arghyle

Just a quick drilldown of the Blackberry and the recent goings on…

• There was the 8700- This was a huge hit and still is used by a lot of people. Corporate buyers have been very happy with it and most users have been satisfied with the product. It is currently a bit outdated but still works great and is very popular. All the major carriers have a models (even Verizon).
• The Pearl, aka the 8100- This was Blackberry’s first consumer phone and the first one to use the trackball. It does not have a QWERTY keyboard, but has a media player, a camera, and GPS features. Its been around since late November 2006.
• The 8800- This is the follow-up to the 8700, it has been out for just a few weeks and was designed to update the 8700 by integrating the trackball and GPS. It has a media player, but no camera- it is meant to be a business phone. The 8800 is thinner and longer than the 8700 but not quite as wide. It has a QWERTY keyboard, but the keys are touching one another so some people have been complaining about typing (though it’s not terrible). This phone does not have WiFi and it not that different from the 8700
• 8300- The rumor is that this will be around in the next couple of weeks. This phone looks to be a like another version of the 8800 (comparison). That is to say an upgrade to the 8700- it has the trackball, but has the form factor of the 8700, so it shorter and thicker than the 8800. Very important- it has a keyboard like the 8700, not the 8800! This model will have a camera, but still no WiFi. The rumor is that this will not have GPS…
• 8320- So this is basically the 8300, but with WiFi. Here is a picture- it looks awesome, but then again the 8800 is no slouch. This will probably be marketed as QWERTY alternative to the Pearl, as will the 8300, but the addition of WiFi is a huge deal. It has the camera, but probably no GPS.
• There are rumors about another 8300 series phone, generally known as the 83xx. This should complete the trifecta with GPS, a camera, and WiFi. Could be very cool, but the other two 8300s will be enough to make a lot of people happy.
• Another phone in the rumor mill is the “Cyclone”. This is speculated to be a 8800 series phone for Verizon that will be released in Q207.
• Everyone is waiting for the one big step forward and the information on that is really spotty. Many people are calling this the 9xxx, but nothing is too solid. There is so much speculation and so many rumors that everything gets more confusing than it already is.

If you are thinking about buying a new Blackberry it’s hard to give any recommendations. I have been using the 8800 for a week now and a really am enjoying it, but I am pretty sure I would want the 8700/8300 style keys, though the form factor of the 8800 is perfect for me. Personally I would wait for WiFi- that is a huge selling point for me- more so than GPS or a camera, but all of these are important features.

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