[Tairese7]

Hey.
I was reading the CNet review of the phone and it noted two big flaws:
bad voice quality
can't see the screen in the sun.

I was wondering about you guys's take on that. Opinions? I really want to get this phone, but I kinda want to double check first.

[MooseNYC]

No voice issues here, but then again that might depend on your reception area (location vs available cell towers etc) with the combination of Cingular & ATTWS coverage is pretty good, I think the only provider in the US that might have better coverage might be VZN.

Sunlight readable - No, sad to say but the 7100 series are not sunlight readable if there was one thing I would like to have changed it is this flaw. I love the screen resolution though, just not during the daylight, outside. My older 7510 had a better color screen for use outdoors.

Anyone know if RIM is going to change the screens on the next series?

Regards,

Dave

PS- I love my 7100g

[tankee531]

7100g screen is bright and nice but is not readable under bright sunshine.

[veeceeonefive]

bad voice quality? ridiculosity. 7100 has voice quality which rivals 99% of phones on the market.

[teskew]

I've heard that too veecee...it's a speaker phone too, right?

[Stinsonddog]

I find the voice great, the bluetooth great and the speakerphone great. The sun is a challenge but not impossible. With the right angle is readable and if there is ANY shade around it's fine.

[bigdongers]

yep no probs with voice here either. Sunlight is bad though..

I wonder how the device got through initial testing? They must have taken it outdoors to test at one stage!

[kash]

sunlight is the suckness of my phone

[CINCNORAD]

Voice is a bit weak on mine. I find it really hard to hear in any sort of noisy environment. My old i500 was much louder.

[Brad00111]

Voice works great on mine, always clear incoming and all my outgoing parties I have asked have said the quality is great. Also many have been suprised when I tell them they have been on speaker and I am a good 6 feet away.

The screen in the sun does royally suck, guess its a good thing im in an office 99% of the day, if not mine then someone elses.

[vbuckjr]

Voice quality awsome love the speaker phone works greatl, color screen not good in the sun, but I don't know of any color screens that work well in the sun. That is the only feature I miss on my monochrome 6230 actually could see it on a sunny day just as good as in the office. But having a speaker phone, bluetooth and the better screen out weighs the inconvenience of hard to see in the sun. If I am outside on a sunny day I probably won't be using my BB much anyway.

[barjohn]

There are problems with voice quality and RIM is aware of them. A comparison with other phone only handsets will quickly reveal the voice quality issues. This is not to say it is unusable, just compared to some high quality phones the sound is not as good and the unit really falls down in a noisy environment. The screen is barely visible in bright sunlight. If you compare an SX-56, a Samsong i700, LG4500, XV6600, SCH -i600, MPX200 and SE P800 you will find it lacking. Compare it to a Treo 600 and it is a little better sounding. I have owned all of these at one time or another so my info is first hand. Most of the Motorola iDen phones sound much better too and have far better speaker phones. I can't comment on iDen BBs as I have not tried them for comparison.

[rubicon]

Voice quality seems fine - no one complains to me on the handset or the wired handsfree. I was using a Motorola HS820 and no one complained either. The volume could go louder but it's fine via the handset or wired handfree.

The speakerphone volume is good.

Bluetooth volume is not so good, but it depends on the earpiece and the volume of the other party. T-Mo's voicemail system is too quiet but other people's phones are plenty loud. Personally, I blame the BT headset makers for not allowing the volume to just crank.

Screen gets washed out in direct sunlight but in all honesty, any color LCD screen will get washed out in sunlight. If can grab a bit of shade, even in a bright car interior, the screen is bright enough to read.

[supercrackberry]

...

[fjrohlf]

My HP2210 PocketPC has a color screen and quite readable outside. I wish Blackberry had used a similar technology. I find my 7100t almost useless outside even if there are clouds. I can dial a number directly but I cannot use the address book.

[Rodolfo]

I have a 7100t, but I understand the devices are basically the same. The voice quality is clear and loud, especially with the speaker on, and the screen is excellent. No handheld device is viewable in *direct* sunlight: I have an HP h2215 myself and neither screen is visible if you angle it at the sun. Otherwise, whether it's sunny or cloudy, both screens are quite viewable outside. I do email and use the browser on the 7100 outside all day, in or out of the car; all I have to do is hold it relatively upright which is the best angle to see the keys in any lighting.

[bbguide]

If you are having voice issues, are you on 4.x or 3.8?