Upon further exploration, one sees the little currency / speakerphone button and the the light-sensing backlight. So far, so good.

The two “convenience” buttons on the front and the side are an interesting plus, too. Especially since they are programmable for almost anything you would like them to bring up.

The sound’s excellent, and while I haven’t “stress-tested” it out as thoroughly as my previous BB, I think the sound quality is a lot better than the previous ones.

One downside – I miss the sideways navigation keys. Unless I’m missing some instructions, I think those were dropped from the new keyboard layout. I can’t go from “M” to “T” in the calendar without scrolling through all of Monday’s appointments. Perhaps not a big deal, but I wonder if this could have a bigger impact when composing email / using text entry.

The HTML / WML browser is a big plus. Dito for the password-management program and the Pictures application. If you can’t figure out how to “upload” pictures into the 8700c, just attach ‘em into an email that you’ll open on the device. The “/home/user/pictures” Save location is accessed by the Pictures application. Interestingly enough, pictures get resampled (and resized) VERY well. A drastic drop in file size with a negligible loss in picture quality / resolution. Kudos to RIM!

The “Themes” are interesting, too. I think I’ll keep the “icons” on for now and move to the “lists” eventually – with a custom picture as the background.

Another little nit-pick. The microphone port / “hole” is on the left of the device, as compared to down the center / bottom in the previous ones. Not that this affects voice quality at all, though.

The SIM card holder is a lot better constructed than the previous models, too. I know this one will hold the SIM right and tight.

All in all, four stars out of five. I would attribute the one missing star to it not offering BlueTooth data connectivity to laptops.

Upon further exploration, one sees the little currency / speakerphone button and the the light-sensing backlight. So far, so good.

The two “convenience” buttons on the front and the side are an interesting plus, too. Especially since they are programmable for almost anything you would like them to bring up.

The sound’s excellent, and while I haven’t “stress-tested” it out as thoroughly as my previous BB, I think the sound quality is a lot better than the previous ones.

One downside – I miss the sideways navigation keys. Unless I’m missing some instructions, I think those were dropped from the new keyboard layout. I can’t go from “M” to “T” in the calendar without scrolling through all of Monday’s appointments. Perhaps not a big deal, but I wonder if this could have a bigger impact when composing email / using text entry.

The HTML / WML browser is a big plus. Dito for the password-management program and the Pictures application. If you can’t figure out how to “upload” pictures into the 8700c, just attach ‘em into an email that you’ll open on the device. The “/home/user/pictures” Save location is accessed by the Pictures application. Interestingly enough, pictures get resampled (and resized) VERY well. A drastic drop in file size with a negligible loss in picture quality / resolution. Kudos to RIM!

The “Themes” are interesting, too. I think I’ll keep the “icons” on for now and move to the “lists” eventually – with a custom picture as the background.

Another little nit-pick. The microphone port / “hole” is on the left of the device, as compared to down the center / bottom in the previous ones. Not that this affects voice quality at all, though.

The SIM card holder is a lot better constructed than the previous models, too. I know this one will hold the SIM right and tight.

All in all, four stars out of five. I would attribute the one missing star to it not offering BlueTooth data connectivity to laptops.

I’m especially dissatisfied that I cannot use it as a modem for my laptop. If I don’t find a hack for it soon, I’ll probably get rid of it. Seems an awful waste to spend so much money and not gain that functionality.

I’m especially dissatisfied that I cannot use it as a modem for my laptop. If I don’t find a hack for it soon, I’ll probably get rid of it. Seems an awful waste to spend so much money and not gain that functionality.

Look and feel is miles above the 7290. It feels modern now. Really crisp graphics , animation and great sound. Great speakerphone. A tiny bit thinner and lighter. Also the extra buttons take some getting used to.

So far my only real complaint is the keys. They are even smaller and I have had much more difficulty typing. The EDGE-enabled web browsing does not seem to be much faster, but I really haven’t used it much.

Look and feel is miles above the 7290. It feels modern now. Really crisp graphics , animation and great sound. Great speakerphone. A tiny bit thinner and lighter. Also the extra buttons take some getting used to.

So far my only real complaint is the keys. They are even smaller and I have had much more difficulty typing. The EDGE-enabled web browsing does not seem to be much faster, but I really haven’t used it much.

