BlackBerry Curve 8530
Average Ratings
Terrific intro to the world of BlackBerry
Work has decided that a BlackBerry would be a good thing for me to have...I'm not complaining! I'll let them pay for the data plan, because I just can't justify it for myself.
I had a choice of Curve, Storm, or Bold, and I chose the Curve due to its small size and light weight. I am happy I did! I'm sure I would have been pleased with the others, too, but since I carry it in a pocket I really appreciate the size.
I have three email addresses feeding into it - work and two personal ones. I love that I can configure notifications for each address individually. I need to know when I get an email for work - but the personal ones can wait until I have a break. It is easy to keep the messages separate for each account.
The keyboard is crisp and precise, though a bit small. I'm sure as I get used to it more and more my level of precision will go up. In contrast to the Palm Pre Plus that I had for a little while as a personal smart phone, the keyboard on the Palm is amazing - the Pre was atrocious - I can type twice as fast on the BlackBerry.
Web browsing isn't great - the screen is pretty small for it and not all pages will load. On the other hand - browsing on such a tiny device, regardless of the ability, is a chore anyway...that's why I have a laptop. I was able to use the web to research a couple of products while I was in the store, so it has its place.
Phone voice quality has been quite good. Reception seems to be very strong. Bluetooth pairing was easy and works very well.
My only two complaints:
1) the battery cover is a piece of garbage. Really. It creaks and doesn't fit all that well. A sore spot in an otherwise really solid build.
2) the new message indicator now shows 9 new messages - though all my inboxes and text messages are clear. The counter has slowly been increasing - not sure why. It's just annoying, not really affecting function.
The two complaints are why I give it the 4.5. Otherwise, this BB has been just great for me!
Love the Curve 8530...better than the Tour!
I returned the Tour due to the trackball sticking, and exchanged it for the 8530. In a word it's great, so far!
The menus are better and upgraded from the tour.
The calendar is more use friendly than the Tour.
You can put the messages and your daily appointments on the main screen!
Typing, er keyboarding,seems easier and faster than the Tour.
And, of course best of all, no more trackball. The pad works flawlessly.
I would have give it a solid "5" rating if the micro SD card, and a case would have been included.
Blacberry Curve 8530
I purchased the blackberry curve 8530 on Dec 23, 2009. Two weeks later the battery overheated and destroyed the memory on the phone. I went to the Verizon store and it was immediately replaced. I then kept the replacement for about 5 weeks and the same problem happened again., This time I had to have a phone shipped to me because I had the phone for over 30 days. One more broken phone and I will switch to another "smart phone". Btw, this was my first smart phone and I am not a fan of it. Also, the battery charge does not last long either.
Happy with phone
I have had the phone for 1.5 months and very pleased.
vibrate and great battery life.
If you let the phone drain the battery until it turns off and fully charge 1 or 2 times the battery life is great.
I get 3 to 4 days between recharging.
Hope this helps other 8530 owners.
Scott
Not happy.
I basically bought this phone 2 weeks ago because I needed one. I previously had an 8330, which, aside from the occasional trackball issues, I was very happy with and wanted to wait as long as I could to upgrade from because I really wasn't crazy about this or the other Blackberries offered by Verizon, but unfortunately it broke and I had no choice but to get a new phone. It was fine for a few days.
The battery life on this phone is terrible. I'm sorry, but after a full charge the night before, only 40% battery life after being idle in my bag for 7 hours while I'm at work (with no open apps) is unacceptable. I feel like I'm always charging this phone. My 8330 could go much longer than that. Also not happy with the vibrate mode. It is very weak. The phone was in front of me on the table last night, I checked it after awhile and saw I had 3 missed text messages. I had no idea the phone even went off.
I very disappointed with this product, so much so that I'm contemplating returning it and getting another 8330. The trackball may not be my favorite feature on it and it might be getting outdated, but at least it was a durable phone.
Suits My Needs
Had the Curve 8330 and the Tour before the Curve 8530. I use it primarily as a phone and for E-mail. I have Verizon and would not use any other carrier.
Pro's
Small and lightweight
TRACK PAD
Battery Life (Can get almost 2 full days)
Did I say TRACK PAD :o)
Con's
Key's a little small(I average 40-50 e-mails a day)
I am very satisfied with the 8530 but I will probably get the next one Verizon comes out with just because it's something new..not because I need it !
Worth a look
You can't deny the fact that the original Curve was a well loved phone but it was looking dated compared to newer blackberries out there.
Whats been mainly added with the Curve 2 is a better processor, more memory, wifi, updated styling and the trackball has been finally ditched. Why mess with a good thing too much I guess.
If you want more frills, get a Tour. Thats why it exists. For the moment, the Tour lacks the wifi and trackpad though.
Anyway, after playing with the Curve 2 for a couple of days until it goes to another in our company (who it was bought for), here is what I came up with:
Pros:
-thinner and lighter than original
-Trackpad (goodbye trackballs that gunk up after a while!)
-WiFi
-Send,End,Blackberry,and Escape keys are nicely integrated into the bottom of the screen
-faster processor
-more memory
-media keys at the top are a nice touch
-feels durable
-OS 5.0 is slick!
cons:
-no flash (minor)
-no rev A
-keys are spaced close together for larger fingers
-not the most stylish Blackberry on the block
This is a good functional workhorse of a phone that will serve most people well. If you want more Bling, get a Tour or Bold.
Great Phone!
All 5 stars for this phone. No issues with the device. It activated perfectly as it should have. Blackberry Desktop Manager installed fine, backup and restore works perfectly with all settings on the phone. Trackpad much easier to use than the trackball on my older blackberry. Battery life is excellent, and much better than the Samsung Exclaim I used to have.
Pros:
Long battery life
Trackpad
Durable feel to the device
Easy to use interface.
Cons:
None
STRESS FREE
I had the BlackBerry Tour Before i got the Blackberry 8530 and the main reason for this change is obviously because of the scroll ball on the tour, it will always get stuck and it will be so frustrating...Another big notice of change is the kewboard on the 8530 is more compatible and easier to use because the letters arent so close to one another
