Getting the Curve 8900 for testing was a co-incidence. I really wanted the Storm and I was largely disinterested in the Curve, simply because I didn’t find anything novel in it or any of the earlier models. I never really understood all the hooplah surrounding its email and business features. I mean, any half decent smart phone can do that. But that was because I never really used one extensively and as they say, the proof of the lassi is always in the drinking.
Design and Build
The Javelin is the latest in the line of their multimedia savvy business phones and it looks damn right classy. The shiny gun metal finish, though not so assuring to hold, shines enough to command attention. And its pretty light for a phone of this size because when I took it out of the box, it was light enough for me to assume that there was no battery in it. It slips easily into your denim and doesn’t make its presence felt.
To the front are the 2.4inch display, QWERTY board and trackball. To the right are the 3.5mm jack, miniUSB port and the camera button. The 3.5mm jack is placed right at the top and will be a problem for headsets without an L pin.
To the left is the dedicated shortcut key and at the top are the keypad lock and play/pause/standby key.
Input
The all conquering QWERTY keyboard and the trackball make you feel right at home. The keys are slightly angled outwards which gives the feeling that your fingers are going to slip off at any moment. I think a flatter keypad, like the one on the Bold would have been much better to use. As for the trackball, it takes some time getting used to, but once you do, you will replace your girlfriends picture with a picture of the RIM team.
Display
The 2.4 inch 480×320 display is delicious and features a light sensor to adjust the screen brightness to adjust to the ambient light. So rain or shine, this LCD is going to hold its own. If I might also add, this was also the first display I had no trouble deciphering even with polarized sun glasses on, at any damn angle.
Interface and Software
The interface is a pleasant departure from the other phones of this world. Minimalistic and classy all throughout, a bit rough in some nooks and crannies, but its alright. Its very usable and that is what matters. Email is very tightly integrated into the interface and now I begin to understand why Blackberry fans swear by it. Even if you dangle ten iPhones in front of them, they’ll stick to their Berries. The only thing that needs some improvement is the file manager and media section.
I expected the picture to move to the next when I rolled the wheel, but that did not happen. All you have to do is, use the N and P keys for next and Previous (thanks to reader Ronique for tipping us!). Hope the RIM guys fix this up. Otherwise, the interface is largely smooth and goes about its business without any hiccups. As for the file manager, you cannot operate on many files at once. You have to select each file every time and only then are you allowed to operate on it.
There are also a few games which a CEO wont feel out of place playing when his stock is hitting new bottoms and has nothing better to do.
Software wise, it has everything to keep you connected, organized and then some.
Multimedia
The phone features a very capable media player which will play most of audio and video in whichever format you throw at it. The desktop applications that come with the phone extend its functionality even further. You can even connect it with iTunes and import all your play lists and sync with it. Why, you ask?
Because you will find your iPod useless after the Curve 8900, that’s why. The audio quality is just unlike on any phone you’ve ever heard. Even the provided earphones get the job done and the 3.5mm jack allows you to get your own headphones to the party. Plug in your headphones and be amazed. I tested a variety of genres and came away impressed with everything. The player is very adept at managing your music, creating play lists and just plain playing back your media. Even viewing video is a delightful experience thanks to the high res display.
Camera
The camera is good enough for quick shots and does turn out good pictures in bright sunlight. Even low light photography is decent and the LED flash, though not really great, will get the job done. (pictures coming soon)
Connectivity
To get your data across you have a EDGe, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 but no 3G. Shouldn’t be a problem right now, since we don’t have 3G in India anyway. But some time down the line, I expect Blackberry to roll out a 3G enabled phone and hope that the Indian Telecom Ministry gets enough incentive to roll out 3G all across the board. Its the only thing the Curve needs to become a proper army knife for the ones on the move.
Performance
The 8900, I am pleased to report is an effortless multi tasker and there isn’t much of a performance lag when running many applications at once. But things are slightly different when the media player is turned on and it is visible during playback. Audio and video will display a small lag when bluetooth transfers are initiated or end.
The battery too, is stellar considering the gorgeous screen and will run for a full day without much ado under heavy usage. And special mention to the charger, which to my surprise was customizable for a variety of electricity sockets.
Call performance is rather mixed and calls sound rather fuzzy at times. It takes effort to listen to calls at times, even when the network indicator displays full coverage. But sometimes the calls sound crisp and extremely natural. Even the ‘other end’ reported extremely clear sound. I presume this should be solved by the next software update.
Final Words
The Curve is a fantastic phone and a pretty capable media player as well. Which could almost replace your iPod, given its fantastic audio quality. It’s great at handling work and play very effectively and its got what I’d call a Multi Personalty Order. And the fact that the Curve is the lightest and sexiest Blackberry ever should well and truly seal the deal.
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BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone, Black (AT&T)
BlackBerry Curve 8900 Phone, Titanium (T-Mobile)
Test unit sourced from Grey PR.
