[dita3000]

I have had this device for the past week and I'm have a mind melt. I like Blackberries as a whole but I'm having doubts about sticking with Nextel. Can someone please tell me why I should stick it out for the 2 year agreement?

My beefs are:
-Today my email stopped working. Could not send or receive messages. Can no longer log on to Verichat or Webviewer.

-Customer service is worthless. Everything I know I learned from all of you educated forum users.

-No real SMS text messaging. Sure there are ways AROUND it (teleflip) but why does every other BB/cellphone on every single carrier in the world have this service except Nextel BB 7520? If we can clone sheep and put men on the moon I think Nextel can and should fix this.

-$40 just for data service. T-mobile is only $30.

-Battery life sucks!

-Creates radio interference. Do all of them do that or just Nextel?

I regret that I didn't research this device until after I jumped at the $50 after rebate deal. I have 3 weeks to cancel without a $200 termination fee but learned I cannot return the device because I have used it for more than 30 minutes and is no longer considered "new." I'll also lose my rebates if I cancel service. aaaarrgh! I was considering adding a phone service to it but I would wait for a better pricing plan. I have a great Sprint plan that I don't want to get rid of just yet. (hey they're merging, maybe I should stick it out a couple of years?)

Any advice? Ditch it and lose $$ or stick it out and learn to live with (and love) the quirks?

Thanks!

[Mark Rejhon]

Hi,

To try my best:

- Emails stopped working for a few hours today, because of a systemwide BlackBerry outage. Those are extremely rare, thankfully. (only the third systemwide outage in about 2.5 years, somebody mentioned)

- If Nextel now supports 2-way intercarrer SMS on other phones, it is possible a firmware upgrade will add SMS message capability sometime in the future (i.e. an upcoming version of BlackBerryOS 4). However, switching to another carrier may be faster if you need SMS badly.

- T-Mobile is certainly the most inexpensive, but make sure you have great T-Mobile reception. I'd rather pay $45 for great reception than $30 for poor reception. Give T-Mobile reception a test if you decide to try to swtich -- sometimes Nextel actually is better in some areas, although T-Mobile is better in other areas.

- Battery life is certainly the best on GSM/GPRS BlackBerries (i.e. Rogers, Cingular, AT&T, T-Mobile). There is an extended battery available for Nextel BlackBerries, if you want better battery life while staying with Nextel.

- Radio interference varies from device to device. I have not had interference problems with my GSM/GPRS BlackBerry 7280.

- You can resell your BlackBerry on eBay, check the average selling prices there and see if you can recoup your investment.

[PingGuy]

Radio interferance is normal for Nextel, it's the iDEN800 network that interferes with things such as speakers. You get used to it, in fact sometimes it's a nice way to know a call is coming since the interference starts just before a call rings in.

[dita3000]

I guess using the radio interference as a message alert is a nice way to look at it.

[PingGuy]

Yeah I've had Nextel for a little over two years and it was only annoying for the first few weeks. I love the Direct Connect way too much to care about the radio interference or the weaker reception on Nextel's network, although people have reported that the BB7520 has better reception than the average Motorala phone on the Nextel network.. which is nice.

[Zoolan]

I have an old Sony tube monitor on my computer at home, and if my BB is sitting within a foot of it, the screen actually flips out. Powers off and back on, almost like a power failure. If it is in the holster, all I get is the static on the speakers. So I get a visual and audio warning of impending email or calls...

Zoo

[Brad00111]

Originally Posted by Zoolan

I have an old Sony tube monitor on my computer at home, and if my BB is sitting within a foot of it, the screen actually flips out. Powers off and back on, almost like a power failure. If it is in the holster, all I get is the static on the speakers. So I get a visual and audio warning of impending email or calls...

Zoo

You should market that as an after market accessory

8)

-Brad

[Brad00111]

Originally Posted by dita3000

I have had this device for the past week and I'm have a mind melt. I like Blackberries as a whole but I'm having doubts about sticking with Nextel. Can someone please tell me why I should stick it out for the 2 year agreement?

I would say stick with them. I have been all over the US, including middle-of-nowhere parts of North Carolina, and my Nextel has worked where other people's Verizon, ATT didnt. They have great coverage, from my experience. They may not in your area. Also, if you use the DC feature its worth keeping around. They are getting better about pricing their phones more reasonably, in the past they charged you up the #$$ for a phone.

