[pulrang]

I need some advice. I have read all the news on the new 8100 and most importantly seen BG's change in heart. My favorite thing about my 7105 is the size of the keys and I don't mind SureType - most of the time anyway. The 8700's buttons seemed small so I thought I would wait for the 8100 but now I hear that the keys are very small on the 8100 as well. I couldn't care less about MP3 and camera - this is a tool for I use for productivity, not a toy.

Do I go with the 8700g if they both have smaller keys?

Also, what are your thoughts on the possibilities of an 8700g with the new OS (4.2) installed? Is there an ETA on 4.2 for 8700?

How long until tmob drops the price on the 8700?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

PIN - 20362EAC

[Pizzle]

A) No pending release for OS 4.2 on the 8700-series. It will be out at some point, but right now there's no ETA.

B) the 8100's keys are going to be considerably closer to the 7105's keys then they are the 8700's keys. Have you looked at them to see the difference?

C) Don't look for any carrier to drop the price of the 8700 in the near future. It's still being rolled out to new carriers.

D) You really just need to get in front of these handsets and decide for yourself. They may "seem" small to you, but to others be the right size. And vice versa. There's no one on here that can give you an objective answer in this case. You'll just need to see it for yourself.

[pulrang]

Thanks for the info on the OS. I have used the 8700 for a short period - don't know if it is something I just need to get used to or if they are really too small - anyone else moved from a 7100 series to an 8700 and had to make the adjustment? If so, how do you feel now after the adjustment? I have seen the 8100 for all of 45 seconds - tmob employees was showing it to me under duress (boss nearby).

Thanks again everyone!

[tritone900]

My experience with having had the 7100, 7105, 7130, and 8700 is that I prefer to have bigger keys and the Suretype. I know that Suretype isn't perfect, but it does train well. I found that I could type faster on the 7100 series since a) the keys are bigger, and b) you don't have to move your thumbs as far between keys.

I agree with Pizzle though - you really have to test them all out and decide for yourself. And not for 15 minutes in the store - in my opinion you really have to take one home and make it part of your routine for a week or two to see how it fits. I'm planning (hopefully) to get an 8100 in two days - my only real concern is not that the key size will be too small (I think they will be close in size to the 7100's keys) but that the size of the device itself will be too small and difficult to hold and type comfortably. I do like small devices, but at some point (for me) if the device is too hard to hold and interact with then I'm less likely to use it often. (case in point - I really like the Sony Ericsson w810i I have - it does lots of cool stuff, plays music, takes great pictures, etc. - but it is actually too small for me to hold and operate comfortably, so I use it way less than my 7130c.)

[pulrang]

Thanks for the information tritone. I have used the 8700 for a few days but not the 8100 for obvious reasons. I am normally quite opinionated about this stuff and have no problem making up my mind but this is keeping me up at night - literally - I guess I am an addict.

[tritone900]

I hear you. I think I'm an addict to (but I can quit at any time) - I've had 4 different blackberries and a slew of other phones over the past year.