[nosidam]

For the past several weeks I've sort of been a little annoyed with my 8700c. As a BlackBerry, it works great. The phone is a slightly different story.

Several people have complained to me that they can't hear me when I use the BB as a phone while walking down the street. They say there is too much background noise and that they can't hear me, so I wind up shouting into the BB just so they can hear me. On top of that, it seems that when there is a lot of background noise, the earpiece volume does not get loud enough, so now I can't hear them telling me they can't hear me...which leads to some sort of high tech Abbot and Costello routine.

I sort of shrugged it off the first few times I got complaints, but the complaints kept coming. And then it happened at the worst possible time...I was five minutes late meeting my mother for lunch at a restaurant right near the FDR Drive (highway on the East side of Manhattan). I was walking under the drive, right next to the East River, and I called her to tell her I was going to be a few minutes late. She could not hear me at all due to the traffic 20 feet above me. This led to an unbelievable nag session that lasted the rest of the meal about me not only being late, but me not having a good phone, and what if there was an emergency, etc. (no need to go into the gory details here).

It was after this that I decided to do a few tests. I took my 8700c and stood on a busy street corner with buses going by all the time, horns honking, people walking & talking, etc. and called a friend of mine and my work voicemail. After a few minutes of that, I switched to the RAZR (both on Cingular) and performed the same calls. The difference was night and day. The RAZR either has a noise-canceling mic, is much less sensative, or it has a much better algorithm for deciding what is voice and what is background noise.

This prompted a second test. I took my 8700c, my RAZR, a colleague's 8700g on Cingular, and another colleague's 8700g on T-Mo into my computer room at work (think multiple loud air conditioners) and stood in the same spot and made several different calls (it's quite cold in there, btw). All of the 8700's sounded like I was in the middle of an airport with a plane taking off right next to me. I could barely hear the other party, and they could barely hear me. The RAZR was just fine...they could tell I was in a noisy environment, but the noise was not taking away from my voice, and I had no issue hearing them.

For the final test, I took my 8700c and used various software revisions (stock Cing, Bharti, Telstra, 8707v) and made the same call from the computer room from the same spot. There really wasn't a noticeable difference.

Obviously I have tried different devices on different software versions on different carriers, and since I'm not the only one with this issue (several of my users have complained too), I can safely say this is not unique to me, and I assume others out there are having the same issue.

I guess at this point, my only question is, does anyone know if there is a way to fix this? Is there a way to force the codec to use a less sensative setting, or the mic, or something else?

Looks like my RAZR will be out of retirement soon and I'll be back to two devices hanging off my belt again.

[allenranger2]

This has been an issue since the 72xx series as well. It's really unfortunate because as mentioned, the blackberry's quality is othewise perfect, with calls coming in clearly. Maybe the new 7130c(g) is different?

[KonTiki]

Try a bluetooth headset with noise cancelling ability.

[nosidam]

Originally Posted by KonTiki

Try a bluetooth headset with noise cancelling ability.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. BT is really not convenient when you want to have a one minute conversation about where someone is. It takes longer to get the headset out, attached to the ear, turned on and paired than it does to have the actual conversation. And besides, is it too much to expect the built-in phone to work well?

[sigmamason]

No phone is going to be loud enough if you are walking under the FDR (lived in NYC for awhile).

You best bet is a bluetooth with noise cancelling ability:
Sony Ericsson HBH-610a
Nokia BH-900 (not out yet)
Plantronics Voyager 510

All are purported to have noise cancelling ability, however keep in mind that if you are walking under the FDR in rush hour traffic, not much can be done about the noise in that area...

[nosidam]

Originally Posted by sigmamason

No phone is going to be loud enough if you are walking under the FDR (lived in NYC for awhile).

This is my problem...I live one block away from the FDR and often go sit by the river in the evening and read the paper or my book, or I go for a run there. At the place where I am, I am level with the drive, and about 10 feet away from it (small patch of grass and a fence separates me from the maniacs). When there, my RAZR is just fine. Everyone can hear everyone.

I don't expect the 8700 to be as good as the RAZR for the simple fact that the mic on a candybar style phone is further away from the mouth, but I do expect it to work well enough that I can walk down the street and have a conversation without resorting to yelling. With the 8700, I've become the very type of cell phone user I can't stand.

[egale]

Question: Do you hold the phone to your right or left ear? The microphone on the 8700c is on the left side of the device. I haven't tested it out myself but might the call quality be better if you had the phone on the other ear due to microphone placement?

[ksellers914]

Yep, the phone (background noise) is terrible. I do not understand why RIM cannot get this right, but a Moto Razr is spot on. Sometimes I may not even be in what I call a noisy environment and someone will ask,whats that sound? After looking around for a sec I find the noise they were talking about, a noise which I was not bothered by in my environment. The other party can hear anything and everything, wherever you are.

