RIM BlackBerry 7210 Phone - Next Generation (AT&T)

Overview

Compatible with AT&T cell phone service, the BlackBerry 7210 combines a full-featured mobile phone and BlackBerry organizer with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and a host of communication options, including wireless email, text messaging, and Web browsing, all displayed on a 240 x 160 screen supporting over 65,000 colors. The 7210 operates on tri-band (world-wide) GSM/GPRS 900/1900 MHz service (1900 in the US).

Calling Features

Used simply as a phone, the BlackBerry 7210 fits comfortably in the user's hand, and can send and receive calls worldwide. Its flexible PDA format provides users with a nifty thumb-operated track wheel for extra-easy dialing and menu navigation. The 7210 also includes an integrated speaker and microphone and a hands-free headset, as well as vibrate, icons, and LED icon alert options (in addition to a conventional ring tone) as indicators of incoming calls or data.

Messaging and Internet

The BlackBerry 7210's embedded RIM wireless modem makes available a variety of wireless Internet services, including email with integrated attachment viewing, SMS, Mobile Data Service, and a calendar. Email can also be integrated with existing business email accounts, existing personal email accounts, or a new handheld email account. The 7210's SMS capability enables users to send and receive short text messages independent of an email inbox, and to use the phone's handy keyboard to very quickly exchange messages with other SMS-enabled devices.

Organizer

Organizer features are predictably robust. Its BlackBerry Desktop software (3.6 or higher) works with BlackBerry Enterprise Servers, which are supported by Version 2.1 or higher for Microsoft Exchange or Version 2.0 with Service Pack 2 or higher for Lotus Domino. It also supports Java development platform based on open standards. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server also features the Mobile Data Service (MDS), which enables always-on / push-based access to enterprise applications and information for users running a BlackBerry handheld, browser, and software development tools. Security features include password protection and keyboard lock.

Vital Statistics

The BlackBerry 7210 is loaded with 16 MB flash memory plus 2 MB SRAM, weighs 4.8 ounces, and measures 4.4 x 2.9 x 0.8 inches. Its Lithium Ion batteries are rated at up to 4 hours digital talk time, and up to 10 days digital standby time. The BlackBerry comes with a USB cable for charging and PC synchronization, an international travel charger, and a swivel holster.

1 Best product on the market if you have a BES
There have been a number of less than steller reviews of the Blackberry 7xxx from independent reviewers not using it on a corporate network. People need to realize that these reviewers aren't basing their review on using the device as a business tool on a corporate network but as lone rangers with POP accounts - they just don't "get it" when that's all they have. With a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) on a corporate network, you get excellent attachment viewing and excellent web browsing with full graphics - both better than *any* handheld device out there, because both features are thoughtfully designed for a small screen mobile device. For example, the BES understands that web frame sets are useless if rendered faithfully on a very small screen, and renders the frames independently in order. I've used MapQuest on a Blackberry, CitySearch, Google, and many others. It will even render the MapQuest map well enough to use it to find a location. One of the best parts is that the BES puts the point of presence of the web browser *behind* the corporate firewall - so you can access internal corporate web apps without needing a VPN - which is a real pain on other handhelds. Companies can leverage this to build simple Blackberry oriented web apps that can bring incredible power to a mobile workforce.

The Blackberry takes a similar approach in rendering Excel, Word, or .pdf files - allowing you to view the content in a way practical on a device this size without the need for you to pan all over the place to see the document and with good performance. Yes, you need a BES to do this, but there's a good reason why - the BES is the smart intermediary to reduce the size of the data transmitted and format it appropriate to the device, so you're not trying to do an idiotic thing like pull down a 2MB spreadsheet on a GPRS network.

The phone integration is great - every detail and nuance thought out, and the battery life is close to amazing, considering the functionality and comparing it to any Palm or PPC converged device.

Other killer features - the wireless calendaring, which allows you to create meetings and manage invitations all wirelessly. And how the Blackberry works with a corporate address book is excellent - there are 10,000 addresses on ours, and the BB is great at doing lookups and adding those entries into the local address book. Whenever you see a phone number in any text field anywhere, you can click to dial it, or add it to your address book - it recognizes phone numbers and email addresses in any message.

In terms of the size - for what it does and for the screen size, it's excellent. What counts is how thin it is - much thinner that most phones, which means it can truly fit in a jacket pocket without making you look like a geek, if you don't want to wear it on a belt. And the way it manages ring versus vibrate and all of the profile possibilities is great, along with how you can set up personal rules and filters.

For a corporate messaging manager, it's also the only mobile device that actually can be managed centrally, effectively. If lost, it can be remotely "killed", keeping confidential information confidentially.

