BlackBerry 8800

BlackBerry is synonymous with Push Email. It’s only been just a little while since we’ve had the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and we know what that can do. So the company has decided to bring us yet another communication marvel and lo! behold, the much awaited BlackBerry 8800 is here in our fair city at last and lucky us, we got to be the first to test drive this black and silver beauty.

The BlackBerry 8800 is targeted primarily at the hardcore business person who would get the best use from the device. Like its predecessor, the 8800 is also black and silver and it’s quite a sexy looking phone from any angel. This particular model may surprise you with the lack of a few features, but let’s get to the review and see what it’s like in depth.

Design
The 8800 is actually the slimmest BlackBerry there is, at just 114mm. It’s also quite light, weighing in at 134g. Like I said before, it’s a good looking device, scratch that, it’s a great looking device. But lets face it - it’s a wee bit wide to hold in your hand or up to your ear. Although the full QWERTY keypad seems small and the buttons are a bit too close together, it’s not difficult to use or get used to. The keys are slightly curved towards the edges thereby allowing you to maneuver over the keypad easily. Now you can’t exactly use one hand to type a message or mail, so please don’t try sending an email while driving. The number keys, located on the left of the keypad are well highlighted. There are also the standard call and end keys on either end of the trackball and two user-configurable shortcut keys on the immediate sides.

The mini USB and 2.5mm earphone sockets are located on the right side along with the voice command key. On the left are the volume keys with the power and mute keys located on the top. What really makes the phone stand out is the track ball or 'Pearl' that glows, just like that of the 8100. The Pearl, as we found with the earlier r8100, makes navigating through the menus very easy. It does make it a bit difficult to move in short distances (like adjacent characters) but the sensitivity can be adjusted.

The 8800 has a clear and bright 2.5-inch, landscape display. This TFT sports a 320x240 pixels resolution with 65K colors. It’s equipped with a sensor for ambient lighting so it also saves on the battery while adjusting the screen brightness to the lighting around you. Awesome! It’s extremely clear and visible even in the bright sunlight.