BlackBerry 7230 / 7210
Average Ratings
Good Phone...waited to use it before Reviewing
After having used this phone for a while, I can now write a useful review!
This phone is great, reception is wonderful, email function is awesome. The only thing I found this device lacks is a function for group SMS. I can group e-mail, but not so good for guys on the road without blackberries!
This phone has developed one quirk however. After 1 year of use, the phone will "reboot" when a call comes in sporadically. Doesnt seem to do it when I get an SMS or an e-mail, just vioce calls. Go figure.
Over all, VERY solid phone, as have been all blackberries in my experience. Higly reccommend it, or its successor since it has been discontinued!
Awesome phone
i have had this b.b. 7230 for a couple of months now and love it everybody says how good it is at work pourposes but they never seem to say how good the phone part of it is everyphone i have had has dropped calls until this one it always has great service and it is always loud and clear enough!!!!!
T-Mobile 7230
I have just purchased a Blackberry 7230 through a business rep at T-Mobile. It is not available in their retail stores, and TMO seems to have a 90 day exclusive on it. To get it, you must reach a biz rep via their phone referral (they were responsive and efficient).
The Blackberry features are getting better and better. I have mine set up with my corporate Blackberry Enterprise Server. I also can now send/receive email through a secondary service hosted by both TMO and Blackberry, called Blackberry Web Client.
Caution: if you are an existing Blackberry user converting over to a new Blackberry on the BES, backup and sync the old one. Then, WHILE ONLINE in OUTLOOK CONNECT mode, you can set up the new Blackberry and do its initial sync. I did half online and half offline, and it caused some problems.
I have been carrying an old Blackberry 950 and a Nokia 6162 -- so the convenience of integration is huge. I miss some features from the old Nokia: one touch dialing, and the audio characteristics of the flip style phone. To replace one-touch dialing, I have found some short cuts around having to go into my full 2000 entry contact list (special address book entries with 3 repeated letters, like VVV for office voicemail access). Getting the ear piece aligned with your ear is tricky the first few times -- I resort to a head set most of the time, but I did that on the Nokia, too.
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Best. Phone. Ever
Whenever I go mammoth hunting I ALWAYS bring my BlackBerry 7230. Im able to communicate to my other tribe members not only through banging rocks and grunting, but now through the BlackBerry email system. Due to how indestructible the phone is, I can use it to kill the mammoth if I lose my spear. Overall would recommend but make sure Urk doesn't take it from you... he might eat it!
Great e-mail device; horrible phone
I had the BB (Blackberry) 7230 for about a year and a half. As a portable e-mail device it is great. I need a phone that will work as a PDA for me as well and as phone it is horrible. It is very apparent that the phone was a last minute addition to this device.
Pros: Excellent portable e-mail device, great for browsing web pages but you have to be patient (and not paying for it). The keyboard is easy to use and quickly picked up. Navigation on the menus is easy.
Cons: The phone function is an afterthought. No missed call or message waiting indicator. Useless answer and hold feature on phone. Erroneous call answering when getting it out of the holster.
When you miss a call, there is no indicator that you have. You would have to enter your password to get to the main menu, enter your inbox. Search through all your message to find a missed call message. A waiting voicemail is also an e-mail, I get a lot of e-mail and do not check every time there is something new. Hence many people are angry with me that I have not returned their call in a timely basis because I did not know there was a voicemail or a missed call.
Additionally the BB has three options when you have a incoming call. Ignore, answer and Answer and hold. What the %$##! is answer and hold? When a call come in the BB is often in the holster and in taking it out and selecting the correct button I have many times selected the wrong option. Answer and hold pick up the call and the person calling hears dead silence, and then hangs up.
There is a Bluetooth adapter that I understand from a co-worker that used it for a week that it is horrible as well.
If you need a device to get and send e-mails the BB 7230 is great. Stay away if you want to use it as phone as well.
Opening the box to sealing it again
When you open the box for the Blackberry 7230 you will see an attractive assortment of baggies with 2 USB power cables, a holster, desk holster, a very nice home charger with 3 detachable attachments for power conversion. (for those travelers)
Blackberry casing feels to be of quality made plastic. I'm not a fan of the color. Its too corporate feeling. (Blue) : ( Also the T-Mobile sticker on the front is extremely cheesey.
The clarity of the screen is awesome! The text is easy to read and it looks like you can actually touch the letters. Its so neat! As far as the functionality of it all. I don't really know. I didn't play with it long enough.
The feel of quality and functionality is all here in this model! I'll rate this a 4.
Will Be Hot
I started using a 6210 today and am impressed. I had heard so many good things about the RIM devices, and now understand why. I saw the 7210 for the first time today and it looks awesome. Who in their right mind would buy a black and white device when they can get a color one for not much more. Typing on a RIM keyboard is easy, and the trackwheel is great.
Needs:
*speakerphone
*quick-sequence keylock
*improved browser
At&t Blackberry 7210
The Blackberry 7210 is light and compact. All the standard Blackberry applications are here, with an addicting game called BrickBreaker. Email works great with At&t web client and includes converters for word, excel and power point, which can be viewed as text. The color screen is great outdoors and in bright light, however its a bit hazy in low light. You cannot adjust brightness or contrast for different conditions and the screen backlight times out after 10 seconds of non-use (I don't think this is adjustable either).
M-Mode works good with the included browser, but bringing up HTML pages is hit or miss, some will load, pictures and all, others are unable to load. You can download a browser and email viewer from Requireless.com, but I believe they are $20 each. The requireless email viewer allows you to view picture attachments, and the browser does a better job rendering web pages, but setup for both is little tricky.
The phone application is very good, exceptional with the included ear piece. However, phone use without the ear piece is only fair. The speaker sound is some what scratchy and it takes getting used to to find the sweet spot.
Overall a good product, with a few flaws.