So, now that I've raved about what I think is the best communications oriented handheld device on the market, what are the *real* negatives?

- Lack of third party applications.
- Lack of music/video capabilities (this thing isn't a toy, it's a business communications device)
- Lack of a voice command feature.
- Lack of auto-answer when headset plugged in. (the auto-answer is either on or off, regardless of headset)
- Can't (yet) wirelessly sync Tasks, Contacts, Notes.
- No Bluetooth.
- Can't render html except in the browser.
- Doesn't support JavaScript in the web browser.
- AT&T GSM/GPRS coverage still pales in comparison to TDMA.

That's it.

2 Ok product, has some problems.
I went from a nokia 8260 cell phone to the Blackberry 7210. I like it generally, but it has some issues...

Pros:
- Email support is ok for TEXT (read con's below). I use the device to connect to a pop account (we don't have the BES software on the exchange server). It works well, the webclient for pop service is ok, and the blackberry device works as advertised. I send and receive email regulary to the device. It's great for punching out a quick text reply, etc.
- Good contacts sync through the software provided with phone. The navigation of contacts is nice and fairly easy with the thumbwheel on the blackberry.
- Good calendar feature, as good as palm's.
- Some nice features like auto-off and auto-on (nice to have it shut off automatically at 11 pm and turn back on at 7 am), block breaker game, backlit screen, etc.
- Good battery life. Talk time and standby time is great.
- Keyboard is good. Easy to use with your thumbs to tap out messages. WAY better than using a stylus and handwriting recognition on a palm.

Con's:
- WAP / WML / Mmode SUCKS. Content is poor at best. AT & T's hype over Mmode is misleading at best. If you have ever seen the internet on a computer, you will NOT be happy with Mmode on the blackberry. An alternative to Mmode is reqwireless's browser (www.reqwireless.com). It is a full featured html browser (NOT wap) and works fairly well for the blackberry... well worth the 20$ price. It works over the AT&T proxy, and you can view regular webpages on the cramped blackberry screen. Long and short - DO NOT BUY THE BLACKBERRY FOR WEB BROWSING.
- Phone. Fairly poor reception, lots of background noise, etc. While you can use the headset, this model blackberry can actually be held to the ear like a regular phone. The problem is, it is fairly hard to get the speaker centered over your ear. Trial and error is best. Since switching from my nokia to the blackberry, I have many more of the 'can you hear me now' experiences... This phone is GSM. If you don't have GSM in your area - forget it.
- Email. Well, it works fine for text. However without the BES (the blackberry enterprise software for exchange server), you cannot view attachments, etc. That is a real disappointment. There is another reqwireless product that replaces the email support with a real pop client, however I have not purchased that yet so cannot review it.
- Software. There is little to no software for the blackberry that will run without the BES software on an exchange server. Be sure that if you decide to buy third party software for the 7210 blackberry you read the fine print of the software for the system requirements... if it calls for BES, you will need exchange server and the BES package. That ='s $$$$. Fine for corporations, bad for regular folks.
- It is fairly bulky - not too bad, but bigger than any cellphone. It'd be nice if the device hinged in the middle, like the motorola two way pagers. I can live with it, but most users probably wouldn't like it.
- What looks like an IR (infrared) output on the top of the device - isn't. It is just 'decoration' according to AT & T tech support. So don't try to sync with IR, beam stuff back and forth between Blackberry's, etc.
- I have not figured out a way to use the device as a 'modem' for my notebook. You would think it'd be an easy thing to have it function as a modem over the usb cable used for docking. No such luck.
- No instruction book in the box. That was just poor. While I don't feel like I HAD to have the manual to get it going, it'd be nice to have a reference book for some questions. Google is your friend with this device. Oh, but AT & T provides a manual the size of a phone book for Mmode. Yay... a manual for a service I hate.

Overall:
I like it ok. I am a fairly tech-savvy person, so it appeals to me. I feel a regular user would be ok with the device, but would need some regular support from a technical/engineering type. I have been using the device for approximately 3 weeks and haven't had it fail yet. I am getting ready to deploy 5 more devices to our sales team at work. I predict that I will have to do a LOT of hand holding with this device. I haven't had the opportunity to try out the Treo 600, however what I have seen of it in stores and it's software package (palm os - fairly bulletproof and tested), I'd imagine that the Treo would be a better alternative for regular home and soho users. However, for it's size, the blackberry is smaller than the treo or the tungsten. I personally don't want to have a phone the size of a brick. Blackberry is too big. The Treo IS too big. To each his/her own.

Try it for the 30 day trial period AT & T allows. If you have any reservations after the first 20 days or so - TAKE IT BACK. This device isn't for everyone.