Review: BlackBerry 8820

BlackBerry 8820 Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: The BlackBerry 8820 is packed with a wide range of communication features, including phone, email, instant messaging, GPS, maps, web browser, a wealth of personal organiser functions, and even a media player. It's the most businesslike of the BlackBerry series, but lacks 3G.

Review: September 2008.

The BlackBerry 8820 is the big beast of the BlackBerry series. There's no camera, no attempt to make this monster fit into your pocket, and no pretence that this is anything other than a very powerful mobile communications device. In a way, this is BlackBerry at its best - certainly in its purest form. With no distractions, the 8820 just gets on with the job.

The 8820 may not be something you want to show off in a pub, but it's definitely worth showing off in a conference room. It's surprisingly stylish, considering its utilitarian function, with a hint of curves, and thinner than you might expect. At 134g, it's definitely one of the heaviest smartphones around. The display is a good size, although the resolution is not as high as some of the latest smartphones, and incorporates user-selectable font size.

The 8820 is packed with a wide range of communication features, including phone, email, instant messaging, GPS, maps, web browser, a wealth of personal organiser functions, and even a media player. Connectivity options include WLAN (802.11b/g), as well as Bluetooth 2.0 and USB.

The advanced phone features include a speakerphone and voice activated dialling, user-definable convenience keys and dedicated Send, End and Mute keys, making it more like an office phone than a standard mobile. With voice dialling and a Bluetooth headset, it's capable of fully handsfree operation. The full 35-key QWERTY keypad and trackball make it the best mobile platform for writing texts and emails - frankly its virtually the same as using a laptop on the hoof. The BlackBerry push email software supports virtually all types of enterprise and personal email servers and standards, including popular webmail systems such as Hotmail and Gmail. Security is given full attention, with password protection and a keyboard lock, plus full support for encryption when using BlackBerry Enterprise Server to access data.

The 8820 isn't quite all work and no play however. There's a media player built in, so you can listen to some music or even watch a video on the train or between meetings. You can plug in stereo headphones or use a Bluetooth wireless headset.

Battery life is excellent, with a heavy duty battery giving a theoretical standby time of 528 hours. In practice, the 8820 may not reach this limit, but has plenty of juice for continuous working throughout the day.

Weaknesses include the limited amount of memory available - just 64 Mbytes, although you can expand this with a microSD memory card - and the fact that there is no 3G connection, just EDGE. This makes for relatively slow data transfer, most noticeably when web browsing or sending/receiving large attachments. This does significantly limit the phone's capabilities as a mobile email platform for corporate users. The new BlackBerry Bold fixes this issue.

The 8820 is now obsolete. The newest BlackBerry is the BlackBerry Storm - a toucbscreen phone with 3G HSDPA and plenty of other features too! Read this BlackBerry Storm review for a taster! The BlackBerry Bold is similar to the Curve series and features a full QWERTY keypad. Read this BlackBerry Bold review for more information.

Features of the BlackBerry 8820 include:

• LCD display: 320 x 240 pixels, 65,000 colours
• Media player
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, instant messaging, push email with attachment viewer
• Built-in speakerphone
• Voice dialling
• Voice memo recorder
• MP3 ringtones
• GPS with BlackBerry Maps
• Personal organiser functions
• Vibration alert
• Internet: Web browser, GPRS, EDGE
• Connectivity: WLAN, Bluetooth 2.0, USB, RIM wireless modem, 3.5mm stereo headset port
• Memory: 64 Mbytes plus microSD memory card slot
• Size: 114 x 66 x 14 mm
• Weight: 134g
• Quadband
• Talktime: 5 hours
• Battery standby: 528 hours

BlackBerry 8820 Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

Average rating from 39 reviews:

