subject: Best Price Blackberry 8900 Curve: Reviewing Your Options [print this page] Research in Motion's BlackBerry Curve 8900 is the most efficient and user-friendly Curve to date. This BlackBerry Curve has a huge array of connection features: Stereo quality Bluetooth and the ability to take calls over a WiFi connection helps to extend your coverage. And if that somehow is not enough, it possesses a beefy 3.2-megapixel camera, complete with auto focus, flash, and a display that is downright gorgeous.
The digital call quality on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is relatively clear. Additionally, it's exceptionally easy to increase and decrease the volume with the corresponding buttons on the right side of the Curve. The built-in speakerphone allowed both parties to speak simultaneously - no one gets cut off mid-sentence. Unlike many other models, there was no loss of call quality when using a Bluetooth headset. It is still possible to hear clearly in a noisy environment, such as a busy restaurant.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has been upgraded with a 3.2-megapixel camera with a smart flash. Photo quality exceeds expectations. Candid moments are yours with the Curve 8900's advanced camera. Colors are accurate and bright and with the 3.2 megapixel resolution, details are fairly sharp. Having taken a photograph, you can then manipulate it, send it by email, MMS, Facebook or Bluetooth, and even delete it or save it for called ID purposes. We're glad to see that BlackBerry decided to leave the trackball integrated with the camera. Using the trackball, you can change the image resolution and zoom in and out before snapping your picture.
Additionally, you can view and shoot videos on the cell phone. Viewing video on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is impressive. Video quality is smooth and the colors are vivid and bright, which is ideal during long commutes on public transportation or when traveling by air.
Unlike many of its predecessors, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is set up for music. The playback of music on the BlackBerry's speaker is quite impressive. Additionally, since the BlackBerry Curve effectively supports stereo Bluetooth you can always listen to tunes via an optional Bluetooth-enabled stereo headset.
If you're a BlackBerry user, you know all about the messaging capabilities. It's extremely easy to set up multiple e-mail accounts, which you can do during the initial setup of the device. Plus this Curve comes preloaded with multiple IM applications (BlackBerry Messenger, AIM, Google Chat, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, and Windows Live Messenger).
Beating it predecessors, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 has built-in WiFi. It's an excellent feature that takes mere moments to set up. Pages load quickly and you could scroll around them via the trackball. It is worth noting that since this is a UMA cell phone you can also use WiFi to extend cell phone service in your home with a T-Mobile HotSpot @ Home set-up and service.
The 8900 is thinner and slightly narrower than other Curves available to date. This makes the Curve decidedly more pocket friendly and easier to hold in the hand. Numbers and letters are crisp, while colors are vibrant. It's actually a dark grey and it just feels more durable to the touch.
Looks-wise the BlackBerry Curve 8900 has all the keys you'd expect. However the main keys are flush against the screen and only the QWERTY keys are slightly raised. This, too, contributes to what makes the Curve 8900 so attractive. Combine that with the smudge-resistant, chrome-like coloring surrounding the edges of the smartphone. Other streamline design elements include the lock-key and the mute key, which are both simply icons concealed in the dark black shell found at the top of the Curve.
Battery life on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is impressive - your battery life will not be affected by having both WiFi and Bluetooth activated. If you use the cell phone frequently to make calls, listen to music, as well as send/receive text messages and e-mail, this Curve will last three or four days before needing to fully recharge. It is worth noting that listening to music on the Curve does not seem to have an adverse affect on its battery life. As before, you can also can charge your BlackBerry Curve 8900 while synching with your computer.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has black raised keys with white letters/symbols. Keys that also represent the numeric keypad have numbers written in red. Though slightly rounded, the individual keys offer a smooth typing experience. In short, unless you are a husky lumberjack, the keys are large enough and well-designed enough for fast emailing and texting.