BlackBerry Curve 8330 Phone, Silver (Verizon Wireless)

My third Blackberry and the best - pros and cons December 29, 2008

Reviewer:  Frank H.  (Portland, ME USA) -

This is my third Blackberry, it replaced a T-Mobile 8700g which replaced a T-Mobile 7230 before that.

Pros:
- Wireless broadband works well, easily connects to laptop via bluetooth and so far has been reliable with very good coverage (much better than T-Mobile)
- Seems physically well designed and well built, very good keyboard, smaller and easier to hold than the 8700 it replaced
- Mouse trackball makes for easy navigation
- Voice dialing good for bluetooth headset
- Improved Blackberry browser (although I still use Opera Mini most of the time)

Cons:
- High cost of service ($30/mo for Blackberry data plan plus ANOTHER $30/mo for laptop tethering)
- Locked GPS. The device has GPS built in but Verizon has "locked" it so that it cannot be used with Google Maps, photo geotagging, or any other third-party GPS program, because they want you to spend another $10 a month for the privilege of using THEIR GPS program.
- Poor quality camera
- No way to have the phone announce the caller/caller ID - so when I'm wearing my bluetooth headset I still have to dig the phone out to see who is calling
- Awkward delivery and registration. Amazon could not give me a straight answer on the unit's shipping/arrival dates. Verizon sent me a welcome email and invited me to register my online account, so I did, then at the end of the process they told me they'd just sent a text message to the phone that I must retreive with 24 hours to complete the process... which was impossible because I didn't have the phone yet!

Here's Why I'm A Crackberry Addict! March 13, 2009

Reviewer:  Philip R. Heath  (Hurst, TX United States) -

The Good:

* Clear, reliable calls
* Extensive messaging capabilities
* Excellent usability - very intuitive
* Good bluetooth support
* Easy to add new apps with many available for free
* Good media support

The Bad:

* No option for repeat notification on unacknowledged text messages
* SD card slot not accessible without removing the battery
* GPS usage restricted to VZW apps

Bottom Line:

The Blackberry Curve for Verizon hits the mark as a very solid smartphone with only minor drawbacks. My detailed usage based review follows.

Messaging: This is the main reason that people look to a Blackberry as their phone, and the Curve does not disappoint. After contacting my Exchange Administrator, I was up and running with push e-mail from my work account to my Curve. If your company supports this, it is the way to go because it does require your desktop computer to be on and connected in order to receive your e-mail. However you do have the ability to run the desktop software to sync your e-mail if a direct connection to your corporate e-mail is not available.

Messaging does not stop there. The Curve also flawlessly supports SMS and MMS messaging as well. One of the nice features on the Curve that is not on most regular phones is the grouping of related messages into threads or conversations.

The one drawback on SMS is that the Curve cannot simulate a pager. Most people have ditched pagers at this point in favor of SMS. However if you are not in the room when you get an SMS message, the Curve will not nag you until you read the message the way a pager would. My Lg phones had a feature where you could have repeated notification every two minutes, and it would be nice to see a similar feature on future Blackberry devices.

Call Quality: The great messaging capabilities would fall flat unless the Curve was also a good phone. While the sound is a little bit thinner than what I'm used to on my Lg phones, it is still more than good enough. This is true whether in normal or speakerphone mode. The speakerphone quality is quite good on the Curve.

Bluetooth: It was easy to pair my [[ASIN:B000JKKE5M Motorola T305 Bluetooth Portable Hands-Free Speaker (Black)]] with the Curve. Once connected, pushing the multifunction button on the T305 brought up the voice command prompt for hands free usage. Call quality with the Curve and the T305 combination had no drop off in performance.

Additional Applications: There are plenty of freely available add ons for the Curve, and most support over the air installation by point the Curve's browser to the appropriate URL. I have added Google's mobile app, Gmail, and Google Maps. The Gmail app is a nice upgrade over the WAP interface available through the Curve's browser. The Google Maps app cannot be used as a GPS for navigation as Verizon has restricted access to the GPS. You are limited to VZNavigator or whatever other purchased app Verizon makes available. I have a Garmin Nuvi so this isn't a big deal to me.

You can find other apps on the Blackberry site or by searching for what you need in Google.

Usability: This is a real strong point for the Curve. I have had various Palm and Windows Mobile devices - not all phones - and RIM beats both of these hands down. First, it is refreshing not to have to reset the Curve regularly or have it reset itself spontaneously. The crown jewel, though, is the trackball. It is such a better user experience to be able to scroll rather than have to hold down a sluggish five-way D-pad to navigate. It is very smooth and natural feeling by way of comparison. The Curve does not have a touch screen, and therefore has no stylus. Personally I prefer the non-touchscreen as this limits fingerprints and smudges on the screen. The keyboard is of adequate size. I occasionally hit the wrong key, but his is fairly rare. The menus and options are also fairly intuitive, and it is easy to set up folders and move things around to your liking.

