[dmhines]

Currently using a 7100t on T-mobile ... any chance my next BB will be a 7130t? Any rumors of a GPRS version and will T-mobile have it? The 7105t is pretty much a waste of an upgrade for those of us that have a 7100t ... although I like the housing color much better ... Thanks

[bjallen2880]

I have great news! You are in extreme luck! The 7100t and 7105 already have the GPRS capability!

[blkberryboy]

lol@bj...
DMHINES, lets let the 7105t be out a while before we start looking for another upgrade. The 7105t is supposed to improve on the 7100t's misfortunes. After that I would expect to see the 8700 series. After that and any software upgrades, then I could see another verasion of the 7100 series...eventually

[dmhines]

Originally Posted by bjallen2880

I have great news! You are in extreme luck! The 7100t and 7105 already have the GPRS capability!

The first version of the 7130 will NOT be GPRS ... I meant a GPRS 7130 ..

[TXBBUSER]

DMHines, either you are confused or I am. How can the 7130 not be GPRS? Isn't that how email is delivered? Is there some other data network T-Mobile will employ?

[sinanju]

The device you have IS the GSM/GPRS version of the 7130... The 7130 is the CDMA version of the 7100 range of devices.

Google is your friend.

[jibi]

There will be a 7130 EDGE-capable device released next year sometime. This is a GPRS device that has the added functionality of EDGE connectivity (which is simply an extension of GPRS which is a data extension of GSM).

If you want proof, you can simply look in a Platform.alx file from a recent 4.1 OS release and find the following:

<os radio="GPRS" series="7100" Colour="True" Theme="Normal" JVMLevel="1.0" KeyboardType="Reduced" MMS="True" Bluetooth="True" Sound="Tunes8700g" SystemSize="normal">GPRS/rim7100e.sfi</os>

The current 7100 series has this one for OS 4.1:

<os radio="GPRS" series="7100" Colour="True" radioOS="1.8" Theme="Normal" JVMLevel="1.0" KeyboardType="Reduced" MMS="True" Bluetooth="True" Sound="MidiAdpcm2" SystemSize="normal">GPRS/rim7100g.bin</os>

[djseto]

The tmobile account rep for my companies discount said that the 7130 and the Electron (8700) will be out soon. But to answer your question, it seems that TMO will have the 7130

[serpico]

Anyone know approximately when T-Mobile will release its version of the 7130?

[jibi]

before year's end. Cingular is getting the device first. TMO will likely follow soon after. to my knowledge, Cingular will have an exclusive on it, but there is also reason to believe that they will not.

[serpico]

Thanks jibi. So I thought I would ask BB if there are plans to make a GSM version of the 7130. Bottom line is that the BB reps I can reach either do not know if there will be a GSM version or cannot say.

But I thought the email conversation was ridiculous enough to give you guys a chuckle. The folks over at BB must have scored poorly on reading comprehension in school:

Me: Will there be a version of the 7130 for T-Mobile or any other US GSM operator?

BB: Thank you for contacting BlackBerry Technical Support. Here is a link to a website, that will show the carriers, from which you can purchase the 7130 Handhelds. Currently only Alltel and Verizon are the two, US carriers.
http://www.blackberry.com/products/b...rry7130e.shtml
Thank you again for contacting us.

Me: Your reply is not responsive to my query. Please can you reread my question. If you don't know the answer and cannot find anyone who does, just say so, but please don't insult my intelligence with a nonresponsive reply. Thanks.

BB: Thank you for contacting BlackBerry Technical Support. To reiterate your question if there will be a version of the 7130 for T-Mobile or any other US GSM operator?
T-Mobile does not provide 7130 BlackBerry. The other US carriers that provide 7130 are Alltel and Verizon.
You may also refer to the following website for the updated list of carriers providing 7130 BlackBerry:
http://www.blackberry.com/products/b...rry7130e.shtml
Thank you again for contacting us.

Me: I know there is currently no T-Mobile BB 7130. That is why my question is "Will there be a version of the 7130 for T-Mobile or any other US GSM operator?" I.e., are there plans for Blackberry to make a GSM version of the 7130?

BB: Thank you for contacting us at BlackBerry Technical Support.
The 7130 series of Handhelds are for the CDMA network type. Hence, it cannot be used over the GSM network. About it being created for the GSM network, we would not be able to advise as yet. However, for further information, please refer to this site, or contact T-Mobile.
http://www.blackberry.com/products/b...rry7130e.shtml
Thank you again for contacting us.

[jibi]

One thing you have to learn about businesses is the fact that they usually don't want to leak information about products they have yet to announce. Until they announce it, you won't get official information from them. Usually those who have access to said information have signed non-disclosure agreements. We have proof of the 7130g from pictures from a SunCom employee. There has also been mentions of it on Cingular's website (although they likely didn't want it disclosed), branded as a 7130c. And lastly, pretty much all Vendor.xml files now have a mentioning of it in there.

This will be the EDGE-enabled 7100 in the likeness of a mini-8700.

There is also a 7130u that will be coming out in Europe for UMTS capabilities.

Hope that helps. Just don't expect to get ANY information from RIM or T-Mobile, unless you actually know a rep who is working with the design/QA departments who are testing these handhelds.

[serpico]

Originally Posted by jibi

<snip>
This will be the EDGE-enabled 7100 in the likeness of a mini-8700. <snip>

Seems like the 8700 doesn't resolve the poor phone quality of the 7100 series, so maybe the 7130 won't be my ideal pda/email device that is also a very good phone.

From pcmag.com review of 8700c:
"We were glad to see that the phone is quad-band, which gives the best possible international roaming experience. But BlackBerrys have generally been mediocre phones, and the 8700c is no exception. Its earpiece is loud and the speakerphone very loud, but the built-in microphone is poor at canceling background noise and we experienced several audio dropouts and fluctuations during test calls despite the BlackBerry's interface reporting full signal strength."

What is Blackberry's major problem in building a device with good phone qualities??? Can't they just hire some Motorola engineers and figure this out already, fer chrissakes? I have owned 2 BBs now (7100t and older brick-style model from 2004), and neither comes close to matching the voice quality of my Motorola Startac from 8 years ago!

If they can't figure this out, I'm going to switch to the first cell phone manufacturer that can incorporate the excellent data features of the BB.