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Overview
The success of the BlackBerry is very akin to that of the iPod.
Through viral marketing, a glitzy image, and growth as recognition
for being the no-compromise business phone, the BlackBerry
has been able to outsell phones that have more advanced hardware and
features. Although, to be fair, a large part of the success is
because of BlackBerry’s exclusive stuff, thanks to RIM, and its
intuitive interface.
Features
The 7130e, in addition to throwing in the cookie-cutter
BlackBerry features, also has some great productivity abilities that
really augment what the BlackBerry name is all about. First let’s
take a look at some of the standard options. Included are a
calendar, to-do-list, and memo pad, which brings up an important
point – the text entry. The interface is a little bit different than
most phones. It’s a QWERTY keyboard, but there are two letters on
each key, so it feels like typing on a regular phone, but without
the alphabetical placement of letters. It takes some getting used
to, but it works out alright, especially because the predictive text
works a lot better when you don’t have three possible letters for
each keystroke.
The 7130e can do all the standard communication options, including
SMS and e-mail, and yes, that includes always-on push e-mail. It
also comes equipped with RIM’s proprietary BlackBerry Instant
Messenger, which lets you contact other BlackBerry users either from
your portable device or your home computer, when linked up to it.
In terms of other pre-installed applications, there’s an alarm
clock, calculator, and password keeper, which itself is protected by
password entry. Additionally, a Break Out clone called BallBreaker
is thrown in there for some quick time killing when you’re at the
airport, or in a board meeting. There’s no camera or media player.
However, you can download pictures and view them in the built-in
image viewing application, and you can set MP3s as your ringtones.
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Blackberry compared to Samsung A920, Nokia N-Gage |
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EV-DO
If
you’re going to get this phone, you’ll be getting because of the EV-DO
radio, which typically gives you super-fast data connections,
compared to the other common connection known as GPRS. Transfer
rates reach hundreds of kbps (typically 400 – 700), which is
essentially a broadband connection. This is what the BlackBerry is
all about. So, surfing the Web on the go becomes much less of a
waiting game.
Of course, the best
way to take advantage of this connection is by linking up, via USB,
to a computer. It’s an extremely useful feature, and it lets you
take the powerful connection to your laptop regardless of where you
are. Although Sprint’s unlimited data plan is $39.99 a month, if
you’re a regular business traveler, you need this ability and it’s
well worth the price. Unlike the clunky software programs that give
this function to cell phones that weren’t meant for it, the
connection is highly reliable, and although I would have preferred
to be able to just link up with the 7130e’s built-in Bluetooth, the
USB connectivity makes it much more universally acceptable.
There’s Actually a Phone Somewhere
in There, Right?
Seemingly now everyone’s least favorite feature in a cell phone is
the phone part. Yet, that’s the reason for buying it, so it’s worth
noting that the 7130e, as a phone, functions quite well. Even in my
apartment, which seems to be a blip on the cell phone coverage
radar, I never had a problem with reception. That’s also because of
Sprint, which reminds me – thanks, Sprint, for being the only
provider that actually works in my apartment.
In terms of phone
functions, the 7130e has pretty much everything you need. There’s
an extensive call log that allows such extra options as viewing the
entire recent calling history of a certain number. To keep track of
all your contacts, there’s an address book with a seemingly endless
number of possible entries. In this, there’s a nauseatingly huge
amount of information you can store about a single person, from
e-mail address to six different phone numbers, to Internet screen
name aliases.
If there’s a
complaint to be had with the phone, it’s the same that you’ll find
with any BlackBerry or Smartphone – it’s a bit bulky and awkward to
get used to. Certainly if you’re switching over from a RAZR it’ll
feel like you’re holding a brick. The clunkiness is decidedly much
less obvious than in earlier models, but it still does feel unusual,
at least right at first, if you’ve never used a BlackBerry before.
That being said,
I do really appreciate the fact that the screen is well protected
from when you put the phone up to the side of your head to talk into
it. Some other phones out there can get messed up if you’re talking
outside on a hot day and get some sweat on the screen. The 7130e
has that rugged quality to make it survive such abuse.
What I Would Have Liked To See
The 7130e isn’t perfect, and there are definitely some places where
it misses the opportunity to be a spectacular phone. For starters,
there’s seemingly no media capabilities on the phone. Sure, you can
technically view pictures and listen to MP3s, and play one
pre-installed game. With the EV-DO connection you can easily get
access to this kind of stuff, but even still there’s not a huge
chunk of internal memory and there’s no memory card slot. Even for
the business traveler, it’s nice to have a good collection of MP3s
or videos to keep occupied while on the plane.
It’s a small point, but I also would have really liked to see an
instant PC connection opportunity with Bluetooth. It’s obvious that
the 7130e is a phone built specifically with computer connectivity
in mind, so why not just throw in an easier connection ability?
You’re not always going to be carrying around the included USB
cable, so Bluetooth should have at least been an option.
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Sprint Blackberry 7130e |
Conclusion
While the 7130e is certainly not the most feature-rich phone we’ve
ever seen, it’s also not the most expensive – not by a long shot.
It’s the BlackBerry for the non-CEOs out there. Overall, there’s
nothing glaringly wrong with the phone. It just doesn’t go above and
beyond to provide an unbeatable competition against other similarly
priced phones.
How to Buy
With a 2-year agreement, the 7130e can be had for between $150 and
$200. It is available both through
Sprint and Verizon.
Check
LetsTalk for the best deals for the 7130e - Currently FREE with Service
Plan and Rebates.
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