[bbRobster]

Hi, I'm a former pearl user (trackball was horrible) and was interested in the bb8830.

For those of you who have had the bb8830 for more than a year, how would you say the durability of the phone is compared to the pearl especially the track ball.

I know that there is low volume problem with the ringer, no direct mms, no camera or video. This I don't mind, I'm mainly using it for phone and txt message not data or email.

Since Verizon is the best network by me, I'm considering the bb8830, palm centro or Q9m. It seems that the bb is the most stable and unless there is a durability issue, the one I'll probably get.

Thanks in advance for any insight or help in making my decision.

btw> I'm using it on pageplus cellular so I don't have to get a data plan, but it will use Verizon network.

[agough05]

The trackball will work fine as long as you keep it clean, but I don't really care about it too much because Verizon replaces my trackball everytime it gets bad. So I could tell ya. As far as the phone goes; I LOVE IT and the only durability issue I have had is the charging port being loose. But as long as you baby it, it works fine. I would definitely recommend this phone to anyone who wants a professional-looking device and something easy to type on.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jabo052]

I've never owned a Pearl, but I owned an 8830 for about a year and a half before I upgraded to the Tour. The 8830 was a great phone. It was pretty durable in a rubber skin, but durability is relative to how rough you are with it. Definitely get you a skin because you will drop it.


I don't see how it would be any more or less durable than the Pearl. Other than the size, they are made of similar materials. Just like most phones they aren't meant to be dropped or submerged, though I did do both and it survived. Slid, off my knee and into a glass of water that was on the floor. Got it out quickly, pulled the battery and let it dry for a couple days.

The trackball only hung up a few times, but that was remedied by movign it around. Never had to replace it. I still have my 8830...in case.

[312]

I would consider the 8830 as the "workhorse" of the BlackBerry family. It's a perfect starter or backup device because it's very reliable. Although, as you mentioned, it doesn't have the "panache" as a Tour or Storm, it's perfect for the basic smartphone attributes such as email, calendar, texting, etc.

Not every Verizon store will replace your trackball. If you're concerned about it, you can pick up trackballs on ebay for $2/each shipped.