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"If there is something better, I haven't seen it or used it." on by sithlord55123
Pros: Email, Outlook synching –tasks, calendar, etc., 2.0 camera with video, QWERTY keyboard, Facebook, Expansion card that stores 8G of music, photo, video, etc. Your computer can access Broadband Internet
Cons: Does Not have WiFi and/or synchs with Microsoft OneNote. As I will mentioned below, I think WiFi is almost a useless feature on a phone but if you are in area where WiFi is important because of lack
Summary: Alright, to be honest, I’ve only had the phone for three days– but a lot of happiness just occurred over three days. I must first acknowledge my bias that Blackberry makes the best smartphones out there. I have owned Motorola’s Q’s, Razors, etc. [delays between switching between applications], LGs, and Samsungs [i760 and Alias]. Blackberry has a great community of support [Crackberry and PinStack] and they just know how to get it right. The only thing that the Blackberry phones from Verizon have been missing are the camera [except the Pearl] and QWERTY keyboard. Not anymore.
I was a Motorola Q 9m owner that has switched. My main reason for liking the Q 9m is that it integrated very nicely with Windows Outlook via Windows Mobile and also gave you a Digital Media Player with an optional 4G of storage for music/photos/videos, etc.
I did have the Blackberry Pearl but I couldn’t get used to the SureType with multiple letters in a limited number of keys. Family members needed to interpret the words that SureType put in my messages. To now have a phone with a complete QWERTY keyboard that doesn’t freeze or take 30 seconds to switch from application to application is worth the $390 [including rebate] if you don’t a two-year renewal that you can use to get it even cheaper.
Okay, time for the review of the 8330. Everything that Blackberry is known for is in this phone. Email, Outlook integration with your PC, Instant Messaging, Texting, QWERTY keyboard, 2.0 Megapixel Camera (5X zoom) with flash that can record videos, expansion slot for microSD, and Bluetooth. The storage limit [additional storage card you have to buy] in the expansion slot can handle 8G. Come on, after 4G the music that you would have on it would be not be in your top 1000 songs anyway. So storage is not an issue. It also works well with updating your Facebook [has a built-in application for that] and YouTube (via m.youtube.com). I use a Parrot Bluetooth 3200 in my car for making hands free calling and the Bluetooth application worked flawlessly. The QWERTY keyboard is better than others I have used [Q 9m, Pearl come to mind] where the keys are right next to each other. It’s nice to have them separated and be able to text a message with one hand. They could be small for people with big thumbs/fingers but it didn't take me much to get used to it.
Here’s the short and sweet. If you are a Verizon Customer that is looking for the best smartphone they have, this is it. Synchs flawlessly with Outlook – emails, tasks, calendar, etc., 2.0 Megapixel Camera to boot. And unlike past Curves this one does video. It also comes with ability to use the VZ Navigator feature from Verizon ($10 a month) but I found that the Blackberry maps application is the only thing I need for getting places [very similar to the Google Maps in my past phone]. It doesn’t have WiFi [or Verizon isn’t letting it have WiFi] but I found WiFi [when I had it on the Samsung i760] to be a energy hog whenever I used it. If I want to power surf the net, I usually do it on a laptop anyway, the processors in phones are good but they still don’t match a laptop. I only surf the net via a phone when I’m checking sport scores, Fantasy Baseball/Football scores, quick Google check, Facebook, etc. which this phone does with no problem.
I have rated a number of phones in the past 7 years, but this is the first I’m giving a ‘10’ to. I realize the shortcoming of this phone not having WiFi and integration with OneNote. But that is not what I need a smartphone for or that I have assigned any value for, so no points off for that. A lot of my ‘10’ comes from just the way Blackberry ‘forms’ it’s phone. The dedicated keys for pictures, send/end calls, mute button, or a convenience key for whatever I want to assign it for. And the trackball beats the scroll wheel or arrow buttons on other devices. -
"The pinnacle of what an exceptional phone can do with a superb provider platform." on
Pros: Fast, lots of memory (in comparison to other providers), form fitting to the hand, excellent battery life, quick internet/messaging
Cons: No BlackBerry OEM extended capacity batteries available, no support for Verizon's Backup Assistant
Summary: I've always been the guy that wants a phone. A phone with no dings, bells, whistles whatever. I just want a contact list and a dial button. But realizing that the trend in phones and consumer products warrants that legends like the StarTac will never surface again, I must adapt and overcome.
My needs for a phone over the years have changed as well. I'm a restaurant manager with a need for constant mobility to allow all kinds of data correspondence, yet I'm not able to commit my time to a desktop to get it done.
