BLACKBERRY CURVE 8900 REVIEW
BlackBerry are famed for their full QWERTY keyboard business-orientated smartphones – here the Curve really doesn’t disappoint.
Look &Feel
The Curve 8900 has adopted some features of the BlackBerry Curve 8310 and BlackBerry Bold 9000, making it a very smart looking handset. The dimensions are practical, and weighing just under 110 grams, the device fits neatly into your pocket. It is an all round party pleaser, appealing to customers for both business and personal use.
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Screen and Keyboard
The bright 2.4 inch screen is ideal for browsing the web, scrolling through photos, watching YouTube clips and much more. I was very glad to see the infamous Qwerty keypad, a BlackBerry trademark, which is especially easy to type on as each key has a raised edge. The trackball is one feature which has remained on the Curve, and once you’re used to it, it is a very convenient and quick navigation tool – maybe not as good as the Bold’s optical trackpad though.
Camera and Audio
The camera is situated on the back of the handset, next to and LED photo light, but I feel that the 3.2 megapixel camera isn’t enough to really give this Curve 8900 a kick – but more on that later. The 3.5mm headphone jack is definitely a bonus, but some of the keys, such as mute and lock, lack definition and can be awkward to press.
But to be somewhat judgmental, on style and looks alone, this handset is probably one of the most attractive BlackBerry devices around.
E-mail
As with all BlackBerry’s the 8900 has excellent e-mail tools, including the ability to hook the device up to a server, or use the online service to set up up to ten different accounts.
Audio
I must say one thing, the 8900 is much more fun and appealing to a wider audience than previous BlackBerry’s. The music player supports many formats, allows the set up of playlists and shuffle tracks, and due to the 3.5mm jack – you can also use ‘normal’ headphones.
Camera
Now to the camera, I mentioned my disappointment earlier but now I’ll explain why. I know that not all phones can have all the best features but I really feel that BlackBerry could have installed a better quality camera into the 8900. The 3.2 megapixel camera is ideal for photo attachments to e-mails, or even in MMS messages, but the low resolution really stands out when it comes to enlarging your photos. The camera does shoot both photos and videos, and the LED photolight does prove to be useful if taking pictures at night.
My second (and might I point out, last) major issue with the 8900 is the lack of 3G. Smartphones are designed for 3G! Yes, the handset does support Wi-Fi, GPRS and EDGE but this does prove to be a problem when you’re looking for quick download speeds or web browsing on the move.
Battery
The battery in this compact little device really surprised me – it lasts for ages. In technical terms, that would mean a talk time of 5.5 hours, and a standby time of huge 15 days! Perfect if you’re a light user and always like to have your 8900 nearby.
Verdict
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 is neat, smart, compact smartphone which is ideal for business and personal use alike. The handling of the e-mail, videos, and music player is fantastic, but the poor camera quality and obvious lack of 3G cannot be overlooked. However, the lack of 3G does provide the 8900 with an immense battery life which any device should be proud of.