Media Support: The Curve comes with a fairly standard media player capable of playing music and video, and it supports the use of microSD cards up to 8 Gb. The placement of the card slot is a bit annoying because you have to take the battery out to get to it. If you don't have to access the card that often, it's probably not that big of a deal. The speaker is not going to win any competitions, but the included headphones are pretty good. If you decide to upgrade the headphones, it is important to get the right kind. Even though the Curve has a 3.5mm jack, the plug needs to have three stripes rather than the two that come on most earbuds. If you use the ones from you iPod that only have two, you will eventually short out the jack.

You can also stream media from Slacker or view video clips on web sites. YouTube mobile worked without issue.

One thing that would have been nice is access to V-Cast music. For whatever reason, Verizon chose not to make this available although they did do so on the Storm which makes the decision on the Curve that much more puzzling.

Conclusion: There is a lot to like - if not love - about the Blackberry Curve from Verizon. It performs very well on its core functionality with a few minor annoyances, but these are not new to longtime Verizon customers. I highly recommend this for those seeking a good phone that integrates well with corporate e-mail. Using it can be addictive to the point that it could be called a Crackberry!

Mixed Bag February 24, 2009

Reviewer:  Brian 

This is my first Blackberry--I've had it about a month so far. Here are the pros and cons for me:

Pros:

-Great at Email-- easy to set up your accounts, and pushes it to your phone instantly.
-Works well as an actual phone.
-I like the full qwerty keyboard with actual buttons, vs the touch screen of the iPhone or Storm.
-I have service through Verizon and have been happy with the coverage. This is the main reason I didn't get an iPhone.
-So far, battery life seems very good
-The unit itself is slim and lightweight. It's comfortable to carry in a pants pocket w/o the included pocket protector.
-Plays mp3s, but only if I USB transfer them from my computer (see below).
-The maps app (and Googlemaps, which you can download for free) is pretty useful, if you don't want to pay Verizon extra to use VZ navigator. However, it triangulates your current location, rather than using the unit's gps, so it does not pinpoint you exactly. I turned on the phone's option to allow GPS locator for maps, but it doesn't work. Maybe I'm missing something... At any rate, you can still use the map, search for local stores and restaurants, etc.

Cons:

-Syncing with my Mac Powerbook G4 does not work, period, with the included pocket mac software. Nice.
-If I download a file, a PDF for example, from a webpage, I cannot open it unless I attach it to an email, email it to myself, and open it from there.
-If I have been listening to an mp3 that I've paused--even hours ago--and put the phone in standby mode from the home screen, the mp3 I was listening to will play loudly through the speaker for about 2 seconds while it's going into standby, drawing lots of attention.
-Frequently, brick breaker will cause the entire phone to lock up. I'll have to remove the battery, reinsert it, and wait several minutes for the thing to boot back up again.
-From the blackberry browser, or opera mini, I cannot download files, such as mp3s, to my phone. The only way to get them onto my phone is to download them to my computer, connect the usb cable to my computer, and transfer the files that way.
-When I connect the USB cable to my Powerbook, I'm not able to see any pictures or video that are stored on my phone.

Conclusion:

This is a tough call...I was so excited about getting a Blackberry... The thing works great for email, but I have found it very frustrating for most other things. They are advertising it as a productivity tool and multimedia powerhouse...maybe a little misleading. Maybe I was expecting it to do too much. The price was great compared to the iPhone and the HTC phone that my friend has. So I guess you get what you pay for. If you just need to do email, text, and occasionally surf the web, it would be a great phone. In fact, I think I'd be fine with it, if it would sync with my Mac like it claims to be able to.

The Best Phone I Have Ever Owned March 27, 2009

Reviewer:  Nancy J. Boyle "Nancy J. Boyle"  (Pompton Lakes, New Jersey USA) -

I got the Blackberry 8330 (my color is pink) at the end of December (after I saw my daughter's phone same model, black color) This phone is terrific! It does take a little time to find out everything it does (I'm still learning), but it is worth it! This is my first venture with texting. The buttons are a little small, but once you get used to them, there is no problem. I love the trackball, which makes going from one app to another very easy. The address book is easy to set up. The camera is not too bad and it has a flash. I've send pictures to others and it was so simple. The sound is clear and volume is easily adjustable. It is very easy to surf the web using Google. I used to think, why would you need to surf on your phone when you have a computer/laptop. I had major surgery in December and had to go to a physical therapy rehab nursing facility and they did not have internet service (I could not believe it. There wasn't even the dreaded dial-up). My husband gave me the Blackberry and it was great. Also several times when there is a disagreement on when you are with friends and you can just Google it and all is well. It is somewhat annoying that you have to go under the battery to get to the micro s/d card, but if you have more GB (takes up to a 8GB s/d) that should not be a problem. There are the usual calendar, alarm clock, voice recorder and message pad. With the icons they are very easy to find and use. Finally, as I said earlier, I got the pink one which alot of people didn't know they had. Also since there was a difference in holding this phone compared to my old phone I would suggest you get a case to cover it. I found that a snap on case and the one from "Seidio" is the best and only costs about $8.00 to $10.00 on the net. It is hard plastic with a rubberized finish the keeps the phone from sliding from your hand. There are cheaper imitations but they are not well made and crack very easily. I would definately get this phone. I'm a Baby Boomer and I learned to use it quickly. Of course, I really like Verizon service. I have had other services and there is no comparison.

