RIM and O2 introduce new BlackBerry 7130g

Tests show the BlackBerry 7130g will be an attractive alternative to a smartphone for many business users

RIM and O2 have introduced the new BlackBerry 7130g. The new model follows the format of the BlackBerry 7100 in being styled more like a phone handset than traditional RIM devices, but still provides access to push email and web browsing.

The BlackBerry 7130g is a quad-band GPRS handset with Bluetooth support for hands-free car kits and headsets. O2 is offering the device free to enterprise customers signing up for a £28 per month service contract with unlimited calls and data access.

In hands-on tests we found the BlackBerry 7130g very responsive, and the device has a very clear and bright screen that is easy to read. As with other BlackBerry models, a thumb-operated scroll wheel is the main method of navigating through the menus.

The new BlackBerry is almost exactly the same size and shape as Sony Ericsson's Symbian-based P910 handset, but is noticeably lighter at about 120g. RIM quotes up to four hours talk time and eighteen days on standby from the 7130g's removable lithium-ion battery.

Like its predecessor, the BlackBerry 7100, the new device has RIM's SureType keyboard that serves as a phone dial keypad as well as supporting text entry. It uses a predictive text system that we found worked exceptionally well most of the time, but can be tripped up by unusual words. Entering email and web addresses can be a chore until you become used to the keyboard and know where to find symbols, for example.

The chief attraction of RIM's BlackBerry is push email, and we found that test emails we sent to the device from a PC arrived almost as soon as we hit the send button. Our test unit was ready-configured with access to an email account hosted on O2's network. We were also able to view Word documents and other Microsoft office files sent as attachments in messages. The unified inbox of the BlackBerry also shows text messages sent and received alongside emails.

The screen of the new BlackBerry is large for a phone, but still cramped when viewing standard web pages using the BlackBerry Browser. Users needing to access web-based applications or type a lot of emails may be better served by the larger BlackBerry 8700g, which has a bigger screen and a full Qwerty keyboard.

However, the BlackBerry 7130g will likely prove an attractive alternative to a smartphone for many business users, even those with without access to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. For companies that already have a BlackBerry email system, the new handset will prove easier to carry for staff that chiefly use voice communication, but who also need to keep in touch via email.

For demonstration purposes, our unit had a number of applications pre-installed, including a mobile version of Google Maps, a Password management tool; IM+ Mobile Instant Messenger; and eOffice productivity suite from DynoPlex. The latter enables users to create and edit files in Microsoft Office format. These are all extras, however, and are not included as standard with the 7130g.