Reviewed by Andrew from UK on 30th Dec 2008
Worst phone I have ever had. It's a PHONE but when the battery gets low it turns the radio off and only works as a PDA!! some phone indeed. I have two now, swopped out the first one because it started doing weird things like snding texts randomly - even if the phone was on a desk it'll flick thru the menu like someone had remote control of it. The replacement is doing exactly the same thing. My sim is fine as it works 100% in my other phones. The latest one is now going see the bottom of a lawnmower - watch for the clip on Youtube!!
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Reviewed by simon from china on 22nd Nov 2008
I like BB8820 for long time, while, some of important functions can't be used in china, like push mail system. someone may feel it's too bit to fit our packet, but when you need to access internet with Wifi，when you need to handle job on business, it's quite good assistance for us. I wish blackberry would come to china faster.
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Reviewed by dave from uk on 12th Nov 2008
Think people are missing the point here.. this phone was designed with business users in mind, which is why it has no camera, and very limited audio/video.. connect it to an exchange server and thats where its features shine.. dont get this if ur looking for a funky media player that will play all ur fav songs, movies.. DO get this if u like to have the internet at ur finger tips, email a lot We have implimented these in our company connected to our exchange server.. couldnt ask for anything else really.. If you dont like large handsets, dont get one with a full qwerty keyboard - where else did u think they were going to put 30+ keys??
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Reviewed by anan from Earth on 25th Oct 2008
bad
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Reviewed by PARAGANI from Hungary on 9th Sep 2008
Ayo the phone is awesome!!! nice phone strong phone AWESOME HACK PHONE
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Reviewed by tony blair from uk on 21st Aug 2008
i think this phone is the worst eva fone
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Reviewed by Mughal from Pakistan on 16th Aug 2008
Well i have found this a dump cause its has a software problem hung out with hanging problem too
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Reviewed by Paul Simpson from UK on 9th Aug 2008
What is this crazy need for smaller and smaller. If I want full qwerty I expect the phone to be reasonable large. My interest in the Blackberry is purely the User Selectable Fonts. This should be the standard for all mobile phones.
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Reviewed by Darren from England on 2nd Aug 2008
A*. What can I say. For all thoses who are moaning about the size of the keys what do you expect from a device the size of this having a Qwerty keyboard. Did you actually think the phone was going to be the size of a standard pc keyboard ? Fools. Anyway like I said A* phone
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Reviewed by Hadley from UK on 1st Aug 2008
It doesn't work well, though it looks cool.
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Reviewed by peaches from wales on 28th Jul 2008
I have this phone and i love it
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Reviewed by dolly from essex on 25th Jul 2008
This is the worst mobile ever. It is hard to use and the buttons are tiny. I do not reccomend it. Get the samsung G600. Thats a good phone.
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Reviewed by *SOPHIE* from UK on 23rd Jul 2008
CLASS FONE! 1 ov da best fonez EVAXxX
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Reviewed by martin crombie from uk on 23rd Jul 2008
Stopped using mine after a month started to give me headaches, the Blackberry 8820 has one of the highest SAR rating out there 1.5 SAR, which is just within the legal parameters, be warned this will fry your ears off.
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Reviewed by Bill from UK on 27th Jun 2008
Got this as my work phone 3 months ago. I love it. It combines phone, email, PDA, GPS and MP3 player all one. Also managed to load up videos (convert from DVD using Seabyrd technology) which look pretty good. Stuck in my own 4Gb memory card, and I usually use a bluetooth earpiece. For stereo sound I bought a special 2.5mm 4 pole jack converter - about £3 on ebay. I can sit on a train, read my email, browse the net, talk on he phone, listen to music, watch a movie, and see where I am and hat speed the train is going. Fantastic !
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Reviewed by Bria from UK on 16th Jun 2008
wow!
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Reviewed by Pete from England on 12th Jun 2008
Awful! Nothing else to say. Bought it on the sunday, was returned by the friday. Buy the sony ericsson k800i, now that's a good phone!
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Reviewed by fran from UK on 8th Jun 2008
It is hard to work and is not very good
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Reviewed by Hugh Jass from pakistan on 31st May 2008
This Phone is amazing i have buyed all the blackberrys on the list but this has to be the best it is absoulotly phenonimal its brilliant it has the best wi fi internet access i have ever used as i am a top class soilder huu fights in style it is amazing the graphics and sound quality the phone is really easy to use my 6month old daughter can play sounds on it. 150 it is fantastic ♥
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Reviewed by Asha from canada on 27th May 2008
This blackberry 8820 wifi is the best phone Ive ever had! I love this phone, I was able to connect and get on to my msn also gmail,I was able to look at things I usually look on my laptop for.I love the way the msn looks also the qwerty keyboard easy to use, got use to it very quikly,the roller ball was new to me but easy to navigate anything I need,love the screen,its like a mini pc,I just love this phone,I don't even have a sim card in it,I turned it on after charging searched for a connection and was in my hotmail within minutes.So far I have not had a problem with this phone.the phone was a bit pricey but I am not going to complain cause it got wifi,no data plan needed.
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Reviewed by dan from england on 24th May 2008
