The Bold's optical trackpad makes navigating those consent screens far easier than on older Pearl models.
After installation, restart the phone before launching Skype, otherwise contacts often fail to sync. Sign in with your existing ID or create one fresh.
Tuning the 3G Network Settings
With Skype installed, make sure the right radio is active. Open Manage Connections and confirm Mobile Network is on, with Wi-Fi off for the test. Under Options > Mobile Network, set network mode to 3G only rather than 2G/3G automatic, which forces the device onto HSDPA where Skype behaves best.
Set the APN to match your carrier. Telstra users typically use telstra.internet, Optus uses yesinternet or connect, and Vodafone Australia uses live.vodafone.com. Without the right APN, Skype refuses to register even though the browser works, a classic trap on older handsets.
Disable any data-compression or browser-routing services your operator enabled by default, since these can interfere with the persistent connection Skype likes to keep open.
Making Your First Call
Open Skype, sign in, and tap the Contacts icon to verify your list has populated. Place a test call to a friend or to the Skype echo test service so you can judge voice clarity without involving anyone else's time. Speak normally and listen for the typical one-second delay that older 3G networks introduce, especially indoors near the thick brick walls of Surry Hills terraces or Brisbane workers' cottages.
A few habits make the first session smoother:
- Hold the phone so the bottom microphone faces you, about ten centimetres from your mouth.
- Use earphones with a microphone in noisy places, such as a packed Westfield food court.
- Switch off unused radios like Bluetooth to save a touch of battery and reduce heating.
If the call drops within thirty seconds, switch to a different network mode or move closer to a window. The Bold's small antenna is honest about its weaknesses in low-signal areas.
Managing Data Usage and Battery Drain
A short Skype session pulls noticeably more battery than standard calls, because the screen stays awake and the radio works hard to hold the connection. Dim the display to about half brightness before a longer chat, and close background apps by holding Menu and switching away from anything unnecessary.
These habits help save data while running Skype over 3G:
- Keep voice calls short and favour chat where conversation allows.
- Turn off auto-receive images inside chat threads.
- Sign out automatically when the screen sleeps.
If you intend to use Skype regularly from a café in Newtown or a hotel in Surfers Paradise, carry a spare battery or a compact USB charger. The Bold's removable back panel lets you swap in a fresh battery in seconds, a luxury modern phones rarely offer.
Troubleshooting the Usual Hiccups
When Skype refuses to sign in, the culprit is almost always either the APN or an outdated clock. The Bold's clock can drift noticeably, and Skype rejects logins once the offset creeps past a few minutes. Fix this by enabling automatic time sync through Options > Date/Time.
For Australian users hitting problems in regional areas, check your carrier's coverage map before assuming the app is broken. The Cracktop archive keeps a solid catalogue of fixes for older BlackBerry builds if you want to dig deeper. If calls keep breaking up, try forcing network mode to 2G temporarily to confirm whether the issue is genuinely 3G related.
Pop the phone into Airplane mode for ten seconds, then turn the mobile radio back on, which clears most lingering connection gremlins without a full reboot.
Give it a try on your Bold this arvo, and if it works, share the setup with a mate who still swears by their trusty 9700. You might just earn yourself a barbie invitation this weekend.