BlackBerry Forums Support Community

Brett2F · 01-02-2006, 03:03 PM

Does the 8700c have the WiFi/802.11 infrastructure in it or no?

RoadRider · 01-02-2006, 03:04 PM

No, only GSM

Brett2F · 01-02-2006, 03:04 PM

k thanks.

hbomb341 · 01-02-2006, 10:10 PM

It has EDGE and a web broswer, so you can surf the internet and it is fairly fast considering you are on a cell system. Full images and support for most sites, I would recomend play with a demo modle in a store on the site you want to see the most so you will know what to expect.

DrFunky · 02-26-2006, 05:38 PM

I think the lack of WiFi is the biggest (and maybe the only?) drawback of the 8700.

What's your opinion on this?

rcbjr · 02-26-2006, 06:43 PM

What would the advantage be? I don't see any need for WiFi on the 8700. To me it's just another thing to create integration problems. And it could be a security problem, with the possible chance of interception if you connect to open hot spots.

Just MHO.
Rcbjr

Dazed · 02-26-2006, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcbjr

What would the advantage be? I don't see any need for WiFi on the 8700. To me it's just another thing to create integration problems. And it could be a security problem, with the possible chance of interception if you connect to open hot spots.

Just MHO.
Rcbjr

Being able to surf without eating into your airtime would be the main advantage I could see (as well as the speed increase of course)

rcbjr · 02-26-2006, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazed

Being able to surf without eating into your airtime would be the main advantage I could see (as well as the speed increase of course)

---
Surfing on a BB doesn't eat airtime and doesn't incur additional data charges if you have an unlimited data plan (rogers excepted). And for surfing speed, I haven't really seen much difference in that.

Again MHO.
Rcbjr

canesfins · 02-26-2006, 07:49 PM

Well using it with skype would also be an advantage.

NJBlackBerry · 02-26-2006, 07:51 PM

Why would the carriers who sell you service want you to be able to use WiFi to bypass their services. Think about that. RIM gets revenue from the carriers. Carriers get revenue from you. WiFi - neither RIM nor the carrier get revenue.

Chances of seeing an EDGE/WiFi or WVDO/WiFi converged device are, IMHO, very slim...

There is a WiFi only BB - the 7270 - for campus environments. Not sold by a carrier.

Just my .02..

MobileAGBell · 02-26-2006, 10:54 PM

You might be surprised about the the new UMA handsets on the horizon. Nokia recently demo'd their new UMA handset (that combines GSM and WiFi) at the 3GSM World Congress. Here's a link to Phone Scoop that provides some details and other links about UMA:

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/3.../index.php?p=3

DrFunky · 02-27-2006, 12:51 PM

If you have a limited plan, it's an advantage to also have WiFi.

And it would allow to use your device in areas where you don't have GSM or EDGE coverage. If you have WiFi there of course

Quote:

Why would the carriers who sell you service want you to be able to use WiFi to bypass their services. Think about that. RIM gets revenue from the carriers. Carriers get revenue from you. WiFi - neither RIM nor the carrier get revenue.

When carriers offer an unlimited plan, it is in their interest to lower usage of their network.

Quote:

Chances of seeing an EDGE/WiFi or WVDO/WiFi converged device are, IMHO, very slim...

It exists already. HP iPAQ hw6940

NJBlackBerry · 02-27-2006, 12:58 PM

I was referring to converged BlackBerrys. This is a BlackBerry forum.

I had an iPaq. Thanks. Couldn't stand recharging the battery every 4 hours.

jcricket · 02-27-2006, 04:01 PM

WiFi would be a significant advantage for many large enterprises, especially with some VoIP software built in to allow your "office phone" to be forwarded to your Blackberry. Web Surfing via WiFi is also significantly faster than EDGE.

I could "roam" my campus and only use WiFi, with my work number traveling with me whenever I'm on campus (with no cell minutes used). And, anywhere I connected to a WiFi hot spot, I'd essentially be "in the office".

Again, Cingular wouldn't get anything out of that, so I don't expect them to push it, but I now that enterprise purchases of Blackberry devices would love to be able to reduce the amount of cell minutes required, many of which are used just because people aren't at their desks (not because they're actually out of the office).

zygut · 03-12-2006, 04:51 PM

Why would I want Wifi if I had an unlimited data plan? Simple, Wifi is WAY faster than Edge/Ev-DO. I know they are supposed to do broadband speeds, but realistically, they dont. Dont get me wrong, they are fast, but I've never seen 2megabits.

Additionally, WiFI means 10megabits/sec, I wouldn't be able to do that to the internet, but if I could at home on my LAN it would be really nice.

DuckWingDuck · 03-12-2006, 06:16 PM

I have never been able to do 10mbps on 802.11 while I think it would be nice to have 802.11, it isn't all that critical. I had 802.11 built in on my XDA and I hardly ever used it.