Yeah, those GSM carriers have been offering up RIM's BlackBerry Curve for eons (we're measuring in cellular years, kids), but not until recently have the major CDMA operators in the US been able to scoop up their own. Now that
Alltel,
Sprint and
Verizon all have the
Curve 8330 available to customers, we're interested in seeing an absolute torrent of responses from folks who just aren't entirely satisfied with their new handset. Was it really worth the wait? Is it missing any features that you're just dying to have (like, say, WiFi)? And, be honest, are you jealous of those
AT&T /
T-Mobile users who've already worn the letters from their keypads? Speak your mind, won't you?
posted May 9th 2008 6:30PM
Are you kidding me... I'm the first comment?! W00T!
Any-who... changes...
um.
- Larger screen
- Faster OS
- Video Camcorder (I know it's coming, but I want it now)
- Voice Recorder (see above)
- Better WIFI and Bluetooth Range... all while keeping the battery draw down
- An Accelerometer would be nice
- Oh, last but not least... the ability to turn down the ringer to a volume similar to the pearl... that is when ever I want to cause I might need it really loud some times, but not all the time like it is now.
The 8330 has a video recorder.
Again... WIFI IS NOT (UNDERSCORE IS NOT) NEEDED ON AN EVDO DEVICE ESPECIALLY A DEVICE RUNNING ON REV-A!!
What do you mean WiFi isn't needed on even a Rev a device????
Let's see why wifi would still be useful:
no evdo signal
or wifi would be faster than evdo if the signal isn't the best or depending upon the AP that you're connected to
3. connecting the the local network
4. so we don't have to be raped for wireless internet
5. interface with more devices
6. it's NOT rev A AND CANT BE UPGRADED according to verizon's specs.
7. Wifi is more secure depending upon how you set it up. Put it this way: you can have better security w/ wifi.
im a college student on my family's grandfathered-family plan with sprint currently. i am waiting for the contract to run out in october.
ive been closely watching the smartphone market, seeing whats out there and for how much. i decided a while ago i definitely want to switch to tmobile because their prices seem to be the best, and i absolutely want the hotspot@home add-on. hopefully i can use it on our campus-wifi. this limits me pretty much to blackberries which arent 3g... thats fine.
i can't wait to see the feature set on the new tmobile shadow ii thats supposed to come out soon. blackberry kickstart/pearl are also on my shortlist, but no 3g there. bb 9000 is on my radar.
what i REALLY want, would be an iphone 2, that would be ideal. but no way could i afford it or would it be on tmobile.
the feature-set i want, for a hotspot@home phone (first priority) would be
-hotspot @home is a must
-3g would be very nice for when i get a laptop to tether, but thats not an immediate priority
-gps (i might have to just get a bluetooth garmin/subscription seperately)
-touchscreen (would be great but might be cost prohibitive)
-slinbox slingplayer mobile ability
-3mpx camera/video would be awesome
im really looking into the new shadow or one of the blackberries and adding some gps and slingbox.
@Cycomachead
First off I'm a sprint customer, I use the U720 usb modem which is Rev-A, every airport I have been to has had a sluggish wifi connection, too many people utilizing it. The Rev-A connection had an average speed of 1100Kbps down and 500Kbps up. I have never NOT had an "evdo signal", your are more likely to not have a wifi signal as opposed to a evdo signal. No wifi on trains, can't have seamless wifi connection from city to city because of wifi's very limited range.
To my understanding Sprints BB curve IS able to upgrade to Rev-A. Explain how one can be "raped by wireless or how wifi is more secure than evdo?...
I would make this POS not exist in the first place. Locked carriers FTL.
Having both would be ideal. I didn't say just wifi.
raped by wireless companies: $30 - 45 per month for internet is a lot (even $20 for the iPhone is a lot, but more acceptable)
security: you can control the wifi settings (to an extent) and you have the ability to know the type of network. over wifi (WEP, open, wpa2 (preferred), etc.) Now the open T-Mo hotspot won't be secure but a WPA2 network will in many cases will be.
There's not doubt you'll have a nice evdo connection in big airports - that's where most (80% or something like that) or the signal is around metropolitan cities. Come to my city and the surrounding ones and it's hit or miss on EVDO.
I'm not saying that WiFi is going to keep me connected 24/7 on a cross country trip. Neither will EVDO (rev a or not).
What's important is being able to be connected and being able to afford connectivity.
Also like I said before: it's not rev a s those numbers don't apply.
wow i was almost expecting to see a "how would you change blackberry 9000" thread. but anyways...
1. better internete browser
2. a little less curvy? i think the 8800 looked better.
eh... can't think of anythinig else right now
the curve...less curvey?
that would be ironic
How about booting up in less than a minute instead of 2+ minutes, WiFi, full browser, and 3G (on AT&T's network)
you doo realize the 8330 doesnt work on at&t right?
Its how would we change the CDMA Curve not the GSM ones so leave the GSM comments out.
Also I believe the CDMA version has video recording last I checked.
Also why an accelerometer? That seems really useless...
Yes the CDMA version has video recording and it also can now stream videos from You Tube since it is using the BB OS 4.3. Also CDMA Curve has 3g so GSM can blow me.
Its actually quite nice. When I take my blackberry out of my pocket, it lights up so I can check if I have any texts, calendar events, etc without pushing a button. (Assuming I missed a vibrate, which I almost always due).
- An all black curve, or something similar to the 8800 colour scheme.
- Better camera with Xenon flash
- Better speakers
- Faster CPU
- Bigger screen
- Coloured LEDs underneath trackball
- Dual simcard support
- More internal memory
I dunno..am i asking for too much?
Well everything sounded good but I don't think Dual Simcard Support for a CDMA device would be neither useful nor cost efficient
but sim support/gsm would be useful.
sounds like the perfect phone, too bad that would rape the costs even more than it already did just to buy it
Its nice to have a full keyboard blackberry at least with a camera.
Verizon always gets these phones one year later than the rest of the world.
Not sure wifi would help anything the user experience isnt really web driven. I am unsure why you can not download mp3 attachments and save and play them on the curve. From a website it works fine but through a gmail account it does not work.
GPS for verizon is pretty lame there vznavigator isnt great and for 10bucks a month its not worth it.
But overall I spent like 80 bucks after rebates so its a step up!!! Im in.
aa
Through which carrier did you purchase the phone, and if Verizon, how did you get it down to $80?!
I am upset that because I have Verizon I am supposed to be thrilled about the new release of "old technology" (if judged by AT&T standards) i.e. Blackberry Pearl, Curve, Razr, etc. Still no real iPhone equivalent. If I wasn't on a corporate plan (that fortunately I don't have to pay for) it would lead me to switch carriers without a doubt.
You realize it's not "old technology" when I has faster speeds and the most up to date technology right?
You know what would be awesome? If the screen was a little bigger, saaaayyy a 3.5 inch widescreen display? Ohhh and you know what would be reeaally cool?? If the display was a touchscreen! Like, no buttons, all touch.
Wait a sec.... I think I already have a phone like that.... Oh my goodness, my bad, my iPhone already has those features!
Down, trolling apple fanboy, down!
Good boy.
@Nate - Your iphone doesn't do some stuff that my 4 year old Treo does. MMS and video recording for two. Does it have pre-recorded and threaded txts? I know the Treo is a brick, but for it's age the capabilities are extraordinary. Too bad they stopped innovating.
Dagnabit, you beat me to it. Besides, RIM already has what you're saying in development as we speak. It's going to look like an exact copy of the iPhone and will be named the iBlackBerry 9100. The only thing they can't do it stick an apple logo on it, since that's already copyrighted. I do believe they might stick a logo of a partially eaten blackberry on the front.
RIM's only major problem in development of the iBB 9100 is that they can't figure out how to clone OSX, so they'll just decided to stick iSwish on top of whatever OS they're using on the 9000. RIM figured nobody would notice the difference. A touch screen is a touch screen. As long as you use a finger or two to pop up a menu or navigate a page, for all intents and purposes that's close enough to duplicating an iPhone.
Dont you love receiving pictures on that I phone. ooohhhh nevermind, you cant
i will add an apple logo to it
Maybe release it when it actually comes out on the GSM networks?... Especially since apparently RIM is going to announce the 9000 series BBs at WES...CDMA seems to be inferior...
Unfortunately it seems so. But It really could be worse. CDMA pocketpc's an official generation behind the gsm ones for the most part.
I bought it for the Verizon Coverage and getting my e-mail on the go. For GPS I have my car. For pictures and video I have my Canon Powershot.
While I have GPS in my car also, it's convenient to have it in someone else's car or a rental or when on foot via my Nokia N82. I'd love to have a Blackberry for the e-mail and keyboard, but I just can't give up the option of leaving my camera home when it's inconvenient and using the 5 megapixel shooter with a xenon flash in my phone. Too bad it doesn't do 3G. If I was into conspiracy theories, I'd suspect the manufacturers intentionally won't make a phone that has everything in one package.
1. HTML Email
Yeah, it might be tricky to get HTML email on the BB -- but somehow the competition manages.
2. Better browser
I sure hope the BB9000 videos that mention the browser not being improved are wrong. I'm not sure how long people will put up with the lousy Blackberry browser which takes forever to render and then when it does so often leaves you scrolling like crazy.
