Review: BlackBerry 7100i GPS Smartphone

location based services

Research In Motion's(RIM) BlackBerry 7100i combines the functionality of the BlackBerry with that of a global positioning satellite (GPS) unit. For many GPS enthusiasts like myself, the marriage of the BlackBerry with a GPS is an ideal combination. The always connected BlackBerry with push e-mail and Web browsing has always been a dream device, but combine it with a GPS and you can hear the GPS software developers' excitement build.
It may sound like a marriage made in heaven, but the GPS chip is the most power hungry add-on we've seen on a BlackBerry. In fact, when the GPS chip is active, the battery life is a small fraction of the duration you'll get with other non-GPS BlackBerry devices in the 71XX line. If you go with the 7100i, you'll almost certainly want to spend the extra money on a spare battery and a car charger. The BlackBerry 7100i operates on Nextel's 800 MHz and 900 MHz networks.

Size & Layout
At 4.7 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches, the BlackBerry 7100i has roughly the same dimensions as other devices in the 71XX series, but it's noticeably heavier - according to the specs its weight is over 20 percent greater. If you count the antenna that protrudes from the top, it's noticeably larger as well.


Antenna Protruding

The 23-key keyboard is exactly the same as its 71XX counterparts and the same SureType technology is used to determine which word you’re trying to type. The same SureType warnings apply: some love it and others don't like it, so be sure you give it a test drive before purchasing the device.


7100i Keypad

The 7100i also contains twice as much memory (64 MB versus 32 MB) and SRAM (8 MB versus 4 MB) as other 71XX devices. A full technical specification comparison can be found here.



GPS Functionality
The feature that really sets this device apart from the rest in the 71XX series is the GPS chip. RIM has fully documented their location-based API and made development tools freely available, so there are lots of third-party applications popping up that make excellent use of the GPS in the device.



Spot for BlackBerry is one application that gives the BlackBerry the functionality that you might expect from a dedicated GPS device. The BlackBerry 7100i has an always on data connection, giving it a distinct advantage that most consumer GPS devices don't have. Most GPS devices store a low resolution map data for a large area. Spot for BlackBerry, on the other hand, stores no map data on the BlackBerry, but you can download very detailed map imagery on the fly using the data connection given your current location it retrieves from the GPS chip.


Spot for BlackBerry

Another nifty application called Mologogo allows you to share your current location with others you've given permission to. Mologogo polls the GPS chip to retrieve your current location, and then updates that data on your Mologogo account. Anyone you've given access to can view your location on the web or even on their 71XX device or other GPS enabled mobile phone.


Mologogo

While the GPS chip gives the BlackBerry 7100i a serious functionality boost, it doesn't come without a price. The battery life is not very good, so be ready to buy some accessories up front to mitigate that shortfall.

The smartphone sells for $199.99 with a 2-year service agreement.

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