RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330

Just as Sprint has been long overdue for the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330, so has Verizon Wireless. However, the time has come for the carrier, and we’re happy to say it was worth the wait. With its full QWERTY keyboard and well-rounded feature set, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 is a nice compromise between the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 and the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition. The smartphone also has integrated GPS, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera.

We are slightly miffed that Verizon has once again stripped out any support for its V Cast multimedia services, especially since Sprint’s Curve offers such capabilities. However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor issue. The Curve delivers where it counts-voice and messaging-and all with a great design to boot, so we give it a big thumbs up. The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Verizon Wireless is available now for as low as $149.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates and discounts.

The Curve is shaped and designed to fit well into just about any size hands. The bright QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) screen does a solid job of displaying text and some pictures. However, the Curve, like other current BlackBerry products, uses some archaic fonts which take up more space than they probably should. That being said, most items are quite readable in most lighting conditions.

The front side of the device also contains a the BlackBerry Trackball and QWERTY keyboard. RIM’s keyboards are highly touted for their ease of use and numerous shortcuts. I found the keyboard to be OK to use, but it did feel a bit inferior to the one on my Treo 680. While the keys were of a good size, I had to aim for them moreso than with the Treo.

The trackball was a breeze to use and made navigating the device fairly simple. In some places it was faster than I needed it to be, but was overall just fine. The trackball is flanked by four application buttons: green and red call buttons, a menu button, and a back button. While small, these gave great feedback and didn’t get in the way when using the trackball or QWERTY keyboard.

The top of the Curve simply has a mute button. The mute button also functions as a standby button when pressed and held for a few seconds. It reminded me of the Treo/Centro’s button at the top, but less intuitive.
BlackBerry Curve 8330. The rear of the Curve has only the 2 megapixel digital camera’s lens. There is no opening to remove the battery. The rear is otherwise flush and uneventful.

The left side of the Curve has a 3.5mm headset jack, mini-USB connector, and a customizable application button. The right side has the volume up/down buttons and a button to launch the camera. The Curve line has been a notable series of devices for RIM in that it brought additional levels of connectivity to the BlackBerry fold. The Sprint version of the 8330 has GPS and Bluetooth to compliment the EV-DO cellular connectivity. What this means for most people is that almost anything can be done in terms of connecting to devices and services.

Bluetooth is featured as an additional wireless option for headsets and dial up networking (DUN) connectivity. Using Bluetooth, the Curve can be utilized as a modem for laptops and tablet PCs. Depending on the plan level, there may be an additional cost to use this feature. GPS is included, though. Using TeleAtlas maps and software, along with A-GPS (cellular triangulation) supported by the EV-DO connection, using the Curve as a navigation device is fast and easy. It takes about 30 seconds to get a lock, and after that map views are downloaded dynamically to the device.

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers Verizon customers a nice compromise between the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 and the RIM BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, providing a full QWERTY keyboard for easier messaging over the Pearl and a more affordable alternative for users who don’t need the world-roaming capabilities of the BlackBerry 8830. The Curve is a no-nonsense device. It pretty much sits ready to work and just does what it does. There’s no swooshing or transitional graphics to enlighten the senses, and the lack of a touchscreen only becomes an issue when using the application launch screen

Of course, email is a major selling point. Corporate BlackBerry users are already used to the “push” aspect of BlackBerry email that allows for immediate delivery of messages. Having it for consumer/prosumer use takes the IT department out of the picture but keeps the fast email experience. You can use a BlackBerry email account, or use a personal one from services such as Google, Yahoo, or Hotmail. Regardless of the service used, consumers utilize the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) servers rather than the enterprise-level BlackBerry Enterprise Servers (BES). The difference in these services is the type of support, and whether they are integrated with an enterprise IT department.

To me, about the only real fault in the email system of the Curve - and this is apparently the case with all BlackBerry devices - is that there is just one messaging center for all types of messages: email, SMS, and voice mail. While this seems like a great idea and works well, when training several users it is a problem. I would have expected that a device sold on the consumer level to have different means of handling those three very different message types.

