RIM BlackBerry 8800 Video

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Created: 02/22/2007

Video description: The RIM BlackBerry 8800 is a full QWERTY smart phone and taking a page from its slimmer sibling, the BlackBerry Pearl, it sports a new, sleek black casing, a trackball navigator, and a built-in media player for music and videos.

RIM BlackBerry 8800 Video Transcript

[ Music ] ^M00:00:01

>> Hi, this is Bonnie Cha, senior associate editor at CNET.com and today we're taking a first look at the sexy and sleek RIM Blackberry 8800. This is the new Blackberry device that takes after the Blackberry Pearl but this has a full QWERTY keyboard as you can see it has the new trackball and a sleeker design. I've got the 8700C here so you can kind of compare. It's a little bit taller but definitely thinner and just sexier all around. I'm still getting used to the track ball. I feel like its a little loose and just navigations a little harder. I kind of miss the Jug though, that was fun on the older Blackberry's. Otherwise the keyboard is pretty good, the little ridges here that help you tap away your text messages and emails. It's a little slippery, the keys, I feel like. On the back, there is a micro SC slot behind the battery cover but you're going to have to get your workout in because the battery cover is really hard to take off. The 8800 does have push to talk services through Cingular and there's also integrated GPS so you can use this as a navigation device. Cingular does offer a TeleNav service so you can get driving directions and maps but that will cost you extra. Also new to the 8800 is a media player so you can watch videos and listen to music as well as an image viewer but there is no camera on this version so you'll have to get images onto your phone another way. The 8800 offers all the Blackberry email services that we've come to love to push email capabilities and also email attachment viewing. The RIM Blackberry 8800 is available now through Cingular at 299.99 at watch with a two year service agreement. I'm Bonnie Cha, this has been the RIM Blackberry 8800. ^M00:01:41 [ Music ]

RIM BlackBerry 8800 (AT&T) Review

Editors' rating

7.7

out of 10

Price range

$179.99

See all 2 stores

The good: Boasting a sleek and sexy design, the RIM BlackBerry 8800 offers integrated GPS, push-to-talk capabilities, and multimedia features. The quadband smart phone also has Bluetooth, push e-mail, a full QWERTY keyboard, and long talk-time battery life.

The bad: Unfortunately, the BlackBerry 8800 doesn't work on Cingular's 3G network nor does it have integrated Wi-Fi. Call quality was a little muffled, and the phone is quite wide and awkward to hold. The media player could also use some refinements, and instant messaging is limited to the BlackBerry Messenger client.

The bottom line: Despite some minor issues, the RIM BlackBerry 8800 offers mobile professionals a well-rounded smart phone with added multimedia functions, GPS, and push-to-talk capabilities. That said, messaging remains its forte.

Read full review