The BlackBerry 7100t arrives

Probably should mention that T-Mobile has started shipping the BlackBerry 7100t, you know, the one with that newfangled keyboard where they put two letters on each key and uses predictive text to guess which letter you mean.

[Via MobileTracker.net]

[Anon-e-moose @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The 7100T is sort of ugly. What's with the little tab at the bottom of the phone? They should of just made everything nice and smooth. And what's with the bevel in the middle of the keyboard?

Rim really needs to higher some designers.

[Anon-e-moose @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The 7100T is sort of ugly. What's with the little tab at the bottom of the phone? They should of just made everything nice and smooth. And what's with the bevel in the middle of the keyboard?

Rim really needs to higher some designers.

[Really? @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

of the ugly, cheap Motorola C333 phone I had awhile ago... The cheap plastic is really hurting the design.

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

So the target audience for this phone was the business-but-not-financial-and-lawyer groups around the country, and more towards the general consumer market.

So why make them consider such a horrible design?
The 7100v (for Vodafone in Europe) is a lot more attractive (or the 7100t) is, as we're saying, a lot UGLIER.

You decide - see them side-by-side at: http://www.blackberry.com/blackberry7100/index.shtml

Paul

[Brian De Groodt @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I've used 3 different BBs (hybrids and dedicated email devices) and one of the best features of the pre-7100 BBs is how durable they are. You can really abuse them. The 7100 is very cheap feeling, and my guess is one good drop and it's toast. The design & tactile feedback are very poor, especially from a company that had previously mastered the keyboard concept.

[scott @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

am i the only one who cannot figure out how to retrieve email from my pop account? it asks for my account and password, but not for my server, port, etc. then, and i'm really not that stupid, i can't figure out how to retrieve message off my server. the documentation is worthless. i don't mind the plastic feel because it is so lightweight that i don't think a fall to the ground would do much damage.

[Steve Mortimer @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

RIM finally got it right and created a great phone as well as email device. The design is smooth with rounded edges and is a great improvement over the brick look of the 7100v. The speakerphone is exceptional and I even got used to using the predictive text. The screen picture is better than my laptop with higher resolution. T-Mobile will have a hard time keeping this device in stock.

[Steve @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I switched over to the 7100t after being a devout treo 600 user, based on the reviews I've read. But now after using it only a couple of days, some issues arise. The fact the phone feels very flimsy and of cheap qualtiy, doesnt really sell me. The navigation menu is not as simple as the treo, and honestly the keyboard design isnt all that great. Yes, it begins to learn your form of writing, but is it worth going through this trial and error period to use a phone? Ultimately, I'm going back to my trusty treo and just wait until the new TReo 650 before I make another switch...

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The 7100t is the best email/phone device ever created. The speakerphone is incredible and I was leary of the predictative text but it works like a charm. Along with the SideKickII and iPAQ 6315, T-Mobile has the best data products by far of any wireless carrier. No wonder why T-Mobile is growing the fastest.

[Gianluca @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

After owning the 7100t for a week, I am convinced that it is by far the best BlackBerry ever. Bluetooth alone makes this phone/email device better than any other BlackBerry that has been released. Add to that the amazing color screen, excellent phone features (speed dial, send and end buttons, better sound quality, etc.) and an excellent speakerphone, and the jury won't even need to deliberate to figure out that this is best BlackBerry ever. In addition, the form factor is right on. I wasn't sure that I like the looks from the pictures, but in person, it is very impressive. The "v" at the bottom of the phone is actually useful in that you can turn the phone over to carry on a speakerphone conversation. Granted, it does not have a tank-like build like my previous 6710, but it is durable enough, especially considering the price. In addition, the keyboard does take about 10 seconds to get used to, but I now find myself actually typing faster than before because the keys are bigger and many times you don't have to move to another key to type the letter you want. Practically everyone I have shown the 7100t to is getting one or has already bought one (and I'm talking about other lawyers, not college kids). Now, if only they could add Wi-Fi....

[Gianluca @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

After owning the 7100t for a week, I am convinced that it is by far the best BlackBerry ever. Bluetooth alone makes this phone/email device better than any other BlackBerry that has been released. Add to that the amazing color screen, excellent phone features (speed dial, send and end buttons, better sound quality, etc.) and an excellent speakerphone, and the jury won't even need to deliberate to figure out that this is best BlackBerry ever. In addition, the form factor is right on. I wasn't sure that I like the looks from the pictures, but in person, it is very impressive. The "v" at the bottom of the phone is actually useful in that you can turn the phone over to carry on a speakerphone conversation. Granted, it does not have a tank-like build like my previous 6710, but it is durable enough, especially considering the price. In addition, the keyboard does take about 10 seconds to get used to, but I now find myself actually typing faster than before because the keys are bigger and many times you don't have to move to another key to type the letter you want. Practically everyone I have shown the 7100t to is getting one or has already bought one (and I'm talking about other lawyers, not college kids). Now, if only they could add Wi-Fi....

[Beau @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Every time I try to use my bluetooth headset, the phone reboots. I'll be calling tech support tommorow.

