Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating: 
Summary: This is for the Treo and Q users...Are you kidding me?!
Comment: Let me get this straight. You rather use a phone that takes forever to charge, with tiny keys, with an os that crashes, a bulky battery over the 8830 Blackberry? SERIOUSLY
The 8830 Blackberry is the slimmest to date with the most stable os in the business. The email capablities are legendary. The screen has improved a 1000%. And now that Sprint has a 3G network its even faster.
Heres what I don't like: There's not a camera. But I dont know what everyone is talking about I get my pictures fine. Maybe because the os has gotten an upgrade now. Being a designer I have to have a better camera than a pictures froma camera phone. No biggie.
No wifi...to compete with verizon and apple we implore you, add it.
I love the screen, GPS and now I'm able to get itunes on my phone! and it feels good in my hand. Very cool. I LOVE my Blackberry.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: GORGEOUS!
Comment: I love this phone! I've had it since it launched. It's beautiful, my calls are clear, I get few if any dropped calls. I am running several third party apps such as standalone messengers, GPS etc. and hands free voice app (I know that it came with one, I decided to go with a 3rd party app that I liked more). The only reasons that I don't give it 5 stars are: 1. battery life 2. I would like my programs to run from my card more smoothly so that I don't need to encumber the main memory. Oh, and 3. my major pet peeve is the ringtone VOLUME...it's negligible. The Classic Phone ringtone is loudest and is the primary one that I use. Music Ringtones play loudly via the Media interface but as actual ringtones, they are barely audible.
Customer Rating: Summary: Horrible Bluetooth Signal; Otherwise Tolerable
Comment: I switched from the Verizon Q to the BBerry 8830 because I wanted the push email (which is probably protected by some absurd patent) and because the OS is supposed to be more stable. Now, I want my good old Q back.
Overall, I had some minor complaints and one very major complaint: the bluetooth has a very weak signal, especially for the person on the other end. I pretty much have to hold the phone 1 ft from my head. Sure sometimes it will seem to work 10' away, but I can't get a clear signal with the phone in my pocket or in the passenger seat of the car. I tried two different H700 headsets and a Plantronics Voyager 510 and even returned my original 8830 to Verizon for a new phone.
Googling for "Blackberry weak bluetooth signal" it sounds like other people have the same problem. Since I'm now stuck with a $450 phone that doesn't do what I need it to do, I have hard time appreciating the good features, but since I already gave the worst possible review (Bluetooth is very important for me), here is the full picture:
Pro:
+4 Push email (apparently only available on the BBerry)
+4 Good battery life (Q was a joke without buying the bigger battery)
+2 Sleek, solid design
+2 Stable OS (compared to Microsoft-based Q)
Con:
-10 Horrible Bluetooth signal
-2 Average sound quality
-2 Weirdly shaped keys make it harder to type on than the Q
-2 Can't use me Bluetooth headset to listen to sound files
-1 No camera, although I'll gladly trade camera for better battery life
-1 Kept hitting the talk button accidentally until I figured out how to move the "Lock" icon to the top row
So if you like the handsfree option, avoid this phone at all costs. Otherwise, it's not bad.
Customer Rating: Summary: Keyboard buttons different / Former 8700 and earlier should read for detailed differences // GREAT GPS //
Comment: We're loyal BB users and have been for some time and from every carrier from the Nextel 7290 ( a dimwit's Mensa application is brighter than that old screen) to a GSM 8700 model.
Lighter than an 8700, brighter, louder, clearer and much faster bandwidth.
BUT.....
The thumbwheel used for scrolling and "Enter/Select" is replaced with the center Pearl / thumball, trackball whatever you want to call it. You scroll it to move the cursor and press it in to execute the command/Enter.
The other thumb button below the thumbwheel (thumb if you're right handed, if your left handed then you have been outlawed by RIMM and the Canadian Govt) is also gone and has been split into two more front buttons with the back/return feature replaced by the boomerang arrow which is between the Red Call Cancel and joystick. The Cancel/Escape feature has been moved to the other new front button between the Green Call and center trackball.
Thumbwheel has been replaced by a rocker switch more closer to the rocker switch on the left side of a Motorola Razr on and is also used for volume control.
UNLIKE THE 8700, THE TWO NEW FRONT BUTTONS CAN'T BE REASSIGNED OR AT LEAST CAN'T BE REASSIGNED OUT OF THE BOX, IF THERE IS AN ADD ON APP TO CONFIGURE THOSE TWO NEW FRONT BUTTONS THAN PLEASE SHARE.
The left side convenience button is manageable and default setting is for voice dial.
The 8800 series keyboard is a dramatic difference from the 8700 because unlike the 8700 and most BB models before it, the keys aren't separated by blank space and this made it harder to type.
Prior BB's (except Pearls) have segregated keys and are forgiving even if you have overly large finger tips since each key is distinctly separated by blank space.
The 8800 is more like a tight laptop keyboard where all keys are buttressing, now they are beveled on the edges but it took just a few minutes for us to become accustomed to it. If you don't like buttressed keys then definitely spend ample time evaluating the keyboard in the store before committing to the 8800.
The screen is a scratch magnet !!! Even with gingerly treatment we've already blemished our screens and this will irk those who want to keep their phone perfect especially for resale value. BUT, a standard piece of clear packing tape will fit perfectly across the face w/o covering up the ear piece or intruding on the center button. Then take a sharp razor and carefully slice between the silver and black face plate to trim off the tape. Do this as a permanent measure or temporarily until you can find the perfect case and screen protector. IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT TAPE RESIDUE REST ASSURED SOME ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 70% OR GREATER SOAKED ONTO A PAPER TOWEL REMOVES ANY TAPE RESIDUE AFTER REMOVING THE CLEAR TAPE AND WILL DO SO WITHOUT MARRING THE SURFACE.
