Blackberry Curve 8520 is an entry level smartphone targeted to all kinds of users. A brief glance at the specs of the white version of Curve 8520 may lead you to dismiss the phone. But that will be a mistake. The reason being, despite the conspicuous absence of some key features (read 3G and GPS), the phone successfully overcomes its limitations. For some time now, Blackberry has been making earnest efforts to move beyond the corporate world and reach out to common people.
This phone is a part of that attempt. The phone costs low but is in now way low either in looks, features or performance. Take a look at the specifications before we proceed to a detailed review of the handset. But don't judge this phone by specifications! Trust us, the phone offers much more than what the specs will tell you.
Blackberry Curve 8520 specifications
- Dimensions: 109 x 60 x 13.9 mm
- Weight: 106 gm
- Screen Size: 2.46 in.
- Memory: 256 MB (extendable upto 32 GB via Micro SD slot)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, USB, Bluetooth, No 3G
- Operating System: Blackberry OS
- CPU: 512 MHz processor
- Keyboard: QWERTY keyboard
- GPS: No
- Camera: 2 Megapixel Camera
- Secondary Camera:No.
- Radio: No
- Browser: HTML browser
- Battery: Li-Ion 1150 mAh
Now, we know they don't sound very impressive. But lets take a look at the individual features in detail before we form any opinion on this phone.
Design and Looks
In design and looks, the phone is similar to other Blackberry models. Though, the corners of the phone appear rounder compared to earlier devices. But the major difference lies in the introduction of optical trackpad. In this handset, the company has done away with the rollerball that Blackberry users must have been habituated to. But this is not a bad decision at all. The trackpad is simple and convenient to use. This trackpad combined with the standard and well-liked Blackberry QWERTY keyboard leaves nothing to complain.
Display
It's 2.6 inch screen comes with 320 x 240-pixel resolution. The display quality cannot be compared to that of any high-end screen, but its decent. In fact, its better than what you would expect on a budget phone. Its not a media device but the colourful and sharp display of the screen does allow you to enjoy video clips and games.
Calling and Messaging
The call quality was good. The sound was clear and audible and there wasn't any significant problem while talking on the phone. The signal strength was also good throughout we used the phone. As far as messaging goes, we know, its one of the best in Blackberry. Its QWERTY keyboard makes it far more easier to type letters compared to any other phone.
Internet
With Wi-Fi, web browsing is fast and a good experience. Lack of 3G does affect the browsing experience when you are away from the Wi-Fi signals as it takes a lot more time to load websites. Web pages on the 2.6 inch screen are readable but you'll need to zoom in, to go to some of the smaller links. This is somewhat irritating. But in spite of this, web browsing is a more pleasurable experience as any other similar phone would give you.
Camera
It would certainly have helped if this handset had a better camera. A 2 mega pixel camera is very basic by any standard. Though after using the camera, we found the picture quality to be far more better than any ordinary 2 mp camera will give you. But yes, you'll have to make sure that the lighting conditions are good. In poor lighting the picture quality declined dramatically as there is no flash and autofocus. The camera can also be used for shooting videos.
Music and Videos
Its a pleasure to listen to music on Blackberry Curve 8520 White. The sound quality is as good as we had expected. With three music keys, its so much easier to select and play your favourite tracks. The phone also has a 3.5 mm headphone jack that allows you to connect any headset for better sound quality.
Videos are a good watch too despite of the low resolution screen. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised with the good quality of the videos.
Battery
Just like other Blackberry phones, the battery life of curve 8520 is good as well. The phone uses the Li-Ion 1150 mAh battery that may last to up to 3 days or with light usage, even more.
Final Words
Blackberry Curve 8520 is an entry level smartphone that will be a good choice if you want to upgrade to a smartphone. The phone does not sound feature-rich but gives excellent performance. The white version of this handset is very popular. The high points of this phone being simple user interface, nice design, long battery life and excellent connectivity features. You'll surely miss 3G, which is a little bit difficult to accept as most of the phones today have 3G. Also, there is no GPS. But we can't have everything at such low cost. The phone is the best bet for those who want to shift from a basic handset to a smartphone and for those who want to get a Blackberry experience at low cost so get BlackBerry 8520 Curve contract deals at bestcontractmobilephones.co.uk.
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