What USA buyers need to know
- All Blackview Phones are network unlocked.
- Only SOME Blackview phones have the 3G and 4G bands to work in the USA.
- HD Voice is required for phones as 2G and 3G networks are being retired.
- Not all carriers are welcoming on BYOD Phones.
In short, we have tested BV9900 on AT&T, T-Mobile and it is highly likely that these 2 carriers will work. However Verizon and Sprint are not recommended at the moment.
*UPDATE: Verizon has stopped activating unlocked phones like Blackview, for some reason. Thus, we currently do not recommend Blackview phones for Verizon usage.
Verizon
and other carriers that mainly run on the CDMA network are NOT recommended right now. These carriers are CDMA Straight Talk, CDMA Tracfone, CDMA NET10, Boost Mobile, Q Link, Total Wireless, xfinity, Republic Wireless, Hello Mobile, and Cricket Wireless.
Other carriers that are on the GSM network will still work great for Blackview devices. GSM carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, GSM straight talk, GSM tracfone, GSM Pix, H20, ting, Mint, Lycamobile, Walmart Familial, FreedomPop, Net10, Consumer Cellular, GSM Republic, MetroPCS, etc.
Not sure which model to choose? Take a look here: Blackview Top Models BV9800PRO/BV9900/BV9900E Quick Comparison
1. Blackview BV9900 is Unlocked
Compatibility to local carrier provider is 1# problem buyers face in buying foreign manufactured smartphones. This makes you can't buy every phone you want and expect it to work on USA Carriers. You should never buy a network locked Blackview set. They are also rare so this point should be easy to fulfil.
☑ Blackview BV9900 is unlocked by default.
2. BV9900 has bands that work on AT&T & T-Mobile
Based on data in devicesranks, frequencycheck, & kimovil.com, Blackview BV9900 should work with most USA Carriers. BV9900 supports many bands' frequency.
- WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/6/8/19
- CDMA: BC0/BC1/BC10
- FDD-LTE Bands:1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28A/28B/66
- TDD-LTE Bands 34/38/39/40/41
Carriers can use many bands but there are only a few which is important. Please see the BOLD 4G LTE Bands.
Main bands for use in USA: 2,4,12,13,17,25,41, 66,71
As you can see in this bar chart, the vast majority of 4G LTE mobile data volume goes through mid-band spectrum. That would be the 1900MHz band 2 (B2) for AT&T; the 1900MHz B2 together with 1700MHz AWS bands B4 and B66 for Verizon; and pretty much the same combination of B2, B4 and B66 for T-Mobile.
Those bands make the backbone of 4G LTE network coverage especially for urban areas .In rural areas of the United States, the importance of low-band spectrum (below 1GHz) has a greater importance. Here, Verizon Wireless is particularly well invested with its 700MHz bands B13, B14, and B17. AT&T and T-Mobile, on the other hand, rely on 700MHz band B12.
☑ Blackview BV9900 has all of the main bands used by Carriers in the USA
3. HD Voice is needed from 2022
Come 2022, 3G networks will be retired. This means that your Voice Calls must use the 4G network. Hence some carriers like AT&T and Verizon have stopped activating non HD Voice Phones. Most new phones should have HD voice and BV9900 has no problems getting HD Voice on AT&T and Verizon.
A simple test to see if your phone is HD Voice Capable is to
- See if there is a HD or VoLTE icon at the signal bar
- Make a phone call and see if your network connection stays on 4G. It should not drop to 3G
- While on a phone call, surf the internet.If your phone can do all three, you most likely have a HD Voice Phone.
☑ Blackview BV9900 has all HD Voice working on AT&T, Verizon & T-Mobile
4. Not all carriers are welcoming on BYOD
To activate your Blackview to mobile providers in United States such as AT&T, Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, FreedomPop, Google Project Fi, H2O Wireless, Lycamobile, Sprint, T-Mobile, Ting (GSM), U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS, Mint Mobile, Straight Talk.
- Find your phone IMEI
- Register / call to your carrier mobile provider
- Then it will be activatedHere is a guide from AT&T:
Sometimes carriers just won't activate your unlocked or BYOD phone. This is true if you do not have a BYOD plan or on some more restrictive carriers like Verizon/Sprint. In this case, feel free to use our 30 days refund/return policy.
A Rugged Smartphone that is Stylish & Powerful
Blackview BV9900: Top Specifications To Be The Best Rugged Phone
On the body, the Blackview BV9900 sports a premium body that is built with the combination of Metal, Polycarbonate, and TPU. It has body protection and it’s available in Black color shade. The smooth panel house the camera and an LED flash.
On the front, the punch hole hosts the front camera. The Blackview BV9900 has a screen display size of 5.84 inches FHD+ with a Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. The screen has a resolution of 1080 x 2340 Pixels and 441 PPI density. It’s equipped with display protection of corning gorilla glass 5 and it has a higher screen to body ratio.
Product
BV9900
OS
Android 9 Pie (there are plan update to Android 10)
Color
Black
Weight
264g
Dimensions
156.5*78.3*14.2 mm
Hardware & Software of Blackview BV9900
On the hardware, the Blackview BV9900 has a MediaTek Helio P90 (MT6779) SOC with an octa-core processor clocking at a speed of 2.2 GHz. The handset has IMG 9XM-HP8 (PowerVR GM9446), 970 MHz to handle graphics related issues and the chipset is built with 12 nm process technology. Powering the phone is the Android 9.0 Pie operating system.
On the memory, the Blackview BV9900 has an internal storage of 256GB that is paired with an ample RAM of 8GB for a smooth performance. The memory is still expandable via a micro SD card up to 256GB. The sensors available on the handset include Proximity, Light, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Barometer, Pedometer, Altimeter, Geomagnetic, Magnetometer, and Fingerprint.
Blackview BV9900 Camera: Wide Angle and Ultra Clear
If you are looking for the best photography experience, you should waste no time to choose the Blackview BV9900. It equips with an advanced quad rear camera set, including a Sony® IMX582 48MP ultra-clear main lens, a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens, a 5MP depth lens, a 2MP macro lens, offering you pro-level photography. On the front, it has a 16MP selfie camera.
Camera Specifications
Front Camera
16MP
Front Camera Sensor
OmniVision OV16885 PureCel Sensor
Front Camera Aperture
f2.0
Rear Camera
48MP+5MP+16MP+2MP
Rear Flash
YES/Dual Led
Another top selling point of this phone is the massive non-removable battery capacity of 4380mAh. The battery has both support for fast and wireless charging technology. The device also comes with 4G LTE Network and other regulars that include WiFi, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth, FM radio and micro USB.
Features
GPS
Yes, with GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors
Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, G-Sensor
Gyroscope
YES
Magnetic
YES
Air pressure sensor
YES
Compass
YES
Fingerprint
YES
RGB
YES
NFC
YES
Coulomb Counter
YES
Wireless Charging
10W
Sim-Card Type
2 Nano-SIM
FM
YES
OTG
YES
Earphones Jack Type
3.5mm
SAR
Head: 0.461 W/kg;
Body: 0.959 W/kg;
Total standby time
35 days
NOTE
*The actual size and weight of the phone may vary due to different specifications and assembly tolerance.
*The above data were gathered in tests in a lab environment. To avoid phone damage or malfunctioning, please avoid using your phone under extreme conditions.
Summary
Blackview BV9900 is competitive in every aspect. The smartphone is blessed with a beautiful body design that will survive accidental drops. It also packs a huge RAM with generous inbuilt storage and an impressive camera set-up as well. Indeed, this is a flagship rugged device for rugged workers.
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