Mobile Phone Reviews

The BlackBerry 7100x was one of RIM’s earliest attempts at a more phone-like device.  Introduced in 2005, the 7100x was one of the BlackBerry mobile phones that aimed to combine messaging features with call quality.

Pros

Mobile email access is strong on the 7100x, with support for both corporate and internet accounts.  Users can install up to ten webmail accounts and there’s a maximum of 5MB of data storage integrated into the device.  Microsoft Office attachments open on the 7100x, and there are several useful apps preloaded to help business users manage contacts and appointments.

Even with its rather primitive technology, the 7100x is capable of displaying basic websites adequately, pulling up pages relatively quickly.

Cons

The email system does not preserve formatting on attachments, which could pose problems for heavily designed documents like Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentation.  Also, there’s no support for PDF files.  The low resolution screen (240×260) makes it difficult to properly view large or complex documents.

The 7100x is one of the few BlackBerry mobile phones without a full QWERTY keyboard, so some users may experience initial frustration in trying to learn the key positions.

The web browser functions passably for a phone without Wi-Fi or 3G, but sites with loads of graphics tend to load impossibly slowly and with poor image quality.

Conclusion

The 7100x contains many proprietary features, as it was developed for O2 customers.  Though most of the functions have been replaced by new mobile phones with better technology, the 7100x is still one of the best mobile phone deals for O2 fans looking for a low-tech handheld device. If the features do not meet requirements, then browse mobile phone reviews and mobile phone news sites for a suitable alternative based on desired specs.