Photo gallery:RIM BlackBerry 8800
Since its release in September, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl has received much praise from users, earning an average 8.2 user rating. The sleek new design and added multimedia capabilities were a hit, and they made the Pearl a more attractive and viable option for consumers. Yet, there were segments of the market--power business users and SureType keyboard haters--who shunned the Pearl in favor of the full QWERTY keyboards on their traditional BlackBerrys. Not so anymore.
Making its debut at the 3GSM World Congress, the RIM BlackBerry 8800 brings the sexier look and versatility of the Pearl to a full QWERTY device. Not only do you get multimedia functionality and expandable memory, but the 8800 also offers integrated GPS and push-to-talk capabilities. Mobile professionals will be served well by this device. Of course, it's not perfect. We're disappointed by the lack of 3G support and integrated Wi-Fi, and call quality wasn't as good as we had hoped. Also, the device is quite wide, making it a tad awkward to hold as a phone. All that said, messaging is still king on this device, and it performs those duties well. The RIM BlackBerry 8800 is available now for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after mail-in rebates.
