The 8800 combines the Pearl’s glossy styling and trackball navigation with all the familiar BlackBerry features – notably that QWERTY keypad, of course, but also the user interface – and then included a built-in GPS facility that integrates with Blackberry Maps and email, so that it’s easy to get and sending directions. Other clever bits from the Pearl include the light sensor that automatically ups the brightness in dark environments.
It feels good in the hand, and RIM has done a great engineering job with the build quality, skinny profile and excellent battery life – and this time you can access the microSD memory card slot underneath the battery cover without actually having to remove the battery itself.
Obviously missing: a camera, 3G, HSPDA and WiFi. All of those would represent a drain on the battery, of course, but RIM says some or all will be along later in future models. The keyboard feels a tad cramped, especially by comparison with the BlackBerry 8700.
• Nice try, but needs 3G and/or WiFi to be really competitive
FEATURES 85%
SALEABILITY 85%
Obviously missing: a camera, 3G, HSPDA and WiFi. All of those would represent a drain on the battery, of course, but RIM says some or all will be along later in future models. The keyboard feels a tad cramped, especially by comparison with the BlackBerry 8700.
• Nice try, but needs 3G and/or WiFi to be really competitive
FEATURES 85%
SALEABILITY 85%
SPECIFICATION
Size
Length 114mm
Width 66m
Depth 14mm
Weight
134g
Main display
TFT, 65K colours, 320x240 pixels
Camera
No
Connectivity
Quadband GSM, Bluetooth 2.0, USB
Battery
Standby 530h
Talk time 5h
Features
Media player, full QWERTY keypad, push email, built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps
Size
Length 114mm
Width 66m
Depth 14mm
Weight
134g
Main display
TFT, 65K colours, 320x240 pixels
Camera
No
Connectivity
Quadband GSM, Bluetooth 2.0, USB
Battery
Standby 530h
Talk time 5h
Features
Media player, full QWERTY keypad, push email, built-in GPS with BlackBerry maps