Hi Folks,

I just got a an unlocked, previously T-Mobile now Cingular, BB 7290 and got it working the way I want it after a week or so. Mail is syncing properly and Yahoo Messenger, Google Maps, and Google Talk are all installed and working, partly due to tips on this website.

Now I'm finding the phone performance to be a bit weak. I live in Scotts Valley (Northern California) and drive along Hwy 17 to Hwy 85 to Sunnyvale most days. Volume in conversation seems a bit low, and while I get reception pretty much everywhere in the -90 to -70 db range, I seem to get interference and static quite frequently. In addition, the Cingular plans are fairly pricey and Cingular has some odd restrictions on phone usage and provisioning, especially for IM, when compared to T-Mobile.

So, I'm thinking of switching phones and possibly carriers. From reviews here, it sounds like low conversation volume and weak radio are some of the complaints with the 7290. Can any Pearl or 8700 owners confirm that these are improved on their phones? I can wait until November when Cingular gets the Pearl, so I'll have the option with either carrier. The 8700 is still a bit pricey for me.

Also, if anyone has recent experience with T-Mobile, and/or T-Mobile vs. Cingular, on the 85 corridor, on Hwy 17, or in Scotts Valley, your insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

MJ

No responses on this, so perhaps this vicinity is of interest only to me. Just in case, here are my observations.

I switched from Cingular to T-Mobile on Saturday, and from my unlocked BB 7290 running 4.1 to a new BB Pearl 8100 running 4.2. I'll post my Pearl observations on one of the review threads. Bottom line, it's the best phone I've ever owned and I prefer it (slightly) to my wife's 8700. Either way, I'm a Crackberry addict.

Cost:

20% Edge to T-Mobile

T-Mobile - 600 Anytime Minutes, Unlimited BB, IM, and Data, $60 per month. Upgrade phones every 12 months (not that I plan to for a LONG time. )

Ciingular - 450 Anytime Minutes w/Rollover, Unlimited BB, 200 Text/IM, Unlimited Data, $75 per month. Upgrade phones every 18 months.

Coverage:

* Overall, Slight advantage Cingular, though sound interference (static and skips) is more prevalent on the Cingular network with the 7290.

* EDGE vs. GPRS, Advantage to T-Mobile EDGE

For whatever reason, the 8100 holds EDGE reception better than the 7290 holds GPRS. Both do fairly well with that. On the 8100, my web browser performance is much better on EDGE than the 7290 on GPRS. Noticeably faster with fewer delays and not a single timeout.

* At home, Scotts Valley CA, Skypark area. Edge to T-Mobile

Cingular (7290) - About 3 bars inside, GPRS. varied from 2-4 bars all around SV. No drops. Mediocre voice reception quality.

T-Mobile (8100) - About 3 bars inside, EDGE. varied from 3-5 bars all around SV. No drops. Good voice reception quality. My house is RIGHT next to a T-Mobile tower. performance is very good.

* Highway 17, Santa Cruz to Hwy 85. Slight edge to T-Mobile.

Both varied from 2-5 bars througout the route. Cingular dropped one call on the SC side of the Santa Cruz mountains. Both avoided the Verizon dead spot between Pasa Tiempo and Santa Cruz. Sound reception quality was slightly better on T-Mobile.

Cingular (7290) - 3 one bars dips in the mountains, 1 near SC

T-Mobile (8100) - 2 one bar dips in the mountain, 1 near SC, one near Lark Ave exit.

* Highway 85, Hwy 17 to Sunnyvale. Slight edge to Cingular.

Both varied from 3-5 bars througout the route. No calls dropped.

Cingular (7290) - 2 two bar dips. Slightly better average signal strength.

T-Mobile (8100) - 1 one bar dip and 2 two bar dips.

* At Work, inside, N Mary and Central. Big edge to Cingular

Cingular (7290) - 2 bars, mostly gets GPRS lock. Decent performance.

T-Mobile (8100) - 1-2 bars, intermittent drops. Mostly gets edge lock. I'm between two towers and my office will move to a better coverage area in 6 months.

* Santa Cruz area, Graham Hill Road from Felton to SC, Big edge to Cingular

Cingular (7290) - 1-4 bars.

T-Mobile (8100) - 0-1 bars until the cemetary outside of SC, mostly looking for network. Essentially no coverage in this area. I fear that this will be the biggest drawback wih T-Mobile. Their coverage, while good in mainstream areas, is still lacking in more remote areas.