Canadian wireless-device maker Research In Motion (RIM) scores plenty of points for style with its thinnest BlackBerry handset to date, the 8800 smartphone. The 8800 embodies RIM's aggressive attempt to shed its image as a maker of bulky products and rivals the svelte handsets of the competition.
Last year saw the release of the trendy-looking BlackBerry Pearl, the company's first model with a camera. The 8800 has no camera but it is as sexy as any of the candybar-style smartphones from Nokia and other top mobile-phone makers. It measures 114mm x 66mm x 14mm and weighs 134 grams, rechargeable lithium cell battery included.
Despite its streamlined look, the 8800 packs plenty of features. These include a high-resolution colour display, a 35-button backlit keyboard, dedicated menu and escape keys, 64 megabytes of flash memory, a microSD expandable memory card slot, a media player, a Bluetooth headset, integrated earpiece and microphone, Web browser, desktop software, e-mail integration, an instant-messaging set-up, voice-activated dialling, push-to-talk capability and support for GSM, GPRS and EDGE networks.
But wait, there's more The 8800 has a built-in Global Positioning System. This function can be used with mapping and location-based applications - such as TeleNav GPS Navigator, which is available on the mainland and in Taiwan, or BlackBerry Maps - for more accurate tracking of routes. I used BlackBerry Maps and didn't get lost. Then again, I was outside the office in Taikoo Place and it was easy to pinpoint the street where the nearest McDonald's is located - but the point is, it works. Few smartphones have a built-in GPS function.
Thumbs down Missing from the 8800 is the familiar jog dial on the upper-right edge of other models. This has been replaced by a trackball at the centre of the device.
For long-term BlackBerry users, the navigation and typing position has always been this: thumbs at the keyboard and right index finger at the jog dial. Like the Pearl, the 8800 imposes a new way of working.