-
"If you like your BlackBerry, but LOVE your telephone, this is the phone for you." on by frostypauly
Pros: Crystal Clear, Large, Bright Screen...easy to use...fun...A REAL PHONE!!
Cons: Holster stinks...bad... I mean, come on, did we step back in time 10 years?
Summary: Let's be clear, this phone isn't for everyone. If you are a die-hard, blackberry emailer and love your QWERTY, you may want to stick with what you have. The keyboard, although easy to use and built to function really well, isn't made for amazing thumb speeds. I moved from the 7510 to this phone and I can't say how much I am impressed. This phone is great! With more phone friendly features such as the "Green" and "Red" call buttons, clear number keys and a bright, clear screen this phone is a real winner. It can even do MMS and Text messaging with the new BB 4.1 software, a feature I sorely missed on the 7510.
Things I really loved:
Dials and acts more like a phone. This was numero uno for me as I am on the phone FAR more than email. It has the normal "Red" "Greed" call buttons everyone is so used to. Made it 100 times more user friendly.
BRIGHT! Very bright, vivid screen. And the screen/keyboard lights up whenever it's removed from the holster or rings. This is a great touch versus having to always press the light button on the 7520, which drove me crazy.
Very clear and detailed screen. A friend sent me a photo of his newborn over the weekend. I was blown away at how great and clear it looked on the blackberry. Very impressed.
SMS and MMS features. After spending some time with the BB Tech group, we got both of these features working. I think for people who enjoy sending text messages, or picture messages, this phone gives you that...features that are clearly missing on the 7520. I am a "texter" and love having my cake (Blackberry) and eating it too (MMS)
Bluetooth - I know the 7520 has it also, but I'm glad they included it on the 7100i. It's a great feature.
Web - Excellent web browsing with this screen. I configured mine to act like Microsoft IE, rather than BB Browser (setting in the browser controls) and love getting the full screen web pages.
Size - This device is very friendly in the size category. It's not compact but it's not huge. It is about the same size (Top to Bottom) as many of the Nokia's out there that are not flip phones. So for the power that it has, the designers did a great job in packaging it in a perfectly sized case.
Keyboard. I've looked at the T-mobile and Cingular blackberries. I hated how they jammed all the keys together and angled them in a V, on the unit. Your guys did a great job. The layout of the keys is perfectly spaced and are almost straight across the unit, rather than being angled up, so your thumbs aren't pressing other keys or rolling over each other. I've typed quite a bit already and it's easy on the hands.
Pictures - If you love to show off your downloaded pictures this is the phone. The screen is ultra clear and the program for storing/viewing pictures is easy to use.
Convenience Key - This is a great addition. That little button between the Red and Green keys can be set to run any program you want. It's a great shortcut for the program you use most.
Clear sound - Phone conversations sound great!
Good battery life. I get about 1 1/2 days out of mine with normal use.
As much complaining as I've read on the blog sites about the antenna, I don't mind it at all. It gives the device a more phone like look and I think is appropriate.
Things to HATE! The holster sucks. No longer do you get the great swivel clip ala 7520. Instead you get this flash back to Qualcom crap that you have to jam onto your belt and easily comes loose. It's not even a clip, just a folded piece of metal that you force onto your pants. I've almost left my phone behind twice now, as it shimmies itself loose from my belt without you noticing.
All in all, the few little annoying things, like having to turn off the Green LED "In Coverage" Light that blinks 24/7 if you don't, are burried by a land slide with the great features of this phone. I was acutally thinking of moving away from BlackBerry, but the 7100i is a home run and I'll be using it for some time. Hopefully by then they will come out with a better holster. -
"Excellent Phone/PDA" on by Striggity
Pros: Excellent screen, stylish form factor, simple typing
Cons: battery life, can't recieve mail during a call
Summary: I've been with Nextel since June and this is the 3rd handset I've had since joining the company. The first I had was the BlackBerry 7520, which was a good device but suffered from poor battery life and awful ringtones (may not seem important, but you'd be surprised). I then switched that for an i860 which was pretty good, but also suffered from poor battery life (until I splurged on a $75 extended capacity battery). Text messaging and emailing was also quite cumbersome. When I realized that Nextel was releasing their version of the 7100 I knew right away I would have to get my hands on one. Thankfully, this model corrects some of the problems I had with the 7520, such as boring ringers, more sensible alerts (no more text messages telling you that you have a voicemail!) and MUCH better screen quality. Although it's a little hard to see in sunlight (as with 99% of cell phones today) the resolution and color is absolutely brilliant. The menu system is pretty much identical, except the icons themselves now look nicer and more appealing. The BlackBerry still rocks when it comes to sending/receiving emails, but this time around you can actually send text messages to cell phones! Before you actually had to have a persons messaging email address in order to send them a text, but this model supports MMS.
All in all, I recommend this phone/pda to anyone looking for an all in one device for Nextel. It's not only one of the best devices on the market, but at $169 after rebates, it's really a steal. -
"First-time Blackberry User" on by s2h531
Pros: Call clarity, Direct Connect Feature
Cons: Confusing sometimes
Summary: It is kind of confusing to set up and the buttons are different, however, they work just fine and I don't think I will use anything but a blackberry again. I had a smrtphone and I like this more. Very easy to use for e-mail and such!
-
"Nextel kept a customer because of this phone" on by fzj80
Pros: Phone & fully functioning PDA in one
Cons: Holster is little goofy. Must have a car charger for batteries
Summary: I have been with Nextel for 2 years, have a good plane for minutes (unlimited for $119.00/month) but I really wanted a phone/PDA.
The i930 finally came out and I called to order but they were sold out. The CSR told me about the 7100i and it sounded better than the i930.
So I am taking the 30 day trial here in California and have had it a week. It's great!
It easily sycs with all of my Microsoft Oulook data (via usb cable) and I have retired my HP IPAQ. The sure type is easy for me, even easier than using the styls pen on the Ipaq. I really don't care about the email yet as my company doesn't use an enterprise server. So, I didn't get the blackberry data package and saved $40.00/month. I know they require this but if you are a little creative you won't have to get it. If it was only $20.00 I would get it regardless but $40.00 plus is way too much for the service.
Battery life is so-so. I'll need to re-charge it at least once a day, but all Nextel phones suck the juice. Making calls from the address book is awesome and makes my day more pleasant. The calender has many views, like agenda, that makes keeping track of appointments a cinch.
If you are looking for a phone that works like a phone and want a PDA intergrated then I highly recommend the 7100i. My 10 year nephew is happy too, I gave him my old Ipaq. -
"Good idea; failed attempt." on by derekhinchman
Pros: The sure type is alot faster than a qwerty set up in my opinion. Easier to hold and talk on then the bulkier BB.
Cons: Software,software,software.
Summary: This BB should have been sent to the 86 pile of the design room. If you don't believe me speak with any nextel/sprint sales rep. If you use the instant messaging system with BB or yahoo, the 7100 is sure to fail. Calls sometimes make it lock up. I usually remove the battery at least once a day due to this. I am on my second 7100 and there won't be a third.
Write a Review
Check coverage in your area 
%20-%20Smartphones%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/blackberry-7100i-sprint/4852-6452_7-31562833.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6452&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}