It is worth investing in a glove type case like the silicone skin sold by RIMM Blackberry 8800 8830 OEM Black Silicone Flexi-Skin Case Cover Skin but it may not fit well with the included case. We use silicone cases with Nextel mil-spec ballistic nylon case and everything fits nicely (albeit isn't fashionable and the biggest BB nylon belt case you can buy)NASCAR NEXTEL Rugged Nylon Pouch Case NTZ0901NNCS
That center pearl replaces the thumbwheel, this was the hardest adoption point for us. TIP: Set the sensitivity of the center joystick ball to the lowest level of 20 until you get used to it then start upgrading the sensitivity. After a few days, we noticed many of our employees adapted to the pearl controller and the most challenged on our staff were comfortable with it after a week of usage.
We've read the other reviews which consistently describe the phones mic as less than standard and we mentioned this to the Sprint Rep. They described this as known issue and said that RIMM has addressed the problem. Whether or not this is true, or if our friends and associates are just intolerant -we haven't experienced the issue in several hundred calls so the Sprint Reps statement seems to have some credence.
Regarding the network , I tend to describe and compare cellular networks with a grain of salt since each network has better coverage in different geographical areas, but ours are performing well in most major and secondary urban markets.
The bandwidth is superb, this is an EVDO-Rev 0 phone instead of the faster EVDO-Rev A. Most people don't require the faster network since most people don't use cell phones for full web browsing instead of a traditional computer browser.
We've used it to tether data and we're getting consistent 300kbs throughput in the urban supported broadband areas, just like other data lines and cellular calls the bandwidth will slow down during peak usage such as rush hour where two or more highways cross over since the network tries to balance the network and give everyone a chance to use their phone. Data users are impacted by decreased bandwidth and will eventually be dropped if the network becomes extremely congested and you've been tethering longer than others.
TIP / Avoid using the Sprint Connection Manager when tethered and just create a new Dial Up Networking Connection using the native Windows function and set the tether as the "modem" and the phone number as #777.
No user ID or password and you'll have less dropped data calls because the Sprint Connection Manager will transmit usage data to the Sprint network and they drop data calls based on profiles.
If you don't believe this, just start a data call and fire up a packet sniffer like WireShark or TCPView.exe with logging and you'll see odd UDP packets to a Sprint server even if you've disabled all the applications which would normally transmit data. We didn't see these packets when using the #777 option and our calls lasted longer w/o dropping.
The GPS is superb ! You have to download the software and agree to some rates but Sprint's current $99.99 all you can eat package covers it so just accept the agreements and start using it. THE GPS works inside and is extremely accurate for locating your current position.
The included case is the nicest case we've ever seen included with a cell phone, it is a leather or high quality leather imitation which is well cushioned and has a decent clip. The flap is a magnetic one and this is comparable to any premium executive model belt case.
The GPS functions are two different applications which are independent of eachother, the TeleAtlas which downloads map data directly from Google Maps with an internal GPS antenna so it taks signal indoors like a TomTom and other next gen GPS recievers. It can search for business by name and provide address and telephone info or street addresses then select the "Navigate To" feature and the BB will begin routing you to the destination. The TeleAtlas app doesn't offers map only data without the Terrain or Satellite mode which displays the actual trees and roads but you can download this utility directly from Google. The TeleAtlas application seems to be without a voice prompt feature but the TeleNav subscription service from Sprint offers this.
TeleNav is another excellent GPS application offering address and business lookup but also can be used to quickly select points of contact from your address book then just selecting the record as your destination. It has more features such as "Avoid Traffic" that tries to aggregate known data such as rush hour and real time traffic info (if available in your area) to divert you from accident scenes and road construction.
We tested the GPS against a Garmin eMap and NavMan PiN PocketPC version and not exactly equal since the other two require line of sight to the sky for signal / the BlackBerry displayed accurate locational, current speed and time and distance to go data to every destination.
The most notable missing feature from both BlackBerry GPS applications was an "avoid road" feature, the basic capability to click a road on a GPS map and force the unit and navigation to avoid the road at all costs or for a certain distance is very helpful when taking a route that is blocked by road construction or trying to drive somewhere on a Sunday morning when the streets are closed because of marathon. IF THIS FEATURE EXISTS, please comment on our review and share the details.
Subscription GPS is slowly gaining predominance as the busines model instead of buying a unit then downloading sporadic updates like most popular units and the advantages of regular data updates are clear and compelling. At the time of this writing, Sprint is offering a $99 "all you can eat" rate plan and the normal $12.99 monthly TeleNav service is included.
A point of hesitance for using phone GPS is the smaller screens, although the BB is smallest of the three we've ever used, it is just as vivid and brighter and crisp or better than all we've ever seen.
It earns our five stars and this is good mobdel for the BB loyal, if you want a touchscreen or camera and other features commonly found on smart phones than this isn't for you, but the Ferarri F-40 didn't include an air conditioner or stereo and it is still revered as a performance machine.
Customer Rating: Summary: Great phone
Comment: This phone is great; it handles all of my e-mail addresses seamlessly, my address book is large, custom phone tunes, easy to use media player with large access via card, etc.. etc..
Best of all, world edition UNLOCKED. Travel around, buy a SIM, throw it in--I can go anywhere. Unlike other carriers 8830's which are locked to Vodaphone or another foreign company.
This also has a wide array of third-party applications which work well, some of which are actually enjoyable.
In addition, the net coverage is quite quick. Overall, this is a great phone with wonderful sound quality, coverage, features and it is also surprisingly durable.
