BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smartphone, Red (Sprint)

Features
Smallest, lightest BlackBerry with full QWERTY keyboard features GPS turn-by-turn directions via Sprint Navigation
Sprint Mobile Broadband Network via EV-DO connectivity; Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store enabled; access personal and corporate email
2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion up to 8 GB
Up to 5.9 hours of talk time and up to 264 hours (11 days) of standby time
Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with microphone, 1 GB MicroSD card, quick start guide

Accessories
Motorola HS850 Bluetooth Headset (Black or Blue and Grey)[Bulk Packaged]
Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset [Retail Packaged]
BlackBerry 8300/8700/8800 Series Leather Desktop Stand for 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330, 8700, and 8800
BlueAnt Supertooth Light Bluetooth Speakerphone (Black)
BlackBerry 8300 Leather Swivel Holster, Apple Red for 8300, 8310, 8320, and 8330

Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating:
Summary: On the Go
Comment: Me and My Hon, as always have this particular BlackBerry Phone. it is the 7th phone that we swapped during the Year 2008, atarted out with the Old Reliable Motorolla Razr. to me a phone is just a phone, as long as I can call, and receive calls on it, I don't really care for the brand or functionality. My Hon on the other hand likes to have the latest and the best available unit, and I don't envy her one bit... the only thing is that it has to be a COUPLE, both of us match.

As for the unit itself, it has so many options that one can write books about it. i personally like the unit especially due to the NET capabilities. Long have I been forced to rely on other units for accessing the Net while walking down the street, sometimes 3 or 4 at the same time, accessing seperate parts. with the Blackberry curve, i don't have to any longer, as i can do it all from one unit. admittedly, it is not that easy to find programs that will work with the BlackBerry, compared to the Windows Mobile, but it is not that essential that it cant be overlooked.

the unit itself has one major plus point compared to my PPC, and that is the Battery Life... absolute OUTSTANDING ... sometimes I dont have to put itto charge for days, and thats despite Me and My Hon communicated via YAM constantly. the bluetooth does have a habit of draining the battery thou, even if not used... but it is not that big of a deal that it cant be overlooked.

the Keypad and Scroller is easy to use, a bit practice and you are all set to go. the Display is beautiful too. that I can actually log in and watch TV show on the phone kind of tells how good the display is.

there is one drawback with the unit, and thats with all open faced phones, the problem of scratching surface and screen... i recommend that you acquire a silicon skin for the body and a screen protector for the screen. so if it gets scratched, you just change the film and not the entire unit.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: A crude tool
Comment: This is my first Blackberry. I got it for free for work, even though I don't really need to be in contact that often.

This phone is like a swiss army knife with 50 tools. Technically, it can do many things, but it does none of them well. The menus are a jumbled mess of indistinct icons, and the drop down menus contain endless items to scroll through to get to the one or two you actually use. There are lots of options screens with lots of choices, but they are so disparate and poorly laid out you will always have to hunt around to find the setting you are looking for. Overall, the device's software seems like a project where several different teams worked separately, never talking to each other until the day before it shipped, when they hurriedly pasted it all together.

Navigation with the little thumb stick is ok, often not very precise, and frequently frustrating. The small keyboard is actually not bad, and I have big hands, though I hear others at work who have the same model complain about it. Battery life is also just ok. I don't make many calls and I have to recharge every couple days. Call quality with Sprint is good and I haven't had any problems with reception. The web speed is also ok. Email sync methods leave a lot to be desired, but I wouldn't blame RIM for that.

If it were my money, I would have bought an iPhone or the Google phone. I have tried them and they are much more elegant and user friendly. The Blackberry is crude tool at best, and at worst it's a lot of frustrating scrolling and clicking trying to find what you are looking for.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great - a few limitations, EXCELLENT Battery life
Comment: Great product overall. I love the phone but as mentioned by another consumer, you cannot send photos via text - only through an email account which gets setup/linked to your Blackberry. Also, GPS Navigation and Pocket express take a while to update/startup so if you're rushing out the door in the morning (like me) you'll want to get your updates before stepping in the shower so they're ready when you walk out the door. I previously owned the INSTINCT and got used to immediate at-your-fingertip startup for applications - GPS, weather, news (couldn't get used to the onscreen keyboard so I traded for The CURVE). The Curve has all of these options, though again they take a while to startup. On the positive side this phone has EXCELLENT battery life. I went almost two days before charging the phone and I use many of the applications frequently. Four stars (leaving off one until a few upgrades are made).

