BlackBerry 8700g: Zippier and still a workhorse

What's it packing behind a stylish makeover? Speed

By Michelle Johnson

April 26, 2006 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - T-Mobile USA Inc.'s new BlackBerry 8700g is certainly a looker. But what's it packing behind a stylish makeover? Answer: Speed.

Research In Motion Ltd. focused on speed with this latest model of the BlackBerry, which was introduced at the recent Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) trade show in Las Vegas (see "New wireless wonders") and uncorked by T-Mobile last week.

For starters, the 8700g is powered by an Intel PXA901 XScale processor running at 312 MHz. It's got 64MB of flash memory, 16MB of synchronous dynamic RAM and runs on T-Mobile's EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution) high-speed network. RIM has also tacked on features to speed up mundane chores such as message composition and e-mail setup.

The 8700g borrows some of its styling from the slimmer, more phonelike BlackBerry 7100 line, but it retains the "traditional" blocky BlackBerry shape and ease of use. The quad-band Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service phone can work overseas and supports Bluetooth 2.0.


T-Mobile USA Inc.'s new BlackBerry 8700g

At 4.7 oz., the 8700g is just a tiny bit lighter and smaller than the BlackBerry 7290, which weighs 4.9 oz. Its 35-key backlit QWERTY keyboard is slightly smaller, too, and the keys are closer together. I found it OK to use, but good luck to folks with larger hands or those used to the older-style keyboard, because this one is pretty tightly packed.

More impressive is the 8700g's bright, 65,000-color, 320- by 240-pixel QVGA display. A new built-in light sensor automatically adjusts the screen's brightness depending on the ambient light. So, for instance, it changes as you walk into a darkened room or bright sunlight. I particularly liked this hands-off feature, which worked as advertised and made the sharp screen readable indoors and out. Of course, you can tweak the settings manually.

Pick up the 8700g, and the first thing you notice is that its snazzy plastic case feels a little, well, toylike, making me a little suspicious about how well it will hold up under rigorous use.

You'll find the BlackBerry's fabled trackwheel and Escape/Back button on the right edge. A headphone jack, a USB port and a programmable soft key that can be configured to open applications are on the left side. The power button and a new mute button are located on the top edge, with a speakerphone on the rear.

The 8700g also features new dedicated Send and End keys for phone calls and a second programmable soft key just above the keyboard. A color-coded LED above the top right of the screen blinks to indicate wireless activity (green), low battery (yellow), incoming messages (red) and Bluetooth connection (blue, of course).

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