BlackBerry 8830 Smartphone, Silver (Verizon Wireless)

Features
Dual-network Blackberry for access to Verizon's CDMA network in the US, and GSM networks when travelling abroad
Fast 3G access using Verizon's EV-DO data network; GPS for VZ Navigator turn-by-turn direction service
Bluetooth for communication headsets, MicroSD memory expansion up to 4 GB, integrated digital audio player
Up to 220 minutes (3.7 hours) of talk time, up to 216 hours (9 days) of standby time; measures 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.55 inches (HxWxD)
Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, travel charger, international travel charger adapters, USB cable, VZAccess Manager CD, printed documentation, quick start guide

Accessories
BlackBerry 8800 Series Lambskin Leather Swivel Holster, Pitch Black for 8800, 8820, and 8830
BlackBerry 8800 Series Lambskin Leather Tote, Ecru Tan for 8800, 8820, and 8830
BlackBerry 8800 Series Lambskin Leather Tote, Pitch Black for 8800, 8820, and 8830
BlackBerry 8800 Series Skin, White for 8800, 8820, and 8830
BlackBerry 8800 Series Lambskin Leather Tote, Pearl White for 8800, 8820, and 8830

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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best phone I've owned
Comment: The 8830 was my first smartphone/pda and it was a great choice! The Blackbery operating system is incredibly user friendly and simply just works.

As far as Blackberries are concerned, this one is great. They screen and keyboard are slightly larger than the more popular Curve. The phone itself feels sturdy and much more rugged than other Blackberries that tend to have a plasticy feel.

I have one 2 complaints. First is that the Blackberry browser sucks compared to most others.

Second is that this phone doesn't have a camera. Didn't think I'd miss it since I never used my camera on previous cell phones. However, with advancing mobile technology and the capabilities of smartphones, there is so much you can do with a camera these days. Blackberry App's like the one for Facebook are great if you have a camera.

If you don't want a camera, select this phone over the Curve...you'll be happy.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not that great.
Comment: I got this phone a year ago as an upgrade and consolidation of personal cellphone + work BB. I had a T-Mobile BB, and I miss it.

This phone has a delayed reaction to many things (marking multiple messages opened--even if only two at a time; delayed movement oncreen vs. trackball, etc.). I am told that it has something to do with the software coming from Verizon, as I had an 8800 series as well via T-Mobile). If this is the case, Verizon then needs to step it up.

Other thing, my trackball has a mind of its own. It highlights and calls people whenever it so chooses, sends blank text messages and also actual messages with text (it has highlighted phrases from some other message, copied and pasted into a new one while obtaining a recipient from my address book!). I am currently just lucky enough that it hasn't sent anything incriminating to anyone. Or at least I'm hoping it hasn't done that so far, I will never know.

Either my BB is possessed, or it sucks. I'm guessing supernatural forces are not a part of this equation. Other downside for me is that the ringtones are extremely low compared to other BBs, I have increased the volume on all of them and they don't match the lowest volume on others. If there is a happy medium in terms of ring volume between this one and the others, RIM will be golden.

In overall BB's defense, when exorcism is not needed and the handheld is working properly, it's great. Great for efficiency, makes lots of sense (once you get the icons down), and so easy with a full QWERTY keyboard to draft the emails in the middle of the night. Just be careful of emailing post-happy hour.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent phone
Comment: I got this as a corporate replacement for a Verizon XV-6700. What a difference! Blackberry sets the standard for smartphone design & engineering, and it shows.

Pros:
+ great battery life (4+ hours of talk time & 80+ hours standby time)
+ great coverage in my area (YMMV)
+ integrated clear screen protection to minimize breakage
+ integrated trackball for fast navigation without touchscreen
+ internal Mini-SD slot to minimize loss
+ lightweight and flat-profile makes carrying easy
+ Bluetooth works well
+ solid Outlook integration (Mail, Calendar, Address, Tasks, Notes)
+ actual keyboard and buttons for dialing
+ standard mini-USB plug for charging and data connection

Cons:
- Voice Dialing button active by default (remapped to Keylock)
- frequent re-crypt is an annoyance
- Blackberry Enterprise Server required for Outlook 2007 (MS broke)
- Verizon disables GPS to sell their stupid service

Overall, the Pros solidly outweigh the Cons. Blackberry makes a good phone, and I recommend it.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: BLACKBERRY PEARL - LOVE'N IT.
Comment: This product has a full keyboard great for you unlimited texters and provides easy quick ways to navigate to whatever you like.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Blackberry- The best
Comment: This is a fantastic Blackberry. It delivers all of the Blackberry fortes in great style and does it all with ease and BLAZING SPEED! Did I forget to mention that it will do this here in the US and ALL OVER THE WORLD! Audio is great! Speakerphone sounds awesome, even when it is on the passenger seat of my car and I'm going 80mph!

