Blackberry 8700 Cell Phone Review - Making/Receiving Calls
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Alfredo Padilla Published on March 16, 2007 Comment on this |
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Dialing Speed (4.74)
To test dialing speed, we make 5 phone calls to 5 different numbers and take the average time to get from phone closed to send key. Dialing numbers on the Blackberry 8703e is a simple affair, simply start dialing using the number keys built into the QWERTY keyboard, you then hit the send key located right above the number keys. In our tests, it took an average of 4.22 seconds to dial a number on the 8703e. This was about the same as the Sanyo M1 at 4.28 seconds, but it was faster than the Treo 700p’s 5.9 seconds. Overall, we feel that the 8703e’s keys are large and easy to hit, but the size of the phone makes it awkward to dial.
Talk and End Button (5.0)
The talk and end buttons on the Blackberry 8703e are located underneath the screen and above the keyboard, flanking a center shortcut key. The buttons are long and thin. The screen lies lower than the keyboard, so they are easier to find by touch at the top edge than on the bottom. Although the buttons are thinner than we would like, we found that they were easy to hit. Like many buttons on the 8703e, we did find that the talk and end buttons can be a stretch to reach for, especially if you are doing things one-handed. We found the call and end buttons on the Treo 700p easier to use.
Call Management (4.0)
The Blackberry 8703e’s call history can be accessed by hitting the send key. It is a simple list of all incoming or outgoing calls with icons that indicate whether it was incoming, outgoing, or missed. You can select a phone number and open a separate history specifically for that number that shows you the duration of each call. You can also choose to call a number, send an SMS, add it to the speed dial list or your Address Book. Unfortunately, there is no option to filter your view, and we were also disappointed that there were no more advanced call timers. We were pleased to see that call logs can be included in your messaging application. You can set options for which type of call logs appear there in the 8703e’s options.
When you receive a call, you get a dialogue onscreen that allows you to take or ignore the call. While in a call, you can use the scroll wheel to adjust the volume. If you open the context menu, you can mute the call or start a 3-way call. You can also activate several programs from this menu, including your address book, messaging application, calendar, or notes. Overall, we found the call management features on the Blackberry 8703e covered all the basics, but it lacked some advanced features like recording calls or filtered views that we think business users would appreciate.
Startup to Call (9.26)
We measure how long it takes to start the phone up and make a phone call. We time this five times and then give you the average. The Blackberry 8703e took an average of 10.8 seconds to complete this procedure. This is an excellent score, outpacing regular phones like the Motorola Razr V3m at 35.7 seconds, and other smart phones like the Palm Treo 700p which took 31.6 seconds.
Ring Volume (8.25)
To test ring volume, we find the loudest ring tone on the device and measure how loud it gets in decibels using a sound pressure meter. The Blackberry 8703e registered 82.5 decibels, a very loud ring. This is not as loud as the Motorola Razr V3m which measured 88 decibels, but it is significantly louder than the Motorola Q which registered only 66 decibels.
Ringtone Customizability (6.0)
UPDATED: We previously believed that the Blackberry 8703e did not support music files are ringtones, however thanks to a helpful commenter we discovered that you can indeed use mp3 ringtones, to an extent. lthough the Blackberry 8703e does not have any stand alone music software, we were able to use the browser to listen to short mp3 clips and download them to be used as ring tones. These ringtones must be downloaded from a website, they cannot be moved over to the device using the Blackberry Desktop software.
Non Audio Alerts (8.0)
The Blackberry 8703e has both a vibrate alert and an LED that can be used as nonaudio alerts. The vibrate alert is a little weak for our taste, it was barely noticeable in a pants pocket, and we fear it could be easily missed if it were in a jacket pocket. The LED on the 8703e also indicates that a call is incoming by blinking red. You can configure your nonaudio alerts in the 8703e’s profiles.
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