Posted by Smartphone Review on August 25, 2009
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Titanium T Mobile
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service. This version comes in titanium, but it’s also available in pale gold.
The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze.. |
The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection. |
T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone Features
Click for larger view. |
The Curve is fashioned in a liquid silver finish with chrome highlights and subtly curving corners. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great Phone
I lost my last Blackberry and upgraded to a curve and wish I had just upgraded sooner. Better keys, better browser, camera… just all around a great phone. The only thing I would like to see is a slimmer version.
4 Stars Best Value when purchasing through Amazon and choosing T-Mobile
Ordered the Blackberry Curve 8320 (actually 2 of them) with the favs family plan. The phone is good, however, the internet on T-Mobile (edge) is super slow in comparison to other providers with high speed alternatives; 3g for Sprint, Verizon, ATT, or evdo for Verizon & Sprint. Amazon provided the best deal out of any other retailer out there, hands down, and they provided excellent service when I needed it.
Despite the complaint of slow internet through t-mobile, when it comes down flexibility of its use as a phone, T-mobile is the only provider at the moment that allows hotspot (UMA) calling or the ability to use the wifi connection of the phone to make phone calls, WITHOUT deducting minutes from your phone plan, as long as you pay for the $10 a month hotspot calling service.
Pros:
1) Unlimited HotSpot calling through T-mobile: Make unlimited national phone calls with this phone on any wifi network as long as you pay for the 10 dollar hotspot calling feature.
2) hotspot calling feature is available on a family plan (covers EVERYONE on their family plan for one low price) and it costs the same as a single line hotspot feature.
3) Phone is Wifi capable, go online through any Wifi network (that you have access to: secured networks you don’t have a key to don’t work obviously!)
4) good messaging (SMS) and e-mail capabilities (outlook, gmail, hotmail, etc) as long as you pay for the required data plans (See cons below)
5) Good call quality, build quality, and great feature set(for the money) on the phone itself, the plans are something else.
Cons:
1) Phone is slow when navigating through menus and dialing in comparison to dedicated cell phones (non pda phones)
2) Screen is a bit small to actually do any real web browsing; its purpose is mostly to receive emails. i would call this an email phone. yes you can web browse, but it is tedious, even with aftermarket software browsers like mini opera, etc.
3) On the T-mobile side, the internet is absolutely slow slow slow. makes web browsing practically unusable, unless of course you are on a wifi connection. If you have the patience to deal with browsing on the edge network and wait X2 as long as dial-up, then be my guest, I’d recommend wifi.
4) required to pay for data plan: extra $$$ for something the phone is supposed to do out of the box. No data plan, no internet or email unless you have an available wifi connection.
5) if you are using outlook for work to receive email, it is then required to pay even more money for the BB enterprise server data plan in order to receive emails instantly or close to real time. Otherwise, you have to deal with web outlook (OWA) which only pushes email about every 15 minutes to your blackberry device.
There you have it, depending on what your needs are, this phone can be the either best phone you have ever owned, or it could be just a phone with too many features. For me, its the best overall value for a phone, period.
other thoughts: Now if only it was 3G…
1 Star It’s the service (t-mobile) that’s bad not the phone
Received the curve as open box and call tmobile to figure out what happened. They said it’s ok “the phone is brand new”. 1 month later, I get flash errors (risk of loosing my contacts). Called for replacement and they offer a “used” blackberry.
So in a 30 day period, I had to argue with customer service to get a used phone as a new customer. Suggestion: if you want a blackberry head to another mobile provider.
Now where is that 0 star option.
4 Stars One Small Point…
The literature consistently says “Does not take video”—it does take video. Go to the video area (icon looks like a camera) click on it and there you are. The capability came with my 8320 from Cincinnati Bell. Even the RIM website omits this feature, it’s there. Enjoy, it does a great job of video, too. Crisp, with voice, good color, you can zoom in and out as well. Only reason I am giving the device one less than full stars is it is such a difficult little thing to master compared to the iTouch, but it does so much more. Well worth the price and the time invested.
