Blackberry 8800 now on Cingular

Straighten your ties and button your suit jackets, RIM's promiscuous debutante -- the Blackberry 8800 -- is up and dancin' on on Cingular's website. $500 list, or $300 after $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract, the 8800 brings everything we expected: quad-band EDGE, GPS, microSD expansion, Bluetooth 2.0, push-to-talk support, and 5-hours talk / 24-days standby in a 0.55-inch device weighing just 4.73-ounces. 3G data? No. WiFi? Not this time. For that we'll have to hold tight for the anticipated mid-year launch of the 8820.

[Thanks, President and everyone who sent this in]

[Leonard Nimrod @ Feb 21st 2007 8:10AM]

Cue the iPhone comments.

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[Christopher @ Feb 21st 2007 8:31AM]

I'm so dissapointed they released this in a midnight blue color. I thought the pictures made it look black - just like the pearl. That's enough to make me pass on this phone.

[ryanporschen @ Feb 21st 2007 8:36AM]

Why in the heck does this thing show "camera phone" icon on the main list of devices? I hate these companies! STOP TEASING ME!

[netposer @ Feb 21st 2007 8:56AM]

Camera Phone icon? I don't see one there. The 8800 doesn't have a camera. The 8100 Pearl does. 8800 is geared toward corporate users and the Pearl for consumers.

Anyway I should be getting mine today or tomorrow--yippy!

[nan @ Feb 21st 2007 9:05AM]

Where is the sprint version - gaaaa!

[Paul @ Feb 21st 2007 9:26AM]

$500?!?! iPhone pricing doesn't look too bad considering it is a much better device.

[Charles R Hamilton @ Feb 21st 2007 9:39AM]

No 3G? No WiFi? No Thanks.

[Andrew Hillman @ Feb 21st 2007 9:46AM]

They have to invent a new one being as microsoft gives away push email I guess they can dress up diffrently

[AwayBBL @ Feb 21st 2007 9:46AM]

Paul?

How can you even compare the two? First off iPhone doesn't exist in the marketplace yet, so it'd be impossible to know whether or not the quality of the device matches the hype. Secondly, RIM has close to 10 years of experience in building devices for the enterprise. And while this new device is not revolutionary, the evolutionary features (trackball, GPS, mediaplayer, attachment support) go a long way in bringing a rock solid experience to those users that can appreciate its design goals.

[Andrew Hillman @ Feb 21st 2007 9:47AM]

Wonder if Skype will make a VOIP client to cingular aka att wont make so much on network time

[pete @ Feb 21st 2007 10:42AM]

No HSDPA or WiFi?
Worthless.

[dingoboy @ Feb 21st 2007 10:56AM]

I got one of these yesterday and I'm not especially impressed. When the 8700 came out, it was a much better email device than anything else on the market; really streets ahead. However, having just come back from 3GSM, my reaction to the 8800 is mostly "blah". It's an ok upgrade over the 8700 but nothing more. I suppose the built-in GPS will be useful to some people but I would have much preferred 3G support. I'm used to 3G devices like the BlackJack and Treo 750 now and not being able to get email while on a call - or use it as a modem while still getting calls - is an annoying step backwards.

Also, Windows Mobile 6 really has a bunch of nice improvements that bring it closer to the capability of the BlackBerry system. RIM is going to find it hard to compete with Microsoft and the legion of OEMs who make devices that use their OS. I've been a huge fan of the BlackBerry but I think its days are numbered.

Once we get our new Exchange 2007 server working with our Direct Push system and I get a WM6 device, I'm ditching the BlackBerry. HTML email and 3G support are just too appealing.

[Rai @ Feb 21st 2007 11:17AM]

HSDPA would be nice for streaming video on this device. But otherwise, it's worthless. EDGE is more than fast enough for email and web browsing on the blackberry.I had teh cingular 8525 for a few weeks and although it downloaded big files really quick, it had to dial up, locate, and wait to connect every time I wanted to look at Engadget's wap site. It was a pain to surf the web on it alot of times. THe blackberry servers optimize content for thier browser. News and info sites load so much quicker on the 8800 than the 8525 (win mob 5). As far as mobile browsing goes, this is ideal for me. Even wifi would not make web browser that much of a better experience on blackberry.

The one thing I don't like so far on the 8800 is the media player still sucks (like on the pearl). There is no EQ, the controls are not intuitive, and they should have included an adapter for normal 3.5mm headphones. The video player also doesn't go full screen.

I got this phone last night. All in all it is outstanding. The design and feel alone makes it the classiest smartphone out there. It's solid and grown-up inside and out.

[dingoboy @ Feb 21st 2007 12:22PM]

"HSDPA would be nice for streaming video on this device. But otherwise, it's worthless."

Umm...no. HSDPA (unlike EVDO) permits simultanous voice and data trasmission. If you've ever been on a conference call where someone sends out an agenda or notes *after* the call has started, then you'd appreciate HSDPA. Also, having a device that supports HSDPA means you don't need a separate 3G data card; you can just use the phone as a connection.

If you don't think HSDPA is useful, you're missing the point of it. Operators and handset makers aren't missing the point: probably half of the new phones and PDAs that were introduced at 3GSM included HSDPA.

[Neo @ Feb 21st 2007 12:53PM]

Any logical person should stop saying how expensive the iPhone is, when phones like this and others sell up to $300-400. When you include wifi, huge touch screen, 4gb or 8gb storage, and the many desktop class applications included in the iPhone (which you have to purchase separately for your other smartphones), you should realize that you are paying more for a better product when you buy the iPhone. Just my two cents.

[Benton Pena @ Feb 21st 2007 1:17PM]

Definitively the Nokia E61 is superior in every way, if you see from the corporate business phone view - it is a crackberry!