Entering the mid-range Smartphone arena is RIM’s Blackberry Curve 8520. It is one of, if not the only Blackberry mobile phone that falls in this particular market range. Users who also want their fair share of the famed Blackberry technology but don’t have much to spend will be happy to know that the Curve 8250 is very reasonably priced at only around £80.
Oversimplified?
Blackberries have always been known for their sleek and stylish designs that exude elegance and professionalism for the users. One criticism about the new Curve 8520 is that its design does not live up to the standards set by its predecessors. Some critics have even gone as far as saying that this device – sporting unfamiliar rounded corners – actually looks like a very sophisticated toy.
The same holds true for the Curve 8520’s screen. It seems like this is the biggest victim of the budget cut as it just isn’t on par with other Blackberry devices we’ve grown to love. A lot of critics and users alike have been complaining about the display output of the screen which has a 320 x 240-pixel resolution and only capable of 65K colours.
Trendsetter
One thing that’s going for the Curve 8520 is that it has said goodbye to the traditional trackball found in most Blackberry devices in the past. People have been complaining about the trackball technology and how it has a tendency to malfunction after a few months of use. However, it builds on the highly efficient functionality of the more familiar track ball by being very responsive and quite user-friendly as well. With a handy track pad, it seems like this device is starting a trend that will soon find itself in most, if not all Blackberry devices in the future.
All in all, the Blackberry Curve 8520 is a functional device that can be considered a steal at such an affordable price.
After endless rumours and numerous leaked photos on the internet over the past few months, Blackberry has finally confirmed their intention to release the new Curve 8520 come August of this year. Aside from having most of the familiar features and functions present in most RIM Blackberry devices, the Curve 8520’s claim to fame is its integration with Apple’s Mac operating system. This mid-range Smartphone is the first in the Blackberry family to feature full support for the Mac OS.
An Apple a Day
The Blackberry Curve 8520 has been described by some as the iPhone that’s not really an iPhone. Alright, it’s true that feature-wise the Curve 8520 will probably pale in comparison to the Apple iPhone 3GS. However, what makes the Curve 8520 a cut above the rest is its ability to fully support the Mac operating system – a feature that only the iPhone currently holds. In the past we’ve seen iTunes compatibility with other non-Apple mobiles (i.e. Motorola ROKR E1), but the Curve 8520 is one of the first devices to have full support for the entire Mac operating system.
This means that along with iTunes support, the Cruve 8520 is also able to easily sync other Mac-based programs such as organizer memos and personal info. Moreover, the upcoming release of the latest Blackberry Desktop Manager will provide further support for the rest of the Mac programs currently available.
Other Aspects
With regard to features and functions, the only notable absence on the Curve 8520 is 3G connectivity. Also included in the device’s impressive roster of features is a 320 x 240-pixel TFT display (65K colours), quad band 2G support, a GPS receiver, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. The Blackberry Curve 8520 will also feature a functional 2-Megapixel camera with QVGA video capturing capabilities.
Forums and blog sites all over the internet have long been discussing the imminent release of Blackberry’s latest mobile device. After taking on several rumoured names including Gemini and 8325, the latest Blackberry Curve 8520 has finally hit shelves last August 5 in the UK. Because it was labeled as a low end device that only had EDGE as its primary data connectivity option, a lot of critics were quick to count out this latest addition to the highly successful Blackberry Curve line. However, this all changed once they got their hands on the Curve 8520 which is actually quite an impressive device for its particular price range.
Tracking Back
In terms of the hardware, the glaring difference between the Curve 8520 and its predecessors is that instead of having the usual trackball, it has opted for a new optical track pad. It follows in the footsteps of a lot of highly successful Smartphones that have made use of the track pad technology. This is a great addition to the Blackberry’s user-friendly button set. Some also believe that this is RIM’s way of dealing with the problems encountered by the trackballs on previous models, particularly regarding their durability.
A Downgrade
Although much praise has been said regarding the new track pad technology on the Blackberry Curve 8520, some criticism has been sent when it comes to its display. The 2.64-inch TFT screen has a pixel ratio of 320 x 240 pixels and is capable of displaying up to 65K colours. Although it is still able to produce a decent display output, it is definitely not at the same level as other Blackberry devices in the past (take for instance the Blackberry Curve 8900 or the 9630). Then again, this is something users can live with considering the fact that the Curve 8520 is actually a mid-range device.
Released just this August, Blackberry’s latest Smartphone hopes to live up to the high standards set by its predecessors. The new Blackberry Curve 8520 also happens to be the latest addition to the Curve line of Blackberry devices and the manufacturers claim that it is the thinnest model in this particular line. This mid-range device is catered to those who want their own Blackberry device while staying within a budget.
