Advice needed, help!!! 8800 or 8700?

[DaBlackberryBoy]

Friends, I have a favor to ask...

I have TMo and last summer I upgraded (via a 2yr ext on plan) and got a hold of a 8800, nice. Had the 8800 and then right before xmas, the black piece inside of the charger slot broke off. The phone was under warranty, but I would be without a phone for a few days. Well I had a backup 8700g in my drawer in the basement. So naturally I pull that bad boy out, got him all recharged up and installed my apps and whatnot on it and off to the races!!!

Well my replacement 8800 finally came back in, and I love the 8700g (always have), but loved the 8800 when I was using it. I am stuck and not sure which one to go about using. Right now I am still using the 8700g, but keep looking at both phones everyday.

Here is what is important in a blackberry to me:
-Battery Life (I have extended batteries for the 8700 (2400mAh) and 8800 (1800mAh).
-Device Size (I have big hands and like the feel of a device that is a little bigger, nothing as super slim as the pearl - I play basketball, what can I say)
-Memory (I would like to be able to expand the memory eventually, but not yet)
-Easy navigation (love the trackball but have grown use to the trackwheel)

As you can see I am one confused puppy and just wanted to get advice from some of you who are in the same boat. I want to be able to choose thebest device and store the other one away for a backup, today or soon after. Thx in advance

[ezrunner]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8800/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Either way keep one as a backup! You can always switch back and forth

[kjjb0204]

Can't decide for you, but I can tell you that about one week after you make your decision, you're going to wish you picked the other one. Kind of like at a restaurant when you can't decide between two things and just after the waitress walks away, you wish you had ordered the other one.

[DaBlackberryBoy]

Can't decide for you, but I can tell you that about one week after you make your decision, you're going to wish you picked the other one. Kind of like at a restaurant when you can't decide between two things and just after the waitress walks away, you wish you had ordered the other one.

LOL, I know, been there and done that.

[DaBlackberryBoy]

One thing that I like about my 8700 is the 2400mAh extended battery I have, boy that thing lasts a while!!! The 8800 though I have a 1800mAh, and it also lasts a while, but obviously not as much as the 2400mAh. I am constantly on the go from 6am until 11pm, and like having a battery that can get me through the day w/o having to charge. Any power users have that kind of luck with a battery for the 8800? If so, what battery do you have!

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

I agree with EZ. If you've got both, keep one as backup, or maybe one will be your weekend adventure blackberry or your travel blackberry, or whatever.

[DaBlackberryBoy]

I will keep one for a backup most definetly. I just dont know which is better for me at this point. Talk time, battery life is very important to me. I dont wanna give up the 8700 great battery life with the 2400mah but think that the 1800mah with the improved talk/battery life would fill the gap. Any thoughts there...

[aiharkness]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

No personal experience working with the 8800. I didn't like the keyboard, though, when I handled one. If I had to choose one or the other, I would go with the 8700 for that reason alone.

[DaBlackberryBoy]

Wirelessly posted (8700g: BlackBerry8700/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

No personal experience working with the 8800. I didn't like the keyboard, though, when I handled one. If I had to choose one or the other, I would go with the 8700 for that reason alone.

That was one thing I noticed too and read in reviews. Even though I have big hands, it was kind of hard to type with the 8800 keyboard. But in contrast, the 8700 keyboard, smaller, but I had no issue - probably because of the compactness and good spacing of the keys.

[DaBlackberryBoy]

Got to looking at things, and think I might stick with the trusty ol 8700g. The keyboard is great, battery life with the 2400mAh is nice, and its just a compact little device, dependable. I wouldnt mind having a sd card slot, but I am not into playing music/videos, crap like that, so there really isnt a purpose for it past that. The keyboard and battery life were the factors for me as I live on my berry all day long.

[rambo47]

I miss my trackwheel so much I occasionally go back to my 7105t for a few days. It's like an old girlfriend I just can't quit. The version of SureType is an old one and not nearly as user friendly as that found on the Pearl, there's no memory expansion, it's hard to get files onto it, and it just doesn't handle attachments well in email or MMS messages. Eventually the more modern features win out and I'm back with either my 8800 or 8300. I've actually been flirting with the idea of getting a clean 8700 and permanently retiring my 7105t, that's how much I love the trackwheel!

[kjjb0204]

I miss my trackwheel so much I occasionally go back to my 7105t for a few days. that's how much I love the trackwheel!

