Blackberry 8700g

May 8th, 2006 | by Vince Veneziani

Setup and Use

Setting up the 7800g is no different than most other models of the Blackberry product line. You'll need to add the Blackberry option to your T-Mobile account to fully take advantage of the web browsing, IM, and BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server/Push E-mail) features that are offered. Once you're set up and good to go, you can start enjoying all those great features one at a time. The applications found on the 8700g are improved and faster than their old counterparts. Blackberry Messenger finally doesn't lag after a few paragraphs of typing thanks to the new Xscale processor, and Brickbreaker is more responsive for when you're goofing off in the office.

Google also has bundled two excellent applications for use on the 8700g that turn this device into a lifesaver at times: Google Talk and Google Local (the latter being more important). Google Local for the Blackberry is just as good as the one found at Google.com. It is a fast, easy-to-use application that allows you to get directions, find restaurants, and a lot more using your Blackberry. You can view in both “Map” and “Satellite” modes and can zoom in to street level. You'll find Google Local can help you out when you need a bite to eat in a place you're not familiar with. Google Local is a must-have application for those with the 8700 series of Blackberries.

Call quality has also vastly improved on the 8700g for T-Mobile. You'll find calls are much clearer than on previous models, and the addition of the speakerphone is wonderful. It's a loud, powerful speaker that has little distortion and lots of quality. The dedicated “Place Call” and “End Call” buttons make this Blackberry feel like more of a phone than just a device that is capable of making phone calls. You'll need to copy your SIM card to the 8700g to avoid going through a plethora of menus every time you want to access your address book, so make sure you do that immediately after purchasing this device.

If you're bored at a train station, work, or a friend's house, be glad to know that the 8700g has a great web browser. Pages load extra fast on the EDGE network that T-Mobile has and the quality of images is fabulous. You can quickly check your e-mail or the news if you're in a pinch for time. T-Mobile has also included an IM client made by OZ. You can choose from AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, MSN, or Yahoo!. Finally, you don't have to fish out tons of cash for a third-party IM client like Verichat that only gives you mediocre performance; this is a true IM client with a wonderful interface that will suit your IM needs perfectly.