| Design | 3.5/5 |
| Display & Interface | 3.5/5 |
| Calling | 4.5/5 |
| Talk time | 5/5 |
| Messaging | 4/5 |
| Music | 2/5 |
| Video | 2/5 |
| Camera | 0/5 |
| Memory | 2/5 |
| Web browsing | 2.5/5 |
| Connectivity | 2/5 |
| Productivity | 2/5 |
| Scheduling | 3/5 |
| Laptop sidekick | 2.5/5 |
| Navigation | 2/5 |
| Gaming | 2/5 |
| Mobile services | 3/5 |
| Accessories | 2/5 |
| Value | 2.5/5 |
|
Pros:
Excellent calling capabilities; best-in-class battery; slim design; trackball is great for navigation. |
 |
Cons:
Dated interface; lacks 3G connectivity; creaky construction; multimedia could be better. |
|
| Conclusion: |
|
| When thinking about the problems with the BlackBerry 8800, we're tempted to paraphrase James Carville by saying: It's the interface, stupid. The BlackBerry 8800 has a great feature set, including the well-designed trackball, GPS-navigation, an excellent microphone and speaker for calling, as well as a bright, clear screen. Still, the interface holds the phone back in almost every way. Even worse than the lack of 3G networking, a feature most true business users won't miss, is the poor interface design, which hasn't changed noticeably from monochromatic days of BlackBerrys past. With Windows Mobile 6 on the near-horizon, and Apple's magical iPhone interface not too far off, RIM needs to redesign the interface from the ground up to remain competitive. The device does a great job with e-mail and calling, admittedly its primary functions, but should be a much more pleasant phone to use. |
|
|
|
|
|
Archive