Blackberry 8700 Cell Phone Review - Hardware
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Alfredo Padilla Published on March 16, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad (4 scores)
Text Words Per Minute (8.38)
To test how easy it is to enter text on the Blackberry 8703e, we timed how long it took to enter a simple phrase in a text editor using two hands. We repeated this test five times and then took the average. As expected, the 8703e posted an excellent score with taking an average of 22.9 seconds to type out our sample text. This works out to 41.9 words per minute, an excellent score for a phone. The Treo 700p and Motorola Q, two other QWERTY equipped smart phones scored 38.5 and 39.6 words per minute respectively. The 8703e’s keyboard contributes to this excellent score with its clearly delineated keys, good tactile feedback and spacious keyboard.
T9 and Auto Complete (0.0)
As a QWERTY equipped phone, the Blackberry 8703e does not support T9. Unfortunately, it does not support auto completion. This is an unfortunate omission as auto completion can make finishing those long words easier. That being said, given the 8703e’s fast typing speed, auto completion may be redundant.
One Hand Usability (5.16)
To find out how easy it is to text one-handed, we repeated our words per minute test single handedly. The Blackberry 8703e took an average of 37.23 seconds to enter our sample text. This works out to 25.8 words per minute. This is significantly worse than our score using two hands. We found that when using only a single hand, the size of the keyboard worked against us. We also found it difficult to balance the phone in our hand while getting access to all of the keys. Several times, we had to readjust our grip to get to the key we wanted to reach. Individuals with larger hands may not find this as difficult to do. Most QWERTY devices see a significant drop moving from two to one handed usage, for example the Treo 700p went from 38.5 WPM to 23.5.
Keypad Backlighting (6.0)
The Blackberry 8703e has a backlit keyboard that adjusts automatically using a light sensor. You also have the option to turn off automatic adjustments and set manual timing controls. The keyboard backlight is tied to the screen backlight, so you cannot adjust the settings independently. Backlighting on the 8703e is even and clearly illuminates all of the characters, but even at the highest setting, we found it a little dim.
Controls (6 scores)
D-Pad/Joystick (0.0)
The Blackberry 8703e does not have a directional pad or joystick.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Blackberry 8703e does not have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (9.0)
Like most Blackbery devices, the primary tool for interacting with the 8703e’s interface is the scroll wheel. This wheel is not like many jog dials that only move up or down but rotates completely. The wheel is placed comfortably near the top of the right side of the device; right where you thumb is placed when cradling the phone in your hand. The wheel provides excellent tactile feedback as you move it up and down and similarly gives a clear and comfortable click when pushed in. Our only concern about the scroll wheel on the 8703e is that other than the back key and the shortcut key that sits comfortable next to your finger on the other side of the phone, most of the other controls are out of reach when using the scroll wheel. Although many other phones, such as the Motorola Q, have begun to imitate Blackberry’s scroll wheel, we found the one on the 8703e to still be amongst the best.
Soft Button (0.0)
The Blackberry 8703e does not have soft keys. Soft keys are usually used on phones to activate on screen options or menus.
Volume Control (1.0)
The 8703e does not have a dedicated volume key. There is a key on the top of the device that activates mute. Other than that, the only way to adjust the volume during most operations is through the software profiles. While on a call however, you can use the jog dial to adjust the volume, which is comfortable and easy to use. Although we would have like to see dedicated volume keys on the 8703e, we did find that the profiles and the mute key fulfilled most of our needs once we had the profiles configured.
Power and Standby (6.0)
The power key on the Blackberry 8703e is located on the top left. It is slightly recessed so it is not easy to hit by accident. When the phone is in standby a single press of this button will wake it up, although if you have key lock enabled you will need to unlock the phone. When the phone is on you need two key presses to put the phone into standby mode. We found the key to be slightly squishy when pushed, but it was firm enough that accidental key presses are unlikely.
