BlackBerry Curve 8530
Average Ratings
Good Bargain
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Few phones contain the amount of features that the Blackberry 8530 does for such a low start-up cost (free w/contract). It's not perfect, as no phone is, but it's a good bargain if anything else.
Pros:
1. Good sound quality
2. Stable and reliable
3. Offers good balance between productivity and multimedia features.
4. Excellent keyboard (and need I say messaging/e-mail features?)
5. E-mail feature does a much better job of handling html compared to previous devices using OS 4.5.
6. Even over a 1X connection, download and internet speeds were very reasonable.
Medians:
1. Web browser. It's much better on OS 5.0 than on 4.5 (if your upgrading from an 83XX or 81XX device), but it still doesn't do a good job with javascript.
2. Camera. It takes good pictures as long as you don't zoom in (at all).
3. Reception is as average as it gets.
Cons:
1. Battery life. It will last a full day of moderate to heavy usage, but it's very underwhelming considering it's 2010.
2. Flash support: sometimes it works, sometimes it's on vacation.
3. Battery door: I know it's nit-picking, but RIM can do much better work than this.
I'm very pleased with this phone. It's a tremendous asset for my job, and has enough "fun" features to keep me occupied when i'm not busy. I'd like for the reception to be improved a bit; it is truly average, as is the case with any Blackberry. Battery life aside, this is one of the better phones I've had, especially considering the price. I can live with having to keep a car charger.
What's wrong with some of you? This thing ROCKS!
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I work in wireless (I won't divulge the name), and I see all kinds of Droids, iPhones, and these BlackBerrys..the 8530 is easy to use, has important business functions, and feels much better than other reviewers would lead you to believe! I don't know if you expect the phone to do your laundry or babysit the kids, but it does what a PHONE is supposed to do and more!! If you want just social networking, constant videos(and battery drain to boot!), and 50,000,000 games, then a BlackBerry is not for you. If you do some of those things but need a business workhorse that is smart and functional, then this Curve is definitely one to get!!! Enough apps to have fun with, incredibly intuitive to your usage patterns, and for casual or serious professionals, the ONLY phone to own! There's a reason at least 6 different wireless manufacturers copy the user interfaces of BlackBerries! Get one, link ALL your emails, use BB's secure servers, and forget about it! I will NEVER buy any other phone(i've gone through at least 22 in 10 years, from OmniPoint on!), because business-wise, you can't touch 'em with a Droid or the iPhone.
Excellent Phone
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I got this phone as a replacement for my Palm Treo Pro. I was reluctant about switching to the Blackberry because of the trackball/trackpad. I was pleasantly suprised.
Blackberry makes great phones and this phone is vastly better than my Pro in areas like the battery life, quicker access to applications and no crashing yet. I've only owned it about a week.
Pro's-
Quick Internet, Easy texting, easy set up/sync with computer and outlook calendar and contacts.
Con's-
No flash for camera. I don't use the camera so its not a big deal. Wonder why they didn't install a flash option for the camera?
Confusing interface but easy once learned.
Overall I'm very satisfied with this phone and would recommend it...especially of the Palm based phones.
Bang for your buck!!!
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This is my first blackberry and I was very hesitent to get one. But, I must say if anyone is nervous about getting a blackberry or does not know which on to choose then I would highly recommend this phone. Pros:
Very easy to use.
Good spacing on the qwerty keyboard works well for people with bigger fingers.
Social networking apps are very well constructed
On sprint network: Free mobile tv, free pandora, free gps services. ( OMG these three things in themselves makes the phone well worth it)
Easy email setup. Can listen to music and browse internet all at the same time.
Trackpad
Con: Battery life sucks but hey if you have everything syncing to a phone (email, facebook updates, 2nd email account, constant text messages, etc.) then what can you really expect.
Blackberry has officially sucked me in. And o yea best thing was I only paid 20.00 at Bestbuy for the phone. Ive had it for 2 months and I have to say ITS GREAT!!!
Reliable, Easy To Use, Fast, Loud, Excellent Sprint Coverage and Service
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Besides the lack of a camera flash and a couple other small annoyances, this phone is the perfect entry level BB for myself and my friends. Blackberry has definitely produced a winner in the mass consumer market for their phones.
This phone has pretty much all the features that its competitors have along with its storied and well developed blackberry e-mail system. The fact that it can be had for less than $50 after mail in rebate is an excellent value.
