The BlackBerry RIM 8830 is known as the “World Edition” version of the popular BlackBerry 8800 series of smartphones. Unlike so many other devices that are designed to be used on either the CDMA or the GSM networks, the BlackBerry RIM 8830 can be used on both in different places in the world. This makes it perfect for those who like the high speeds of the CDMA network in America but do not want to give up the ability to use the device on trips out of the country as well. Businessmen and women who have a job that makes them travel, this is the phone for you.

The BlackBerry RIM 8830 was announced in April 2007 and sports a unique design. It features dual band CDMA support for use in the United States and a couple of other places in the world. This is nothing spectacular, though it does mean that you get 3G data transfer speeds over the EVDO rev.0 network. However, unlike almost all other phones, the BlackBerry RIM 8830 can also be used in Europe or Asia over the GSM network.

These amazing benefits do not come without a price, however. The BlackBerry RIM 8830 measures in at approximately four and a half inches by two and a half inches by a half an inch and weighs 130 grams, making it fairly large and heavy.

Battery life is disappointing too. Expect to get only three and a half hours of talk time or 216 hours of standby time on a single charge.

Included on the front of the device is a large screen. It supports 320 by 240 pixels, making it one of the larger screens on the market. However, despite the large size, it is a cheap screen with support for only 65k colors.

Multimedia functions are well supported through the large number of video and audio formats that the BlackBerry RIM 8830 can play back. There is also additional support for a microSD card to increase the existing 64 MB of memory.

Other features include a full QWERTY keyboard, a large phone book, an alarm, a calendar, a notepad, a to-do list, a calculator, a number of voice commands, email support, and GPS support.

Pros

• Huge feature list
• CDMA, GSM , and 3G supported
• GPS support
• Full QWERTY keyboard

Cons

• Poor battery life
• Not particularly attractive
• No camera

Overall

The BlackBerry RIM 8830 was designed with a particular type of person in mind. The business traveler. This is not a phone for the average consumer. This is not a phone for those who like to use their cell phones as fashion accessories. It’s not even a phone for high tech junkies. It is a device that is designed with corporate America in mind. If you are a business traveler who goes overseas a lot and you like the BlackBerry style, this is the device for you. Everyone else should pass it over.