Measuring 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches and tipping the scales at 4.7 ounces, Research In Motion's 7130e looks more like a conventional cellular phone than it does a classic BlackBerry, and that makes it a better fit for the hand. Still, the smartphone's slimmed-down profile comes as the result of a design trade-off.

To wit, the number of buttons on the keypad has been reduced from 33, the standard on most mobile Qwerty-style designs, to a minimalist set of 20. To enter a text message, you often must press each key two or more times before the desired character can be entered.

The 7130e ships with predictive text-entry software, which makes the process less tedious than it sounds. Still, we advise giving the keypad a thorough test run to make sure the setup works for you.

Features

Under the hood, the 7130e sports a 65,000-color screen, 64 MB of flash memory, a mini-USB port, a speakerphone, and a Bluetooth radio for linking up with compatible headsets and hands-free car kits. The radio can also double as a wireless modem for laptops.

Like its classic BlackBerry counterparts, the 7130e delivers the full spectrum of support for text and multimedia messaging, Web browsing, and e-mail. You can access up to 10 individual e-mail accounts, with support for viewing several kinds of attached files, such as .doc, .ppt, .pdf, and .xls.

The smartphone works well with RIM's BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is designed to "push" corporate e-mail directly out to mobile workers. Even better, the 7130e can be integrated with RIM's Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions offering, which provides I.T. departments with enhanced security options.

Performance

On the telephone side, the Blackberry 7130e offers support for speed-dialing, three-way conferencing, and call-forwarding. Moreover, the handset's swappable battery delivers up to three hours of talk time or up to eight days of operation in the standby mode.

Unfortunately, the 7130e does not incorporate a voice-dialing capability. But calls do come through loud and clear over the handset's built-in speakerphone.

Right-handed individuals should have no problems operating the thumb-operated track wheel and escape key on the right-hand side of the case. However, southpaws might find these controls somewhat awkward when holding the handset in their favored hand.

The Verdict

The BlackBerry 7130e, which is available from Sprint for $199.99 with a two-year contract, delivers high-speed EVDO capabilities at a very attractive price. But anyone with intensive text-entry needs should seriously consider buying an EVDO-enabled device that offers an expanded Qwerty-style keypad.

BlackBerry 7130e (Sprint)

Specs: Dual-band (800 MHz/1900 MHz) CDMA 1xRTT/EVDO cellular radio; 20-key pad; 2.5-inch color screen; 64 MB of flash memory and 16 MB of SRAM; Bluetooth radio; mini-USB port; speakerphone.

Pros: High-speed EVDO and "push" e-mail capabilities.

Cons: Abbreviated keypad slows text entry; no expansion card slot or Wi-Fi capability; Bluetooth support limited to headset and hands-free car kits.

Verdict: The BlackBerry 7130e delivers high-speed EVDO capabilities at a very attractive price. But anyone with intensive text-entry needs should consider a device with an expanded keypad.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Price: $199.99 with two-year service contract

www.sprint.com