BlackBerry 7130c / 7130g Specs, Features & Reviews

This my first pda. I recieved it last October at a BB training class for ATT. Several new PDAs have come out since then but I can't seem to tear myself away from the old reliable 7130.

This phone is definitely a work horse. It does it all. Has an excellent calendar and also task feature (never forget an appointment). It supports various email accts. Sure-type is the best thing ever invented for a cellular phone. Really loud speaker phone which is good for conference calls.

What I like best of all is that its a brick. I've thrown it across the rooms so many times to demonstrate its durability. Which that brings me to a funny story: A week ago I had a customer come in talking about how her alltel phone was so durable (I don't know the model) So I dared her to through it across the room. Lol she looked at me like I was crazy, so I got up and threw my 7130 across the room. The customer was stunned that it was still in perfect condition.

This is my first smart-phone. I am coming off using a Motorola v551 which was a great phone except for the really poor battery life. Which has always been a huge concern for me. First off this phone is really easy for me to use, it doesn't have any bells and whistles like a camera, touchscreen or memory card, but it has what I am looking for; PDA functions and strong battery life. If you're looking for a good attractive sturdy phone then this is the way to go. There are so many new phones on the market that have come out since I bought this phone two months ago Blackjack, Pearl, and the Apple iphone but I really love my BB 7130c. Especially the fact that it weighs the same as my MotoV551 but it does so much more.
Pros:
Ringer is loud-it's almost embarrassing I have to turn it down. I luv that.
Vibrate setting is so powerful, I almost don't need the ringer.
Battery life is phenomenal 4-5 days.
speaker phone and voice are so loud that I have to turn that down-I luv that too!
Sure-type takes a little getting used to but it is pretty easy.
Screen is awesome nice color.
Reception is great when I get it b/c Cingular, which used to be AT&T was never that strong with signal strength.
Phone is deceptively light, but sturdy, seems like it could last for years, especially with my silicone case.

Con
LED flashing light is REALLY bright. terribly annoying!!!! way too bright what is up with that!!

This has been a great device for me! I switched from an htc 8125 to this because I wanted more of an email device and not all the microsoft options.

pros: The 7130 has great reception with great call quality! I have been in the wireless industry for 4 years and I think this has been my favorite phone for reception. I like the suretype-its just like T9 or predictive txt, and very easy to learn. The screen is awesome (very bright and colorful) and the ringtone are LOUD. One of the biggest changes in this device is the speakerphone. It is very loud and clear.

cons: The device is to big. I know it is smaller than others in the past, but I want something I can put in my pocket. Also, edge is fast, but I want a device that is 3G so I can do more internet surfing.

Overall: I was very happy with this phone, give it a 4/5, I am going to trade in for the pearl, I hope thats a keeper.

Great Phone. Everything I wanted in a Phone/PDA. Configuring Email accounts is easy, Making calls is easy, so many different configurations and personalizations, and great service with Cingular (NY).

Pro's
Small
Loud Ringer
Long Battery Life
USB port
Speaker Phone is loud and clear
Edge is Fast
Reliable
The phone knows when it's in the holster and changes to "Holster Mode"
And just Sexy

Con's
No Camera (although I probably wouldn't use it)

If you want a phone with Cingular and could use it for email, buy this phone. If not, buy the Razr. But this is my favorite in a long time and I am a phone addict.

I've owned a lot of different phones from Nokia (1100, 6230, and older TDMA models), Motorola (V551, T720, several Nextels), LG, Kyocera, etc. My number one concern, since this is, after all, a phone, is reception. This is the best phone reception-wise I have ever owned, and I've purchased phones like the Nokia 1100 or 6230 just for their reception.

In addition, it has everytging you could want - the web is great and actually works pretty well, the e-mail is amazing - you'll receive e-mails immediately and it's nothing like getting e-mail on a regular phone. The keyboard takes a small amount of time to get used to, but now I can type really quickly; plus, you have the option of picking each letter as you type. My fiance has the 8700, but I enjoy typing on this much better.

This is my first BlackBerry, and I can't say enough good things about it. Even the calendar is decent. It syncs flawlessly with my Mac using PocketMac, a free program. Although it's not as friendly as a Palm for inputting information, it's close, has excellent e-mail capabilities, gets amazing receotion, and doesn't freeze.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with this phone. It's the most amazing phone I've ever owned. It does so many different things so well. The only negatives are that there's no expandable memory or camera, but those aren't really things I need at this point. If those are things you need, you may want to wait a month or two for the launch of the 8100 "Pearl."

