bob_tomato's Full Review: RIM BlackBerry 8700g Smartphone
Ahhh, yes... the company phone. How I like it so...
My employer (standard disclaimer: I work for AT&T's Wireless division, so please keep that in mind as this product is one that we sell) has thoughtfully provided me with a RIM Blackberry 8700 Smartphone to use for business purposes, and I have to say that after months of use, I like it. Yep. Just a simple case of like...
Now, I must say that this phone-slash-PDA-slash-email device is certainly fully featured (check out the details Epinions has so thoughtfully provided here ), and it does everything that I need it to do as relates to my job. No complaints there.
The large and bright screen is a good size for reading emails, text messages and the various information I have stored in the address book and calendar. Since it synchronizes with my laptop via Blackberry's software package and a USB connection, I can make sure that I'm always on top of my appointments and remain in contact with my associates all the time - which, of course, is why my employer has given me this phone to use. And that's all good - the Blackberry 8700 does these things quite well; it's easy to use, easy to setup and easy to maintain that special synchronicity between phone and computer.
The phone runs on AT&T's EDGE network, and I've found that the quality of the network and the speed of the data transfer when using the internet capabilities of the phone are pretty decent. Sure, 3G networks are faster, but I think as far as using the features of this phone is concerned, EDGE is up to doing the job sufficiently. Phone reception here in the Dallas area is good, and the speakers (one on the front, one on the back) on the Blackberry are clear and capable of some decent volume.
One thing I like about the design of this phone is the placement and use of the function wheel and button on the right side of the device. They are in just the right place for my thumb to scroll the volume up and down with the wheel, or disconnect the call with the button. I figured out these functions on my own when using the phone for the first time, and it's that sort of intuitive design that is great in a device like this one.
I had used an earlier Blackberry phone for some time, and I love that the keys on the front of the newer phone are spaced out better and seem slightly larger. I tend to fat-finger some spelling errors when I use text functions, so the small amount of separation between the keys of the Blackberry 8700 is helpful to me. One minor complaint - the ALT and NUM need to be moved farther away from the number keys - getting to the 4, 7 and 0 can be a bit of a challenge at times.
Email on the Blackberry is really good - this is where this device shines. You can set up various email accounts, and the 8700 can display all your emails together, and provides your text messages in a separate interface. Email accounts can be set up to synchronize via wireless, and the EDGE network keeps the folders up to date with ease. The scroll wheel is the "mouse" for using email - you push the wheel in to access and navigate a detailed menu, and the layout of the options is optimized for showing the things you're likely to need most often. I also like that you can Search the emails or messages in a folder by subject, sender or a keyword of your choice and the 8700 will bring up a complete list of the items that match your parameter. It's easy to delete a batch of emails using this function - I get regular use of it right now with all those stupid UKLottery mails… bleh.
My major complaint with the Blackberry 8700 (and this was my big complaint with the earlier model I'd used before switching) is the browser software. There's just no way to say this gently, so here goes: Blackberry's internet browser is not good. Not good at all.
The only sites that manage to display with any sort of sense are those that have optimization for mobile display, and even these don't seem too friendly to me on the Blackberry. My wife's AT&T HTC 8525 does a much better job than the Blackberry 8700 at displaying the same sites when I tested them together - her phone uses Windows Mobile 5, and I greatly prefer the view of the web on that display. Sure, the screens are configured differently (the Blackberry is 240x320, the HTC is 320x240), but for whatever reason, the internet just looks, well, not so great on the Blackberry.
Other than that complaint, I do like my Blackberry 8700 Smartphone - the phone, the PDA functions and the email capability are great. If they could just address the internet view and make it more user-friendly, I think this phone would be one of the best business phones on the market. But, all in all, the ease with which you can manage your day to day work load of calls and email using this device makes the Blackberry 8700 Smartphone a good choice for a business phone.
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