RIM BlackBerry 7100v

Author's product rating:   

Look & Feel
Durability & Robustness
Battery standby time
Value for money
Range of features

Advantages:	High resolution colour screen, packed with features, easy to install software, easy to use, polyphonic ringtones, long lasting battery
Disadvantages:	Cost and speed of software installation

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

As the must have gadget of last year the Blackberry is now one of the most popular and widely available PDA's on the market and it didn't take me long to catch the bug insisting that my Member Liaison Manager bought me one and my love affair with Blackberry's started. I originally used the Blackberry 7230 but got fed up with the small screen, lack of games, poor quality ringtones and general frumpy look.

After being made aware of the Blackberry 7100v on offer direct from RIM direct for only £200 including postage and packaging I dug deep into my pockets and parted with some of my hard earned cash. When it arrived I was surprised by the packaging, it was only the size of a standard mobile phone box and contained the actual Blackberry, the software disks, a battery charger and USB cable.

Installation of the software is very straightforward and onscreen instructions guide you through the installation process. I found it very easy to do but did get frustrated with the time it took to load everything onto the computer to synchronise the Blackberry with Outlook. All in all, it took 40 minutes to get everything ready to transfer my Outlook contacts and calendar across to the Blackberry.

The Blackberry 7100v lithium battery can be charged by using the charger attached directly to a plug socket or via the PC and USB cable. The battery itself lasts 7 days with usage bordering on the astronomical and one of the good points is that it only takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery after it has been completely drained.

In terms of looks I find the 7100v snazzy to look at and much better than most of the other Blackberry's in the RIM range. The standard colour is plain old black, and matt black plastic which does nothing in my opinion for the brand image. I opted for the silver 7100v similar to the picture shown above. Although it is longer in length than the standard Blackberry it is no more difficult to hold or operate, in fact the additional length increases the amount of room dedicated to the bright, high resolution colour display. Its precise dimensions are 11.4 x 5.6 x 2 cm and it only weighs 120g so despite being packed full of up to date technology it remains in weight terms similar to a mobile phone.

Using the Blackberry is very easy to master. Applications are selected using a track wheel operated using the thumb. As you move over an application symbol the icon increases in size making it easy to spot what you want to open. After selecting an icon the applications load instantaneously.

The 7100v is packed full of features that are useful to anyone who has to work on the go. The built in memory of 32MB is more than adequate and the fact that it is Quad-Band means I can use the mobile phone and e-mail features when in Asia, Europe or North and South America. The actual features included as standard are:

Mobile Phone
Outlook Email
Address Book
WAP Browser
Calendar
Memo Pad
Tasks
Games

The mobile phone function is superb. Call quality is always crystal clear and the volume (controlled by the track wheel) allows even the quietest of callers to be heard perfectly. I have never had an issue with call quality using the 7100v on the Vodafone network. I also always seem to have a reception signal long after my normal mobile phone has given up the ghost. SMS text messages can be sent and received using the QWERTY keyboard and e-mail inbox. - 10/10

Reading, sending and composing e-mails is simple. The QWERTY keyboard interface is more sensitive to the touch than previous models. The inbox facility allows for the creation of subfolders that mean that important e-mails can be stored away prior to clearing spam messages. The inbox also acts as a form of call register, storing time, date and number of any recent calls made. These remain in the inbox until manually deleted. 10/10

The address book I have contains in excess of 450 names and it remains as fast as ever. The address book provides the capability to store names, addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses. I find this facility fantastic and the search option narrows down your contact database as you input your search criteria. If you were looking for Robert Downs in your address book, by the time you had entered "Rober" a list of all the Roberts entered in the list will appear. This saves quite a bit of time when making hectic calls to all and sundry. 10/10

The 7100v is WAP enabled and uses GPRS technology to access the internet. Browsing is easy and web pages appear in colour and with a high level of detail. The browser is so fast I on occasion update a website using my Blackberry. 10/10

The calendar provides the ability to input time and dates of appointments easily. Once connected to your PC, the 7100v software will automatically update Outlook on your PC and visa versa. This function is a life saver at times, especially with the meeting alert facility that reminds me of what I have to do the following day. 10/10

Memo Pad and Tasks are self explanatory and aren't features I use on a regular basis. I will at times write reminders to self on the memo pad, but find no need at all to prioritise my jobs to do. - 6/10

The 7100v only comes with one game. Brick breaker is installed on all Blackberry devices however the 7100v version is in colour and has 75 levels to complete in comparison to the 7 levels on the Blackberry 7230. I love the game and am constantly trying to beat my previous score.

Overall I am delighted with my new Blackberry 7100v; it is an invaluable piece of equipment that keeps me in contact with the office and the outside world when stuck in meetings. The alterations made from the 7230 make the 7100v the perfect machine. It has polyphonic ringtones, an easy to read colour screen and is incredibly hard wearing. In addition, the 7100v is bluetooth enabled allowing the transfer of data between Blackberry and mobile phone.

I have never had any problems with the software supplied by RIM and found their customer support very helpful after contacting them with a query relating to installing further games to the device. Not only was the support line a freephone number, it was answered promptly by people who knew what they were talking about and guided me step by step through the process I required.

Personally I would recommend the Blackberry 7100v as a great alternative to simply upgrading to another mobile phone. It doesn't have a camera but who needs it when you can own a device that will make running your life so much easier.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.

Steve :o)