[packetgod]

I'm having a hard time deciding on a carrier and blackberry combination to meet my needs. I'm a fairly heavy power user and am looking for a solid and reliable device, I need to get a hefty plan but need to keep it under 120$.

So far I've got the Sprint 8330 which is what I've ordered and is on its way which I'll try out first. Their plan works out pretty well for me as it has basically an unlmited calling/data and BES for about 120$ plus I get an 18% discount. The 8330 is appealing as it uses their EVDO technology and has been out for a while so it should be solid.

The Tmobile 8220 is more about fun and new and something I could throw in my pocket. Not sure if the sure-type would be good enough for a road-warrier type especially if I'm also occationally SSHing into something (read non-english textual commands) although perhaps with persistance I could make it work well with a CLI. But their plan is cheap and I could get a decent plan with BES for under 100$ with no discount.

Now what everyone has told me to this point is just wait for AT&T and the BOLD, which sounds great but I'm worried about the release date and quality control issues I've been hearing about. But of course, newest, best, wifi/gps/etc and cool screen. But I'm not thrilled about AT&T's plan, for 59.99 I get 900 minutes (which may not be enough), plus 45$ for the BES plan, plus 5$ for 200 messages, plus 10$ for GPS. I'm up to 120$ and I may have to jump up to the next minutes plan for 20$ more a month, although I do get a 10% off so that helps a little but if I need to jump up its going to be too much.

So any suggestions out there? So far it seems like all the carriers have "OK" coverage at my house so thats a wash, although with T-Mobile I could do their home calling over WI-FI option which would be cool.

[archer6]

Originally Posted by packetgod

I'm having a hard time deciding on a carrier and blackberry combination to meet my needs.

I've got the Sprint 8330 which is what I've ordered

Tmobile 8220 is more about fun and new

AT&T and the BOLD

I've used all the major carriers. It's all about coverage first, as obviously without that you are going to have a poor experience. Thus I encourage people to choose the carrier first, then the phone. I'm presently with both AT&T and T-Mobile, as I need two active lines. I have every current BlackBerry, and several from the past. The 8330 you have now is an excellent model. Very fast, great keyboard, display, good battery life, it's hard to beat. My favorite is my Curve 8310. I would stick with what you have on it's way to you, use it for the trial period then decide.

I plan on getting a Bold, however that will not replace my 8310 until I determine if I can live with the keyboard. I handle over 80 emails per day and thus far I find the keyboard on the Curve to be far superior to any BB thus far. Even when compared to my larger 8820. The keys on that one being side by side (like the Bold) ) are not conducive to touch typing. I can use my Curve for email and only rarely have to look at the keyboard. The space between the Curve keys is ideal. I find the 8820 keyboard requires I look at it to avoid typos. So I will see what the side by side keyboard is like on the Bold. As far as Bold quality, I have no worries at all, that will be one fantastic device, they are simply sorting out some issues on the AT&T network and frankly I'm glad they are delaying it until it's ready. RIM has a great reputation for reliable devices. The main draw of the Bold for me is 3G for greater speed than EDGE, the high res display and other improvements. Email, SMS, Voice, and Outlook integration are of utmost priority. I have a contact list of 3,220 in Outlook and it syncs with my ThinkPad in lighting fashion, simply unbeatable. ...

I will also be purchasing and 8220 as I find that a perfect "pocket BB" for casual usage when out and about, evenings, weekends etc. I've used the Sure-Type keyboard and really like it. Given a bit to learn and adapt, I'm really fast with it.

[kjjb0204]

My thoughts regarding what's important in this order:

1. Network - newest, fun phones don't mean a thing if you have bad coverage.
2. Plan - get the plan that will give you enough minutes and proper bes/bis coverage
3. Device - get the best device you can afford - I love the Curve, sending dozens of emails per day on the bb, just works best for me with the qwerty keyboard
4. Cost

Sorry, no thoughts on the Bold - I'm glued to Verizon for their superior network in my area, and the Bold won't be on Verizon any time soon, so I don't even think about it.

[archer6]

Originally Posted by kjjb0204

My thoughts regarding what's important in this order:

1. Network - newest, fun phones don't mean a thing if you have bad coverage.
2. Plan - get the plan that will give you enough minutes and proper bes/bis coverage
3. Device - get the best device you can afford - I love the Curve, sending dozens of emails per day on the bb, just works best for me with the qwerty keyboard
4. Cost

Sorry, no thoughts on the Bold - I'm glued to Verizon for their superior network in my area, and the Bold won't be on Verizon any time soon, so I don't even think about it.

I could not agree more. In addition your order of priority is right on the money in my humble opinion. Nice post.

Cheers...

[packetgod]

You know I'll give the Sprint one a shot and see what the reception is like, unlike many others I've had decent experience with them in the past.

That Storm looks interesting as well and the Verizon isn't as expensive as I had first thought as they don't have an additional fee for connecting to a BES server. Still not as good pricing as Sprint or T-Mobile but it would appear that they are equal to AT&T price-wise.

I've never been a touch screen fan but I'm interested in seeing how the pressable screen feels like, could be cool or it could be really bad. The phone does look really good and now that I've got the Sprint to tide me over I can wait and see how it compares against the Bold and 8330.

I think I'll skip the Tmobile option as I'd rather have 3G and a qwerty than a flip. But now I'll have to add in the Storm as an option.

Thanks much for all your help.

[takeshi]

Originally Posted by archer6

It's all about coverage first, as obviously without that you are going to have a poor experience.

Can't say that enough in these carrier comparison threads. Don't rely solely on coverage maps. They only indicate what you "should" get. Real world coverage can differ quite a bit.