| With the success of the BlackBerry Pearl, the | | | | The software package bundled within the 8800 |
| company best known for providing business solutions | | | | certainly helps keep this phone consistent with other |
| has surfaced as a potential player in the "stylish" | | | | BlackBerries. You'll recognize the speed, ease of use, |
| smartphone market, spreading its wings to include | | | | and stability -- especially in the email client. Set up |
| multimedia features and other add-ons designed to | | | | accounts from Yahoo! to Outlook Access online, and |
| excite a consumer audience. The BlackBerry 8800 | | | | the 8800 integrates everything perfectly. TeleNav |
| represents another step towards that end, springing to | | | | GPS software is also built right in, along with a solid |
| life as a hybrid of the Pearl and more traditional | | | | Web browser and slightly stripped down versions of |
| BlackBerry models. | | | | MS Office and Opera Mini. |
| The BlackBerry 8800 is the first offering from RIM to | | | | In addition to the typical productivity functions, the |
| include a full keyboard, a music player, and a trackball. | | | | BlackBerry 8800 comes complete with music and |
| As such, it stands apart from the Pearl, which is a | | | | video players, which allow you to load songs and |
| much more streamlined version of the BlackBerry | | | | videos from your PC straight to the phone using an |
| motif. The 8800 is hardly bulky, though, measuring just | | | | included media manager. The media files reside on a |
| 0.6" thick, to go with its 4.5" x 2.6" frame. The first thing | | | | removable MicroSD memory chip. |
| that jumped out at me was the screen; the 320 by | | | | Calls are loud and clear, both through the earpiece and |
| 240 pixel display is stunningly bright, and the colors | | | | the speakerphone. Reception also tends to be very |
| sharply distinguished. Plus, like the Pearl, this screen | | | | good, and the 8800 handles international roaming, |
| adjusts its own brightness depending on ambient light. | | | | making it ideal for travel. It operates on the EDGE data |
| This phone's usability might put it at the top of the | | | | network, which leaves something to be desired in |
| entire BlackBerry family. While the keyboard is slightly | | | | terms of connection speeds, but also saves on battery |
| more cramped than the older and wider BlackBerries, | | | | life over some of the faster 3G-enabled smartphones. |
| the keys are well-delineated and the learning curve is | | | | In the end, there are still trade-offs to be made. If you |
| not terribly steep. However, what sets the 8800 apart | | | | value a high-speed 3G connection, you may be better |
| from other full-keyboard BlackBerry phones is its | | | | off with something like the BlackBerry 8703e a device |
| trackball. While some folks might initially miss the | | | | which tilts towards the business/productivity side of the |
| signature side-mounted wheel, the ability to scroll | | | | spectrum. However, if you place more importance on |
| horizontally, even diagonally, is a huge step forward for | | | | a slick interface, excellent e-mail service, and an |
| the business-oriented user. The trackball has a precise | | | | integrated music player, the BlackBerry 8800 is tough |
| feel to it, and responds to just the right amount of | | | | to top. For pricing info, visit a site like Wirefly.com, which |
| pressure; plus, the BlackBerry 8800 is still easy to | | | | allows you to compare and contrast features of all |
| operate with one hand, despite the new navigation. | | | | available BlackBerry phone models. |