Starting with the messaging features, the Curve 8330 offers synchronization with your company’s BlackBerry Enterprise server with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise for real-time corporate e-mail delivery. You can also use the BlackBerry Internet Service to access as many as 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. There’s a built-in spell-check function for e-mails (but not text or multimedia messages) and you also get an attachment viewer that opens popular file formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. Unlike, the Sprint version, Verizon only offers the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger. Finally, another differentiating factor between the Sprint Curve and the Verizon Curve is that this model offers AIM, Yahoo, and Google Talk instant-messaging clients in addition to BlackBerry Messenger.

Phone features include a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, conference calling, text and multimedia messaging, and call audio enhancement, which lets you boost the bass or treble of sound. The address book is limited only by the available memory, and each entry can hold up to eight numbers, work and home addresses, e-mail and Web addresses, company information, and notes. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well as a group category-business or personal-or one of 45 polyphonic ringtones.

The Curve also has Bluetooth 2.0 for use with mono and stereo headsets, hands-free kits, and dial-up networking. If you want to use the Curve as a wireless modem, you will need to subscribe to one of Verizon’s BroadbandAccess plans, which start at $15 per month. It does not support the object exchange profile. On the bright side, you won’t have to invest in a Bluetooth GPS receiver, since the smartphone has a built-in GPS radio. You can use this with a location-based service, such as Verizon’s VZ Navigator, or other mobile navigation software to get real-time tracking, directions, local search, and more.

The Curve 8330 is also an EV-DO capable for data speeds of around 300Kbps to 600Kbps with the potential to hit 2.4Mbps. This means you should enjoy faster Web browsing, downloads, and smooth media streams. Once again, however, Verizon Wireless chose not include support for its V Cast music and video services on the smartphone. Given its more corporate-centric features, Verizon seems to think business users won’t want the streaming media services, but hey, why not give us the option? Sprint does.

Fortunately, there are other avenues for multimedia on the Curve 8330. The smartphone’s built-in media player supports MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI music files, and MPEG4, WMV, and H.263 video clips. You have the capability to search for songs on the smartphone, create playlists on the fly, and shuffle and repeat songs, and there’s a full-screen mode for video playback. The included software CD also contains a copy of Roxio Easy Media Creator, so you can create MP3s from CDs and add audio tags. There’s 96MB of flash memory onboard, but we’d load multimedia files on a microSD/SDHC card to conserve storage. The expansion slot can accept up to 8GB cards.

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 also features a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. In regular camera mode, there’s a 5x zoom and flash, as well as three picture sizes and three quality options. You also get white-balance settings and several color effects you can add to the photo. Video options are bit more limited with just two video formats (normal or multimedia message), three color effects, and a video light. Picture quality was OK. As we found with the Sprint Curve, objects had sharp definition but there was a slight grayness to the photo.

Other applications on the Curve include a calendar, a tasks list, a memo pad, an alarm clock, a password keeper, a calculator, a Brickbreaker game, and a voice recorder. Of course, you can add more applications to the BlackBerry, depending on your interests.

Starting with the cellular end, the Sprint Curve is an EV-DO 1x device. Not always as fast as a basic DSL connection, the EV-DO speeds are still quite fast for a cellular connection, and works efficiently enough that it’s not a major drain on battery life. The 8330’s battery life is something that caught me completely off guard. I am used to having to charge devices once a day, and sometimes more if its a busy day. The Curve took my hardest day and still managed to make it easily to the lunch of the next day just fine.

Windows Mobile is a much better personal organizer solution. Pocket Outlook, while heaver in terms of user interface design, just seems more natural to use. Palm OS Treo users might find the lack of a touchscreen disconcerting, and the menu structure a bit tedious. However, the user experience of the BlackBerry operating system is largely similar to the Palm OS, so there is at least not as much of a learning curve to get started.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Sprint is not a fancy device, nor is it extra special in any real particular way. However, it is solid, well built, and has the kind of ability to just blend into day-to-day activities without requiring too much in the way of tweaking and modifying the default setup. Areas that can be improved with third-party software include the browser (Opera Mini rocks on the Curve). The ability to personalize with themes also helps to take some of the stodgy looks and give it some personality.

But when it comes down to it, the Curve is all about getting information to you from one point to another. The GPS integration is the best demonstration of this; the email is the best integration of this. Whether it is enough to move you from a current mobile to the Curve really depends on your needs and budget. But you can be assured that what the Curve lacks in iPhone-like flash, it makes up for easily in its ability to be enjoyable enough to get the job done.

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Posted on August 10th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: GPS Device

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