BlackBerry 8300 In Hand
Ok, I’m calm now. BlackBerry 8300 in hand and here we go. It’s a little thinner, and smaller than the BlackBerry 8800. I guess you could call it a cross between the Pearl and the 8800 series. The speaker really sounds outstanding — even better than the 8800’s! I also find the keyboard to be much easier to use, a la 8700-style. It’s small but very manageable and responsive. Rumors said that the 8300 would have video recording but from what I’ve heard, they wont, and this unit doesn’t make an exception there. There is also no WiFi on this version at least. In terms of the construction, the front is plastic, but the sides and back have a soft touch rubber finish, and a shiny black plastic battery cover completes the device. Very Nice! I’m not going to get into heavy details, and features just yet but some OS improvements include built in spell check, full screen mode for playing videos, the ability to create your own folders on the home screen, and move any applications in and out of those folders! Silly me, I forgot to mention the OS on the device I have is at&t branded…discuss. Check out the rest of the flicks after the jump!
Do we think this is the 8820/8830? If not RIM has been very busy lately with a bunch of BB’s
Josh,
Have thought all along that the BB 8300 might be the BB 8830/8830e.
BB 8830 will have the same features as BB 8300 except the camara, which is not acceptable in a lot of corporate environments.
Fasten your seat belts, this is going to be a very interesting ride!!
Maybe RIM is going to launch all these BB models in the next few months to cut APPLE off at the pass, so to speak, when Apple launches their well publicized iphone in June.
We will just have to see how all this plays out.
“josh said:
Actually Blah, if you looked above at what BG reported you would see that the 8300 he had, indeed has GPS (see below.)
“The Boy Genius said: It does have GPS…” ”
Well, if BoyGenius can get the GPS to work, he truly is a genius since it’s NOT there! (there is a setting for it in settings, but… it’s only says “None”
Wow. What a dilemma. As a Verizon customer, do I move now and get an 8703 knowing that it will be about 2 years before those idiots get an 8300 model ? Or do I wait until they finally release an 8800 in Q2 and then get soaked upgrading to the 8300 early … if it ever comes out.
GPS is my question do we have it? And someone else asked about EDGE – This will be the 3G unltra fast data yes?
Does any one know?
I can confirm this: GPS = Yes. Wi-Fi = No. 3G = No. Thinner than 8800 = Yes.
BG when is this going to be available? I need to return my 8800 this month to make room!!
Thanks
Prove that this thing is thinner than the 8800…show us some deminsions!!
I TOTALLY DISAGREE, its NOT THINNER!
Doesn’t it seem odd that the phone has the ability to capture images, play video, but not capture video?
Boy Genius, according to the reports I saw it said it was 3G capable, can you please confirm if it’s 3G. please.
If it’s not 3G then I am going with the Motorola Q9, until the 3G iPhone comes out next year.
” Jerry C said:
Doesn’t it seem odd that the phone has the ability to capture images, play video, but not capture video? ”
The Pearl is the same way for whatever odd reason. I think it’s just as dumb.
[quote]IMHO, the real next-gen leap is when someone makes a useable 3G – 3.5G device. The iPhone or BB 9xxx will hopefully be those devices, but we have to wait a year! Meanwhile we have to deal with this high-priced tweaked-market offering confusion. [/quote]
the 8525 is that device *now* (it has 3G, Wi-Fi)
peace
“ChrisMc said:
Prove that this thing is thinner than the 8800…show us some deminsions!!
I TOTALLY DISAGREE, its NOT THINNER! ”
if you put both the 8800 and the 8300 on a flat surface, the 8800 is thinner, but, if you look at the trackball, on the 8300 it’s embedded a bit lower, thereby making its overall height about the same asa the 8800.
Does anyone know how the GPS works here. Does it require a monthly rip-off subscription to Cingular TeleNav services or does it work like a Garmin or TomTom GPS? I really need to know this!!!
The 8800 has Telenav, and the 8300 will most likely have the same.
For what its worth, the BoyGenius probably would have mentioned a difference like that as well.
A2DP? Please tell me yes.
For the love of Pete….anything on a release date from AT&T? Tease, tease, tease….!!!
PLEASE! Tell us if and whence any of the new BBs will be available for T Mobile! I’m dyin’ here!
From what i remember the t-mo@home is lookin Q3-Q4 this year. Yes this device will be able to work on it, as long as you have one of the 8300’s that has wifi. remember not all will.
Tmo will have this within 3 months. Before the i-phone
So how about those side by side screen shots BG?
“Why no love for sprint??? I want to keep my discount and have a blackberry with a camera?!?!?!” I second that! I have to say the more research I do on the subject, the more I am convinced that WiMAX is the the best new network alternative. That is why I hold sprint stock & have a Nextel hybrid. I am currently waiting for an a the pearl or 8800 to come out on the SprintNextel Network — what is the hold up??? I have heard it would come by easter but no info on that…
The truly righteous [i.e. dream] “Crackberry” would contain 7gb flash memory, WCDMA & CDMA/WiMAX + EV-Do & iDEN — just cause they can, 2MP camera/video recorder, sidekick style im,10 hour talk battery life, real time voice gps (tom-tom style) all built in spreadsheet [xls extenstion] & word processing [xml or pdf extension] app on blackberry os.. and all this wrapped into a 8800 style 1/2″ shorter and narrower, with black high gloss finish and chrome sides, full qwerty.
Instead of waiting for a handheld with GPS (possibly), WiFi (maybe), 3G (not for a while), and the capabilities to edit office documents (nope), go for the Cingular 8525. It, literally, has and does everything. It has a monster screen and a 2MP cam with video capture. What else do you need?
oh yeah one item you left out of the 8525,
slow dragging proccessin (yup), infamous WM5 that crashes (yup), and brick-like form factor with a keyboard that isn’t accessible with one hand. That form factor is a joke for mobile on the go usage.
Make the track ball black!