The cheapest BlackBerry QWERTY handset: BB 8830 World Edition
Article by:
Jeffrey L. Wilson (Laptop Mag)
Jet-setters in search of a phone that they can use both at home and abroad will find a compelling option in the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition. Featuring unique dual-network capability, this smart phone will automatically switch between CDMA and GSM signals when roaming globally. Toss in RIM’s airtight push e-mail, a QWERTY keyboard, and a media player, and you have a fully loaded smart phone that will keep globe-trotters connected, productive, and entertained.
The 8830 World Edition should look familiar to BlackBerry aficionados, with its 8800-styled trackball and QWERTY keyboard, but its executive-chic metallic-silver body more closely resembles the Curve. At just 4.6 ounces and 4.4 x 2.6 x 0.6 inches, it easily slips into a shirt or jacket pocket. Navigating menus was a cinch, thanks to the silky-smooth glide of the trackball.
The 4.6-ounce handheld does what all BlackBerry models do best: handle e-mail. The 8830 World Edition’s built-in wizard made setting up our Gmail account a snap (users can create a maximum of ten accounts), and within a few minutes we were receiving messages. The keys a bit small for lion-pawed users, but they’re nicely spaced, which makes for a comfortable typing experience.
The 8830 World Edition also lets you view (but not edit) Word, Excel, and PDF files. BlackBerry Messenger is included, but we preferred to use the free Google Talk for BlackBerry Devices download, as it’s a more universal communication tool.
At the heart of the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition is its unique dual-network compatibility. When in the United States, chatters are given voice time via Verizon’s CDMA network, but when venturing overseas, the phone automatically connects to local GSM/GPRS networks. Unfortunately, this device doesn’t support faster EDGE data networks overseas.
Web-surfing stateside was pretty snappy thanks to the 8830 World Edition’s high-speed EV-DO connection. The photo-heavy CNN.com consistently loaded in a little less than 18 seconds. We also experienced good call quality on Verizon’s network, but as with the Blackberry 8800 and the BlackBerry Curve, we would have liked more volume. The phone is rated at 220 minutes of talk time, and we saw about four days of periodic use before needing to charge the battery.
The 8830 World Edition also supports voice dialing and recognized every name we threw at it, with the exception of “Horatio,” which required multiple voice commands to dial correctly. Using Bluetooth, we were able to sync to a wireless headset for hands-free calls. Like the BlackBerry 8800, this device doesn’t support stereo Bluetooth headsets, so you’ll have to go the wired route when listening to tunes.
The bundled copy of Roxio Media Manager 9 features a split-screen interface that makes dragging and dropping media files between your notebook and handset a breeze. Transferred photos looked crisp and colorful on the bright display, and video (H.264, WMV, MPEG-4) played smoothly. The 8830 features surprisingly loud speakers for enjoying music (AAC, MP3, WMA), but they project only average audio quality. Make sure you have a microSD Card on hand, as the paltry 64MB of onboard memory fills up quickly.
Priced at only P14,500, the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition is reasonably priced given its global roaming capability. The 8830 is a very good choice for people who want fast EV-DO data performance stateside.
To order this gadget, simply click here
October 4th, 2009 at 11:46 am
i really love the cool features of Blackberry. my hubby and i both have Blakberries and we use it all the time to communicate.
April 26th, 2010 at 5:06 am
The Blackberry is the best gadget that i ever received as a gift from my best friend. It has nice features and the design looks very cool too.