Nice Phone but Voice Command is Braindead February 12, 2009

Reviewer:  J. A. Patterson "BackTestingReport.com"  (USA) -

Overall I'm pleased with this phone: easy-to-use keyboard, nice headphones for built-in MP3 player, Blackberry is easier to connect to my non-corporate email than my old Moto Q.
The voice command mode drives me nuts though! The side button activates the mode. I keep hitting it accidently and the phone keeps blasting "say a command ", usually at the least oportune moments. That's bad enough but what's worse is that the voice recognition doesn't pick up most of my commands. I can't seem to get it to understand much beyond "call". "Home" and "voicemail" are beyond its capabilities as are most of the names I request.
On the bright side, the tiny trackball control is very natural and easy to use.

Great Phone! December 17, 2008

Reviewer:  Pamela Ardolino  (Boynton Beach, FL) -

I just got the phone yesterday and being new to Blackberry, bought the 8330 from [...]. The above comments are correct in that you can't learn it all in one day, but I sure tried. However, I did find where you can get detailed info on how to use each and every feature of this phone and that is under [...]. Go under Newbies and you will see lectures given by Kevin Michaluk who will guide you through everything and I mean everything. Thanks so much, Kevin! The call quality seems great and the speakerphone works wonderfully. I set up my email programs with very little effort. All in all, I think this is a great phone.

Best Phone I ever owned April 1, 2009

Reviewer:  Lauren Love 

Unfortunately, I recently upgraded to the blackberry storm from my old, trusty, reliable curve. Though there are things I absolutely love about the new storm (world-wide calling namely), I very much miss my old Curve. This phone was extremely reliable, never missing calls and always keeping accurate call records. I am one of those people who receives thousands of email messaged per day, and my curve kept up with them all. The trackball was very easy to use and to play brickbreaker, probably the best game to ever come preloaded on a phone. I loved that all my messaged came into one inbox, emails and texts alike. Plus, the QWERTY keyboard was easy to type with and made sending long email messages a breeze.

There are, however, a few reasons not to buy this phone. First of all, if you need worldwide voice and data, you can't get that with the curve. Secondly, if you like to send extremely long SMS (text) messages, the curve (and any blackberry I believe) has a strict 160-character single message field. To send more than one you must send the first and then send the second and so on and so forth (this is not applicable to email). Third, if you don't like locking you phone, you may want to go with something that closes. There have been many times when I've accidentally forgotten to lock my phone and had my curve call people (generally the first "p" in my contact list). Lastly, if you don't like putting full names into your contact list, this can make the way your address book reads very messy.

Overall, the Blackberry Curve was the best phone I ever had. I'd probably downgrade if it had international calling. I'd highly recommend you buy this phone.

Love it. December 2, 2008

Reviewer:  A. Theroux 

I just got this phone about a week ago. It is a very good phone as far as i can see. The QWERTY keypad is a tad on the small side, but even large fingers can type with ease on the blackberry curve. Alot of people who get this device want to do everything on the first day. You have to take atleast 3 days to get used to the device. I have had nothing but good luck with this phone. Some say it has spotty call quality, i have noticed no difference in call quality anywhere in my area. The GPS feature of the phone is a definite plus. Once you are used to the phone and have it broken in you too, will love this phone.

Full of Features April 23, 2009

Reviewer:  Stacey M Smith  (Fredericksburg, TEXAS) -

I anxiously awaited the arrival of my new Blackberry... but had mixed feelings once getting it in my hands.
PROS:
I think it can do just about anything, perhaps even fly a plane.
Great size - I was expecting it to be as awkward as holding the iphone - but it was much more comfortable.
Camera shot nice quality photos.
Screen was large and easy to read.
Nicely made, lightweight, but a substantial feel in the hand.
Though a silly comment, the ringtones are great.

CONS:
The set up time was lengthy. Entering new contacts would also take a while. (transfer from your existing phone if you can.)
The key pad is a bit small - what would happen if the print rubbed off the keys? Plus the trackball was a little hard to get used to.
I live in a rural area, so the network was a bit slow, even though according to Verizon it was as fast as it would be in an urban area. Apps timed out or froze often.
Offering so many options made it clumsy to navigate quickly. Less intuitive than other smartphones.

Obviously, this device is for someone who might use it as a mobile office, needed document access or needs to maintain large contact information. It can do almost too much - not the best choice for someone mainly interested in a phone & texting. I found that many apps needlessly overlapped other devices that I have, so I decided to return it for something else. Great phone, just not for me.

I have Blackberry Curve with Verizon Wireless and I honestly wonder how I lived without it! March 12, 2009

Reviewer:  Eric Neitzel 

I have Blackberry Curve with Verizon Wireless and I honestly wonder how I lived without it! It is such a useful tool for email, social networking, like twitter and facebook. The camera is good so you can send pictures and videos to anyone. I use it on fires to send pix and updates from the fireline via twitter and facebook. Before this phone I used a Motorola Q and the Curve blows its doors off. I purchased an 8 gigabyte Micro SD Card for less that $[...] to store photos and videos. Its packed full of features that I have yet to discover.
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