BlackBerry Curve 8900 review

RIM (BlackBerry) came out with some brand-new BlackBerry handset designs last year that diverted attention from what it does best: make solid business smartphones for businesspeople. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 returns to the original remit, having picked up a few neat tricks along the way.

Unlike the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm handset, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 comes with a real qwerty keypad with raised keys and lends itself to two-handed text entry. Navigation is via a globular orb betwixt keypad and screen but, unlike previous models, it is grey rather than white and doesn't glow.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has the same smart, silver-edged look of the BlackBerry Bold handset as well as the attractive, white edged application icons on its 2.8in screen. The 480x360 display offers email, contact book, calendar, Web 'N' Walk, call log and SMS and MMS notifications. As ever, pressing the BlackBerry button just below the screen takes you to a whole screenful of other features and applications - with the BlackBerry Application Storefront launching, it's as well that RIM has structured the onscreen layout so well.

Getting online with the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is very easy. Click the Setup button and a Wi-Fi setup wizard is one of the four options offered (another is Bluetooth profiles). If Wi-Fi isn't active, the Curve offers to turn it on before searching for available networks. Logging on to our secure office network took less than 20 seconds overall, with the network name displayed discreetly at the very top of the screen. The Curve offers to prioritise the order in which it attempts to log on to your frequently used networks and to store details of any you make routine use of.

Email can be set up on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 using either POP or IMAP webmail servers, but it's also possible to hook in to a corporate email server using the BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) and replicate your Lotus Notes Domino account or equivalent.

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Email management is as solid as ever with one-click access to options to instead send standard SMS or MMS messages. Busy business people will also relish the inclusion of Word To Go, Sheet To Go and a Voice Notes Recorder, all found in the Applications folder.

For more personal use, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 also offers direct access to the onboard 3.2Mp camera via a hardware button halfway down the righthand side - autofocus, zoom, flash and the ability to rename or file or instantly send photos to contacts make this a notable addition.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 takes crisp, clear shots with plenty of detail - a huge contrast to identical ones we took on the Apple iPhone, for example.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900's video recorder is launched with a press of the BlackBerry button and, while the VGA quality is nothing to write home about, it's another feature that helps distinguish this model of Curve from other smartphones. Again, you can choose a file name to save it under.

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Total reviews: 4,313

• www.t-mobile.co.uk
• 0845 412 5000
• T-Mobile
• Depends on contract

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