Vodafone Blackberry 7230

A great choice for the business user.

You just have to read the last few issues of Personal Computer World to see the explosion in smart communications devices. Not wanting to be outdone by its competition, Vodafone has jumped on the bandwagon with the Blackberry 7230.

Small enough to slip into the most modest of pockets, the device also has a clear 240 x 160 display and keyboard. This is the same model Blackberry already on sale from T-Mobile and O2, and offers the same simple access to email on the move.

Using Vodafone's email injector service, up to 10 personal and business accounts can be polled. New email is then automatically pushed to the device in a similar manner to receiving an SMS. Using a combination of the scroll wheel and keyboard it's then easy to view new mails and post a reply.

So far, this is identical to the service offered by the other networks, so Vodafone is trying to tempt customers with access to Vodafone Live. Unless you're interested in new games and ring tones, though, there's little incentive. A better option is to use the Blackberry to surf the web. However, as with all PDAs, the 7230 struggles with graphically intensive sites.

A big disappointment is the paltry 16MB of Ram. This isn't a lot by today's standards, especially as the Blackberry is being pushed as a device to manage your entire life. The lack of memory card slot expands the problem and offers less flexibility than other devices such as the Treo 600.

The 7230 is still a good device for receiving email and making the occasional call, but it's looking a little dated compared to other smartphones, and Vodafone doesn't offer a lot extra other than the basic service.

Contact: Vodafone 0700 219 1191
www.vodafone.co.uk/blackberry

Price Details:
RRP £200 with a £20 a month contract
£40 with a £43 a month contract

Specifications

• Tri-band phone
• 16MB of Flash memory
• 2MB of S-Ram
• 240 x 160 display
• Four-hour talk time
• 136g
• 74 x 20 x 113mm (w x d x h)
• USB connection