Other Buttons (4.0)
In addition to the keys already discussed, the Blackberry 8703e has two shortcut keys, called convenience keys in the options. One of these keys is placed between the screen and keyboard centered between the send and end keys. This key is assigned to the internet browser by default. The second key is located on the left side of the phone where it can be accessed easily while using the scroll wheel. It is assigned to profiles by default. Both keys can be reassigned in options. We found the front key to be small and difficult to access when using the scroll wheel. The button on the left side is easy to find by feel due to the three raised pips. When pressed, it is squishy with not a lot of tactile feedback. We also appreciate having hardware keys that can be reassigned, but we found the front key to be of limited utility.
Display (8 scores)
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The Blackberry 8703e has a landscape QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) resolution screen. This screen might have been a distinguishing feature in the times of yore, but today, it has become a standard for mid to high-end phones. Other smart phones sporting QVGA screens include the Motorola Q and Samsung Blackjack.
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (7.8)
The Blackberry 8703e packs 155 pixels per inch into its 2.5” diagonal QVGA display. This is a high pixel density and helps the 8703e display rich colors and a high level of detail. Phones with lower pixel densities like the iPaq HW6900 series phones can often seem washed out when compared with phones that have a higher pixel density.
Screen Physical Size (6.25)
The Blackberry 8703e sports a 2.5” diagonal landscape oriented screen. This is a large screen for a cell phone, and even for a smart phone, it is a good size. For example, the Cingular 3125 sports a 2.1” screen, while the Treo 700p sports a slightly smaller 2.4” screen, albeit it is square rather than the 8703e’s 4:3 dimensions.
Screen Brightness (7.65)
To test screen brightness, we set the phone’s brightness to maximum and navigate to a blank white web page. We then measure the brightness in lumens from two inches away. The Blackberry 8703e scored 63 lumens. This is a very bright screen. Thankfully, for those with sensitive eyes, the 8703e’s screen brightness can be adjusted manually to one of 10 levels. Alternatively, you can set it to adjust itself manually using its ambient light sensor. We were pleased to see a bright screen on the 8703e and even more pleased to see the ability to adjust it to suit your needs.
Screen Bright Light Performance (3.0)
To test a phone’s bright light performance, we place it under an incandescent light set to give off 3000 lux, which is equivalent to bright sunlight. We found the Blackberry 8703e’s screen to be very difficult to read under such conditions, but we could still make out the icons on the home screen. Although we have seen worse, we recommend you go looking for shade if you need to use your 8703e in bright sunshine.
Color Depth (6.0)
The Blackberry 8703e screen displays 65,000 colors. This level of color depth has become standardized for many smart phones, the Motorola Q, Cingular 8525 for example. However, even some mid range phones like the Sanyo M1 have moved up to 262,000 colors, allowing the screen to reproduce color more realistically. 65,000 colors however is good enough that you will probably have no problem with the quality of colors on the 8703e. Certainly we were pleased with the colors displayed as we browsed through the pictures program on the phone.
Ports & Storage (4 Scores)
Power & Data Ports (9.0)
The Blackberry 8703e uses a standard mini USB port for both power and data, located on the left side of the device near the top. In addition, it supports USB charging when connected to you computer. We are pleased that RIM has chosen to use mini USB for data and power, we wish more manufacturers would follow their lead.
Headphone Jack and Compatibility (2.0)
The Blackberry 8703e has a standard 2.5mm headset port located on the left side of the device just below above the mini USB port. 2.5mm has become a standard for many cell phones. Although we normally prefer a 3.5mm headset jack on a phone without multimedia capabilities, we don’t feel its absence. We are relieved that RIM did not choose to go with a proprietary jack.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Blackberry 8703e has 64mb of built in storage that is used for all the data on the phone. The 8703e helpfully includes information about the size of your various databases in its options to help you manager your memory more effectively. 64mb should be sufficient storage for most users, especially as there is no need to store large multimedia files on the business oriented Blackberry.
Expansion Slot and Format (0.0)
The Blackberry 8703e does not have expandable storage. Expansion slots are usually used to provide storage for multimedia files, which is why you are starting to see them on newer Blackberry models such as the Pearl, however the 8703e’s lack of multimedia functions make an expansion slot of limited use.
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