Originally Posted by dita3000

-Customer service is worthless. Everything I know I learned from all of you educated forum users.

With BB, your right, they are worthless, unless you get the 1 guy there who knows what he is doing. Thankfully I havent had any major tech problems where i have had to call them. I did have one problem that I was gonna leave them over, but they cleared it up, granted after 10 calls, and now i am tied to my 2 year comittment.

Originally Posted by dita3000

-No real SMS text messaging. Sure there are ways AROUND it (teleflip) but why does every other BB/cellphone on every single carrier in the world have this service except Nextel BB 7520? If we can clone sheep and put men on the moon I think Nextel can and should fix this.

The only bad thing about SMS, is if someone sends you one you cannot tell who its from, drives me nuts! Sending them....come-on how hard is it to type teleflip.com........just add that as an email addy in your book for them and its one click, no worries. But I hear ya on the receiving end, i hate having to guess who they are from. Now i just have everyone email me.

Originally Posted by dita3000

-$40 just for data service. T-mobile is only $30.

Its better than 45/50 at Cingular. 8)

Originally Posted by dita3000

-Battery life sucks!

This gets me as well, I have never run dry during a day of use, but you absolutely HAVE to charge it every night, kinda sucks, but you get used to it.

Originally Posted by dita3000

-Creates radio interference. Do all of them do that or just Nextel?

At first this drove me crazy, but it happens with every Nextel, with my i1000, my i90, my 7510 and 7520, its their trademark, LOL. But i got used to it and like other people say, its kind of a nice warning, here comes a call. I am so used to it I can tell when I am going to get a call and when I am going to get an email......different static sounds......I know sad huh?

So the phone/company is all personal preference. I myself wish i had the 7100 i think, so maybe Nextel will get one one day, but for now im stuck. My suggestion to you, dont get in a contract if you can afford it.

IMHO

[dita3000]

Thanks for the advice, guys. My love/hate relationship continues with NexHell (stole that witty pun from one of you). I have sent customer service several emails about their performance. I've shopped around and as I read this board I see every service has its pros and cons. I could be closing the door on one set of problems and opening a can of worms by going elsewhere. There seems to be no perfect place with the perfect product...yet. But for a $50 BB I am getting quite a bang for my buck. I would like to get one for my husband so we can use the Direct Connect. The Walkie feature pretty much closed the deal for me since we are both freelance artists and travel a lot.

I am open to more pursuasion though. Any one else here love their nextel 7520 so much that they'll never go elsewhere?

[stonent]

GSM blackberries do it. Instead of the pop-buzz-tick-tick of the nextel it is buh-dahh-dahhhhhhhhhh bud-dahh-daaaaaaaahhhhhhh.

My ericsson r280LX, Moto-c331t both did it as well (the ericsson was even worse, it did the flip-out monitor thing)

[stevefink]

Originally Posted by dita3000

-Customer service is worthless. Everything I know I learned from all of you educated forum users.

-No real SMS text messaging. Sure there are ways AROUND it (teleflip) but why does every other BB/cellphone on every single carrier in the world have this service except Nextel BB 7520? If we can clone sheep and put men on the moon I think Nextel can and should fix this.

Thanks!

I couldn't agree more with you Dita. The *only* reason I'm sticking with this model of the BlackBerry and Nextel at this point is for work. There shouldn't be absolutely under any circumstances any reason for conventional SMS to not work on a data device. Especially one we're adding an extra $45/mo to our bill for. Corporations such as VZW would never do this. I don't mind appending @teleflip.com to every SMS I send out, that's not my problem. My problem is since I've upgraded from an i830 to the 7520, anyone who continues to send me SMS the "correct" way will not know I never received it.

Customer service is extremely clueless for the most part. I mean you have to get up to tier level 10 or whatever it is before someone has even heard of this mysterious protocol known as ssh. I'm sorry if any of the competent technicians who work for Nextel are avid forum participants. My condolences go out to you for working with a mostly misinformed staff.

Fortunately this board has avid hobbyists who're clueful and willing to help out the BlackBerry community or many of us would have junked this thing already.