Email, audio, video and of course- the network is amazing! Never dropped a call in 2 years and I travel through NYC's canyon of skyscrapers and the tunnels into NJ all of the time.

You really can't go wrong with this piece. And, it is 3g to boot! Put this thing up against a Blackberry on a GSM "edge" connnection and you'll run circles around it.

What more is there to say? Get one...pronto!

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Editorial Reviews
With the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone, you'll enjoy fast, clear communication from Verizon here in the United States as well as seamless voice connectivity as you roam the globe. It's the first CDMA BlackBerry smartphone capable of roaming globally on GSM/GPRS networks, so you can travel the world with full mobile voice and data coverage without having to change smartphones, phone numbers or email addresses.

This sleek and performance–driven smartphone has been redesigned with trackball navigation and a new backlit QWERTY keyboard. It also offers support for Verizon's high-speed EV-DO data network and built-in GPS so you can take advantage of Verizon's optional VZ Navigator turn-by-turn direction service. And it continues to offer all the communication features that you've come to expect from Blackberry smartphones, including email served up by the BlackBerry Internet Service and a full menu of messaging options (SMS, MMS, and IM). Other features include Bluetooth for communication headsets, MicroSD memory expansion up to 4 GB, and an integrated digital audio player.

Switch seamlessly between CDMA (in the US) and GSM (when abroad) to make calls and access email with the Blackberry 8830.

Dual Connectivity
Perfect for the fashionable world-traveling professional, the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition and Verizon Wireless' Global BlackBerry service allow customers to access e-mail and place and receive domestic and international calls in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and parts of Africa. When used at home here in the U.S., you'll connect to Verizon's 800/1900 MHz CDMA network, as well as its 1xEV-DO 3G high-speed data network--which offers download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.)

But when you're traveling within a GSM network coverage area (900/1800 MHz) outside of the U.S. provided by Verizon Wireless' global roaming partners, the 8830 provides easy voice connectivity while roaming the globe. To use the 8830 outside of the U.S., customers should dial *611 from their Verizon Wireless phones to add global service to their calling plans before they leave home. You will also need a SIM card to use the phone on a foreign GSM network. (Note that you won't be able to access GSM here in the United States, as U.S. networks use the 850/1900 MHz GSM spectrum.)

Verizon Service Options
Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps.

With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.

Scroll and click through functions easily with the handy trackball navigation control, and quickly type email with the QWERTY keyboard.

Phone Features
The BlackBerry 8830 World Edition features a large high-resolution color display and intuitive trackball navigation to help you easily view e-mails, attachments, videos, and Web sites, and a back-lit QWERTY keyboard that makes it easy to send e-mail responses or instant messages with Mobile IM. The improved BlackBerry Browserhas a new "Page View" option that displays a full web page on the screen along with a magnifying glass that allows the user to quickly and accurately point and zoom in on a specific area of the web page.

The large screen has a 320 x 240-pixel resolution with support for up to 65K colors--plenty of real estate to view your e-mails, Web browser content, messaging sessions, and attachments. It comes with a 64 MB internal memory that can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB).

With a BlackBerry data plans from Verizon, you can receive e-mails instantaneously from up to 10 e-mail accounts (personal and enterprise). And with BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).

The digital audio player lets you listen to your favorite tunes stored on optional MicroSD cards, as well as play video files in vivid color. Shuffle your songs or enjoy your favorite playlist while you reply to messages. It supports MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, and WMA file formats. The Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity enables you to talk handsfree with a communication headset as well as use the phone wirelessly as a modem.

Other features include:

• Phone as Modem Capable: Use the included USB cable to connect to laptops for a wireless modem, or choose to run this capability via Bluetooth with no USB cable requirement.
• Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
• Dual–band 800/1900 Mhz 1xEV–DO networks
• Dual–band 900/1800 Mhz GSM/GPRS (outside North America)
• 64 MB Flash Memory/32 MB RAM
• BlackBerry 4.2 Desktop Software
• Ringtones: Polyphonic (MP3, MIDI) + vibrate
• Password protection and keyboard lock
• 2.5mm headset jack
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4

Vital Statistics
The BlackBerry 8830 weighs 4.6 ounces and measures 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.55 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 220 minutes of talk time, and up to 216 hours of standby time on CDMA networks. When on international GSM networks, the phone provides up to 300 minutes of talk time and up to 384 hours of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 MHz CDMA frequencies and is compatible with the EV-DO data network when on the Verizon network in the US; in international territories, it's compatible with 900/1800 MHz GSM/GPRS networks.