If you're looking for a phone that keeps you organized, connected to all your family and friends, entertained, and more, this is a great phone. The e-mail, contact lists, and the way all messages are combined into shared boxes is truly efficient and easy to use. The keyboard is responsive and fast..and much better than any touchscreen out there. The only annoyance was the sometimes short battery life, but this is remedied by turning off the WiFi and Bluetooth radios and closing extra applications. In terms of cellphone service coverage, Sprint has truly vastly improved over the last 5 years. I along with my friends took our BB 8530 phones up and down the East Coast and had excellent service the entire way: e-mailing, chatting, texting, sending pics, receiving pics, facebooking, etc. There were a handful of dead spots, but coverage and reliability was rivaling Verizon Wireless (former VZW subscriber of 10 years!)
The fact that unlimited use of their voice command GPS network (LIVE traffic updates and rerouting!) is truly amazing and at least worth $200 in my opinion. Their Sprint TV network is not bad either with various channels that include LIVE ESPN.
Please be aware that Sprint's Family plans are the best currently on the market. To be able to have unlimited mobile to mobile calling (ANY CARRIER!), unlimited texting, unlimited data, for less than $40 per person per month is freaking amazing. If you don't want to burn your cash on flashier smartphones, get this phone. You won't regret it :)
Not Intuitive
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I switched from an old Palm Treo 600 to the Blackberry Curve 8530 and am sending it back today (after 2 weeks). If you will want this phone for email and phone calls, I am sure you will be happy. If you currently have a Blackberry, this phone may well be an improvement. If you have had a Palm or a non-smart phone, I would not recommend this phone.
Pros:
Good battery life
Small size
Email
Phone reception
Friendly and knowledgeable tech support (based on > 10 hours on the phone with them)
Cons:
NOT INTUITIVE
Tried to use Task, after trying for an hour, and then with 2 Verizon techs, still couldn't make it happen on a regular basis.
Speaker phone takes two strokes (and very small lines, easy to hit mute! by mistake), the Palm, just touch the screen and you are on speaker phone.
Great Phone
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I am on the Verizon network and am upgrading from a Tour 8330. The new design and the track pad makes this an excellent upgrade. Also, the processing speed is amazing.
Pros:
Sleek new look
Fast Processor
Wifi is outstanding
Camera takes great quality pictures
Track pad is so much easier to control
Cons:
-Battery Life is less than desirable, however, should last all day for medium business use.
-NO Flash on Camera. This is horrible mishap on the guys at RIM.
Overall, this phone is great and will be enjoyed by all coming from lesser or equal phones.
GREAT PHONE!
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I've had the Blackberry 8703 and I loved that phone, I got the curve 8530 2 months ago and I love it. I don't think I will buy anything but blackberries, its like you have everything you need right there to stay on top of things.
PROS:
-Good service everywhere
-Cool design
-Trackpad is way better than a trackball
-Camera is great with good zoom
-Battery life is pretty good
-Nice loud ringtones and videos
-Great OS
CONS:
-Design seems kind of cheap
-Wish the keyboard was a tad bigger, and buttons had more space between each other.
-wish you could have more apps on the homescreen
Blackberry!
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I love this phone! I have never ventured out into the wonderful world of Blackberry before but I am so glad I finally did!
At first it took a little getting used to but that is only because you can do so much with this phone! Like:
1. Upload music from your PC to your Blackberry and use it as an MP3 player.
2. Download free radio players such as Pandora or Slacker Radio.
3. Get both my work and personal email on my phone. (I usually get my work email on my phone before I do on my PC)
4. Copy and paste! This has been great! If someone texts you a number all you have to do is copy and paste it and hit send!
5. BBM! Blackberry Messenger is great! If you don't have an unlimited texting plan BBM is a savior. Its own instant messaging system.
6. Facebook. I get all of my messages from facebook right away on my phone. It notifies me anytime someone comments, messages, or friend requests me.
CONS
1. No flash on the camera. It takes great pics in daylight but forget about it if you are planning on taking a picture at night.
2. Hard to figure out at first.
Overall, I really like this phone. There is so much you can do with it. Once you get to know the phone you will be sucked into the world of Blackberry!
Impressed
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So I have been intimidated by the complexity of Smart phones for years. When I finally decided to make the leap to a Smart phone last week I was impressed to see a phone as simple and as user friendly as the Blackberry Curve. I would totally recommend this phone to any first time Smart phone user I believe it will be the perfect transition to a more complex device when I'm ready for it.
Pros:
5.0 operating system
Track pad
Battery life
Form factor.
Cons
The power cord doesn't like to stay plugged in. But thats about it as far as cons go.