</rant>

-- Steve

[barjohn]

I have tried T-Mobile (7230 & 7100), AT&T (Now Cingular) (7230 & 7100) and Verizon (7250). Verizon wins on coverage, T-Mobile on price and AT&T/Cingular are now catching up to VZW coverage however, call quality is still better on VZW and if the give us the upgrade to EV-DO there will be no contest. VZW is still much faster and the browser is actually usable compared to the slow browser performance on the other networks. I haven't tried the Nextel BB's so I can't comment on them. If the 7250 had the speakerphone and screen quality of the 7100 it would be the best of the bunch by far. I think it is still the best, just not by far. It is fast where the 7100 is slow and often lags way behind the user. The 7230 is reasonably fast and has the best battery life by far. It seems like it never needs a charge.

[Roguebishop]

i have a personal Nextel Guru I call now he says that the 7520 can do lots of stuff you just need to know how it is configured. And he says its all covered under my bb plan. I will get his number he works for nextel and its his direct line.

[dita3000]

I'd love to talk to your Nextel Guru. Please get back to me. Customer Service has not been helpful.

[trox_355]

Originally Posted by Roguebishop

he says that the 7520 can do lots of stuff you just need to know how it is configured.

Might this be alluding to the ability to use the 7520 as a wireless modem for a PC?

[sbagdan]

Interesting conversation....Once of my partners has the 7520 and LOVES it, EXCEPT for the the fact that he HAS to use the BT250 headset and would rather use the HS850. He claims he has better coverage than I do, but I have issues reaching him all the time.

That all said... I have the 7290 and am using it on T-Mobile. The radio interfearence does NOT happen to me, I can use ANY BT headset, and My battery will last a FULL Day (and I use 5000 cell minutes a month!)

So IMHO, All Cell carriers in the US are poor. The real descision should be based on what works best for where you are (make sure to test reception at your house, office, favorite hangout, etc...)

[Roguebishop]

Originally Posted by sbagdan

Interesting conversation....Once of my partners has the 7520 and LOVES it, EXCEPT for the the fact that he HAS to use the BT250 headset and would rather use the HS850. He claims he has better coverage than I do, but I have issues reaching him all the time.

That all said... I have the 7290 and am using it on T-Mobile. The radio interfearence does NOT happen to me, I can use ANY BT headset, and My battery will last a FULL Day (and I use 5000 cell minutes a month!)

So IMHO, All Cell carriers in the US are poor. The real descision should be based on what works best for where you are (make sure to test reception at your house, office, favorite hangout, etc...)

yeah I use a ton of minutes but I dont ever have a problem with my bt250 I do wish that they had a head set with the ptt function on it.

And I am not trying to use my BB as a modem for my laptop but we will see what he can all do over the week end he is going over with me on all the things we can add and do.

[Brad00111]

Please let us know anything cool you learn this weekend......

I have heard the HS820 works well with the DC, that the headset can do PTT, but I have also heard there is an echo when talking on it. If you try it, make sure and get it from a place with a good return policy/satisfaction guarantee.

[stevefink]

Originally Posted by sbagdan

Interesting conversation....Once of my partners has the 7520 and LOVES it, EXCEPT for the the fact that he HAS to use the BT250 headset and would rather use the HS850. He claims he has better coverage than I do, but I have issues reaching him all the time.

I'm currently using a Motorola HS820 headset without any problems at all. Is there a reason your partner is limited to a BT250?

-- Steve

[Baunch]

Originally Posted by dita3000

-Customer service is worthless. Everything I know I learned from all of you educated forum users.

That you are correct! Unfortunately the folks at tele-tech don't quite know the product like they should

Originally Posted by dita3000

I have 3 weeks to cancel without a $200 termination fee but learned I cannot return the device because I have used it for more than 30 minutes and is no longer considered "new." I'll also lose my rebates if I cancel service. aaaarrgh! I was considering adding a phone service to it but I would wait for a better pricing plan. I have a great Sprint plan that I don't want to get rid of just yet. (hey they're merging, maybe I should stick it out a couple of years?)

To my understanding, there is no way to check usage on a BB device. Our return policy at an NRS store is 30 days only. And of course the BB can't be damaged or anything like that. Then again, if the unit was purchased from an Authorized Agent, then their policies of course will be different than NRS.

Originally Posted by dita3000

Any advice? Ditch it and lose $$ or stick it out and learn to live with (and love) the quirks?

Thanks!

My customers love the 7520. It just takes a lot of time to figure out and yes, you will probably want to throw it out the window a time or two. I say stick with it!!