[Pete @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I bought mine a couple a days ago. I'm loving it so far. The new keyboard/software combo isn't as good as the original blackberry keyboards that I've used (so far), but it's good enough and the reduced size and improved "phone-like" characteristics of it are well worth the trade off. To me, the increased size/bulkiness/unwieldiness of smart phones has been what's holding me back from buying and keeping them...This is the FIRST smart phone I've found that I really like and can live with! I can put it in a pocket and leave it there and use it like a normal phone. Speaker phone and bluetooth are great additions. I'd say it's 80% phone and 20% data device...but it does the data well enough to enjoy 80% of the benefits of a normal blackberry imhbo or Treo. (I frankly find the Treo 600's keyboard a bit too small and/or oddly shaped to be significantly better by comparison).

However, I've not been very impressed with the battery life on the 7100t--it's markedly worse than my Nextel 730. The stats and the reviews indicate it should perform much better than what I've experienced. Although I am using the device differently, I'd expect it to perform roughly as well as the 730 (no champ in the battery department). I exchanged my first 7100t, thinking it may have been defective, because the battery life was really bad (down to <10% charge after a full charge at work, one night at home, and light phone usage) and the handset's speaker phone seemed to been permanently on making random noise. I've had the new one for 1 night now and that seems to have helped. However, the battery life still seems a bit weaker than I'd expect. I haven't used the phone that much and haven't recieved or sent that many emails...or been in poor coverage areas... I'm thinking the problem might be instant messenger...which seems to vibrate every time I get a message. I've only used IM lightly...but still that vibration must be highly wasteful...

Does anyone know how to turn off that vibration in IM? I looked in all the profile settings and found nothing that matched. Any ideas?

[Leon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I have been a Blackberry user for sometime, and think this is a great improvement. i am a heavy user and i think the battery life is far worse then the previous versions, but then the screen resolution is better along with speakerphone and bluetooth. i think given all the additions we opt to loose some battery life. so, carry a USB cable or charger with you....

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I was told that I would not need a car charger for my Blackberry 7100t as the battery lasted for DAYS. What a bunch of crap. I have two employees and myself with this device and after one week we are all ready to take it back. They don't have any car chargers and we can't go 4 hours without losing at least half the battery life. This is the WORST battery I have ever had in a device EVER. These are being returned.

[Progress Junkie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I recieved my 7100t last Friday through our company's corporate rep. The unit was functioning great -- e-mail and phone -- until Saturday night, when it started operating sluggishly and stopped sending/receiving e-mails or phone calls. On Sunday morning, I talked to T-Mobile, and they suspected it was the SIM card. On Tuesday, I made it to a T-Mobile store, but by this point all that was showing on the phone was a rotating hour glass and the T-Mobile logo.

The folks at the T-Mobile store confirmed that it wasn't the SIM card, but the phone itself. They traded out the phone for a new one. I'm going to chalk this one up to just a defective unit.

This is my first Smart Phone. I'd always resisted because of the bulk of the prior phones. This unit is just compact enough to be functional and not feel too bulky. I agree with some of the posters that the unit isn't the most rugged, but then it does only cost $200. Also, the battery life does leave something to be desired -- which may be remedied to some extent by dimming the screen for standard usage.

All of that said, I think this unit is fantastic! No doubt in a year or 18 months, RIM will put out an improved unit. But it is a really great product. The predictive text works well. The phone gets good reception and excellent sound quality. The speaker phone actually works. And the menus are self-explanatory and navigable.

Bottom line: 4 stars out of 5

[marc greeberg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

the 7100 negatives:
the beeping green signal light on top is a distraction. you should be able to hide it!
When u type and I type alot you feel the rear case moving beacuse it is not a snug fit. The case is hard to fit on your belt and the 7100 is a loose fit in the case.

[Mason @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Tools | Settings | Screen/Keyboard

Turn the "LED Coverage Indicator" off. It's on by default.

I have had the 7100t for a month and it is been nothing short of heaven sent (Of course I'm coming from a Moto P280 to this.) Former BBerry owners...mileage may vary. The SureType system is top notch. One other person at my place of employment has bought and another one is strongly considering it.

[Mkaramon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

How do I activate the speakerphone. the instructions do not indicate how to do it? Thanks

[mav @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I bought a 7100t in late October. Within the 10 days, the unit started getting sluggish and more sluggish and finally stuck on an hour glass. The store switched out the phone. Within 14 days, the phone started getting sluggish and more sluggish and then became stuck on an hourglass again. The only common thing that I had done just prior to it getting sluggish was the AOL IM feature. I finally got through to Tech Support at T-Mobile who said that the IM software was having problems and not working properly. I was never told this at any point. I won't be using the IM feature until I read that they a have a fix for this. I haven't used IM on my now third phone and haven't had a single problem.

[pger @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

My company builds software for PDAs and other mobile devices. I have several phones including Treo 600s, various PockePC based phones etc, that are used for development. The 7100t at first seemed to be a pretty nice device so we purchased it to evaluate it.

