RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520

BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520:

                                T-Mobile's newest bargain BlackBerry phone is surprisingly capable and offers some new features, like an optical trackpad. Is it really a great deal? Find out in our BlackBerry Curve 8520 review.


                           Somebody forgot to tell the BlackBerry Curve 8520 that it's supposed to be a budget BlackBerry device. Sure, the phone lacks some of the high-end features of other BlackBerry phones, like a high-res screen or GPS navigation, but the Curve 8520 does right all of the things that we expect from a BlackBerry. For e-mail and messaging, it's just as fast and well organized as any other BlackBerry phone. We even like the design. Though it's supposed to be low-end, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 packs some new additions we've never seen on a BlackBerry, like a responsive optical trackpad button and real multimedia playback controls. The keyboard is solid and we rarely noticed a dip in performance compared to more advanced BlackBerry phones. Plus, on T-Mobile's network, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is capable of cut-rate calling with it's UMA Hotspot @Home calls over your Wi-Fi network. In the end, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is an easy phone to recommend, especially since Amazon is offering the phone at launch for only a penny.

                            We liked the snappy interface, with an improved look from T-Mobile, and Microsoft's newest mobile Web browser on board, equipped with Flash Lite support. Plus, for business users, there's hardly a better tool for scheduling and productivity options. The T-Mobile Dash 3G also comes with a great software package, especially for messaging fans and GPS navigators. Still, the phone comes up short in multimedia capabilities, and other T-Mobile smartphones with Wi-Fi also get HotSpot @Home calling, a convenient option for cheap calls, especially in dead zones. T-Mobile hasn't seen a Windows Mobile phone this compelling in a long while, and the T-Mobile Dash 3G is definitely a slim smartphone that's worth a look.

     
           Pros: Stylish, slim business device. Solid call quality and great battery life. Great instant messaging options.

          Cons: Trackball was unresponsive, even cranked to highest sensitivity. Button and keyboard layout awkward. 3G service area still growing.