There was a time when Blackberries were big stodgy clumsy brick like PDA affairs. Some were even without phone functionality. But all that has changed as RIM has been slowly making it's devices more consumer friendly and keeping them up with the times. Gone are the days when only your dad and his corporate friends had RIM devices. Today's Blackberries are thin, modern, and slick even, boasting such features as media playback, and even cameras on some models! Enter the 8800 then, RIM's second foray into the modern device arena, the first being the Blackberry Pearl. As with the Pearl, gone are the bulky size and weight of the old Blackberries along with some old standbys such as the scroll wheel and passive screen.
New to the 8800 are the now standard trackball (ala the Sidekick 3) and a dedicated Back and Blackberry menu key. The device has also been put on a diet since we last saw the 8700. Coming in at a little under .6 inches thick, the 8800 is satisfyingly thin and really makes using and holding the device a pleasure. Even though some of the cosmetics of the device have changed, it's still a Blackberry through and through. Shiny black plastics cover the phone along with nice chrome side panels. We are happy to report that the T-mobile version of the device does not have the creaky side panels that the Cingular device was plagued with. We also like the black plastic used instead of the blue that the Cingular version used.
Quad band EDGE/GPRS/GSM round out the device along with a 2.4 inch QVGA screen. Just like it's Cingular counterpart, the 8800 includes a built-in GPS chip and Blackberry Maps software. Included in the package is a 60 day trial of TeleNav mapping software. While the GPS takes an eternity to lock onto a signal, once it does it is both reliable and accurate. Locking on again from a warm or hot boot takes about 30 seconds to a minute. While Blackberry Maps doesn't offer turn by turn directions the included trial of TeleNav does and works just like you'd expect it to. At first glance I couldn't imagine what I would need a GPS chip for, but after using it for awhile, I really like how handy it had become and used it often, not just just for directions but for fun as well. It's something I really miss in my iPhone. Other wise you get a pretty typical Blackberry experience with the 8800.
As always you get the excellent push mail experience and the simple yet very effective Blackberry user interface. New to these devices is the limited but effective media player and a memory card slot for adding music, videos and pictures. The slot is located underneath the battery cover. While this isn't ideal, it's better than the Pearls implementation of the slot being located under the actual battery. There is no camera on this device so the only way to load up pics is through the memory slot or via MMS. For those of you looking for a camera and full keyboard the Blackberry 8300 has you covered.
The keyboard is a full QWERTY one and while usable, it's hardly the best one out there. With that said, we still prefer any QWERTY over none (iPhone included) and got pretty good with it over a very short time. The keys are kinda mushy and hard to feel by touch alone due to the lack of spacing between the keys. The over all control and input features of the 8800 took a bit of getting used to coming from a 8700 device, but with a little time and effort, you too will be pounding out messages and texts like you were before. One other thing to note is that the sound quality of these new RIM devices keeps getting better and better with ever new one introduced and the 8800 is no exception. Calls were clear and loud and signal reception is good to great. Out going audio was also good with callers saying they heard us just fine. Battery life was also great with little to no usage you can easily go 3 or 4 days on a charge. With moderate to heavy usage, expect to charge every other night. These are impressive numbers for a device that always has an active data connection. Try going 2 nights with a Windows Mobile device running push mail and you will be sorry you didn't bring a spare battery or charger.
So is this the device for you? Well that depends. Do you need or want a camera? If so then I suggest you check out RIM's other do all device the 8300, with its better keyboard and camera and smaller size it just might suite you better. But if the camera isn't your thing, then the 8800 is for you with its built-in GPS chip and arguably better looks and finish the Blackberry 8800 just might be the thing you've been looking for.
As always, hit up the comments if you have any questions, and come back again for my review of Sony Ericsson's latest, the P1i.
