The Blackberry 8700 offers the following features:

* quad-band GSM
* GPRS
* EDGE
* display: 320 x 240 pixel, 65K colors
* Bluetooth
* battery: 4 hours talk time, 16 days standby

Update: EngadgetMobile reports that the Blackberry 8700 with EDGE is now available at T-Mobile as the 8700g, for $300 with a contract, after $100 in rebates.

Via EngadgetMobile.

Blackberry 8700 Reviews

MobileGazette reviews the Blackberry 8700 and finds that, while it’s compact size sounds nice, it’s at the expense of the keyboard. An MP3 player and a memory expansion slot would also have been nice. Overall, “Our experience with the 8700g was a mixed one - it’s certainly a good device, and it does the job it’s designed for very well. But then so does the 7290, and if you just use your BlackBerry for messaging then the 7290 (and indeed the 7230 and 7730) will probably do the job just fine.. however, if you’re using a non-Bluetooth BlackBerry, then the 8700 could be a good opportunity to trade up.”

Infosync has a hands-on preview of the Blackberry 8700g, and notes, “The 8700g’s overall design isn’t much different than your garden-variety BlackBerry: at about 4.3 by 2.7 by 0.8 inches and weighing about 4.7 ounces, the 8700g’s size and heft are about par for the RIM course. We were quite impressed, however, by the 320 x 240-pixel, 65,000-color LCD, which looked eye-poppingly vivid for a BlackBerry display. The 8700g also steers away from the standard RIM crowd with its dedicated “send,” “mute,” and “end” keys. As expected, our fingers had no trouble navigating the roomy keypad. ”

Infosync reviews the Blackberry 8700g, and concludes, “With its bright screen, full-QWERTY keypad, EDGE and Bluetooth support, and characteristically superb e-mail handling, the 8700g is a strong choice for anyone looking to take the BlackBerry plunge. That said, T-Mobile customers who want a BlackBerry device that fits in a pocket might be better off with the slightly smaller (if tougher to use) 7105t, which features a pseudo-QWERTY thumbboard, while bargain hunters may want to scoop up the 7290 for just $100 (or the similarly priced 7105t, for that matter).”

PCMag reviews the Blackberry 8700g, and concludes, “While the MDA is a more powerful multimedia device with a bigger keyboard and Wi-Fi, the 8700g is much easier to use for e-mail and Web browsing, and gets slightly better phone reception. The Sidekick II is a terrific personal device, but it doesn’t support business e-mail, and it generally looks less professional than the 8700g. For e-mail-focused users on T-Mobile, this is the sweetest berry of them all.”

DigitalTrends reviews the Blackberry 8700g, and concludes, “Aside from a wobbly keypad and a few other minor inconveniences like having to copy your contacts over from your SIM card, this is a flawless device. Business and personal users will enjoy the new and improved performance that comes with the Blackberry 8700g. The EGDE connectivity, included IM client, improved web browser, and new buttons make this device a smash hit. Anyone on the T-Mobile network who is a text messaging or IMing fiend should probably shell out the bucks for this handheld immediately. You won’t be disappointed with the Blackberry 8700g from T-Mobile.”

Trusted Reviews reviews the T-Mobile BlackBerry 8700, and gives it 8 out of 10 overall, with an 8/10 for usability, 7/10 for features and 8/10 for value. The final verdict: “The BlackBerry 8700 is the most accomplished handset that RIM has produced to date, but it finds itself balancing between two camps. On one hand it wants to be a heavy duty corporate tool, but on another it offers great features and value for money for the small businesses and individuals. I still firmly believe that there is room for two BlackBerry models – a corporate unit and a more consumer focused version, complete with camera, full Bluetooth functionality and even Wi-Fi. As it stands though, the 8700 is the best option if you need your email sent to your pocket.”

MobileTechReview reviews the BlackBerry 8700g and likes the device overall, although finds that there’s a disposable-feeling quality to the construction. About the 8700g’s performance: “In day-to-day operation the extra performance is very welcome, most particularly in the performance of the phone application. Many devices like this sacrifice the responsiveness of the phone application to provide multimedia functions, it is very frustrating when you miss an incoming call because your pocket device is too busy pausing the media player and sorting itself out to answer the call in time. This doesn’t happen on the BlackBerry for a couple of reasons, firstly performance is focused towards phone operation and secondly, there is no media player!”

DigitalTrends reviews the BlackBerry 8700c and writes, “RIM has endowed the Bluetooth 8700c, as it has many Blackberry functions, with a high degree of intelligent functionality. Once you’ve paired a headset, for instance, the 8700c automatically recognizes it each time you power the headset up. As long as you’ve turned on the Bluetooth connection from the 8700c’s top menu, you don’t have to re-pair it or drill down to the Bluetooth connection menu to make the Bluetooth connections (as you have to do with most other phones). A large notice appears on screen to let you know in no uncertain terms that you’re wirelessly connected. … The 8700c is the most advanced full QWERTY Blackberry available. While it has its minor quirks, for the world traveling mobile professional with moderately sized thumbs there is no better way to stay in touch while on the road.”