[nike30]

T-Mo has 3G service pretty much all throughout entire city of Seattle - and I believe I've read that NYC is presently being implemented.

[Liquidlink]

If BG has an 8300 in hand does that mean that it will be availible soon? BG got an 8800 about 1 week prior to release. Maybe I am thinking about this too much but if he has one in hand I would assume we should see it soon.

[Stinsonddog]

Originally Posted by Jack T. Chance

P.S. Stinsonddog, I like the new animated avatar! Pretty cool!

Thanks, its fun I think. A few points to note. After having the 8800 for a few weeks now, let me offer my experience. I would not go back. I like the media and built in GPS very much, BUT there is no doubt that this is underpowered and I would expect the 8300 to be the same. Maybe some of in improves with OS releases, but it reminds me of the 7100 which was underpowered at the time. Two many lags at times. I also agree that 3G and faster browsing is as important as wifi. The wifi is just a way for carriers to reduce their load so we will see how it gets implemented. I think the new OS features like spell check may very well be pushed to the 8800 OS too, so to me the 8300 so far is a different keyboard and a camera.

[greggebhardt]

Looks like I will not be keeping my 8800 as long as I thought. The 8300 looks good for me. Looks like Cingular is going to get all the new Blackberrys.

Looks like AT&T/Cingular is outbidding T-Mo for new Blackberrys!

[rcm]

Originally Posted by Liquidlink

If BG has an 8300 in hand does that mean that it will be availible soon? BG got an 8800 about 1 week prior to release. Maybe I am thinking about this too much but if he has one in hand I would assume we should see it soon.

Ballpark timefame for release is thought to be the May/June timeframe unless someone else has any new info.

[flash24]

Don't worry folks.. T-Mobile will get it.. and I know is gonna be a good one.

[Jack T. Chance]

Originally Posted by mymitsu3kgt

Does TMobile even have any 3G service? I thought Cingular was going to roll 3G out first with their UMTS service. I don't remember hearing anything about TMobile having any high speed service beyond EDGE and UMA.

T-Mobile is in the process of deploying 3G across their network as we "speak". The service is supposed to go live for subscribers in the initial launch markets at the end of '07 or early '08. Then it will be launched in additional markets throughout '08. At least, that's the plan as I understand it, based on the news reports I read after the FCC's big spectrum auction last year (during which T-Mobile was an extremely agressive bidder, winning the most new spectrum of any carrier, including exclusive rights to the 1700 mhz frequency range, which they'll be using their HSDPA/UMTS network on.)

P.S. Cingular began rolling out their HSDPA/UMTS service in select markets over a year ago! In fact, more like a year and a half! At around the same time as the launch of the BB 8700c, I was hearing about HSDPA rolling out, which is one big reason Cingular did NOT get my business, because they STILL don't have a BlackBerry equipped with HSDPA more than a year later!

At least T-Mo has a good, valid excuse for not having 3G devices yet. But what's Stinkular's excuse?

[wangta01]

C'mon BG! Hoping you can get some comparison shots up of the 8300 vs the 8800! I'm in disbelief that the 8300 is smaller/thinner. Craziness. Please provide something good to cheer up my Monday!

[ZeroKool]

I get 3G coverage in almost all of the STL, MO area. Too bad the phone I get it on is a Samsung Sync. The internet is too fast for the hardware. Pointless.

[Jack T. Chance]

Originally Posted by ZeroKool

I get 3G coverage in almost all of the STL, MO area. Too bad the phone I get it on is a Samsung Sync. The internet is too fast for the hardware. Pointless.

Well, it's kind of a given that 3G service is more useful for people that are going to use their phone as a tethered modem for a laptop or other computer.

[backbeat]

Originally Posted by Jack T. Chance

Well, it's kind of a given that 3G service is more useful for people that are going to use their phone as a tethered modem for a laptop or other computer.

Of course! Isn't that crystal clear from all the Cingular/AT&T/Verizon/Sprint commercials touting their teeny-bopper music/TV services?

[Jack T. Chance]

Originally Posted by backbeat

Of course! Isn't that crystal clear from all the Cingular/AT&T/Verizon/Sprint commercials touting their teeny-bopper music/TV services?

And those services just prove how gullible and stupid the American public can be these days! I've had portable, on the go TV for YEARS, long before the cell phone carriers decided to offer it! It's called a handheld color TV! Casio and other manufacturers have made them for at least 20 years now! And you don't have to pay a monthly service fee to watch it, either!

But you're right, those services are made possible thanks to 3G technology. They just happen to be services that, you guessed it... I have no use for!

[greggebhardt]

Well Jack, I have no use for it either but just cause we don't want it does not matter. Cingular/ATT&T markets likely know more than we do. None of this cr^p is going to deliver my email or phone services to my Blackberry any faster than it does now.

Do not care about the camera on the 8300 but that keyboard does look nice and I would likely toss my 8800 in the drawer for the 8300. Bring it on, my 8800 is getting to be a month or so old now! <vbg>

[test]

The Boy Genius Report: BlackBerry 8300 walkthough - Engadget Mobile

Nice pics of the OS, there's an icon for at&t music, guess that cements the fact that its an at&t device?

[BryanHarig]

Originally Posted by greggebhardt

Well Jack, I have no use for it either but just cause we don't want it does not matter. Cingular/ATT&T markets likely know more than we do. None of this cr^p is going to deliver my email or phone services to my Blackberry any faster than it does now.

Do not care about the camera on the 8300 but that keyboard does look nice and I would likely toss my 8800 in the drawer for the 8300. Bring it on, my 8800 is getting to be a month or so old now! <vbg>

The biggest benefit of 3g to most BB users will be the improved call quality. the greater bandwidth frees the carriers to use voice codecs that do not use as much compression. This is why CDMA has always had inherently better voice quality. There is a noticable difference between calls made in a GSM area and calls made in a UMTS area on cingular.