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: My Review, my thoughts:
Comment: I am a very high tech digital girl, I go through about two to three cell phones a year due to the fact that I bore of them after constant daily use of them. Prior to the blackberry curve I owned a Palm Centro, in pink.. Wonderful phone by the way.. loved the touch screen. ANYWAY* Sprint offers this amazing unlimited everything plan for 99$ ( awesome deal! ) I upgraded to the Blackberry curve recently.. I will list the pros and cons.

Pros:
Beautiful, bright, large wide and clear screen
QWERTY Keyboard ( gosh I love texting, I cant use a normal cell to text on anymore after being spoiled with the qwerty keyboard)
Camera
Video Camera
Flash
Small and compact size
Comes with leather case
Email Enabled
Comes with YAHOO
Has Pocket Express
Cheap Simply everything plan for 99.99 with sprint
Can Download AIm, MSN, flicker and a few other programs from blackberry.com


Cons:
Cant send picture text
no place to hang a cell phone charm from :(
Not many themes to choose from and not many to buy eithe



Anyway I wish it came in pink for sprint :(
And as of now sprint doesn't support sending photos through text messages but you can receive them. Rumors on the internet do state that once they upgrade the operating system on the blackberry for sprint they will then have the feature to sent photos through text.. So I am waiting for that and hoping it happens some time around the new year

Over all... im am about 80% happy with my Blackberry curve

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Device! Feature Rich & Long Battery Life - Recommended!
Comment: The "BlackBerry Curve 8330" is my 5th BlackBerry upgrade, and by far the best! The list of features is simply outstanding (incuding Broadband Teathering), includes a very usable keyboard, and has an amazing battery life (a lot better than earlier models - 3 days without charging).

The 8330 performs very well as with my company email and even allows PDF and MS Office document support (read only). The built in web browsing is also very usable.

The built in camera (with flash) and video ability are fairly good.

This is finally the BlackBerry I have always wanted - Highly Recommended!

---

Editorial Reviews
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion's formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8330 Curve for Sprint is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM's long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). It also offers GPS navigation capabilities for accessing the optional Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn direction service.

Click for larger view.

Sprint Service Options
Supporting the EV-DO high-speed data standard, this phone enables you to download and stream high-quality video, straight onto your phone. Where coverage is available, EV-DO connectivity provides average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps, with peak rates up to 2 Mbps. With Sprint TV, you can make your cell phone your always-on source for news, weather, sports and more. This comprehensive video service combines high-quality streaming audio and video from channels including the NFL Network, ABC, The Weather Channel, Fox Sports, E!, CNN, The Discovery Channel, and more.

The Sprint Music Store enables you to buy, download, and then jam out wherever you are with new songs or old favorites. Offering a growing selection of more than 1.6 million songs, the store provides you two copies of each song--one for the phone and another for the PC, as well as the ability to burn songs to a CD using Windows Media Player. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you.

This GPS-enabled phone provides optional access to Sprint Navigation for driving directions on your mobile phone--by voice and onscreen. Along the way, turn-by-turn directions will be announced in a clear voice and displayed on your phone. For example, Sprint Navigation will say, "Go 1.2 miles and turn right on Elm Street." As you approach the turn, you will hear, "Turn right on Elm Street." Sprint Navigation also provides proactive traffic alerts with one click re-routing. And it's easy to find restaurants, banks, cafes, hotels and more from over 10 million points of interest across the U.S.

The Curve's full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze.

Staying Connected
With BlackBerry's push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.

Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.

For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you've come to expect. It's supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.

Phone Features
The Curve 8330 is fashioned with subtly curving corners and chrome highlights. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.63 inches) and weighs in at 4 ounces. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 96 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD/MicroSDHC memory cards (up to 8 GB in size).

The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection.

You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.

Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve's support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with MP3 and WMA audio files, and dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.

With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list--either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.

The BlackBerry Maps application enables you to view maps and driving directions as well as email maps to other BlackBerry users and launch maps from your address book. It also includes a local search capability that allows users to find local businesses, such as banks, hotels and restaurants, within a short driving distance.

Vital Statistics
The BlackBerry Curve 8330 weighs 4 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.63 inches. Its 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.9 hours of talk time, and up to 264 hours (11 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA/EV-DO frequencies.