blackberry 8520 curve deals

Introduction

RIM is known to provide high level business class products but the tough competition in the market and to make the smart phones available to all class of people, the need for an entry level smart phone came to existence and Blackberry 8520 Curve fulfilled that demand. Apart from the industrial design evident in all Blackberry products, the handset comes with loads of advanced specifications and even replaces track ball with the new touch sensitive optical track pad for navigation.

Design and Interface

The traditional Blackberry design in candy bar form factor is evident in the smart phone with the 2.46 inches display above the QWERTY keyboard with typing convenience. It has a dimension of 4.29 x 2.36 x 0.55 inches but weighs similar to that of Curve 8900. The display quality is highly acceptable for an entry level smart phone with clear, sharp and crisp images giving out a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. It even comes with a better grip and a good feel overall.
On the top, media control buttons are presented with a mute button at the centre. Even the 3.5 mm audio jack and micro USB port is presented there. The back consists of the 2 mega pixel camera with the battery cover which even reveals the microSD card slot when opened up. The Blackberry operating system presents a beautifully designed interface with a refined look and modern icons.

Calling and Messaging

The phonebook presented with Blackberry 8520 Curve is simple and straightforward with unlimited storage of contacts. Moreover, contacts can be browsed based on various categories as per user requirements and each one of them has a definite picture ID and ring tone. The sound quality presented with the smart phone pleased all callers though there happen to be certain distortions from the users’ end.

Setting up an email account is quite easy with the smart phone with just the username and password as input. Messaging is at ease with the largely spaced keys on its QWERTY keyboard along with predictive text input. Blackberry Internet Service enables up to 10 email address configuration support with a single device.

Internet and Connectivity

The quad band GSM supportive handset features GPRS, EDGE and Wi-Fi which are the reasons for accessing internet through the smart phone. The browser happens to be reworked than that featured on the first Bold series product and also features improvements leading to a bettered experience. Even zooming feature works out well. Even Bluetooth and USB are provided to facilitate faster data transferring utilities with the smart phone.

Camera and Multimedia

Blackberry 8520 Curve sports a standard 2 mega pixel camera like other entry level products. Though not a decent camera, it is able to click some nice images and videos. The media player comes with a simplified interface and supports a wide range of audio and video formats. It is loaded with features and the tracks can be sorted based on artists, albums and genres.

Applications and Performance

A standard organizer is presented with the smart phone which facilitates a robust calendar to make note of appointments or other necessary activities and also reminders about tasks. It even facilitates secured viewing if the appointments are tagged under private. Memo pad which is a note pad and tasks to group reminders into categories are also presented. A voice note recorder and calculator are also made available with the entry level Blackberry product. The powerful access to all applications is featured through the 512 MHz processor under the hoods along with 128 MB RAM support. The battery life of the smart phone also lasts long with moderate usage and provides a generous talk-time with the smart phone, which simply adds to its efficiency.

Verdict

Overall, Blackberry 8520 Curve may not be the best fit in the Bold series, but presents a nice touch to an entry level smart phone. It brings out the best of Blackberry world possible on an affordable product with a good size and weight, beautiful display and innovative track pad. Though the performance can be greatly improved, it has presented the best of the features and functionality on an entry level affordable smart phone.