I was suprised at how quickly I blew off the 8800. Up close and personal, the phone didn't look or feel as well put together, or detailed as the 8300...not to say it was "junk" or anything, just seemed like things like the way the case and the USB/charger and headphone input jacks didn't exactly line up...and the way the battery cover was kind of hollow and flexy...those kind of things on the 8800, turned me off.

And, the 8800 has got to be the biggest fingerprint magnet short of Motorolas KRZR...I'd be wiping it off all the time. Guess I'm just anal that way about my devices. I do it enough on the Curve...and that is the only thing that I dislike about a "candybar" phone form vs. the flip-phone since the screen is more protected.

The earpiece speaker volume (like you have said in another post) on the 8800 is not at all as loud and clear...even set at 100%...as the 8300 Curve. Sound quality too, on the 8800, was lacking...at least to me.

I will say that they keypad of the 8800 did not bother me at all. In fact, I found it more comfortable than the 8300 to me, and I did not find it slippery or cramped like so many others. I liked the font size of the type on the 8800 too, compared to the 8300. But...all that is personal preference, and not a generality.

It is clear why some prefer the 8800. And, if I had nothing else to compare it to...I would have gladly kept it. But, the 8300 is the better device for me...right now, even though it's not perfect.

Maybe BlackBerry will call me before they design their next device and get my opinions...because I know how valuable and important they are...



Yeah...right. LOL