BlackBerry 7100 / 7105
Average Ratings
Nice little device!!!
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I've had my 7100r for a few weeks now and really like it. I'm a network admin, so I like having a cell phone sized device which also doubles for email. Battery life hasn't been an issue for me, at this point
It looks like I will be charging the unit once every 3-4 days.
I did find the email synchronization a little bit lacking for corporate email users who could not afford the BB server software. Without the server software you can only synchronize with the BB web
address that you receive when you sign up.
PROS -
1. Great reception
2. Nice big bright screen
3. Fast emails with Rogers service (usually within 30 seconds of being sent)
4. Easy to type messages
5. Syncs well with outlook 2003 using USB cable
6. Unit charges itself with a standard USB cable (no need for a second charger at work)
7. Speaker phone is great
CONS-
1. Documentation is very lacking in all ways
2. The Rogers tech support team didn't seem to know what they were doing when it came to blackberries
3. Blackberry charges for support
4. BB redirector software could do a better job at synchronizing corporate emails without the server software
5. BB holster needs to have a swivel belt clip
BlackBerry 7100
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This Phone is the best data phone Ive ever had!!! It does take some time to get use to, & wireless providers do need to add more support. I like because it is user friendly & its light weight. the draw backs are its hard to see the screen in the sunlight. the keys on the keypad are to close together. But you can't have everything. This is a great phone for the person on the go. And for people who don't need all the Blackberry bells & whistles.
My First Blackberry/"PDA"
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I never thought I'd own a PDA. Until I was forced to quickly find another job (on company time), and realized even web-based email was likely to be monitored. I didn't want the details of my job-search known, so I hesitantly shelled out a hefty $300 for the 7100t.
For me, size has always been the most important aspect of a cell phone. It's one more thing you gotta carry around, so the smaller the better. I'm coming from the extremely compact Nokia lineage of well-designed phone-only handsets (e.g. 6610), so I expect phones to be small.
The phone-like form factor was the deal maker for me. It's a start toward converting phone-users like me to the world of PDAs and handhelds. However, for my tastes, the size and weight of the 7100t are passable, but not ideal. What I gain in email functionality just barely offsets the increase in size. Thus, I'd say the 7100t marks the break-even point for users like me.
Battery life is OK. This is the type of gadget you expect to plug in to your home or work PC though, where you are typically stuck for hours anyway...so charging the device is less of an issue.
There is no substitute for typing on a full-sized Logitech PC keyboard, but the compact finger-typing layout of the 7100t is adequate for typing quick emails. It encourages you to be succinct, which is a good idea for email anyway. One good aspect of the SureType system vs. conventional predictive input is that more keys means fewer letters per key. With only 1 or 2 letters per key, the number of combinations from which to choose is reduced.
There are plenty of PROS, but I will focus on the CONS:
- Enter, Send, and End keys are too small. Need to be raised or larger. Hard to quickly end a call.
- Keys are too hard to press in general. Although prevents accidental key presses, it limits fast typing.
- Wheel button too firm (clicking should be a light motion, like on a mouse).
- Speaker too quiet, hard to hear over road noise.
Great convergance device with a so-so battery
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I've had my 7100r for just over two weeks (bought it on Ebay new for the same price Rogers sells it with a 3yr), and I think it's come to the point where I can write a decent review.
Pros:
Good reception
Huge, beautiful screen
Compact form factor
Speaker phone
Responsive UI
Good keyboard
Bluetooth headset support
Great USB sync
USB charging very handy (anywhere there's a PC!)
Cons:
Too quiet in loud areas (on a bus, busy streets)
Screen almost unreadable outdoors
Suretype has a few annoyances (like get/hey and see/are)
No EDGE
Limited Bluetooth profiles
Included case is half-decent
RF can't compare to a good Nokia
Poor battery life, I can barely go thought a 16 hour (school/work) day without it dying on the bus ride home
It's a great phone, and it has easily replaced my Nokia 3620/Dell Axim x3i combo so far.. All of my emails are redirected to my BB and I can't remember the last time I used an IM on my PC (make sure you check out Verichat or Webmessenger to add IM to your BB).
There is rather limited 3rd party software support at the time but the scene is growing steadily and I have a lot of faith that there will be more in the next 3-6 months.
Overall this phone is invaluable. I write a fair bit of email and a lot of text messages, and while not having a full keyboard is a step back compared to what I was coming from the 7100 is leaps and bounds ahead - I can type a good 30-40 wpm on this thing! The predictive text does definitely take some getting used to though...
All in all, as a working student that is never home this thing keeps me sane. Having access to my email, text and instant messaging everywhere is fantastic and I can barely put this thing down!
P.S. Buy a second, or higher capacity, battery.
Email and Phone but lacking as PDA
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I recently tried this phone with T Mobile for 10 days. The battery time is really adequate. You need to charge it daily but I don't understand the problem with that anyways. I use 3-4000 minutes per month and did not have a problem.
The RF was average. My wife has a Nokia on T Mobile and RF was significantly stronger.
