RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 Review

Introduction:

Traditionally RIM has catered to the higher end, but with their push into the consumer market the need for an entry level model was inevitable.  Meet the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520, previously known as the BlackBerry Gemini.  It offers a good form factor, solid but average specs and the wonderful QWERTY that RIM has been known for. The xx20 indicates that it has Wi-Fi, but on the cellular networks you’ll be putzing along with EDGE in lieu of 3G.  One unique feature is the optical “trackball,” replacing the analog one we’ve come to know and love.  The device has yet to be officially announced, but with the 85xx designation we expect it to be offered at a bargain price.

Design:

This new Curve follows the traditional Blackberry layout: the 2.64” screen sits above a full QWERTY keyboard, two convenience keys adorn either side and a simplistic back with the 2 megapixel camera at the top.  It measures 4.29 x 2.36 x 0.55 inches, which makes it slightly thicker than the Curve 8900, but weights about the same (3.74 oz).




You can compare the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 with many other phones using ourSize Visualization Tool.

The screen is unfortunately only 320x240, a noticeable downgrade from recent RIM units.  It is still sharp and crisp though, and QVGA isn’t exactly poor.  For an entry level unit it’s more than acceptable.

There is an undeniable plastic feel to this new Curve, though it doesn’t go so far as to feel cheep.  The sides of the phone, and top and bottom of the back, all are finished in soft touch paint which gives it just a bit of grip and a good feel.  The side keys (convenience keys on each side, volume rocker on the right) are all merely bumps as opposed to individual keys with the housing “stretching” to accommodate them instead of breaking.  We’ve seen this from Motorola iDEN units before, and we like it.


The keyboard layout is the same as always.  The one twist is that the trackball has been replaced with an optical trackpad.  We’re not exactly sure why RIM made this move, other than to try something different.  It took a bit of getting used to, but after cranking up the sensitivity we like it just fine.  It’s not really different than the trackball though, so unless RIM is trying to increase reliability (an well documented issue) there doesn’t seem to be any advantage to one over the other.



The top of the phone offers the user media control buttons, the middle of which doubles as a mute button.  The top left has a 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB data/charging port.  The back houses a simple 2.0MP camera in the soft touch area; there is no flash this time around.  The battery door is pried off, there is no mechanical latch, and underneath is the microSD slot.  Like the Pre and iPhone, the shiny black plastic is a fingerprint magnet but looks awfully pretty when clean.



The design may not be quite as high class as the flagship Storm, but it does not give the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 away as an entry level device.  The balance and weight is good, leading to a good in-hand feel.  The optical trackpad gives it a unique twist.  The display may not be able to match others, but its plenty good and don’t feel that it detracts from the overall design.

User Interface:

By now there are several devices running 4.6 (or the touch equivalent 4.7) but it is still a beautiful UI with modern icons and a more refined look overall.  Functionality, however, remains basically the same as past OS versions.  There have been some minor adjustments and tweaks to the categories, but anyone who has used the BlackBerry OS before will find themselves right at home on 4.6.

The layout is for the most part straightforward, but for a new user can still be intimidating at first glance.  Since every program has its own icon the user is inundated with 17 icons on the main menu, some of which are merely folders which lead to more icons.  It is cleaner on the Curve 8900 which was cleaner than the 83xx, so progress is being made.  It can be overwhelming for a first time BlackBerry owner, but once you use it you realize that the OS is very customizable and on the whole RIM’s approach is much better than, say, Windows Mobile (TouchFLO 3D aside.)  Its constant request for confirmation is very Windows Vistaish and quite frustrating; to close out of the setup wizard took four steps, for example.

Like the 8900 and 8350i we’ve experienced no hang-ups with the software.  There is no hint of the issues reported with the Bold and Storm (which runs the 4.7 OS, a touchscreen version of 4.6.)  Users will be happy to see that their stable BlackBerry has returned and can go back to focusing on business instead of if their device will crash or not.  There were some rumors that the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 would be running the new 5.0 OS, and since our unit is a prototype it may very well still, but for now it does not appear to be the case.



Phonebook:

There isn’t anything new about the phonebook, which is a good thing.  It’s as simple and straightforward as ever, and you can store virtually an unlimited amount of contacts.  Each contact can hold three email addresses, two work phone numbers, two home numbers, a mobile, pager, fax and “other” number as well as a space for a BlackBerry PIN number.  There is a slot for both a home and work address, as well as dates for anniversary and birthdays. Contacts can be sorted by user definable categories, each entry can have a custom ringer and picture ID, and there is a section for a webpage and notes.

