Asked by CBNC at the start of the year about his BlackBerry, Barack Obama replied: “They're going to have to pry it out of my hands.”
As we have since discovered, this was one battle the President won.
At the time many may have marvelled that a mere mobile phone mattered so much to White House occupant number 43.
But now more of us can afford to be afflicted by the cause of his addiction. Because, with the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 RIM have provided, according to Cnet, “a solid, reasonably priced introduction into the world of the CrackBerry.”
“It’s a budget version,” IT Pro acknowledge, “which means compromises in certain areas compared to higher end models.” But, argues Mobile Choice, “don’t let its entry-level status misguide you.” After all, advises Pocket-lint, it’s “still offering the two things that people really get excited about: the keyboard and BlackBerry's email service.”
“At just 106g, it's the lightest BlackBerry yet,” say Knowyourmobile. “A handset that looks smart and stylish and that's comfortable to hold,” confirms PC Advisor. “A slim and efficient little work horse,” agrees Register Hardware.
“The black version looks quite appealing,” acknowledges Cnet. “The purple model looks like baby puke.”
Fortunately few concur with PC Pro that “it certainly feels plasticky, and doesn’t have the ruggedness of Nokia’s similarly priced E71.” Cnet, for example, accept “you can feel it's a less expensive phone, but it still feels solid and sturdy.”
More pertinently, as Knowyourmobile points out, “the keyboard is a joy to use.” “It feels great,” says Pocket-lint, “crisp and precise – exactly the sort of thing you need for bashing out emails.” IT Pro also think “The full QWERTY is, as ever, a must for most corporate users. However,” they add, “we did find the keys a little too small to type with ease.”
Cnet is also of the view “the 8520's real strength lies in its Qwerty keyboard and messaging features. You can set up as many as ten email accounts, and, because the phone supports 'push' email, you'll get messages as they arrive, rather than waiting for your inbox to update itself.”
“The 2.46in 320 x 240-pixel TFT screen seems a little on the small side,” thinks Register Hardware, and it’s “noticeably less sharp and vivid than the one on the Bold 9000” according to IT Pro.
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Even so, says PC Pro, “considering this device’s price, we’re surprised by the quality of the screen.” PC Advisor believes it to be “brighter than an Apple iPhone 3GS's.” What’s more, notes Knowyourmobile, it’s “just as large as on the higher-end devices such as the Bold, and even with its lower-resolution screen, it's equally as crisp, vibrant and clear.”
However “the biggest difference between the 8520 and other devices on the BlackBerry bush is its trackpad,” states Cnet, “which replaces the trackball you may know and love.”
“The touchpad,” as PC Advisor terms the trackpad, “is simply a square hardware button that's highly sensitive.” “But,” says Pocket-lint, “the sensitivity can be changed to your requirements.” “There are,” Knowyourmobile confirms, “nine different speed increments you can set it to, with separate sensitivity for vertical and horizontal scrolling,” adding it “is deceptively easy to use.”
Thankfully, as IT Pro discovered, “push email is incredibly easy to set up, which is imperative for the market this phone is aimed at.” “The phone,” explains Register Hardware, “supports all the usual suspects and more, including Windows Live, Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, ICQ, Yahoo and BlackBerry Messenger, and you can have up to ten email addresses on one account.”
PC Pro thought “some will instantly dismiss the Curve 8520 for internet browsing due to its lack of 3G.” And Cnet was quick to suggest “the lack of 3G support put the brakes on our surfing while we were out and about.”
But, Mobile Choice maintains, “although there’s no 3G, RIM has included on-board Wi-Fi so you’ll still be able to enjoy rapid web browsing as long as you find yourself in a hotspot.”
IT Pro thought “the browser coped admirably with both mobile and full sites,” and PC Advisor found it a big advantage “that you can directly enter a web address and go straight to the site in question. This is far more straightforward than on many devices, which attempt to reroute you to their own portals.”
Regrettably Register Hardware declares “the camera is surprisingly underpowered at 2Mp with no flash, which even on an entry-level smart phone seems a bit paltry these days.” Mobile Choice confesses it’s “never going to win any awards” but, says PC Pro, “it’s fine for snaps in decent light” and, as IT Pro accepts, “the picture is clear enough for basic needs.”
“What is stunning on the BlackBerry 8520 is the battery life,” proclaims Knowyourmobile. “Indeed,” Register Hardware exclaims, “its battery endurance will no doubt interest business users,” noting “call quality was fine.”
Cnet were concerned that “the BlackBerry UI is starting to feel rather dated compared to the jazzy UIs flaunted by bad asses like the HTC Hero.”
Nevertheless, says Pocket-lint, “you'll have access to the BlackBerry App World” which still, says Register Hardware, “has a long way togo to catch up with the iPhone's App Store.” PC Advisor acknowledge “RIM says it now has more than 2,000 approved apps” but, they say, “the one flaw here is that you must have a PayPal account to purchase any.”
In conclusion the experts were largely as one in thinking the Curve 8520 sufficiently compelling to be habit forming.
IT Pro thought “even with its flaws works as a good entry-level device.” PC Advisor assessed it “an impressive piece of telephonic gadgetry for the money.” Pocket-lint professed “it's excellent value for money for what is one of the best mobile email services and mobile keyboards available.”
Knowyourmobile found it “as suitable for messaging moguls as it is for business people who want to combine their work phone with a personal device.”
Mobile Choice enthused: “The youth of today have never had it so good.” Cnet agreed it was “a worthy option for social butterflies, although they may miss having 3G connectivity on-board.”
Alone PC Pro pronounced it “impossible to ignore the omissions of GPS and 3G. Until this price drops in price to match the Nokia E63, both in pay-as-you-go and contract form, we can’t recommend it.”
So, caveats aside, the consensus seems to be that if your obsession is email, you desperately need a full QUERTY keyboard but have no compulsion to know just where you are, and multimedia functionality is only an occasional craving, then the Curve 8520 could be the baby to have you too proclaiming 'Yes, we can'.