5 Stars One great phone
I have used hundreds of phones, I live on this thing. I am in constant motion, and under constant pressure, are not we all, and this phone performs. I use T mobile, and I have unlimited call, text and email time. I have been told many times by T - mobile service people that I have, at times been, close to exhausting it. This phone can take a beating. I like the fact that Berry has applications and programs that I can reach quickly and without to much effort. Yes, I text while driving, and I have been known to both use a portable computer at the same time I am on the phone in the car. RELAX everyone, I let others drive when I use the computer and the phone at the same time.
I was suspect of blackberry, and RIM, but it has been working great. I can see why the President does not want to give his up.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on August 4, 2009
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Sunset T Mobile
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service.
The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze. |
The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection. |
|
Click for larger view. |
T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone Features
The Curve is fashioned with subtly curving corners and chrome highlights. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star It’s the service (t-mobile) that’s bad not the phone
Received the curve as open box and call tmobile to figure out what happened. They said it’s ok “the phone is brand new”. 1 month later, I get flash errors (risk of loosing my contacts). Called for replacement and they offer a “used” blackberry.
So in a 30 day period, I had to argue with customer service to get a used phone as a new customer. Suggestion: if you want a blackberry head to another mobile provider.
Now where is that 0 star option.
2 Stars Do not bother
The curve is a downgrade from previous models. WiFi and gps barely work. You need a very strong signal for wifi. No 3G. The most annoying part is that you will have to change all your chargers and adapters because they changed the connector. The old mini-USB cable was very handy because it is shared by many manufactures so it was very easy to find someone to help you out in case you run out of battery on the road. Not anymore. Do not waste your money.
5 Stars Perfect
I love this phone. It suites all my needs, has a camera, calender, MAPS, email, voice recording, it also has facebook already installed & you can download the myspace application later. I also love the color. I’m very satisfied 
4 Stars A Giant Leap Forward if you are not used to Smart Phones
I resisted a Blackberry for years because I didn’t want my email following me everywhere. Finally broke down and got this Curve 3 weeks ago. It truly lives up to its name as a “smart phone.”
The Good:
1–The preloaded applications. I LOVE having mapping and search technology right on my cellphone! No more wondering where the nearest Wells Fargo or Pinkberry is. No more wasting time in the doctor’s waiting room. I can check/respond to email or better yet, play tetris or brickbreaker.
2 –Multi-Tasking. If you are in the middle of one app (e.g., entering an address) and a call comes in, when the call is finished, the screen goes back to what you were doing instead of losing all the data you just entered. Coming from regular phones, this is a HUGE time-saving improvement for me. Also, if you are on the phone with someone and you want to look up a number or an email or a calendar event on your phone, you can click a button and search for the info, all while continuing your convo with the caller. How novel that technology should actually work the way common sense dictates. I uploaded a software called Mobile Tracker that works with a GPS to track my movements (which I can later upload in a file and watch on Google Earth) and the tracking is done in the background all while I continue to make and receive calls, check email, etc. Love that!
3–The Keyboard (Characters). I love that all the letters, numbers and common symbols are on one keyboard instead of my having to scroll thru multiple screens like most other phones.
4–Phone quality. Speakerphone is crisp and clear. Phone can hold a signal even in certain dead spots.
The Bad:
1– Battery life is not great. Requires daily charging but I use it quite intensely. Easily solved with a car charger.
2– Browser is sometimes a little too slow for my taste. This may be the phone or it may be t-mobile. I haven’t tested to know whether wi-fi makes the browser go faster than being on the EDGE network. Also, could be slower when there are multiple applications working in the background.
The Ugly:
1–The keyboard (surface). Not crazy about the texture. I prefer the feel of the Bold’s keyboard but I’m not going to switch carriers for it.