The BlackBerry scroll-wheel is a terrific feature but the good stuff about this phone ends there. The software is very limited and is sub-par when compared to its rivals. This device is a bad PDA and less than average as a phone. The phone�s quality is about that of a sub $50 phone or a give away for signing up for service. The quality of the device is sub-par when compared to its rivals. The software is very sluggish and the popup menus are obnoxious. The worst part is after only a week of very light use the phone no longer works. It has reverted back to a spinning hourglass from which there is no recovery. Software quality appears to be very poor. There is never an excuse for a phone locking up. The last thing you need in an emergency is an expensive phone that doesn�t work. I would suggest that consumers avoid the 7100t but if you already have one you may think about carrying a backup phone just in case. Overall I would grade the 7100t a D-.

[Raoul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I just bought a 7100t last week, and it has become very noisy every time it seeks data for my email. It is also very noisy (a buzzing sound) when I make calls.

Is this something I can control in any way? Otherwise I am taking it back and assuming it's defective . . . thanks

[Ethel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Help! I'm considering buying a BB for 1st time. I already have TMobile cell phone. I've narrowed my choices to 7230 and the new 7100t. Any suggestions? I'm also working with a limited budget. Tx

[Eddo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I don't know if you have actually held the 7100v in your hand and the 7100t, but I think the 7100t is MUCH better looking- the website is deceiving.

The 7100t is much better than the 7230 because of the new speakerphone and bluetooth- which the previous blackberries were lacking.

Cingular now carries the 7100g- also very ugly. I support mobile phones for a fortune 500 company and I have a treo 600, a siemens SX 66 and a 7100t and I like the 7100t the best for just plain email communication and using it as a phone- it's light, and the screen is VERY easy to read. The Siemens is so big and heavy that my arm gets tired from holding to my ear and the bluetooth in my Siemens is lame - the connection keeps dropping. The bluetooth in my blackberry is awesome and it is only for headset communication so another computer can't talk to it and send it a virus.

[Michael @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

The buzzing occurred even with my 7290, although it wasn't as pronounced.

I haven't had any issues with Bluetooth connectivity, including the Jabra Caller ID headset and Motorola's offerings.

You can turn speakerphone on by pushing the "O P" button. Mute is the "Q W" button. The quick reference guide had these listed. Otherwise you can also push the wheel button and activate the Speakerphone.

You can use the older Blackberry's USB 'B' adapeters for car use. The battery life is shorter than what you'd imagine, but I do get around 4 hours.

Also, Krusell http://www.krusell.se/product.php?s=2&product=1848 makes a great leather case for the 7100G/V. I can understand the "cheap" feeling and this case makes it feel protected. And it fits like a glove.

The biggest issue for me is the "washing" out of the display in bright daylight. If anyone hears of a screen overlay or something that will fix this, please let me know.

[Tex @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

For satisfied 7100t users - I just purchased a retractable USB/mini-USB (5 pin) cable from Radio Shack ($11.98 plus tax) because I forgot to pack my charger. This has turned out to be a serendipitous event as I now don't need my travel charger and use my laptop to keep my BB juiced up. Plus I can use this cable to transfer jpg's from my Canon PowerShot, eliminating another cable from my bag.
As if that wasn't enough, I found out how to use my 7100t as a data modem for the laptop. Speed isn't great, but, its great for intermittent or emergency connectivity.

Here's the url for the cable in case you're interested. You can enter your local zip code and check if your local Radio Shack has this cable in stock.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F004%5F002%5F012%5F000&product%5Fid=26%2D708

[Mitch @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Tex...How do you set up the 7100T as a data modem for PC connectivity? Thanks...

[Christian @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I am a somewhat new owner of a BB 7100t. I was excited (initially) about my purchase as the phones features worked flawlessly for the first 2-3 weeks of ownership. Soon afterward, I began to experience many (if not all) of the problems experienced above. On top of those, I have had no luck using the bluetooth connectivity beyond the pairing of the phone and my Jabra BT200 earpiece.

After upgrading the phones software to version 4.0.0.198, there seemed to be some resolve to the problem with the speaker remaining on (even when the phone was powered down), the frequent rebooting and other issues that hindered the phones basic features. The problem with bluetooth connectivity still exist however and I am interested to know if anyone has had any success using bluetooth devices and apps in conjunction with the 7100t (specifically the Jabra BT200)?

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Well I just purchased a 7100v. . .same as all the other 7100's I have been told, but different case. I had a 7230 prior to this and it was great. . .the 7100 is a different beast and I reckon Blackberry have stuffed this one up.
On the surface it looks awesome and I like everything about it(even the sure type), apart from the two most important functions.
1. phone performance and
2. battery life.
The other functions whilst useful are nice to haves.
Anyway, I returned the first 7100v as it constantly buzzed. . .no questions asked, so begs the question how many are actually returned.
The one I now have is I would say a very poor phone. . . .it reminds me of an early 90's phone. . . extremely poor battery life (fully charged at 7am and fully flat at 5pm) and voices are tinny when I receive calls.
This one is going back also and I am going back to the 7230.