BlackBerry RIM 7100x

The BlackBerry RIM 7100x is an aging BlackBerry smartphone from Research in Motion that was released in 2005. This is easily the most attractive of the 7100 line of BlackBerry phones. It features a black/grey/white color scheme and is slightly smaller than the rest of the devices in its class. While it is missing a lot of the features of modern smartphones, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x provides enough benefits to make it worth your while as a backup device should you lose your current BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry RIM 7100x is a quad band GSM device, so it can be used anywhere in the world where there is a cell phone tower nearby. While the worldwide coverage is great, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x lacks the data transfer speed of other phones. This is due to its use of the old and outdated GPRS data network.

Measuring in at approximately four and a half inches by two inches by one inch, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x is a large phone but not so big that you can’t carry it all day. Unlike other BlackBerry devices, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x is actually fairly light, weighing only 120 grams.

Also unlike other BlackBerry phones, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x has a somewhat respectable battery life for such a meaty phone. Expect to get four hours of talk time or 8 days of standby time on a single charge. It should be noted that this battery life is not good compared to other phones, but is respectable given BlackBerrys’ usually short battery life.

The BlackBerry RIM 7100x also includes a large 240 by 260 pixel screen that is capable of displaying 65k colors.

While it does not support mp3 files for music, the BlackBerry RIM 7100x does support MIDI files for basic ringtones. However, don’t expect to use the BlackBerry RIM 7100x as a full media center on the go.

Other features found on the BlackBerry RIM 7100x include a full QWERTY keyboard, WAP Internet, USB connectivity, a large phone book, an alarm, a calendar, a speakerphone, a calculator, email support, a to-do list, and a memo pad.

Pros

• Lots of features for an older phone
• Great backup device

Cons

• Lack of modern multimedia features
• Could have longer battery life
• Missing Bluetooth features of other 7100 series phones

Overall

The BlackBerry RIM 7100x is perhaps the perfect backup BlackBerry for diehard Research in Motion fans. While it lacks some of the modern conveniences, that’s what your current phone is for. Keep this one around in case your new device decides to die on you.