2–So incompatible with Mac it’s not funny. After 3 days of trying different alternatives (the free pocketmac from blackberry froze my computer), I had to pay $40 for Missing Sync software to make the phone play nice with Mac, and even then there are issues. If you have a windows pc, you won’t have this issue. If you have a Mac, be prepared to accept less than accurate syncing.
3–The manual. It’s beyond useless. Doesn’t tell you anything about this phone which has menus within menus within menus. There are a lot of features and you really need to take it out on a date and get to know it intimately. I have started to create my own little “how-to” file to keep track of how to do everything on this phone.
If you are new to smartphones, you will really enjoy this phone, not just for the email but for the constant access to the internet which is great for having information at your fingertips when you’re away from your computer.
NOTE: A week or so after getting the phone, I also experienced the problem mentioned by the reviewer below with the phone locking up and the interminable hourglass. When I went in to each of the programs on the phone I had opened (maps, browser, weather channel, missing sync, brickbreaker, etc) and selected Close or Quit from the menu, this problem went away. I guess what makes this a smart phone is that hitting the back button on the phone just takes you to the previous screen but it doesn’t automatically close out the application you are working in. You have to do that manually.
5 Stars very please with my blaclkberry.
I to am please with my black berry. its my first and a upgrade from my regular phone and I love it I can access my email while relaxing, I love to send and recieve text it,s easy to do before with my regular phone I didn”t know how on my regular phone to complicated. it takes beautiful pictures, I’m learning how to use more technology with this blackberry. thanks t mobile.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on July 31, 2009
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Titanium T Mobile
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service. This version comes in titanium, but it’s also available in pale gold.
|
The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze.. |
|
The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection. |
T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone Features
|
Click for larger view. |
The Curve is fashioned in a liquid silver finish with chrome highlights and subtly curving corners. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars The Best Free Phone Out There
Well to start off my original concern was that I get the best phone out with internet capabilities at the lowest possible price. The 8320 is that phone, with the key word being “lowest” possible price. I would rather the iphone but over the course of a year your going to pay a lot more for it. I got the 8320 for -79.99 in my pocket after a rebate with a plan that only costs [...] a month and it has WiFi so you don’t have to continue paying [...] dollars a month for unlimited internet after 6 months. Internet is FREE. That by itself makes this phone the best bargain out there. My one concern was that this phone would be really big and look weird in my pocket but it is much smaller than it looks and fits comfortably in my pants pocket.
4 Stars Best Value when purchasing through Amazon and choosing T-Mobile
Ordered the Blackberry Curve 8320 (actually 2 of them) with the favs family plan. The phone is good, however, the internet on T-Mobile (edge) is super slow in comparison to other providers with high speed alternatives; 3g for Sprint, Verizon, ATT, or evdo for Verizon & Sprint. Amazon provided the best deal out of any other retailer out there, hands down, and they provided excellent service when I needed it.
Despite the complaint of slow internet through t-mobile, when it comes down flexibility of its use as a phone, T-mobile is the only provider at the moment that allows hotspot (UMA) calling or the ability to use the wifi connection of the phone to make phone calls, WITHOUT deducting minutes from your phone plan, as long as you pay for the $10 a month hotspot calling service.
Pros:
1) Unlimited HotSpot calling through T-mobile: Make unlimited national phone calls with this phone on any wifi network as long as you pay for the 10 dollar hotspot calling feature.
2) hotspot calling feature is available on a family plan (covers EVERYONE on their family plan for one low price) and it costs the same as a single line hotspot feature.
3) Phone is Wifi capable, go online through any Wifi network (that you have access to: secured networks you don’t have a key to don’t work obviously!)
4) good messaging (SMS) and e-mail capabilities (outlook, gmail, hotmail, etc) as long as you pay for the required data plans (See cons below)
5) Good call quality, build quality, and great feature set(for the money) on the phone itself, the plans are something else.
Cons:
1) Phone is slow when navigating through menus and dialing in comparison to dedicated cell phones (non pda phones)
2) Screen is a bit small to actually do any real web browsing; its purpose is mostly to receive emails. i would call this an email phone. yes you can web browse, but it is tedious, even with aftermarket software browsers like mini opera, etc.
3) On the T-mobile side, the internet is absolutely slow slow slow. makes web browsing practically unusable, unless of course you are on a wifi connection. If you have the patience to deal with browsing on the edge network and wait X2 as long as dial-up, then be my guest, I’d recommend wifi.
4) required to pay for data plan: extra $$$ for something the phone is supposed to do out of the box. No data plan, no internet or email unless you have an available wifi connection.
5) if you are using outlook for work to receive email, it is then required to pay even more money for the BB enterprise server data plan in order to receive emails instantly or close to real time. Otherwise, you have to deal with web outlook (OWA) which only pushes email about every 15 minutes to your blackberry device.
There you have it, depending on what your needs are, this phone can be the either best phone you have ever owned, or it could be just a phone with too many features. For me, its the best overall value for a phone, period.
other thoughts: Now if only it was 3G…
4 Stars Great Phone
I lost my last Blackberry and upgraded to a curve and wish I had just upgraded sooner. Better keys, better browser, camera… just all around a great phone. The only thing I would like to see is a slimmer version.
1 Star It’s the service (t-mobile) that’s bad not the phone
Received the curve as open box and call tmobile to figure out what happened. They said it’s ok “the phone is brand new”. 1 month later, I get flash errors (risk of loosing my contacts). Called for replacement and they offer a “used” blackberry.
So in a 30 day period, I had to argue with customer service to get a used phone as a new customer. Suggestion: if you want a blackberry head to another mobile provider.
Now where is that 0 star option.
4 Stars One Small Point…
The literature consistently says “Does not take video”—it does take video. Go to the video area (icon looks like a camera) click on it and there you are. The capability came with my 8320 from Cincinnati Bell. Even the RIM website omits this feature, it’s there. Enjoy, it does a great job of video, too. Crisp, with voice, good color, you can zoom in and out as well. Only reason I am giving the device one less than full stars is it is such a difficult little thing to master compared to the iTouch, but it does so much more. Well worth the price and the time invested.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Sunset T Mobile
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service.
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The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze. |
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The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection. |
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Click for larger view. |
T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone Features
The Curve is fashioned with subtly curving corners and chrome highlights. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars very please with my blaclkberry.
I to am please with my black berry. its my first and a upgrade from my regular phone and I love it I can access my email while relaxing, I love to send and recieve text it,s easy to do before with my regular phone I didn”t know how on my regular phone to complicated. it takes beautiful pictures, I’m learning how to use more technology with this blackberry. thanks t mobile.
1 Star It’s the service (t-mobile) that’s bad not the phone
Received the curve as open box and call tmobile to figure out what happened. They said it’s ok “the phone is brand new”. 1 month later, I get flash errors (risk of loosing my contacts). Called for replacement and they offer a “used” blackberry.
So in a 30 day period, I had to argue with customer service to get a used phone as a new customer. Suggestion: if you want a blackberry head to another mobile provider.
Now where is that 0 star option.
2 Stars Do not bother
The curve is a downgrade from previous models. WiFi and gps barely work. You need a very strong signal for wifi. No 3G. The most annoying part is that you will have to change all your chargers and adapters because they changed the connector. The old mini-USB cable was very handy because it is shared by many manufactures so it was very easy to find someone to help you out in case you run out of battery on the road. Not anymore. Do not waste your money.
5 Stars Perfect
I love this phone. It suites all my needs, has a camera, calender, MAPS, email, voice recording, it also has facebook already installed & you can download the myspace application later. I also love the color. I’m very satisfied
4 Stars A Giant Leap Forward if you are not used to Smart Phones
I resisted a Blackberry for years because I didn’t want my email following me everywhere. Finally broke down and got this Curve 3 weeks ago. It truly lives up to its name as a “smart phone.”
