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Is the BlackBerry Curve 8900 Worth the Hype?
BlackBerry Curve 8900
What it is: The 8900 is the next-generation version of the popular, easy-to-use, and versatile Curve line.
What's different about it? The original Curve 8300 was our favorite BlackBerry when it first came out because it was as full-featured as the more business-oriented BlackBerrys (like the 8800 series), but still had everything you needed to have fun with your phone (still camera, media player). The 8900 has that same satisfying combination, only in a more powerful, slimmer (2.36-inches) package – namely, a 3.2-megapixel camera, the new BlackBerry OS (which includes an improved browser that delivers fuller versions Web sites), a normal headset jack (so you can use your favorite headphones), and a camcorder.
What we like: Besides the souped-up features in a more affordable package, the Curve still has all the great specs that made the original Curve 8300 a winner – built-in Wi-Fi capability that enables seamless switchover to UMA Internet phone calls (on T-Mobile models) any time you hit a wireless hotspot, an easy to use media player, expandable memory, and the ability to read and edit office documents easily. It has has an even more spacious QWERTY keyboard than before, which is good enough to write lengthy business memos, documents (and articles!), not to mention read and respond to your e-mail regardless of whether you've got a mobile phone signal or not (while you're on an airplane, for example). Bonus: It'll work in most countries around the world since it runs on the globally popular GSM network (used by AT&T and T-Mobile).
What we don't like: For now, only T-Mobile and AT&T – two carriers with less extensive and frustrating service, respectively, in the United States – carry it. Also, it only runs on the slower EDGE network for data, which means your Web surfing, downloads, and other online-dependent functions will run a bit more slowly than on a high-speed 3G network. Compared to most other smartphones (and even the BlackBerry Storm), the 2.4-inch screen is disappointingly small. Lastly, as is the case with almost all BlackBerrys, the Curve is kinda plain-looking when compared with, say, a sexy iPhone or Nokia N97.
Is it worth the hype? Most definitely yes, especially for folks on a budget who need to do a lot of e-mailing or don't want to follow the iPhone herd.
Bottom line: Does your briefcase or pocket only have room for one phone? Then the Curve is for you – it's still our top choice for folks who are serious about doing business on their smartphones, but also need a phone for music, videos, shutterbugging, and text-messaging. Unless you're a frequent international traveler and are already a T-Mobile or AT&T subscriber, though, you might want to wait – Verizon Wireless and Sprint are sure to add this model to their lineups by the end of the year, and those carriers' networks, at least in the United States, are generally pretty reliable.
Where to get it: Right now, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is available from AT&T ($200, with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate) and T-Mobile ($150, with a two-year contract).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Callum Bush said 11:42AM on 7-25-2009
...new if you've been hiding down a well for the past 8 months
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Andy Anonymous said 11:00PM on 7-25-2009
It's a little strange that you don't even mention the Bold, which does everything the 8900 does, plus offers 3G, a faster processor, and an arguably more comfortable keyboard.
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