RIM® Blackberry 8830 Worldphone For Verizon (CDMA) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)FINALLY! A SmartPhone that keeps you productive and doesn't hassle you with malfunctions!
As you can probably surmise, I'm coming over from the Windows Mobile platform. After several years of wrestling with those units (especially Treos), I decided to give the BlackBerry 8830 a try, and am I glad that I did. I've had the opportunity to own/use this unit for several months now. There is just no comparison. The 8830 lives up to its promises, and is actually enjoyable to use.
This model is
- Reliable: It just works, and it keeps working. No hiccups, malfunctions or resetting.
- A Great Business Tool: As a PDA power user, I need a unit that reliably synchs wirelessly with our mail server to keep my email, calendar, contacts, tasks and notes current. The 8830 does this real-time without getting bogged down and crashing. It excels in this area.
- Readable: You can change the default screen font in the Options settings to enlarge and/or embolden the display text across all functions.
- Call clarity: Conversations are clear and audible on both ends.
- Smart: RIM built in some nice behavior that changes the display brightness with environmental lighting and also changes the ring mode when the unit is holstered.
- The keyboard offers excellent tactile feedback.
- The blue-tooth has worked with headsets and hands-free speakers nicely.
- Robust: I dropped the unit a few times (once on a marble floor), and it still works great.
I've found several minor drawbacks:
- The ringer, even when loudest, isn't quite loud enough in noisier environments. Often, I won't hear the ringer in the car.
- There is only 1 alarm. I've been accustomed to having the ability to simultaneously set alarms that ring during the week, on weekends, etc. The 8830 offers these modes, but not concurrently.
- The speakerphone volume isn't very loud. Honestly, this seems to apply to most of the phones that I've owned.
- I've had problems with the voice-command accuracy.
Recommendation:
This is likley the best SmartPhone I've ever owned. Its very functional and very reliable. I highly recommend it.


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With the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone, you'll enjoy fast, clear communication from Verizon here in the United States as well as seamless voice connectivity as you roam the globe. It's the first CDMA BlackBerry smartphone capable of roaming globally on GSM/GPRS networks, so you can travel the world with full mobile voice and data coverage without having to change smartphones, phone numbers or email addresses.
This sleek and performance–driven smartphone has been redesigned with trackball navigation and a new backlit QWERTY keyboard. It also offers support for Verizon's high-speed EV-DO data network and built-in GPS so you can take advantage of Verizon's optional VZ Navigator turn-by-turn direction service. And it continues to offer all the communication features that you've come to expect from Blackberry smartphones, including email served up by the BlackBerry Internet Service and a full menu of messaging options (SMS, MMS, and IM). Other features include Bluetooth for communication headsets, MicroSD memory expansion up to 4 GB, and an integrated digital audio player.
Dual Connectivity Perfect for the fashionable world-traveling professional, the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition and Verizon Wireless' Global BlackBerry service allow customers to access e-mail and place and receive domestic and international calls in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and parts of Africa. When used at home here in the U.S., you'll connect to Verizon's 800/1900 MHz CDMA network, as well as its 1xEV-DO 3G high-speed data network--which offers download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.)
But when you're traveling within a GSM network coverage area (900/1800 MHz) outside of the U.S. provided by Verizon Wireless' global roaming partners, the 8830 provides easy voice connectivity while roaming the globe. To use the 8830 outside of the U.S., customers should dial *611 from their Verizon Wireless phones to add global service to their calling plans before they leave home. You will also need a SIM card to use the phone on a foreign GSM network. (Note that you won't be able to access GSM here in the United States, as U.S. networks use the 850/1900 MHz GSM spectrum.)
Verizon Service Options Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access Verizon's VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps.
With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices.
Phone Features The BlackBerry 8830 World Edition features a large high-resolution color display and intuitive trackball navigation to help you easily view e-mails, attachments, videos, and Web sites, and a back-lit QWERTY keyboard that makes it easy to send e-mail responses or instant messages with Mobile IM. The improved BlackBerry Browserhas a new "Page View" option that displays a full web page on the screen along with a magnifying glass that allows the user to quickly and accurately point and zoom in on a specific area of the web page.
The large screen has a 320 x 240-pixel resolution with support for up to 65K colors--plenty of real estate to view your e-mails, Web browser content, messaging sessions, and attachments. It comes with a 64 MB internal memory that can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB).
With a BlackBerry data plans from Verizon, you can receive e-mails instantaneously from up to 10 e-mail accounts (personal and enterprise). And with BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).
The digital audio player lets you listen to your favorite tunes stored on optional MicroSD cards, as well as play video files in vivid color. Shuffle your songs or enjoy your favorite playlist while you reply to messages. It supports MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, and WMA file formats. The Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity enables you to talk handsfree with a communication headset as well as use the phone wirelessly as a modem.
Other features include:
Phone as Modem Capable: Use the included USB cable to connect to laptops for a wireless modem, or choose to run this capability via Bluetooth with no USB cable requirement.
Bluetooth version 2.0 with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
Dual–band 800/1900 Mhz 1xEV–DO networks
Dual–band 900/1800 Mhz GSM/GPRS (outside North America)
64 MB Flash Memory/32 MB RAM
BlackBerry 4.2 Desktop Software
Ringtones: Polyphonic (MP3, MIDI) + vibrate
Password protection and keyboard lock
2.5mm headset jack
Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4

Vital Statistics The BlackBerry 8830 weighs 4.6 ounces and measures 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.55 inches. Its 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 220 minutes of talk time, and up to 216 hours of standby time on CDMA networks. When on international GSM networks, the phone provides up to 300 minutes of talk time and up to 384 hours of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 MHz CDMA frequencies and is compatible with the EV-DO data network when on the Verizon network in the US; in international territories, it's compatible with 900/1800 MHz GSM/GPRS networks.

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