Users can search directly from the main screen by typing in either the first or last name, and as you start to type a number in the phone application the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 matches it with the contact list. When an entry is highlighted from the main contacts view the user can hit the send button to initiate a call. If the entry has multiple numbers it will bring up a popup window where you can select which one you want to call.

Organizer:

Again, nothing new here.  Like the phonebook, the calendar function is very robust. It can be managed either on your phone or on your PC, and when paired to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) it can be remotely managed and synced over the air. Creating an appointment is simple, and options such as reminders and recurrence are present. Appointments can also be marked as private for added security.

Other basic PIM functions are available, such as Tasks and a Memo Pad. Tasks is very basic, but reminders can be set and they can also be grouped into categories. The Memo Pad is a basic notepad, no bells and whistles. A Voice Note Recorder is present for taking notes on the go, and a basic calculator is also available.

Messaging:

Like any BlackBerry, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 supports a whole slew of messaging options. Standards like SMS and MMS are onboard, as is support for multiple email accounts and BlackBerry PIN messaging.  Other preloaded IM clients are AIM, GTalk, ICQ, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger allowing you to keep in touch with virtually anyone.

Email setup on the BlackBerry is about as perfect as it gets, we simply put in our email and password and that was it. Even with our uncommon work email we didn’t have to enter any server information. The push email arrived nearly instantaneously in our testing. With the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) the user can have up to 10 email addresses on one device.

Connectivity and Data:

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a quad-band GSM device which unfortunately features only EDGE data.  It somewhat makes up for the 3G omission with Wi-Fi, but those not near a hotspot will be left in 2G purgatory.  As mentioned earlier the 8520 does not have GPS, but we’d expect an 8510 that does at some point.  The browser appears to be the same reworked browser first found on the Bold.  It looks similar to the BlackBerry browser of old, but has some improvements that lead to a better experience.  For starters, the standard mouse curser has been replaced with an eyeglass and a simple press of the trackpad zooms in.  Rendering is better as well, and speed has increased though isn’t what we’d call fast, even over Wi-Fi.


BlackBerry Desktop Manager handles desktop sync as always.  It is used to manage calendar, tasks, contacts and email synchronization with your desktop.  You can also use the data cable to load media onto the memory card, and Media Sync will allow for iTunes syncing of non-DRM files, like we’ve seen with other recent BlackBerries.

Multimedia:

The 8520 reverts to the 2 megapixel camera found on the original Curve, while ditching the flash.  It’s still a decent enough camera, with solid but not stellar results.  Both the camera and video interface is unchanged, and for an entry level model it’s more than sufficient.



The media player is good and simple to use, but not overly loaded with features. It supports folders, and will sort your music by Artist, Album and Genres. It also supports album art and playlists, which the user can create on the go, and the other options are Repeat and Shuffle. Audio formats supported are MP3, AMR-NB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA and WAV, while the video formats are MPEG4, H.263 and WMV.  As you would expect videos look wonderful on the high resolution screen.  The included stereo headphones are pretty poor, but the 3.5mm jack means you can use any headphones you want.  With our higher quality headphones music sounded very good.



Software:

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 runs on a 512MHz processor with 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM, which leads to exceptionally smooth performance.  There is not much in terms of software beyond what we have come to expect from Blackberry devices.  The most notable of which is the DataViz Documents to Go package, and of course Brick Breaker.  Since there is no GPS, there is no Blackberry Maps.  Keep in mind that by the retail launch this may change, and we expect carrier customizations.

Performance and Conclusion:

Callers were pleased with sound quality on the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520, giving us an 8/10 rating.  On our end they were noticeably worse; there was a ton of background static, they sounded very distant and hollow and in general we had a hard time understanding them.  Battery life has not been rated yet, but given RIM’s history and especially from an EDGE device we’d expect a generous talk time.

Overall the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a fine device for what it is.  It may not be the finest in fit and finish, but it brings the best Blackberry features to a low-end device.  The size and weight are good, the display is ample and the optical trackpad brings a bit of innovation.  RIM has some work to do on the Curve’s performance, but if they fix that we don’t see why this device won’t be very popular.


RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 Video Review: