I have searched here and have not come up with a definitive answer yet. I have posted a few times in various threads but have not gotten an official answer.
I need to know what the difference is between EDGE only speeds between the Bold and the 8900. I have heard mention that there are more EDGE pipelines/channels (or something...) that gives the 8900 an advantage while using EDGE but I have no evidence to back this up. What I would like to know is, comparing EDGE performance only, which device is faster, the Bold or 8900?
The 8900 has 8 channels of EDGE vs. the standard 2 channels of EDGE. In my experiences it makes browsing a lot better and is a lot faster than the 8320 or 8310. I don't know if the Bold has the same technology or not. I'd imagine it doesn't since it has 3G and the 8900 has 8 channels of EDGE to partially make up for the lack of 3G. The 8900 has a theoretical maximum speed of around 470 KBPS but has an average speed of about 100-200KBPS. Perfect for mobile browsing but not so great for tethering.
Yeah I can actually confirm the 8900s EDGE is faster then the 9000s, a while ago me and some of my friends were away camping and the area had no 3G, so she was on EDGE, and I was getting faster speed then she was.
I appreciate the responses. We are looking at getting a few Blackberry's at work and we are in a non 3G area that is at least a year away from 3G if it even happens at all. I have certainly learned a lot from the forums here.
When the 8900 first came out, crackberry reported that its browsing speed on edge was actually better than the Bold's on 3G.
I haven't personally confirmed this, but it's something to look into.
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I'd say given all the issues AT&T has with their 3G networks, even if you're in a 3G area there's a solid chance the EDGE connection is better. I've been waffling on the 8900 vs Bold vs Tour thing for a while now. I'm probably going with the 8900 because like many people out there, I don't live in a 3G market. My 2 year contract is more likely to end before AT&T gets around to upgrading my area.
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