BlackBerry 8800 Review - Value & Comparisons
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Alfredo Padilla Published on May 22, 2007 Comment on this |
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Value (4.0)
The BlackBerry 8800 is currently available from Cingular for $299.99 with a two year contract or $499.99 without a contract. This is a hundred dollars more than the 8700 and between $100 and $150 more than the BlackBerry Pearl. For BlackBerry lovers, the increased price may be worth paying for the additional multimedia capabilities over the 8700, but when compared to phones like the Samsung Blackjack ($74.99) and Nokia E62 ($69.99), both of which have better multimedia capabilities, the price seems a little excessive. The increased price is a reflection of how new the handset is. Smart buyers will wait a few months for the price to come down to a more reasonable level.
Comparisons
T-Mobile Dash - The T-Mobile Dash is a Windows Mobile Standard (previously smartphone) handset that provides a solid range of functionality and very good battery life. Although the 8800's email and PIM functionality is slightly better in some respects, the Dash is a significantly better multimedia device and the battery life is comparable. Both devices also integrate well with corporate environments using Exchange Server, but the Dash's camera may be a liability for some businesses. Of course, the BlackBerry OS is easier to learn and use than Windows Mobile, and those who are married to BlackBerries because of work or familiarity will obviously prefer the 8800. On the other hand, the Dash is available for $100 less than the 8800 and has just been upgraded to Windows Mobile 6. 
Treo 750 - The Treo 750 is comparable to the 8800 in almost all respects in terms of PIM functionality. In some places, the Windows Mobile Pocket PC device does better. For example, category support in the calendar. As with the Dash, the Treo 750 suffers from a more complex and difficult to learn operating system than the BlackBerry 8800. But, if multimedia capabilities are important to you, the 750 is a better device. Where the 8800 is a clear winner over the 750 is in battery life. The Treo 750 has very poor battery performance for call time and browsing. Prices for both these handsets are comparable, and really, it's a matter of preference for platform between the two. 
BlackBerry 8700 - The BlackBerry 8800 is clearly the successor to the 8700 series of BlackBerry devices. In almost all respects, the 8800 performs as well or better than the 8700, especially with the addition of multimedia capabilities. On place where the 8700 wins out is price, but for those who can afford it, we recommend the 8800. | Previous Next | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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