Refined? Yes. Exciting? Not so much. With the BlackBerry Curve 8530 ($99.99 through Verizon Wireless with two-year contract), RIM has tweaked one of the top-selling smart phones over the last year and a half. Like the older Curve 8330, you still get a spacious keyboard, long battery life, reliable push e-mail, and a pocket-friendly design. But the 8530 adds such welcome enhancements as Wi-Fi, an optical trackpad, and a zippier processor (no more spinning hourglass). On the other hand, the 8530 lacks the sleeker interface of the identically priced HTC Droid Eris, and it brings up the rear when it comes to Web surfing. This is amazing hitech products.
Is this sleek successor worth the upgrade, or should you step up to the classier BlackBerry Tour? And how does the new Curve stack up to Verizon’s Android devices?
Design and Keyboard.
The Curve 8530 definitely looks more modern than its predecessor. Decked out in a glossy black plastic case (also available in violet), this smart phone has a streamlined aesthetic. We especially like the rubberized soft-touch finish on the top, sides, and part of the back, which makes the 8530 easy to grip. RIM also integrated media controls on the top of the device so you can change tracks or pause playback at any time.
On the front you’ll notice the biggest change compared to the 8330: an optical trackpad that replaces the trackball. This addition took some getting used to, but in general navigating menus was simple, and we like that there’s no risk of lint mucking up the works. Flanking the trackpad are four buttons (Back, Call, End/Power, and Menu) that are flush with the device. These buttons were responsive but feel a bit cheap compared to the cushier ones found on the Tour.
Weighing 3.7 ounces and measuring 0.6 inches thin, the 8530 definitely feels lighter than the 4.6-ounce Tour, and is even lighter than the older 4.0-ounce Curve 8330. However, the Tour feels more substantial (in a good way) and luxurious overall, complete with a metallic border. We also couldn’t help but notice that the keyboard backlight and display were dimmer on the Curve 8530 than the Tour.
Speaking of the keyboard, the 8530’s layout is very similar to that of the 8330. We still appreciate the generous amount of space between keys here, even if the keys themselves felt a bit stiff and were loud. Some may prefer the cushier, quieter layout on the pricier Tour, but its keys are also closer together.
Display and User Interface
Like its predecessor, the 8530 features a 2.5-inch display with 320 x 240 pixels, but the interface eschews the 8330’s colorful menu icons for RIM’s minimalist line-drawing icons. Some people like it, but we’re not fans of this approach because it’s often difficult to tell at a glance what’s what on the menu screen. We’re also not sure why there are separate options for things like Downloads and Applications. The BlackBerry OS needs a new makeover.
The Tour has the same confusing UI, but at least it has a brighter display with a higher resolution (480 x 360), which makes text more crisp and fits more info and images on the screen at once.
Source : http://www.laptopmag.com/review
Is this sleek successor worth the upgrade, or should you step up to the classier BlackBerry Tour? And how does the new Curve stack up to Verizon’s Android devices?
Design and Keyboard.
The Curve 8530 definitely looks more modern than its predecessor. Decked out in a glossy black plastic case (also available in violet), this smart phone has a streamlined aesthetic. We especially like the rubberized soft-touch finish on the top, sides, and part of the back, which makes the 8530 easy to grip. RIM also integrated media controls on the top of the device so you can change tracks or pause playback at any time.
On the front you’ll notice the biggest change compared to the 8330: an optical trackpad that replaces the trackball. This addition took some getting used to, but in general navigating menus was simple, and we like that there’s no risk of lint mucking up the works. Flanking the trackpad are four buttons (Back, Call, End/Power, and Menu) that are flush with the device. These buttons were responsive but feel a bit cheap compared to the cushier ones found on the Tour.
Weighing 3.7 ounces and measuring 0.6 inches thin, the 8530 definitely feels lighter than the 4.6-ounce Tour, and is even lighter than the older 4.0-ounce Curve 8330. However, the Tour feels more substantial (in a good way) and luxurious overall, complete with a metallic border. We also couldn’t help but notice that the keyboard backlight and display were dimmer on the Curve 8530 than the Tour.
Speaking of the keyboard, the 8530’s layout is very similar to that of the 8330. We still appreciate the generous amount of space between keys here, even if the keys themselves felt a bit stiff and were loud. Some may prefer the cushier, quieter layout on the pricier Tour, but its keys are also closer together.
Display and User Interface
Like its predecessor, the 8530 features a 2.5-inch display with 320 x 240 pixels, but the interface eschews the 8330’s colorful menu icons for RIM’s minimalist line-drawing icons. Some people like it, but we’re not fans of this approach because it’s often difficult to tell at a glance what’s what on the menu screen. We’re also not sure why there are separate options for things like Downloads and Applications. The BlackBerry OS needs a new makeover.
The Tour has the same confusing UI, but at least it has a brighter display with a higher resolution (480 x 360), which makes text more crisp and fits more info and images on the screen at once.
Source : http://www.laptopmag.com/review
1 comments:
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 has 3G and GPS support, which the T-Mobile version did not. The compact smartphone also offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera.
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