what an amazing phone worth getting its got great features
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Reviewed by wibbler from uk on 22nd May 2008
best emailer there is. ignore the low scores. if you want email and good web browsing but aren't bothered about camera, mp3s, etc... then this is it.
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Reviewed by Giacomo von Brentano from Germany on 19th May 2008
After testing the phone for a few weeks, i was clearly disappointed. It looks nice but inside it is soooooooooooooooo bad.
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Reviewed by twandy from zimbabwe on 29th Apr 2008
luv it. amazng. top knotch. couldn't get better than this
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Reviewed by ellie from uk on 29th Apr 2008
HATE IT!! DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING THIS. ALL YOU ARE DOING WITH THIS IS TRYING TO LOOK COOL AND IT JUST AIN'T HAPPENING!! I RECOMMEND THE SONY ERICSSON K810i. THAT PHONE RULES ALL!!
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Reviewed by emmanuel from zambia on 29th Apr 2008
this phone is a poor phone
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Reviewed by Andrew from UK on 16th Apr 2008
This isn't so much of a review, as a statement; if you're looking for a PHONE... DO NOT GET THIS!!! If you're business minded, or wanting more from a phone than just the ability to make calls, send text messages and play music then... GET THIS!!! I just read through a few of the 1 star comments and couldn't help but think "fools", as they're probably A) Pay as you go users (and therefore limited to only a small few of the MASSIVE number of brilliant features of this phone) and B) Between the ages of 12 and 18, wanting to use the phone to send their mates random messages and pictures "from Friday night". To all those folks I say this: Paris Hilton has/had a Blackberry not only because she sends messages to her mates, but because SHE IS IN BIG BUSINESS! That's the part of their (Paris and celebrities like her) lives that E! doesn't tell you about; it's all business. So when you bought this phone in an effort to be a bit more like her/them... You were just being a fool. One last thing... Orange warned me about getting this phone; the woman said "This is primarily a PDA with phone capabilities; if you're looking for a phone, don't get this; I can advise you on other handsets that you might like". At the time I thought "Don't tell me what phone to get; I've done the research and I know exactly what I need for my business", but now I'm glad Orange are warning people about this as there are clearly a lot of kids out there wanting to get the next "it" thing out of America and thinking this is one of them! PEEEEEEEEEACE!
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Reviewed by Francis from USA on 15th Apr 2008
Got my first Blackberry because of its WI FI capability plus seemless interconnectivity with my network. Not yet tried using it internationally but believe it will work as billed. The e-mail function is superb. First time been able to bundle all my e-mails in one (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail and company e-mail)!! Not even Outlook does that. The GPS is a great addition! The capability to bring up various programmes to the desktop right on your fingers, BBC news, CNN, Calender etc!. Have used Nokia 9500, 6120 and others but this 8820 from Blackberry is in its own class. Rate it "Outstanding". Francis, USA
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Reviewed by JJ from England on 14th Apr 2008
1 word EXELLENT
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Reviewed by Matt from UK on 13th Apr 2008
Emails are fine but BEWARE the wi fi didnt work on this phone and Orange do not support wi fi functions. So it has gone back and all in all Im pretty fed up about it.
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Reviewed by friday from NIGERIA on 4th Apr 2008
love blackberry phone that has a bleuth an momery card,also which is computerzing in term to chat with friend on line. And sending e-mail.
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Reviewed by yane from Cuba- England on 31st Mar 2008
Ilove the smootheness of blackBerry handset
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Reviewed by L.G Shine is great and sick from england on 31st Mar 2008
It's Stupid Never bye it because the buttens are so small!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Reviewed by z from england on 21st Mar 2008
good phone for emailing...thats it reli...no camera dissapointing
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Reviewed by Ellie from Gorleston on 18th Mar 2008
well its a rubbish fone and thts all i can say lyk it dosent evenhave a camera but the eamils are good on it istill dopnt lyk it though it sucks so biiii
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Reviewed by Nick from England on 16th Mar 2008
THis is the worst phone ever. It doesn't even have a camera and it's not a proper buisness so im not recomending this phone. But i just bought a Samsung g600 its perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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Reviewed by Ben from England on 15th Feb 2008
Got this recently, and as an emailer you just can't beat it! Emails come in like text messages and the Blackberry services are dirt cheap these days. The keyboard works well. I'm a big fella with hands in scale, and I've got no problems at all tapping out email messages in no time. The GPS is a cool extra (but get Google Maps instead of the Blackberry app) and Wi-Fi is very useful indeed - most of the time I'm on a wireless network meaning email retrieval is free! OK, so the 8820 doesn't have a camera or a 3.5mm jack, but it's an email machine and the best there is at this job. If you want a multimedia powerhouse, get a Sony Ericsson, but you buy Blackberries to keep in touch and this is by far the best, least compromised Blackberry.
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Reviewed by waqas from uk on 14th Feb 2008
the fone is reali good gr8 features but the buttons are hard 2 use overall an ok fone 3 stars for me
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Reviewed by LeeRoy from Brixton on 5th Feb 2008
Cool as. Sweet as a nut. No bling with this. Does wot it sez on the box.
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