[MikeK2]

Hi all,

My work is giving me a 7290, and I'm a little concerned about its usefullness as a phone. This will be my primary phone so the complaints I've heard from my coworkers have me a bit concerned.

What are the experiences of the people on this board? Some of the complaints I hear mention dropped calls and poor sound quality. I use BT headsets occasionally, but I usually use a phone by holding it up to my ear due to the static that BT can sometimes have. Does the 7290 work well when talking with it held up to your ear like a traditional phone? How's the BT quality of the 7290?

I currently use a Treo 650 on Sprint, but I need to get onto the work network. Any Treo 650 converts that can relate their experiences would also be appreciated.

I tried searching, but I didn't find any specific threads on this.

Thanks so much!

Mike

[Jase88]

I've used a 7290 on Rogers.
This device has two audio problems, IMO:

1. Outgoing audio on bluetooth has an "interference" sound.

2. The device has no background noise rejection whatsoever. Even in somewhat quiet environments, background noise will compete with your voice. It will drive your callers nuts. Forget about using this one in a moving car.

I've heard some complain about the volume level of the device. My experience is that its not as loud as my 7250, but acceptable.

In terms of RF, my 7290 (actually, I owned 3 of them) was solid. Its a PC4 device, which means up to a 2 watt transmit at 800MHz.

[CyberJack]

I had a 7100t from T-Mobile and switched to the Cingular7290 with the $69.99 refurb offer. There are a few things I do miss with the 7100t, but hands down I much prefer the 7290. I do not feel uncomfortable using it as a phone, I like the solid feel to it and much prefer the keypad. I do not have audio problems using the 7290 as a phone I can hear well and no one has complained about my voice quality. Other than having to pay a bit more than with TMO I am very happy.

[joginder]

had 7290 for about 6 months and no problem what so ever.. works great.. I used BT but not that much.. I still keep a wire/headset around my neck. but overall 7290 is still he best device as far as keyboard and features. .8700 is just combination of 7100x and 72xx series.

[mgerbasio]

I hated the 7290 as a phone. The ear piece volume was so low I couldn't use it on a street in Manhattan and no noise reduction on the mic as was pointed out above. The 8700 is probably one of the best phones I've ever used. Still not crazy about the BB as a replacement for my PocketPC but the 8700 is so much better I use it as my primary phone and don't carry my PocketPC daily. Having some BT issues with the 8700 though where BT was solid with the 7290.

Regards-Michael G.

[wuberry]

I've had the BB 7290 on Cingular for about nine months. I've never used a Blurtooth headset, so I can't comment on that.

I just don't like the way the 7290 "feels" as a phone. It's big and clunky ... sort of like talking into a pork chop. I have the volume turned up full and it's OK.

I also carry a Nokia 3100 phone that works fine. I don't have a home-based landline phone.

On the other hand, as an e-mail device, the BB 7290 is GREAT. I wouldn't be without it. But I wouldn't want to rely on it as a primary phone.

[takeshi]

I've had no problems with the 7290. Keep in mind that anyone's Bluetooth experience will be affected by the quality of the headset and how well it interacts with the 7290. I've been very happy using the Plantronics Voyager 510 and M3500 with the 7290. Form factor has never bothered me either.

[Mantis]

keep in mind that the 7290 is well designed mainly for email purposes. the Moto HS850 BT headset is awsome with it as well.

[mkg]

I just moved from a 7730 to a 7290. The 7290 has a much better keyboard than any other BB I've used. I have the Motorola headset mentioned above and it works seemlessly. It also works seemlessly with my car's Bluetooth interface (just phone of course, no data). The one thing I miss from my 7730 is the larger screen, and the fact that I believe the 7730 screen is easier to read without the backlight on.

[gwbishop]

I have a 7290 with Cingular service. The ear piece volume is OK and have used a wired ear piece with no problems. I have excellent signal strength in areas that were a problem with my previous phone, a Moto V551. This 7290 has replaced my V551 and a HP pocket pc and I am very pleased. I am on my third plan in two weeks, (every rep seems to have a different view of what is needed), but finally that has all been worked out.

[nb_mitch]

I just moved from a 7290 to 8700, I had a 7290 for about 4 months then broke it in a motorcycle accident. The replacement 7290 I had for a month was much better of a unit. They are great for email, but average as a phone. I have never had issues with dropped calls, but call volume and background noise were both an issue, but no more so that the Samsung flip phone it replaced. I generally could hear fine, but had many people complain about hearing me. The 8700 is much better as a phone & brower, but I actually perfer the feel of the 7290 even though it is bigger, it feels better in your hand.

[Aroc]

It works fine as a phone. I've used both the Treo 650, as well as RIM 7230, 7510, 7520, 7290 in enterprise deployments as both email/PIM and telephone (sole replacement). The BB works fine as a phone. You coworkers are just being overly picky, which may or may not give you the straight scoop. I have no problem using a 7510 as my sole phone. The 7510 is bigger than your 7290.

One thing is you might spring for the extended battery if you use the phone alot or have longer conversions. Especially on iDEN (read: Nextel, Telus).

Personally I like having one device that has all of my contacts instantly synchronized between my work accounts, so I can email, telephone, or schedule (and take notes) all from one device. Concentrate instead on what it does well. After using a BB, I *can't* go back to a regular phone. It just works too well.

BTW, the ear piece on my BB is so loud, I cannot stand using it at max volume. It is simply too loud. Ha!

[wirelessandy]

I've been on the fence with the 7290 forEVER, even after the 8700 was announced/released.

From what I can tell from these posts:

* RF is good, I don't hear a ton of complaints
* The built-in earpice is kind of low to some people, especially in noisy environments
* The built-in mic _can_ pick up lots of noise
* Bluetooth and wired headsets work well

So, is it safe to conclude...?

1) If I'm indoors/office, using the 7290 as a phone alone w/o headset is fine.
2) Outdoors/noisy places your experience may vary, but headsets may be the way to go, using a wired earbud headset or a decent bluetooth headset (I've got a Plantronics M3000, with a Voyager 510 on order).
3) The keyboard is still tops (vs 7100/8700).
4) The 7290 is still a porkchop of a phone, but a dog-gone tasty one.

Your thoughts? I'm trying to decide what my next device will be...

[MikeK2]

Hey everyone, thanks for your opinions. It appears that my coworkers might just be a little overly sensitive to using the 7290 as a phone. I guess I'll just have to see for myself, but since most of the comments posted here aren't too bad I think I should be fine.

Mike

[stuinaustin]

I've had my 7290 for about a month. Just replaced the ear bud that was provided with the unit by my employer b/c I thought it was cheap b/c of the poor volume. The $30 replacement from Cingular store with boom mike is NO better. I guess I'll just have to live with it.

Using the phone in the car or with any background noise whatsoever is painfully difficult.

Hard to believe that a device that is so technically advanced and useful would miss on such a simple measure.

[dngoldman]

You'll be fine. I made the jump two years ago from a regular phone to the 7290 and would never go back to a regular. As you explore more and more features and shortcuts, you'll find the e-mail, address, and phone functions are integrated so well that you're life will be easier. The one complaint is that the headset volume on the 7290 is simply way too low. Fine for indoors but outside, it is a problem. I've got a BT headset which reduces the problem. (It's an old cheep plantronics headset).

[trigga15]

i got my 7290 for free and i cant complain
the sound quality is not the best its hard to hear in noisy areas sometimes with a bluetooth headset its fine though...its solid
comfortable to use
decent overall i want to upgrade to the 8700 eventually in the next month or so