Dialing from the Home Screen
To be able to dial right from the Home Screen, within the Phone application, choose Options and then make sure “Dial from Home screen” is set to “Yes”.
The new BlackBerry® 8700 Series, BlackBerry 7100 Series and BlackBerry® 8100 Pearl™ smartphone also have SEND (green) and END (red) keys for speeding access to dial and end call functions.
- Hot Tip: Press and hold the SEND key to quickly “Dial from Address Book” (requires BlackBerry Software v4.0 and higher).

Dialing Letters
BlackBerry® devices don't have the same keys as a phone, so you need to use ALT + letter keys to dial letters. For example, for 1-888-BLKBRRY you would type 1888 then hold the alt key and type the letters. The BlackBerry device will automatically send the appropriate DTMF tones (2 = ABC, 3 = DEF, 4 = GHI, 5 = JKL, 6 = MNO, 7 = PQRS, etc…).

This same mechanism also applies when connected to a phone call and, for example, the corporate phone system asks you to enter a Last Name.

Speed Dialing
You can assign all 26 letters A – Z (Full QWERTY) or 1 – 9 (BlackBerry 7100 Series and the BlackBerry Pearl) to quickly dial numbers from the Home Screen or Phone application. Note: the “1” key is defaulted to speed dial Voicemail.

A Speed Dial entry can be set up by either holding a key to assign it or by selecting "View Speed Dial List" from the Phone application.
Once configured you can simply hold the appropriate key for 1 second to call the assigned number or contact.
The “Hot List” or Call Log
In the Phone application, a list of calls that have been placed or received are conveniently displayed depending on your user preference as: Most Recent, Most Used, Call Log or by Name (alphabetical). Call Log is the default setting.

Reminder: To quickly access the Call Log/Hot List Phone application and the Hot List simply press the Phone button or SEND (green) key. You can also use the P key, but this option must be turned on. If you find when you put your device in your purse or briefcase that numbers are getting dialed, you have the ability to disable this setting within Phone > Options.
You can also have your Call Log set to be included within the Message List if you want to see a log that includes both your calls and emails.
Bluetooth for Hands-Free Operation
For real mobility, you can pair your BlackBerry device with Bluetooth® headsets and car kits using Bluetooth.
When you pair your BlackBerry device with another Bluetooth-enabled device you should be able to connect over a wireless network when it is within range of your BlackBerry device (typically within 30 feet or 10 metres).
To pair your Bluetooth devices from the Home Screen select Options > Bluetooth. Then select the device you want to pair with (for example the BlackBerry HS-655 Bluetooth Headset featured in last month's Small Business Edition).

A quick Bluetooth On/Off icon then appears once at least 1 Bluetooth device is paired.
For more tips view one of these webcasts:
Tips and Tricks On-Demand Webcast for QWERTY Devices
Tips and Tricks On-Demand Webcast for SureType® Devices (BlackBerry 7100 Series)
Tips and Tricks for the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Smartphone
|