Which brought me to the BlackBerry series. I've always kind of had a sense of contempt towards the BlackBerrys. I don't know why. I went to my Verizon Wireless store and started to seriously test these phones (within limits of being tethered to a booth of course).
The Curve (as opposed to the World Editions, or Pearl) seemed the best option.
My battery life is excellent right out of box, I did some additional tweaking such as the backlight timer, brightness etc and feel I get optimum battery performance. My BlackBerry routinely sees 3-4 days of heavy texting, surfing, emailing and calling before requiring a charge (I'm not so good about putting it on the charger when I get home).
Call quality is excellent as well. I frequently use the speakerphone to which a lot of people don't experience the talk back of a speakerphone and I've yet to receive any negative feedback about my end of the conversation.
Reception on the phone is superb as well. My kitchens are filled with stainless steel, interference producing equipment, all in all being fully surrounded by conrete walls. My previous LG-VX8100 would get spotty reception in various parts of the kitchen and even in my walkin coolers and freezers (which have heavy insulation and steel) that would give me minimal reception. My Curve triumphs all of it. I always notice full service reception on the meter anywhere in my building.
The phone is also extremely easy to use. Within 10 minutes of opening the phone I was able to seamlessly integrate my Gmail as well as my corporate email accounts, as well as establish my vzw.blackberry.net email address. One feature I really like is that the phone has the ability to sense if it is holstered. You can change ring profiles and behaviors accordingly, and even set it to lock the phone upon holstering.
The phone also has a good hold on security I feel. I have my security settings to use maximum strength encyption connected to the device and a password, and with these features installed, I see no decrease in performance.
The system loaded software is excellent too, the maps program is fast and very thorough on searches and giving directions (not on the fly, but that is what VZNavigator gives me).
My only cons to offer is that the Backup Assistant feature that Verizon has is not supported. I had to type out 170 contacts emails, phone numbers, faxes etc into Outlook to be synced into my address book on the phone. The plus to this, it that everytime I sync my phone to the computer, any new additions are updated to my Outlook/BlackBerry (depending on where I added or updated it), and my contacts are in my control (if Verizon's feature ever stopped working etc, I still have my master list in MY control).
Also, even as much as I praise the battery life, I always prefer to have an extended capacity battery if offered. BlackBerry does not offer one for the Curve, but an aftermarket one is available (Seidio has one, as well as a battery cover, but I don't like aftermarket batteries or battery covers with a different maker on the back of it). I don't have a real need for it, I just like having it available (living in Florida during hurricane season can put you on edge for power). So for now I'll buy another battery and keep it charged.
All in all, I recommend this phone highly to the mobile professional or text crazy person. The phone keeps you extremely mobile for long periods of time, isn't uncomfortable to type on, is easy to use and gives you impeccable service quality and reception. -
"When You Are Ready To Grow Up -- Get A Curve" on
Pros: IT JUST WORKS
Cons: ICQ and AIM clients not natively supported
Summary: I am not the type of person that writes many reviews but I felt compelled to share my experience with the Verizon Curve because I have enjoyed reading so many other reviews and I wanted to “give back”.
I have used many different phones—my last being the Verizon XV-6700 Pocket PC—and I was struggling between the XV-6900 Touch as my next upgrade or making the switch to Blackberry. I had already ruled out the Samsung i760 and the Verizon XV-6800. Both decent phones, by the way—I played with them extensively—if I would have hung out any longer at the Verizon store, they would have started charging me rent! I just found the location of some of the controls on the Samsung “odd” and I kept on hitting all of the wrong buttons when I slid the phone open. The shade of blue on the 6800 threw me off for some reason. It made the phone look cheap.
But the real reason I wasn’t happy with then is because I have had it with “brick” size devices. I wanted something sleek and smooth. A device that wouldn’t make me look like I jammed a paperback novel into my pants pocket. (I am not a big fan—however utilitarian—of PDA aka “Geek” cases.) I also wanted something that I didn’t need to slide or flip open and could be totally operated with one hand (or thumb). Hence, the attraction to the Touch.
I really wanted the Touch but the more I played with it, the more I realized that I would be doing what I had always been doing with my 6700—spending 50% of my time playing with the phone, rebooting it, waiting for it to stop freezing and looking for new ways to download software onto it. Right out of the box, the 6900 could not play YouTube videos and I realized that that would be my first Holy Grail. Plus, the Touch only has a screen keyboard—and no matter how effective it is—it’s simply not a match for a physical, tactile keyboard. I love the Resco virtual keyboard—but then I realized that I enjoyed playing with it more than it was actually useful. I so enjoyed downloading the lovely PointUI interface onto my Pocket PC—but then I realized that I was in love with the tinkering more than the utility!
