Verizon’s just launched the BlackBerry 8703e, an EV-DO capable BlackBerry device. The 8703e has your standard BlackBerry software that you either love or hate, and adds capability to tether your laptop to it to act as a modem.
The keyboard on the BB is a full QWERTY and not a half-QWERTY, as seen on smaller, candybar-shaped BlackBerries. This will be available for $349.99 with a two-year contract starting Sunday, September 17 online. If you’re looking to order this through business channels for your office, you’ll have to wait until September 18. In order to use the phone as a modem, you’ll have to sign up for BroadbandAccess Connect, which is $15 if you have a voice and unlimited data plan, or $30 if you only have a data plan.
If think access these fees are a lot, just think of all the money you’ll get when you sue your employer for BlackBerry thumb!
Press Release [Yahoo via Slashgear]
I have this BlackBerry through Verizon and it is just 3 months old. At the weekend I was at a convention and the audio of the phone side stopped working.
The e-mail works the incoming phone calls are logged etc but I can’t hear anything and the other end can’t hear me.
I went to Verizon and they took off the back panel where there was a sensor – On mine it was red and it should have been white. They claim it had been in water – the nearest it has been to water is when I was in the rain – but that was over a week ago and as I say – everything else works… I’m told I need to buy a new phone ($500)as my wife didn’t take the insurance on the phone. Shouldn’t there be better insulation from dampness on this phone?
My “new every 2 year” plan doesn’t kick in for 20 months yet -