The sure type key pad is actually pretty good. It is different and does take a day or 2 to get used to it. Once you get the hang of it you find the buttons are well sized and the software is fairly accurate. The auto type function is very usefull as well. You can literally save an entire page of text and type it into an email with the press of your set short cut keys.
The email function works great. I used the webclient and not a BES server. T Mobile gives you an email address with the account. The easiest method I found was to fwd your POP3 account to that address and you receive your emails on the device almost instantly.
The holster which comes with the phone has a magnet designed into it which allows you to set the phone to vibrate when in the holster and ring when out. Clever design since you do not have to remember to silence your device when going into meetings. The problem with the holster is the lack of swivel. It is very difficult when getting in and out of a car if worn on your belt.
The biggest short fall of this phone is its performance as a PDA. If all you want to do is sync your calendar and contacts with Outlook it is seamless. However, you cannot save or modify attachments or sync them with your PC. I currently have the Treo. Clearly it is more cumbersome in retreiving emails however, it does save attachments and allow you to modify them and resend or sync with your PC. Also the RF seems stronger and the battery time is longer. I think it is the better way to go for professionals. The BB is better for kids that just want to respond back and forth to simple emails.
Great phone
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After having researched a number of multi-band phones, I chose the BlackBerry 7100t. Great phone with all the needed stuff right there.
PROS -
Quad band
Great reception
Light weight
Great functionality, address book and calendar
Blue tooth
Syncs with multiple contact management programs.
T-Mobile's and Blackberry's customer service very helpful
Easy setup
CONS-
You can't schedule a meeting with people in your handheld's address book. Scheduling with contacts only possible through ACT or Outlook. This is the biggest drawback I have encountered so far.
Handheld Excellence
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Austin, Texas
Awesome phone!
Very intelligent software design. Text input is very user friendly and relatively easy to learn. You have choice of multiple fonts, styles, and sizes for text.
Web Browsing seems a little slow, similar to dial-up service...everything seems slow compared to high speed cable! Quality of images/text on web is incredible.
Screen is large and brightness can be adjusted to save on battery strain.
I am a Mac OSX 10.3.5 user and my only complaint is that the software provided is not Mac compatible. Hopefully that will get resolved soon.
I have shown the phone to several people at work and they are envious of the numerous quality features built into this phone.
This phone will spoil you! Get one before the rebate period ends at the end of this month.
Almost Was Disappointed
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So far so good....When i first got this phone i came back to the store ten minutes later and told them to take it back. The rep at the tmobile store told me to give a few days before i actually make my decision and let me tell you that was some great advice. Overall the phone does what it is supposed to menus and keys take getting used to but once you get the hang of it this phone becomes your best friend. If you are a business professional and are looking to keep your office on the go this is the phone for you. No fun and games just work.
Pros:
- Reception
- Bluetooth
- Durable Design
- Email and AIM work great
Cons:
- Menus are not easy take some getting use to.
- Battery is not as strong as i would like but gets me through the day.
All in all this is a great phone that gets the job done i have used every phone on the market from the treo 600 to the V600 and this phone gets my highest rating
Bought the first 7100t at the T-Mobile Store
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As a Blackberry, (BB) user, previously w/Nextel because of Speaker phone, I was really excited to see a new model come out w/better features, screen, smaller, Bluetooth, etc, & with a speaker phone which I both like and need.
As a real estate agent I "live" on a cell phone, (5000-6000 minutes a month), no games, not a toy, but my right arm, next to my laptop, my left arm. When I saw this phone on this web site, I immediately went to a T-Mobile store to be sure the mgr. would call me when the phones arrived.
Yesterday was my first day on the job with my new phone. Here are the PROS:
Light, easy to carry, looks more like phone than PDA, great screen, good color, easy to read. Easier to dial numbers than on last BB. Works well w/MS Outlook, easy snyc setup. And all cables & chargers with old BB work with new BB which is a big plus because, ONE REALLY BIG CON:
Using a phone as much as I do, the battery that comes with this unit cannot carry the load. Be prepared to charge unit in car, home office, other office, & where ever you find a wall plug because this battery will not, and I mean WILL NOT last long with any am't of usage. I recharged this battery 4 TIMES my first day of usage. And this was WITHOUT using the web or email functions. Had I used those, would have charged the unit even more.
BB better get a larger battery & FAST because this unit is DEFINITELY not for high end users. I would guess screen is a big power drain as well as spkr. phone.
More cons: Spkr. phone is not very loud. Ringer is not loud enough for my old ears, and the vibrator function, which I use the most, is hardly discernible when worn on your belt. User Manual not too good.
So far, am disappointed with phone but since I have a 30 day trial period, will give the unit a week or two of usage. Looks like BB rushed this unit to the mkt. without much research on usage capabilities.
I like BB's but right now, this one has a way to go before winning me over.
My switch to the 7100g from 7290
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The unit works better as a phone than the 7290 that I had. The web browsing is a little better. Typing a email is easier on the 7290.
The speaker phone could be a little louder.
This model is better for one hand users.
This model does not use icons in the navigation. I miss that feature.
Pros
smaller
speaker phone
better browsing
cons
I hate predictive text. It slows me down.
I rather the 7290 because of the key board.
