Flipping Open the Box on the Blackberry 8230
I thought I’d start off my reviews by walking through the unboxing of the Flip so that you can all follow along with me as I begin my journey exploring this new handset.
I’ve made a concerted effort to avoid display stands that have the new flip on them so that I can channel all my first impressions to the blog. (It’s been tough for a gadget geek to avoid playing with the new toy…)
[](http://kdmurray.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/001-the- kit11.png)At first blush the package looks pretty much like every other PCS phone I’ve ever opened. Nice white box with TELUS’ signature future friendly brand. Looking over the gear that ships in the box:
- Wall charger
- USB charging cable
- Stereo headset
- Obligatory ‘getting started’ manual
- Black (thank heaven) BlackBerry Pearl Flip [](http://kdmurray.net/wp- content/uploads/2009/04/001-comparing-screens11.png)The unit itself is very light (likely due to it’s 90% plastic shell) and the screen is very clear and bright – much moreso than my Curve, and even my iPod Touch. This was a bit surprising considering the size of the device. It sounds like, from what I’ve been told, the previous generation BB Pearl also had a very clear screen.
[](http://kdmurray.net/wp- content/uploads/2009/04/001-comparing-usb11.png)The only downside I can see from the initial design is that RIM has not to use the widely available mini- USB plugs for the charging/sync cable that plugs into the phone, and have used a much less common micro-USB. This means that if I forget the charger somewhere, the cable for my BB Curve (or my camera, USB hub, card reader etc.) won’t work with the Flip. This is the only blemish on an otherwise stellar first day.
I’m looking forward to exploring the device, the SureType text-entry system and other bits and pieces over the next few weeks. I’ve already got email and instant messaging set up. Maybe I’ll even use it as a phone one of these days.
Transparency statement: This post is part of a series of blog posts that I’m doing internally for work, being re-published on my main blog. The handset is on-loan to me for a three week period, and I’m not being compensated for writing the reviews.