eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Research In Motion Ltd.s BlackBerry 8700c Wireless Handheld device improves upon the previous model with a higher-resolution display—240 by 320 pixels versus 240 by 160 pixels—and a speedier EDGE (Enhanced Data for Global Evolution) radio, replacing the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)radio in the BlackBerry 7100 we reviewed last year.
The BlackBerry 8700c provides e-mail, phone, Web browsing, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), SMS (Short Message Service) and organizer applications. And while the BlackBerry 8700c performs its e-mail and light Web browsing duties more prettily and with greater speed, all the BlackBerry basics remain, including the thumb keyboard and the scroll-and-click interface.
However, a faster radio makes a big difference: Our tests with the BlackBerry 8700c marked, by far, the best experience weve had hitting the Web with a BlackBerry device. Helping matters significantly were improvements to RIMs Web browser, which did a good job of squashing down standard Web pages to a handheld-friendlier format.
Although e-mail is the main attraction of the 8700c, the device serves well in its voice duties, with good quality and a surprisingly functional speaker phone mode.
The BlackBerry 8700c is available through Cingular Wireless at a price of about $300 when purchased with a two-year service contract (and, annoyingly, after a mail-in rebate). Data plans range from $35 per month for 4MB of data to $45 per month for an all-you-can-eat plan.