RIM BlackBerry 7100t/Smart Phones For Globe Trotters

5. RIM BlackBerry 7100t

Product Summary

The good: The attractive and compact RIM BlackBerry 7100t is a world phone with extensive e-mail support, a vivid color display, a speakerphone, and an easy-to-use interface.

The bad: The downsides of the BlackBerry 7100t are its limited Bluetooth functionality, its lack of expandable memory, its mixed sound quality, and its awkward QWERTY-like keyboard.

The bottom line: Though the BlackBerry 7100t is a great option for RIM newbies, we were hoping for more consumer-friendly functionality with the Bluetooth.

Specs: Carrier: T-Mobile; OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software; Installed RAM: 4 MB

Our first look at Research In Motion's (RIM) would-be Treo-killer, the BlackBerry 7100t, generated quite a buzz. Hard-core BlackBerry devotees derided the company's foray into more phonelike devices, while others didn't quite understand the QWERTY-esque keyboard. Conversely, some users celebrated the sleek form factor and the bright color screen. Regardless of where you stand on these issues, the fact remains that at $199 (with a T-Mobile service contract) and coupled with the long-awaited (albeit limited) Bluetooth and great e-mail support, the 7100t is poised to bring a new crop of users into the world of the BlackBerry.

Design of RIM BlackBerry 7100t (T-Mobile)

The RIM BlackBerry 7100t's unique design is the first thing that will strike experienced BlackBerry users. In fact, RIM refers to the 7100t as a BlackBerry phone, stepping away from the more traditional PDA-like design of previous models such as the BlackBerry 7230. Styled in pleasant blue and gray, the 7100t's slim and lightweight dimensions (4.7 by 2.3 by 0.7 inches; 4.3 ounces) give it the ability to fit in most pockets, and it feels comfortable to hold while you're talking. You'll also notice that the 65,536-color, 2.1-inch (diagonal) screen is vivid and well lit, and the icons are easy to discern in the user-friendly menus. In standby mode, the screen shows the main menu in addition to the date, time, battery life, and signal strength. Caller ID (where available) is included, and you can change the font size and style. Our only gripe: The BlackBerry goes completely dark when the backlighting is off, so make sure to adjust it accordingly.

Slim and trim: The 7100t is thinner than most BlackBerry devices.

Aside from its sleek form factor, the 7100t's most notable feature is the 20-button keypad, which is a combination of a standard QWERTY keyboard and a more traditional cell phone keypad. We say it's a combination because rather than each character having its own key, each button has two or more characters that are accessed by pushing it several times, similar to basic text messaging on a standard cell phone. While the design ensures a trimmer keyboard size, we quickly found that typing messages involves a learning curve. To help, RIM includes SureType technology (which completes words for you) to streamline the text-entry process, but more often than not, it was simply faster to just type the words ourselves. We encountered another issue with the keypad; the 7100t doesn't use a standard cell phone layout, so when you enter passwords, you'll have to remember them as numbers instead. For instance, on a standard cell phone, the 5 key is also JKL, but on the 7100t, the 5 key is GH. We point this out as a minor nuisance that is easily overcome with increased use.

Tap dance: The 7100t has an alternative keypad.

Wheelie: Use the scrollwheel and the Escape key to browse the menus.

Included on the keypad is a shortcut to T-Mobile's T-zones and the Web browser, a button for shifting text, and Return and Delete keys. On the right side of the phone are a jog dial that scrolls through menu items and messages, and you can push it in to select a highlighted item. Additionally, there's an Escape key that takes the user back one page at a time. Though it's mostly easy to use, we found in some cases it was a bit sensitive, and we ended up selecting an item when we wanted to scroll past it. The 7100t also boasts a power button on the top of the case, an earphone jack and USB port on its left side, and a speaker on its rear face.

Features of RIM BlackBerry 7100t (T-Mobile)

The RIM BlackBerry 7100t's address book is limited by only the available memory. Each contact holds eight phone numbers, an e-mail address, and two postal addresses (an additional 250 names can be stored on the SIM card). You also can enter Web pages, personal information, and notes under each name, as well as customize other fields to your liking. Contacts can be organized into caller groups, but you can't assign ring tones, and there's no picture caller ID. Other features include a calendar, a memo pad, a task list, an alarm clock, 32 polyphonic ring tones, and a vibrate mode. While the 7100t has 32MB of internal flash memory, it lacks an expansion slot.

The inclusion of a long-awaited speakerphone was a definite plus, but we were disappointed by the integrated Bluetooth. Though the 7100t is one of a few BlackBerries to support Bluetooth, it can be used only to connect with a headset and not to sync with other devices. While we could also sync with our calendar and e-mail (see below), we nevertheless were puzzled why a business-friendly device such as the 7100t would boast such a high-end feature but limit its functionality.

Primarily an enterprise product, the 7100t easily connects to Microsoft Exchange and BlackBerry servers as well as Lotus Notes servers using the desktop redirector software. E-mail delivery is in real time, and both messages and the calendar can be synced to the device. If that isn't enough or if you don't work for a company that has BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed, you can opt for BlackBerry Web Client, which is included in the T-Mobile package service plan. It allows you to have e-mail messages wirelessly forwarded to your 7100t from up to 10 POP3 or IMAP4 accounts every 15 minutes.

The Internet chat program is compatible with AIM, Yahoo, and ICQ clients, and there's also a full-featured Web browser and text messaging. You can now open a wide variety of e-mail attachments--most importantly, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, as well as Adobe PDFs--and view them on the device. Unfortunately, it's a read-only situation, as you can't edit said files and send it back to a colleague.

Multimedia options were limited. The 7100t doesn't play MP3s, and you get only one Java (J2ME) game: BrickBreaker. Alternatively, you can download third-party applications or access T-zones for ring tones and games and to browse through news, weather, and sports scores. Though a selection of wallpaper is included, you always can get more from T-Mobile.

Performance of RIM BlackBerry 7100t (T-Mobile)

We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS) RIM BlackBerry 7100t world phone in the San Francisco Bay Area using T-Mobile's network. While getting a good signal was a piece of cake in downtown San Francisco, things weren't so good in the sticks, also known as East Oakland. Furthermore, those on the other end of our calls reported that the phone sounded "staticky" at times, and on our side, audio quality was tiny and hollow.

That said however, the speakerphone was surprisingly good. Just be aware that since the speaker is on the back of the device, you might find the sound muffled if the phone is placed face up on a surface. Also, you can activate the speaker only after you've placed a call. As for the Bluetooth, we tested the phone with Logitech's Mobile Bluetooth headset. We were able to connect without a hitch and found the sound quality to be better than when on the handset itself.

Speak up: The speaker is on the rear face of the 7100t.

Battery life was satisfactory. RIM promises 4 hours of talk time and up to eight days of standby time. For our tests, we met the rated talk time and managed seven days of standby time.

Source: askmen-cnet.com