Will Cingular ever launch a BlackBerry without looking like they have never heard the word logistics. The BlackBerry 8800 is coming out this week. Some Cingular stores have it and are selling it. Others have it but are not selling it until the 21st. Most don’t have it and don’t know when they are going to get it, and quite a few don’t have and have never even heard of it. So much for Cingular stores being on the same page.
I’ve written several times about how botched the Cingular BlackBerry Pearl Launch was. Looks like AT&T buying Cingular hasn’t improved things much. From what we’ve heard the BlackBerry 8800 won’t be released until the 21st so out of fairness, will give Cingular until then. I will say however, it isn’t looking good so far.
BlackBerry 8800
What is that device in Nicky Hilton’s hand? This picture was sent to us by a Celebrity BlackBerry Sightings reader named Dan. It is kind of hard to make out, but, the keyboard configuration on the device Nicky Hilton is holding in her hand looks similar to the one found on the BlackBerry 8800.
Maybe with her being a billionaire heiress and all, she was able to pull a few strings to get one early.
BlackBerry 8800, Nicky Hilton
Vodafone has just added the BlackBerry 8800 to their site. Although the actual release date isn’t listed, you can get a Vodafone BlackBerry 8800 from Free up to £153.19. You can also get a free Mototola Bluetooth wireless headset when you purchase your BlackBerry 8800 through the Online Business Shop.
BlackBerry 8800, Vodafone, Motorola Bluetooth Headset
Research in Motion has recently added a BlackBerry 8800 Getting Started Guide to the BlackBerry Technical Knowledge Center. The BlackBerry 8800 Getting Started Guide covers everything from Setting up your BlackBerry 8800 and sending email to making calls and troubleshooting.
The BlackBerry 8800 Getting Started Started Guide is just over a 2 meg .pdf and can be downloaded here…
BlackBerry 8800
As you may already know, one of premier features in the soon to be released BlackBerry 8800 is GPS. I use GPS in cars all the time and it has kept me from being late to a business meeting on more than one occasion. I, however, have never used GPS built into a personal device that you carry around with you.
Honestly, I am kind of leery of it. I know that there are some cool applications that GPS would allow you to use. For example, Naggie released a Location Aware Reminder application that could alert you to do things based on your physical location. Think of your BlackBerry telling you to go pick up milk as you approach the grocery store. My concern, however, comes from the other side of it.
If my BlackBerry could notify me that I am nearing the grocery store it doesn’t seem like a stretch that it could notify someone else as well. I am not sure how I would feel walking around with a personal LoJack in my pocket at all times.
Then again, maybe I am feeling a bit paranoid because I watched Enemy of the State last night.
I have been thinking a lot lately about the BlackBerry 8800. It is kind of hard not to with the official announcement of the BlackBerry 8800 and the fact that the BlackBerry 8800 could hit Cingular store shelves in less than a week.
Now that we’ve had time to look at the features and specifications of the BlackBerry I wonder just how well it will sell? It’s not that the BlackBerry 8800 isn’t a good device and all, but, does it really offer enough over the BlackBerry 8700 or 7130 to warrant upgrading to it.
I know that many business users say they don’t need a digital camera, however, no camera, combined with no Wi-Fi, make me see the BlackBerry 8800 as the device that I pass up on waiting for the next new model BlackBerry to come out.
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BlackBerry Tipster Extraordinare and BlackBerry Forums super moderator Stinsonddog is back at it with his world class BlackBerry Tips. His latest tips sheet is for the BlackBerry 8800. Stinsonddog says his pre-launch 8800 tips are 99% accurate and will be confirmed as soon as he gets his hands on a device.
If you are really interested in what the BlackBerry 8800 can do go check out Stinsonddog’s site. He is known to have the best BlackBerry tips out there and I guarantee that you will find something out about the BlackBerry 8800 that you didn’t already know.
Download the BlackBerry 8800 Tips .pdf.
BlackBerry 8800 Tips
One of the big disappointments when the BlackBerry Pearl was first launched was that you couldn’t get any BlackBerry accessories for it when it first came out. This is not the case with the BlackBerry 8800. As a matter of fact, you can get BlackBerry 8800 accessories now and the BlackBerry 8800 doesn’t go on sale for at least another week.
Like it’s smaller cousin, the BlackBerry 8800 doesn’t come with a holster in the box. Don’t worry, however, because you can order a BlackBerry 8800 leather swivel case from the official BlackBerry Accessories store, ShopBlackBerry.com. There you will find the BlackBerry 8800 leather swivel case in several different colors as well as a bunch of other BlackBerry accessories like spare batteries, Bluetooth headsets, car chargers, and more.
BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry 8800 Accessories
According to a Cingular inner-office memo, the BlackBerry 8800 will go on sale a week from today. This isn’t anything that we hadn’t expected with a BlackBerry 8800 Launch Party taking place on the 20th.
In partnership with Research In Motion, we will begin selling the model on Feb. 21. The product will include the TeleNav GPS Navigator™, a built-in global positioning system, which is a first for a BlackBerry device that we sell. With a new trackball navigation system, the 8800 supports our Push To Talk service, provides a media player and a microSD expandable memory slot for storage of music and videos.
Thanks to BlackBerry Forums member nike30, you can read the full Cingular Inner-Office Memo here…
BlackBerry 8800