Click to View

Sprint will make the very same BlackBerry (with one notable difference), the 8703e, Verizon started shipping this week available to customers on October 1st for $349.99 with a two-year contract. No huge revelation here, as the two leading CDMA carriers sometimes get the same handsets within striking distance of each other. Although Sprint started shipping its memory-enhanced version of the Treo 700w (the 700wx) 8 months after Verizon, both operator's began offering Palm's Treo 700p simultaneously, for example.

The 8703e is the first QWERTY thumb-keyboard BlackBerry with a high-speed EV-DO networking support to transfer data between 400 to 700 kbps. As with Verizon, Sprint already offers the 7130e, another EV-DO enabled BlackBerry, but that model is more smartphone than handheld. As with RIM's new Pearl, the 7130 skips the keyboard for a keypad/keyboard combo that relies on software called SureType to accurately predict what words you're typing.

Sprint's 8703e adds integrated GPS (assisted-GPS) to support location-based services, such as turn-by-turn driving directions to any address. The Verizon edition doesn't support this feature.

The 8703e measures 4.3 x 2.7 x 0.77 inches and weighs 4.7 ounces (135 grams). It runs on 64 MB of flash memory, 16 or RAM and a 312 MHz XScale processor.

There's RIM's aforementioned signature 35-key QWERTY thumb-keyboard, of course, plus a QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) resolution display that supports over 65,000 colors. The device incorporates intelligent light sensing technology that automatically adjusts both the LCD and keyboard lighting to provide an optimized view in outdoor, indoor and dark environments.

Call management features include "send," "end" and "mute" keys plus a speakerphone, microphone, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing and call forwarding. Bluetooth 2.0 lets you connect to wireless headsets and car kits.

The removable/rechargeable lithium battery is supposed to last up to 3.3 hours talk and 8 days standby time.

In addition to accessing the Web, corporate network, and e-mail from their handheld, 8703e users have the option to connect their BlackBerry via a USB cable to a laptop to take advantage of EV-DO to do the same.

As with all BlackBerrys, corporate customers can access the behind-the-firewall BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which tightly integrates with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise for push-based, wireless access to e-mail and other corporate data. For individuals and smaller businesses, BlackBerry Internet Service allows users to access up to ten corporate and personal e-mail accounts.

A current Sprint promotion allows customers to get the unlimited BlackBerry data plan for $39.99/mo if they sign a two year subscriber agreement and have a voice plan activated on the 8307e. This also includes Web browsing and using the BlackBerry as a modem for a laptop.