BlackBerry 8820 Cell Phone Review - Conclusion
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Mark Brezinski Published on October 11, 2007 Comment on this |
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Who's It For
Business User
Business users are BlackBerry's target demographic, and this phone certainly caters to them. BlackBerry phones are a staple of the corporate arena, which means the phone won't seem very flashy. It will, however, perform exactly what they need it to, only this time it can performs those tasks over a Wi-Fi connection. We'd recommend the 8820 to any business user.
Budget Callers
Budget callers like phones that cost $0.00, which the 8820 does not. They aren't so much concerned with fancy software as they are with keeping cash in their pockets, which means this phone most likely isn't for them.
Chatty Teenager
Chatty teenagers will have no use for the 8820 unless they're obsessed with having the best resume for college.
Media Maven
Media mavens shouldn't pick up the 8820. If they need a BlackBerry, the Curve would be a better choice since it has a camera. If they don't need a BlackBerry, then they should just pick up an iPhone or another media-oriented device.
Conclusion
We like most of the BlackBerry devices we look at: they are well designed and are straightforward to use. Everything is simple to use, yet offers a great range of functionality, which is why it's at the top of the U.S. business device market. The trackball is better than a d-pad in virtually every scenario with the BlackBerry operating system. The OS also has a much more forgiving learning curve than Series 60 devices or even Windows Mobile phones. If you're just starting to use smart phones, we'd recommend you try a BlackBerry first, then move on from there. We would've liked to see better music capabilities, however, as phones are quickly becoming all-purpose devices. As this is the case, the media software on the 8820 simply can't compete with most other phones. Also, since the 8820 is essentially the same hardware as the 8800, it inherits the unfortunate defect of not having a camera. This is virtually unseen in modern phones, as cameras have established themselves as a standard. It would also behoove business users, as they can take pictures of documents, or otherwise be used in lieu of notes. After all, it's not as though you can easily take voice notes.
The strongest point of the 8820 — and all BlackBerry phones, for that matter — is messaging. You shouldn't have any difficulties setting up, sending, or receiving e-mail on a BlackBerry. The setup wizard guides you through the process, e-mail interface is easy to understand, and push e-mail means you'll get messages the second they hit your inbox. SMS messaging receives similar treatment. Where the phone drops the ball is with MMS. We'd recommend you just send an e-mail with the picture attached. The organizer comes in a close second place as the phone's best feature. The calendar and task management are incredibly comprehensive, though not as impressive as those found on Series 60 devices.
The 8820 isn't really as much of an upgrade of the 8800 as it is an expansion upon it. The only substantial feature that has been added is Wi-Fi; though a great addition, it stands as the only addition. Therefore, it's hard for us to recommend the 8820 over the 8800 if you already have the 8800. It really depends on how significant Wi-Fi is for you. If you do intend to use Wi-Fi, the 8820 will offer great battery life for data transferring. If you don't already have the 8800, then we would definitely recommend the 8820.
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