Along comes the Curve! I am elated and upset at the same time AND for the same reason: the device simply WORKS!!! And it works well. All of the time I spent tinkering on Pocket PC’s was no preparation for the utter simplicity of the Blackberry OS. It actually knows what you want to do next. Someone (or a team of people) at RIM sat down and said, “Let’s see…if Susan (or Sam) does this, what’s the next probable thing she’ll (he’ll) want to do?” It’s uncanny.
So a part of me IS upset. No more fooling around looking for workarounds, hack files or patches. I am actually getting some work done! (Except for writing this review.) When I discovered that the Verizon Curve was not supported by Mobile ICQ and AIM (the T-Mo version is), I said, “Aha! It has flaws!” A few clicks later, I downloaded a trial version of JiveTalk directly to the Blackberry and my woes were unwarranted. Rats! It plays YouTube videos right out of the box and it flawlessly downloaded Google Maps, Windows Live Search and Google Search. I have nothing to do!!! Except work.
Not having a stylus to loose is the essence of FREEDOM and the trackball works smoothly and accurately. You can set the sensitivity level. Mine is set at 80. The speakerphone is AWESOMELY loud and the Curve is exceptional as a phone. Just start typing a number or a name and it will figure out who you want to call.
Any cons? The device feels perfect in your hand and it’s smooth as a pebble so that makes the keys a bit small—but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Blackberry Maps is pretty useless and Voice Dialing is not my favorite app in general—but the ability to assign speed dial numbers or apps to the keyboard is more efficient than voice dialing in my opinion—at least it comes standard with the Blackberry.
Any other cons? Yeah, it works. -
"My two cents for what it is worth" on by Brad_Man
Pros: Easy to master
Cons: Minor if any
Summary: This is a great phone.
Being a novice Blackberry user I had the initial growing pains. I could not figure out the symbols. Push the alt key and you get the symbol above the letter. Duh! How do you get the apps you want on the home page? Move them on the application menu to where you would like tham. How do I set the convenience key? Go to the keyboard/set-up > advance options. How do I set-up an e-mail account yada..yada. Typical problems. It took me forever to figure out how to send a text message. Go to address book click contact and send SMS. Duh. Anyways this should tell you all they have good doco between Blackberry and/or Verizon. It was a matter of reading the manual and applying what was illustrated. I highly recommend reading the materials. So many features. The Verizon web site demo was very helpful to figure our solutions and the common activities.
I have the phone paired with Motorola wireless headphones. Great for music as well.
A negative I would state is the location of the SD card. It is behind the battery. I suppose if you buy a large enough SD card you don't need to worry about swapping this out. It is a pain though. The available e-mobile web pages are lacking. Not the IE experience you are used to surfing from a desktop cable modem.
Battery life seems very good.
I added email accounts in a matter of minutes. Corporate email was a sinch.
The resolution is fabulous. No matter the conditions sunny, evening, at night, dim room. Any situation. I should note here that I a lasik person from 5 years ago, and the small print is becoming difficult for me to read in dim lighting. No problems here.
A couple quirks things that should be corrected by RIM. Where is the delete all option for the message box? You seem to go into many menu options for what I perceive as simple tasks. Where is the DEL key in other words on the keyboard? This option would save a ton of navigating menus.
Overall best phone I have ever used. Not only fun to tinker with but very useful!
I recommend highly. -
"Definitely worth buying!" on by nasmtrainer
Pros: Brilliant screen; Easy to use keyboard; Apps work solid; Internet browsing is fast comapred to others;
Cons: Trackball hangs occasionally; microphone pickup (read opinion); swapping browser views is slow
Summary: First off, I have this through Alltel, not Verizon. I bought this after returning the HTC Mogul (receiving calls was hit or miss). I'm amazed at this product. I work as a personal trainer, plus college, plus a part-time job and this certainly works well as an organizer. The keyboard is spacious (this review is being typed from it). One hand texting it easy. The apps run fast, although I wish I had a task manager to keep memory freed up. The browser is speedy compared to the Mogul granted it is not like broadband. At the moment there is not laptop tethering software, but it should be out soon. The only real negatives are mild. The trackball requires pressure to move, so it makes speedy scrolling slow somewhat, but again a very mild problem. One other thing, occasionally I have the person on the other end report volume being low as if I were whispering, but this isn't a chronic problem. Overall, this is an excellent product! I can't rave enough! If you're considering it, buy it!
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