Pros:

Amazing reception with clear calls
Instant e-mail
Good planner, calendar, memo, notes, addres book
PIN capabilities (instant IM with other BB users)
Not too big
Easy to talk on
Holster settings
Available themes
Hands-free set-up works really well
Bluetooth
Syncs with Mac via PocketMac
Good feel in your hand
Lots of 3rd-party software like Google Maps

Cons

No camera (if you care)
No expandable memory

Like most of us on this website I love phones and this is a winner. I owned the 8700 for 3 days and the treo for 2 days and the 8125 for 8 days (2 separate times) and this phone I am sticking with. Since I own a razor and its hard to change from that phone since its so thin but this is a great replacement to. It and you really get full browser since you can emulate different browsers and if you get mini opera its even better.

If you want a blackberry get this
If you want a smartphone get this

This device is the ultimate blackberry for those capable of learning to use suretype proficiently. Anyone whose switched to predictive text on their phone should have no problem getting used to using it in Blackberry's Suretype format qwerty style. I manage a wireless store and sell quite a few Blackberries every month and have found few devices that are more capable of doing the job they were intended for over the last 6 or 7 years. If you've never tried Blackberry GET ONE! For those who have, GET THIS ONE!

I've owned my BB 7130c for a few days now and I am an experience BB user (7280, 7290,8700c). I was a reluctant at first to switch to the 7130 because of the sure type keypad, but I must say, the transition was a seamless one.

Pros
Key Pad - Using the sure type keypad is a a breeze! The phone is able to accurately predict exactly what you're going to type and corrects your punctuation for you.
Form Factor - This BB actually feels like a phone in your hand. It is surprisingly light and is not over whelming to hold at all. Because the body of the phone is thin, you can actually type emails extremely efficiently with one hand!
Sound/Call Quality - The Sound from the ear piece and speaker phone are exceptional. I never have a problem in the car with the widows open, outside with the wind blowing, or in a quiet area hearing my phone right or hearing the other party.
Reception - Reception is also very, very good. In areas around my area that are somewhat spotty, this phone performs beautifully. The EDGE data speed is also very, very good even with a relatively poor signal.
Email - With the newer BB 2.0 software, the BB will actually separate your multiple email accounts from each other. It puts emails from different accounts into separate folders, making it easy to separate business and personal.

To sum up, if you're not sure if you're reluctant to try the sure type keypad don't be. It works as well as it should, and allot better than even I expected and my expectations on BB's are always way beyond reason. This BB compares very favorably to Cingular's 8700c. The ONLY difference that I could really notice is the keypad. Other than that, they operate and perform equally well. This BB is a no brainer for any fan of the 7100 series, and worth a try for everyone else.
*On a side note, starting 6/18/06 Cingular is starting an unlimited personal email package for only $29.99. This will cover all pop3 email and unl web browsing. However, will not support BB enterprise or Lotus Notes.

I'd like to thank my required data training with Cingular Wireless, because if it weren't for my store manager forcing me to go to the training for this phone, I probably would have never warmed up to a BlackBerry.

I went this route since I started with Cingular/at&t:

-HTC 8125
-RIM 7130
-Motorola V3i
-Samsung i607 (BlackJack)
-HTC 8525
-RIM 8100 Pearl
-Nokia N75
-Motorola V3r
-RIM 8300 Curve

Let's get one thing straight: my 7130 was indestructible. I threw it. Dropped it in orange juice. But it still lived through that. But by that time, the 8100 Pearl came out, and you bet your ass I wanted a BB with a camera. So I switched. Still comparable OS, still the same reliability, only now I have a camera.

Bottom line:

I use e-mail, IM, text and internet. Nothing else impressed me. I like a phone that can keep up with me. The 7130 did, and still does. I praise it so highly because it got me into my Pearl and my Curve. I still use my 7130 to this day too!

Well, I don't want to sound redundant and repeat everyone else's comments on this phone, so I won't. I'll just tell you that I absolutely love this phone. I use all of its features and everything works seamlessly and easily.

I recently purchased another cell phone for weekend use. Well, I used it for one weekend and went back to my blackberry. I don't need another phone b/c nothing compares to the 7130c.

You won't be disappointed with this phone. Only an idiot would have trouble using it. But an idiot's dog could do it.