Keys to Success
One of the best features of Blackberry devices is that they all have very user-friendly QWERTY keyboards. In fact, Blackberry can actually be partially blamed for the recent rise to fame of QWERTY-enabled mobile phones as they were definitely one of the pioneers in this category. The Curve 8520 is able to live up to the standards set by its predecessors.
Aside from having an all-new set of rubberized media buttons located on the top part of the mobile, the familiar Blackberry trackball has been replaced with an optical track pad on the Curve 8520. This is probably the manufacturer’s response to the many complaints that have arisen in the past regarding the durability and the considerably short life span of their trackballs.
Also on Board
Aside from the impressive button and keypad set on the Curve 8520, this Smartphone also has other features to be proud of. Other than the lack of 3G connectivity, the Curve 8520 is equipped with most of the notable Blackberry features we’ve become fond of. This includes a 65K colour TFT screen, full data connectivity options (GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, WLAN, and Bluetooth), Blackberry’s proprietary OS (paired with a 512-Megabyte processor), and a functional 2-Megapixel snapper.
The Blackberry Curve 8520 has the dimensions of 109 x 60 x 13.9 mm and a weight of only 106 grams.
Today Vodafone UK have just released the BlackBerry Curve 8520 onto the streets of Britain. The Curve is being touted as an entry level BlackBerry device that makes some minor deviations from the usual BlackBerry design. For one thing, the pearl trackball that is a common feature on BlackBerry smartphones has been replaced by a speedy trackpad. It remains to be seen whether this will offer and improvement or not, or whether it will just provide the same functionality but with a different feel.
The Curve does feature a 512MHz processor which is classed as next generation, but then some of its features are quite basic. The camera included on the Curve is only 2 megapixels and does not even come with a flash and is therefore rather pointless as an actual camera.
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is essentially an upgraded version of the Curve 8320 released two years ago but it is not a major improvement. The screen is good for the activities you would associate with BlackBerry devices, namely messaging, but with only 65k colours and a 2.64” size it is not an ideal display for media or entertainment.
BlackBerry have included Apple Mac compatibility and this is the first BlackBerry device to sync with Apple iTunes right out of the box. The Curve also features preloaded apps for Facebook and MySpace and other applications can be downloaded to the Curve from BlackBerry’s App World.
The Curve has support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well, and is available in Frost or Black colours. Vodafone are offering the handset on a contract of £25 per month with unlimited texts and 300 call minutes and unlimited mobile internet. This package also includes no roaming charges for more than 35 countries, good news I’m sure if you are going away for a while.
RIM has announced that their BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be released in the UK early in August. The Curve 8520, which follows on from the Curve 8320, will be a entry-level BlackBerry device with many of the features of high-end BlackBerry’s removed to lower cost. Although the Curve 8320 was released two years ago, the Curve 8520 is not a great deal different.
The Curve 8520 features BlackBerry’s trademark signature of a full QWERTY keyboard on the front which highlights that this phone is aimed primarily at the messaging market. Because of this some of the other features are somewhat lacking, most notably the camera which is a paltry 2 megapixels with no flash. There is support for BlackBerry’s App World, similar in nature to the Apple App Store, where users can download third party apps to personalise their phone. The Curve 8520 comes with Facebook and MySpace apps included and offers full Mac support with iTunes syncing available as standard.
The 65k colour TFT screen is relatively small at 2.64” when compared to some of the big boy’s on the market but is still suited to its purposes. There is no 3G support for the Curve 8520 and the EDGE is a rather lowly 236.8kbps. There is WiFi support however, and there is a media player with a good range of compatibility, supporting most widely used codec’s and there is also a 3.5mm audio jack which will come as good news to music fans.
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is not as feature filled as many BlackBerry phones around although it was not intended to be as it is marketed as an entry level phone. Although there are still many great features there are certainly better BlackBerry devices around. This may be a good choice however if you want to get into the BlackBerry experience but are looking for a cheaper handset than some of the others BlackBerry has to offer.
Entering the mid-range Smartphone arena is RIM’s Blackberry Curve 8520. It is one of, if not the only Blackberry mobile phone that falls in this particular market range. Users who also want their fair share of the famed Blackberry technology but don’t have much to spend will be happy to know that the Curve 8250 is very reasonably priced at only around £80.
After endless rumours and numerous leaked photos on the internet over the past few months, 
Forums and blog sites all over the internet have long been discussing the imminent release of Blackberry’s latest mobile device. After taking on several rumoured names including Gemini and 8325, the latest 
Today Vodafone UK have just released the BlackBerry Curve 8520 onto the streets of Britain. The Curve is being touted as an entry level BlackBerry device that makes some minor deviations from the usual BlackBerry design. For one thing, the pearl trackball that is a common feature on BlackBerry smartphones has been replaced by a speedy trackpad. It remains to be seen whether this will offer and improvement or not, or whether it will just provide the same functionality but with a different feel.
RIM has announced that their BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be released in the UK early in August. The Curve 8520, which follows on from the