BlackBerry Curve 8530 is a good choice for first-time smartphone buyers
Verizon offers the smartphone in black or smoky violet and ships with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
Despite being more of an entry-level device, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 comes with a good set of features, more so than its T-Mobile counterpart. As a phone, it offers a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging with threaded chat view. You can also add Verizon's Visual Voice Mail service for an additional $2.99 per month. There's also a link to MyVerizon to get information about your account, such as voice and data usage, account balance, and features. Other Verizon services available on the Curve 8530 include VZ Navigator, V Cast Music, and VZ Navigator.
The phone's address book is only limited by the available memory and has room in each contact file for multiple numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo, group ID, and/or custom ringtone. A shortcut to VzwTones is loaded on the device so you can download more ringtones to your device. Aside from the address book, other personal information management tools available on the Curve 8530 include a calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, and a calculator.
The Curve 8530 is Bluetooth-friendly with support for mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets, hands-free kits, audio/video remote, serial port, and dial-up networking. Unlike the T-Mobile version, the Curve 8530 has GPS/A-GPS, 3G, and Wi-Fi. We're certainly happy to see Verizon bringing more Wi-Fi-equipped devices to its lineup as it provides another way of getting online. Now, if only RIM would release a better BlackBerry browser with easier navigation and more features to complete the package. The smartphone is running BlackBerry OS 5.0, however, so there are some slight improvements to the browser, such as quicker page rendering and speed improvements because of faster JavaScript and CSS processing.
As with all BlackBerry models, messaging is the Curve 8530's strongpoint. It can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server, offering support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. The smartphone also comes preloaded with several instant-messaging clients, including Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, Google Talk, and BlackBerry MessengerRead full review