The Good:
1–The preloaded applications. I LOVE having mapping and search technology right on my cellphone! No more wondering where the nearest Wells Fargo or Pinkberry is. No more wasting time in the doctor’s waiting room. I can check/respond to email or better yet, play tetris or brickbreaker.
2 –Multi-Tasking. If you are in the middle of one app (e.g., entering an address) and a call comes in, when the call is finished, the screen goes back to what you were doing instead of losing all the data you just entered. Coming from regular phones, this is a HUGE time-saving improvement for me. Also, if you are on the phone with someone and you want to look up a number or an email or a calendar event on your phone, you can click a button and search for the info, all while continuing your convo with the caller. How novel that technology should actually work the way common sense dictates. I uploaded a software called Mobile Tracker that works with a GPS to track my movements (which I can later upload in a file and watch on Google Earth) and the tracking is done in the background all while I continue to make and receive calls, check email, etc. Love that!
3–The Keyboard (Characters). I love that all the letters, numbers and common symbols are on one keyboard instead of my having to scroll thru multiple screens like most other phones.
4–Phone quality. Speakerphone is crisp and clear. Phone can hold a signal even in certain dead spots.
The Bad:
1– Battery life is not great. Requires daily charging but I use it quite intensely. Easily solved with a car charger.
2– Browser is sometimes a little too slow for my taste. This may be the phone or it may be t-mobile. I haven’t tested to know whether wi-fi makes the browser go faster than being on the EDGE network. Also, could be slower when there are multiple applications working in the background.
The Ugly:
1–The keyboard (surface). Not crazy about the texture. I prefer the feel of the Bold’s keyboard but I’m not going to switch carriers for it.
2–So incompatible with Mac it’s not funny. After 3 days of trying different alternatives (the free pocketmac from blackberry froze my computer), I had to pay $40 for Missing Sync software to make the phone play nice with Mac, and even then there are issues. If you have a windows pc, you won’t have this issue. If you have a Mac, be prepared to accept less than accurate syncing.
3–The manual. It’s beyond useless. Doesn’t tell you anything about this phone which has menus within menus within menus. There are a lot of features and you really need to take it out on a date and get to know it intimately. I have started to create my own little “how-to” file to keep track of how to do everything on this phone.
If you are new to smartphones, you will really enjoy this phone, not just for the email but for the constant access to the internet which is great for having information at your fingertips when you’re away from your computer.
NOTE: A week or so after getting the phone, I also experienced the problem mentioned by the reviewer below with the phone locking up and the interminable hourglass. When I went in to each of the programs on the phone I had opened (maps, browser, weather channel, missing sync, brickbreaker, etc) and selected Close or Quit from the menu, this problem went away. I guess what makes this a smart phone is that hitting the back button on the phone just takes you to the previous screen but it doesn’t automatically close out the application you are working in. You have to do that manually.
Buy/More Info
Posted by Smartphone Review on July 25, 2009
BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone Sunset T Mobile
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion’s formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM’s long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service.
|
The Curve’s full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze. |
|
The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection. |
|
Click for larger view. |
T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry’s push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you’ve come to expect. It’s supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone Features
The Curve is fashioned with subtly curving corners and chrome highlights. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces–just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve’s support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list–either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars very please with my blaclkberry.
I to am please with my black berry. its my first and a upgrade from my regular phone and I love it I can access my email while relaxing, I love to send and recieve text it,s easy to do before with my regular phone I didn”t know how on my regular phone to complicated. it takes beautiful pictures, I’m learning how to use more technology with this blackberry. thanks t mobile.
4 Stars A Giant Leap Forward if you are not used to Smart Phones
I resisted a Blackberry for years because I didn’t want my email following me everywhere. Finally broke down and got this Curve 3 weeks ago. It truly lives up to its name as a “smart phone.”
