[tmushy]

Does anyone know if Blackberry is working on adding group connect and Direct talk to our 7100i's. These are the most useful features and I believe they are simply software updates.

Direct talk allows a user to use their phone as an off network walkie talkie with a range of up to 6 miles! That's right 6 miles!!!

With the new group connect well be able to just click on a contact and add them to a group instead of having to call Nextel and manually add users.

[Nextel User]

you think that Direct talk is a software update? like the motorola walkie talkies that have numerous channels and sub channels. i dont think so. group connect you might be right on, i dont know...

[tmushy]

I heard it was already build into Iden they just have to activate it.

[SMix713]

yah Nextel is right ... the direct talk is a moto only feature ... and it is not just a software update it is hardware as well ... since the blackberry is made by RIM there is no what it is known as Direct Talk, but is in fact produced by Moto and called MotoTalk ... whoever told u that it is a software update, may be speaking of phones that need to be edited with a certain program that unlocks the programming flags for that, but I have personally tried that on non-direct talk phones and it doesn't work ... and as to the group connect, that is in fact i believe a software update, but again its a moto thing not a rim thing, so the software is completely different and is probably not built into the 7100's ... sorry but outlook isn't so good for either of those showing up on the 7100

[martin_j001]

Lets not forget that the radio part of the Nextel bb's are in fact made by Motorola though (or if not by Motorola at least its the same company that does make them for Motorola too). The 7520/7510 used the condor series radio (same as the older i50, i60, i85, i90 and i95) and the 7100i uses the new falcon series radio (same as in the i205 and up, the newest Nextel phones). However, I do fully agree that Direct Talk does in fact require hardware, not just software. Whether or not its actually built in already is another question though.

[southwestcomm]

As far as I know there are no plans to add Group Connect to BB's. I doubt you will be Direct Talk in the units as well.

[tmushy]

I emailed Nextel and they said they don't plan on adding any of the feature. Which is kind of a shame because they are really handy.