It's funny how people have such different tastes. I couldn't stand the trackwheel on the 8700g and would never go back from my 8830's trackball. I just felt like I had to keep shifting my hand over to use the wheel between typing. The ball is right there and I don't have to shift my hand around...

[greggebhardt]

I hated the ball at first and am still not that crazy about it. The 8700 was one of the best. The keyboard is still unequalled except for the 7520!

[rambo47]

Maybe I'm just nostalgia-prone. But once I got used to how the Blackberry worked with the thumbwheel I was hooked. I can see some advantages of the rollerball, but I just hate change. I'd take my old thumbwheel back and be a happy camper forever!

[aiharkness]

I could get used to the ball, but when I was helping my wife set up her pearl, I had the feeling I was making more motions and doing more pressing buttons to bring up the menu and select items than I have to do with my 8700. Maybe it's my imagination as I haven't done a side by side comparision. But that's the sense I get. Anyone know for sure about this?

[DaBlackberryBoy]

I could get used to the ball, but when I was helping my wife set up her pearl, I had the feeling I was making more motions and doing more pressing buttons to bring up the menu and select items than I have to do with my 8700. Maybe it's my imagination as I haven't done a side by side comparision. But that's the sense I get. Anyone know for sure about this?

I would tend to agree. When I first switched to the 8800 from the 8700, I kept with the phantom thumb syndrome. Then once I got used to the trackball, it just felt like I hate to work it in suh a way to make sure that one I could choose or select what I was trying to and then two whenever I went to hit the menu, I either had to press menu or else press directly on the trackball - sometimes making it and other times selecting text. It does make you slow down a little bit when using the trackball, versus with the wheel, you go where you want to, time it with your clicks and your there.

FYI, Woke up this morning thiking about the 8800 again, think I need counseling :? :smile:

[DaBlackberryBoy]

LAST QUESTION...

For the 8800, how much talk time/standby time will I be looking at with the seidio 1600mah, or else a 1800mah?

[DaBlackberryBoy]

Well for those interested, I chose to go back to my 8700. My reasons; this past weekend I switched to my 8800 for a day. It was great, but for some reason I missed the trackwheel and the keyboard on the 8700. Also the 8700 was just more compact and took less space up in my pocket. Now although I love the trackball on the 8800, the 8800 just seemed a step slower, keyboard was not as spaced as on the 8700, and the keyboard on the 8800 just felt cramped and super slick and hard to type on. Plus I have past history with the 8800, it has been prone to have the small piece inside of the charger slot break off on me, which TMo told me is a common issue with the 8800. Rather than go through not have a phone for a week plus, I will just stuff the 8800 in the drawer as a backup. THE 8700 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to all for your advice. :)

[ezrunner]

I have the 8800 and a Pearl!!! Love them both......but I indeed do miss the 8700!!! won't be going back though. I keep it for sentimental reasons...I replaced the trackwheel successfully on it on my first attempt

[MERK350Z]

Friends, I have a favor to ask...

I have TMo and last summer I upgraded (via a 2yr ext on plan) and got a hold of a 8800, nice. Had the 8800 and then right before xmas, the black piece inside of the charger slot broke off. The phone was under warranty, but I would be without a phone for a few days. Well I had a backup 8700g in my drawer in the basement. So naturally I pull that bad boy out, got him all recharged up and installed my apps and whatnot on it and off to the races!!!

Well my replacement 8800 finally came back in, and I love the 8700g (always have), but loved the 8800 when I was using it. I am stuck and not sure which one to go about using. Right now I am still using the 8700g, but keep looking at both phones everyday.

Here is what is important in a blackberry to me:
-Battery Life (I have extended batteries for the 8700 (2400mAh) and 8800 (1800mAh).
-Device Size (I have big hands and like the feel of a device that is a little bigger, nothing as super slim as the pearl - I play basketball, what can I say)
-Memory (I would like to be able to expand the memory eventually, but not yet)
-Easy navigation (love the trackball but have grown use to the trackwheel)

As you can see I am one confused puppy and just wanted to get advice from some of you who are in the same boat. I want to be able to choose thebest device and store the other one away for a backup, today or soon after. Thx in advance

to be honest what i would do is stay with the 8700 if it meets your needs then stick with it. i have the 8700, the 8300 and the 8800 and i still end up going back to my 8700 sometimes. the size and the battery life on the extended battery is great. the other blackberry's i have i use those as a back up blackberry incase the 8700 ever stops working. the only reason i have the 8300 was that i had an iphone which i hate traded that sucker in under a week. like most people say "if it aint broke dont fix it" stay with the 8700 if it does the job .