BlackBerry RIM 8820

Fans of the 8800 will find that the BlackBerry RIM 8820 looks and feels very familiar. In many ways, the 8820 is the same unit, just with a few extra bells and whistles. The QWERTY keyboard is still there, along with a larger than usual display area, Bluetooth capability, and a multi-band GSM.

Added to the list of features is an excellent Wi-Fi capability that includes the UMA carriers that help support the system. The music player is much more functional than with previous models, and the uploading process is simple and easy. The easy Internet browsing makes the idea of research in motion very applicable to the RIM 8820.

Another nice feature of the 8820 is the decent amount of battery life. On standby, the 8820 provides a healthy twenty-two days of life. Even while in active use, the consumer can expect to have a full five hours of continuous use, which makes it ideal for personal and business use.

Pros:

• Viewing area is one of the best in the market today
• The trackball is an improvement over the trackwheel
• The design for this model is much sleeker and stylish than some of the previous units

Cons

• Many consumers report that the process for setting up email access is difficult at best
• The backlight on the unit goes out when using the GPS, which can be distracting
• Uses EDGE, which can be slow at times

Final Word

The BlackBerry RIM 8820 is definitely an improvement over previous models, but enhancing some of the basic features would make the unit much more accessible to a larger sector of the public.