Drawbacks:
1) Bluetooth ONLY supports Microsoft XP SP2 version! Tech support is clueless unless you are hooking up a headset…
2) Currently you CANT use the nice fast EDGE as a modem with your laptop Very sad about this and may have to return. Been doing with a v600 for 2 years.
3) Web browser is WEAK and won’t load lots of sites very well like http://www.delta.com etc.
Compared to a PocketPC browser or even Treo 650 it is just weak. I know it is rocking compared to previous RIM’s, but it still needs work.

As a phone/email device it rocks. The Edge is super fast… If you are a BB addict it is time to upgrade.

Drawbacks:
1) Bluetooth ONLY supports Microsoft XP SP2 version! Tech support is clueless unless you are hooking up a headset…
2) Currently you CANT use the nice fast EDGE as a modem with your laptop Very sad about this and may have to return. Been doing with a v600 for 2 years.
3) Web browser is WEAK and won’t load lots of sites very well like http://www.delta.com etc.
Compared to a PocketPC browser or even Treo 650 it is just weak. I know it is rocking compared to previous RIM’s, but it still needs work.

As a phone/email device it rocks. The Edge is super fast… If you are a BB addict it is time to upgrade.

Very nice review. I too am disappointed about the lack of Java but love the 8700c overall.

David

Very nice review. I too am disappointed about the lack of Java but love the 8700c overall.

David

-Reception: Clear and constant. I did some driving around the metro area, through spots where the Treo would drop calls. The 8700c kept the call online – a definite improvement.

-Clarity: The screen is sharp and vibrant. I like the new themes, the expanded fonts, and the wallpaper selection. I can even send emails to expand the choices.

-Buttons: Easy to use – the new programmable button on the left is a nice touch. Keyboard is well spaced and easy to use.

-Ease of use: Incredible! It took a while to get use to the wheel – very sensitive – but I like the ability to cut & paste across the different applications and fields.

-Functions: Standard apps – mail, calendar, etc. – all present and accounted for. They also included a Breakout game – I’m addicted already.

-Other comments: Bluetooth – solid, works great. Size and weight – comfortable and light. Volume/speakerphone – it sounds equal or better to a landline!

and lastly, my favorite:
-Internet: With Cingular EDGE, I can download a page in less than 15 seconds. There’s even the ability to cache pages – I set google as my home page, and it loads in under a second now!

Now, a few drawbacks:
-No ability to dial using voice. I think RIMM has a mental block against this feature!
-No JAVAScript. I’m going to need to do a little research to find the mobile version of some web sites.
-No ability to expand memory. I’m using it for everything – hopefully it’s got the built-in capacity! Stay tuned…

All in all – a definite winner! I’ve haven’t been this impressed with a new “gadget” since I met my first Palm PDA!

Final Score: 9.5/10

-Reception: Clear and constant. I did some driving around the metro area, through spots where the Treo would drop calls. The 8700c kept the call online – a definite improvement.

-Clarity: The screen is sharp and vibrant. I like the new themes, the expanded fonts, and the wallpaper selection. I can even send emails to expand the choices.

-Buttons: Easy to use – the new programmable button on the left is a nice touch. Keyboard is well spaced and easy to use.

-Ease of use: Incredible! It took a while to get use to the wheel – very sensitive – but I like the ability to cut & paste across the different applications and fields.

-Functions: Standard apps – mail, calendar, etc. – all present and accounted for. They also included a Breakout game – I’m addicted already.

-Other comments: Bluetooth – solid, works great. Size and weight – comfortable and light. Volume/speakerphone – it sounds equal or better to a landline!

and lastly, my favorite:
-Internet: With Cingular EDGE, I can download a page in less than 15 seconds. There’s even the ability to cache pages – I set google as my home page, and it loads in under a second now!

Now, a few drawbacks:
-No ability to dial using voice. I think RIMM has a mental block against this feature!
-No JAVAScript. I’m going to need to do a little research to find the mobile version of some web sites.
-No ability to expand memory. I’m using it for everything – hopefully it’s got the built-in capacity! Stay tuned…

All in all – a definite winner! I’ve haven’t been this impressed with a new “gadget” since I met my first Palm PDA!

Final Score: 9.5/10