[KonTiki]

That is why I have the Plantronics 510V. If I am out I wear it, pairs automatically when i turn it on. I do not have to go hunting for it. YEs you are right in expecting the device to work well, but realize that there is no PDA or CELLULAR out there designed to work well in noisy environments. People forget that the reason for these devices is to allow you the conveniency of having a portable device with you in case of emergency situations. Instead people expect to conduct their entire lives with them just as if they were sitting at home or in the office. Unfortunately, as long as it is a portable device and as long as you are outside there is noise, traffic, wind and on and on to contend with.

Originally Posted by nosidam

This is my problem...I live one block away from the FDR and often go sit by the river in the evening and read the paper or my book, or I go for a run there. At the place where I am, I am level with the drive, and about 10 feet away from it (small patch of grass and a fence separates me from the maniacs). When there, my RAZR is just fine. Everyone can hear everyone.

I don't expect the 8700 to be as good as the RAZR for the simple fact that the mic on a candybar style phone is further away from the mouth, but I do expect it to work well enough that I can walk down the street and have a conversation without resorting to yelling. With the 8700, I've become the very type of cell phone user I can't stand.

[richardsbd]

But for many of us, Blue Tooth just isn't an option (due to security/IT Policy), so the device has to work of it's own accord...

[pulrang]

Kontiki is right. My 7105 is awful with background noise too. Unfortunately for us in the BB world, function follows form in this case.

[KonTiki]

I understand and sympathize with your problem and limitation, however facts are facts, cellular phones and pdas dont do well outside in traffic in noise in wind.

Originally Posted by richardsbd

But for many of us, Blue Tooth just isn't an option (due to security/IT Policy), so the device has to work of it's own accord...

[noeffectx]

just carry an extra phone,like pre-paid(if u dont want to commit on a yr contract) for your razr cingular, and use it for "really" emergency situation.

[miami]

Man,
I totally feel your pain. I dont know what to do with it either. I refuse to walk around town with a headset on. It should be a phone first. I have had blackberries for about 2 years, and am absolutely addicted to the email compenent of it. My company is on a BES, so it is just awesome. I also refuse in this day and age to walk around with more than one device. Not sure what I am going to do. I just picked up a motorola Q. Gonna give that a shot. Not sure my company will support it for email, but so far the phone is just awesome. It might be the network, it might be the phone. All I know is that I can talk in my car with the radio on, and you can hear my voice!! Can you believe that. I thought that was impossible. My wife might divorce me fo buying another "device" - but thats another story

-AV

[nosidam]

Originally Posted by KonTiki

I understand and sympathize with your problem and limitation, however facts are facts, cellular phones and pdas dont do well outside in traffic in noise in wind.

That is a very general statement. I don't want the 8700 to do well, I want it to be about the same as my RAZR, V600, and some Samsung flip-phone that I don't remember the model # of. All of those phones had no issues while walking down the street in midday traffic. The 8700 can't even handle that. As of right now, it's next to useless as a phone, and that's a shame because if it was even almost as good as the others, it would be a great device. As of right now, it's just a great BlackBerry.

[epark21]

I agree that the 8700's mic is not great so I've always used either a corded headset or a bluetooth headset.

I don't understand why so many people keep their bluetooth headsets turned off until needed? I always keep my plantronics 510 on since it gets 6 hours of talk time. The bb gets 4, so I charge the headset when I charge the phone.

Once you have good bluetooth headset, there's almost no difference in putting it on as compared to putting the phone up to your ear. When out and about, I keep my bb holstered on my right side, the 510 in my left pocket or my shirt pocket. Call comes in, I put the headset on and press the button, done. Same amount of time to unholster the bb, press talk, and put it up to my ear.

[jdjleo]

Just my 2 cents...

But i have ZERO problems with my BB phone or reception!

And i EXPECTED to get lousy reception and sound quality compared to my w600i!

However this was not the case! i was very pleasantly surprised! Maybe i am the minority in this case, just putting my experience out there!

[tprime]

I also use a BT headset I have a plantronics(I don't know the model number) and with the headset it works fine. As a phone I just make sure the mic is orientated correctly. But I don't really use my phone to have a long drawn out conversation. But when I do I don't have any real problems with sound quality or the other party complaining either. I also live in nyc.

[hamerad]

Just call Cingular and obtain a replacement. You might have a buggy one. Mine did the same thing, then I RMA'd it thru 611 and I got a brand new one. Before you judge the phone have a replacement to try first.

[supadupahyphy]

I feel everyones pain the 8700 is great for everything but calls.

There have been countless episodes where this phone just amplifies background noise.

Its been the thinking this is caused by an extra sensetive mouth piece. Which would make sense since it is so far from your mouth.

Whatever the case, it has forced me to bring out the Nextel i95 for phone calls.