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 any of the Blackberry phones allow the user to sync to Outlook?
Yes, you can sync through Desktop Manager for Outlook.
Relax, Mr. Excitable….
I believe it is thinner across (i.e., width), not thinner with regard to thickness.
Below is a link with projected dimensions for both the 8800 and the 8300
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2006/10/13/blackberry-8800-indigo-crimson-feature-preview-road-map/
hey chris, the maybe’s are not that much with the 8300. Here is a site i found with the specs for the phone:
http://www.wirefly.com/catalog/Cingular_Wireless/BlackBerry/8300/
The BB8300 does come with these features.
Does the introduction of the iPhone in June have anything to do with the 8300 being held back till later in the summer for Cingular/Att.
Give me the 8300, Apple and Cingular/ATT can keep the iPhone until you know what freezes over. I have an iPod for music.
It’s very funny to watch how you guys get excited about some silly little features like Wifi or 3G. If you want mainly a corporate device for email any BB will do. If you want to play then consider the Nokia E70 c.f. to any of the 8xxx series devices.
It has BB Connect (full functionality sans some rarely used features such as “Delete original text”) but then it adds a really good camera, Wi-Fi, VoIP, VPN!!! and you can actually open real files on the device if you route them via a POP/IMAP email.
Just give it a try.
Regards,
Lizzard
I have heard about the Nokia E70, but I wonder why it does not get as much hype as other nokia phones or smartphones as a whole. I might take a look at it. How buggy is it though. Any glitches, for a phone with all its features, how functional is it.
hey
thats really a wonderfull phone .Do you have a cost of that and can you tell me wheather i works in india?
because the e70 is ugly and not as nearly as comfortable typing as a blackberry
no wifi or GPS on the 8300 I have here – on O2 UK -wish we got some concrete advanced specs on this, RIM are too secretive.
it’s a 2.0 MPX
Are you all mental? This phone looks awfully dull in comparison with the 8800. The only extra it really has is a camera! wooopy do!
And it is def bigger than the 8800……
Paul,
I have both phones.. the 83×0 is by far the best device I have ever used. Bar none. It is lighter than the 8800, the keyboard is better, the flash (light) for the camera is SUPER bright, and it is definitely smaller than the 8800.
I feel that RIM has a major winner here.
I have GPS and WiFi in my 8320.. not sure what each provider is gong to disable.. but the phone I have it PERFECT! Even without Wifi you will have a winner since it is not needed on a Blackberry Enterprise Server.
Charles,
Interesting..8320 GPS and Camera? How long have you had it? March? In line for announcement next week? THis sounds like THE phone.
Thanks,
James
Charles, you’re getting me way too excited about an 8320 with gps. Can you provide any proof, maybe a photo? Something? Not that I don’t trust you, I just want to see it with my own eyes!
JerryCrab,
Here I am with my buddy when we first went to check out the phone (I took the pictures):
http://www.underground.net/pics/8320/
This phone is from late March and is an 8320. Not sure if the final released ones will be the same.. but I don’t see why they wouldn’t.
Hi Charles,
Where did you buy it from? For how much, if I may know?
Thanks.
Charles – thanks for the pics and you highlighted the GPS button for us.
One question – did you test the GPS was working? Others have said the GPS menu pick is there, but there is no internal GPS – only available to connect with a puck.
Comments?
Charles, aka Seal?
Thank you much for the pics but as James says all they really show is GPS recognition, perhaps designed to be used with a puck?
I wont say that you are wrong because I certianly couldn’t prove it but I still doubt the 8320 has “on-board” GPS.
Charles, the 8320 that you have is it running on TMobile Service?
did you get your GPS to work yet?
James, Dave and JerryCrab…. looks like you guys are right. Doesn’t appear to have the GPS built in! Arrgghh! It came with Maps on it and I just assumed that the GPS was in it, but I was wrong.
I wonder why they always seem to leave one thing out that keeps these things from being the ultimate device in the world. Still is the ultimate.. but I wish it had the GPS built in like the 8800.
Thanks to your screen shot, at least we know there’s WIFI in it. This should hold those waiting on 3G off for a while.
I just noticed a difference in Charles and BG’s screen shots. 8300’s Newer version 4.2.2.38 doesn’t have WIFI, while 8320’s older version 4.2.2.27 does. What do we make of this?
my take is…
8300 Wifi no GPS
8320 No Wifi w/GPS
8330 TBD
(code name baby bear, mama bear, papa bear)
anyone know if AOL IM is available on any of RIM’s device? or how to get AOL IM on RIM?
Stephen,
You are already wrong. The 8320 will not have GPS.