The Good:
1–The preloaded applications. I LOVE having mapping and search technology right on my cellphone! No more wondering where the nearest Wells Fargo or Pinkberry is. No more wasting time in the doctor’s waiting room. I can check/respond to email or better yet, play tetris or brickbreaker.
2 –Multi-Tasking. If you are in the middle of one app (e.g., entering an address) and a call comes in, when the call is finished, the screen goes back to what you were doing instead of losing all the data you just entered. Coming from regular phones, this is a HUGE time-saving improvement for me. Also, if you are on the phone with someone and you want to look up a number or an email or a calendar event on your phone, you can click a button and search for the info, all while continuing your convo with the caller. How novel that technology should actually work the way common sense dictates. I uploaded a software called Mobile Tracker that works with a GPS to track my movements (which I can later upload in a file and watch on Google Earth) and the tracking is done in the background all while I continue to make and receive calls, check email, etc. Love that!
3–The Keyboard (Characters). I love that all the letters, numbers and common symbols are on one keyboard instead of my having to scroll thru multiple screens like most other phones.
4–Phone quality. Speakerphone is crisp and clear. Phone can hold a signal even in certain dead spots.
The Bad:
1– Battery life is not great. Requires daily charging but I use it quite intensely. Easily solved with a car charger.
2– Browser is sometimes a little too slow for my taste. This may be the phone or it may be t-mobile. I haven’t tested to know whether wi-fi makes the browser go faster than being on the EDGE network. Also, could be slower when there are multiple applications working in the background.
The Ugly:
1–The keyboard (surface). Not crazy about the texture. I prefer the feel of the Bold’s keyboard but I’m not going to switch carriers for it.
2–So incompatible with Mac it’s not funny. After 3 days of trying different alternatives (the free pocketmac from blackberry froze my computer), I had to pay $40 for Missing Sync software to make the phone play nice with Mac, and even then there are issues. If you have a windows pc, you won’t have this issue. If you have a Mac, be prepared to accept less than accurate syncing.
3–The manual. It’s beyond useless. Doesn’t tell you anything about this phone which has menus within menus within menus. There are a lot of features and you really need to take it out on a date and get to know it intimately. I have started to create my own little “how-to” file to keep track of how to do everything on this phone.
If you are new to smartphones, you will really enjoy this phone, not just for the email but for the constant access to the internet which is great for having information at your fingertips when you’re away from your computer.
NOTE: A week or so after getting the phone, I also experienced the problem mentioned by the reviewer below with the phone locking up and the interminable hourglass. When I went in to each of the programs on the phone I had opened (maps, browser, weather channel, missing sync, brickbreaker, etc) and selected Close or Quit from the menu, this problem went away. I guess what makes this a smart phone is that hitting the back button on the phone just takes you to the previous screen but it doesn’t automatically close out the application you are working in. You have to do that manually.
1 Star It’s the service (t-mobile) that’s bad not the phone
Received the curve as open box and call tmobile to figure out what happened. They said it’s ok “the phone is brand new”. 1 month later, I get flash errors (risk of loosing my contacts). Called for replacement and they offer a “used” blackberry.
So in a 30 day period, I had to argue with customer service to get a used phone as a new customer. Suggestion: if you want a blackberry head to another mobile provider.
Now where is that 0 star option.
2 Stars Do not bother
The curve is a downgrade from previous models. WiFi and gps barely work. You need a very strong signal for wifi. No 3G. The most annoying part is that you will have to change all your chargers and adapters because they changed the connector. The old mini-USB cable was very handy because it is shared by many manufactures so it was very easy to find someone to help you out in case you run out of battery on the road. Not anymore. Do not waste your money.
5 Stars Perfect
I love this phone. It suites all my needs, has a camera, calender, MAPS, email, voice recording, it also has facebook already installed & you can download the myspace application later. I also love the color. I’m very satisfied
Buy/More Info