I think Blackberry has their work cut out for them in the coming year. The iPhone is going to chip away at their "sweet spot" of hard core corporate users. They need to work hard to at least equal what is being offered in the marketplace.
Most "hard core corporate users" are not going to switch to a device without a physical keyboard. The iPhone is a great consumer device, but its functionality is not focused towards business users.
I've been using the Blackberry since they came out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mas90guru/2269051950/
I started using an iPhone in mid-January. The keyboard is the hurdle. But thinks like push mail, synchronization of contacts and calendars all seem to be coming very soon.
I'm on my way to a conference in DC tomorrow and for the first time ever I'm traveling with a Blackberry on my belt.
This is the trend that I believe RIM needs to be addressing (missing features like browser and html email).
1) take care of the massive memory leak that requires me to take the battery out each and every day in order to prevent the phone from deleting my text messages and call log and/or crashing.
2) give users the ability to delete preloaded media such as themes and ringtones.
3) media player: smaller steps when seeking while playing back large files. currently the tracks are divided in 17 steps, IIRC. when you play a large file, say an hour long mp3, the steps are several minutes long.
4) ability to read media cards larger than 4gb.
My Curve didn't have a memory leak until I installed a bunch of 3rd party programs.
What programs have you installed? That may be the source of your leak.
Haha I'm not sure a lot of these are relevant, since OS v4.6 seems to remedy many of these. If they are able to dump that into the Curve, it might just be that much sweeter of a BlackBerry.
I personally don't like the 9000 so much except for its leather backing. I love the look of the Curve though. So dump OS 4.6 and we have a darned winner that is more winning than the last!
EVDO Rev. A
Definitely Rev. A.
why does it not have it? I heard it is a software upgrade not hardware? so why not available?
Apparently, it's not rev. A upgradable according to the specs.
But verizon's xv6800 is rev a upgradable and the software has been out on sprint and many others for a while now but nothing for vz users. So even if it was upgradable I wouldn't count on it.
i have 8g in mine :). the curve NEEDS a fast forward button for music/videos. the skipping thing in set lengths BLOWS.
thats about it. oh and wife duh (Verizon u mofos u)
i currently listen to music in my car wirelessly through my blackberry's bluetooth a2dp streaming. pure awesome
the video scanning is great with bbos. you can change the skip length by holding the ctrl key when scanning.
Hmm..
replace keypad with Treo 700 replica.
also replace the trackball with the Treo 700 d-pad.
Put WM6.1 in it.
er can Palm please just come up with a thinner, less buggy 700W?
pleaaassseeeee?
1. Hybrid touchscreen (e.g., browsing, navigating) + physical QWERTY keyboard (for entering text)
2. OS 4.6
3. 24-bit (16 million color) display
4. Larger built-in memory
-The number keys are impossible to see
- the number keys don't work w/out Func first in the dumbest fields. Better integration for number fields where only numbers work and vice versa.
-software that will strip meta data off emails like all the graphics place holders...auto strip all graphics in emails so that only the message is showing...even if only junk mail...
-email and SMS should be all part of e-package - charging for SMS text on top of $50/mo internet/email service is BS!!!!
-synchro is a pain - too many dbl entries constantly - my address book has to be cleaned out every couple of weeks for double entries from every time I synch the unit to the PC or to my laptop
Most Canadian providers are still charging an arm and a leg for Data access. Most Canadian providers are CDMA. CDMA phones do not have Wifi. GIVE CDMA PHONES WIFI, RIM, GOD DAMNIT!
I'm with Telus, and my "older" $15 unlimited data on pda/bb is quite affordable. Heck even the current unlimted one for $30 is quite reasonable.
Btw, I love my curve.
things I would add...
-> Evdo rev A .. why is this not on it already?
-> make the scree touch sensitive for gps/web browsing awesomness
-> faster cpu is always nice
-> make a completely black version
-> wifi is nice, but not needed
-> make an external SD slot that doesn't require you to take the battery out!
Speech to text would be pretty cool. I know theres some software out there that do it but not text messaging or unlimited length emails. Reading out an email would be faster that typing it up.
I was not impressed with the Blackberry Curve, it's so freaking slow when doing anything, Menus are hard to navigate, tiny, tiny buttons aren't good for large hands.
Picture quality is good though.
Design is a bit dated, no wi-fi, what were they thinking,
MP3 player sucks, sound quality isn't the best in the world,
Internet browser, or should I say an excuse for one is so slow and glitchy, it becomes almost annoying (keep in mind that I used the PSP browser for about 2 months when I didn't have a computer, and I'm even complaining about the Blackberry one, wow.
Blackberry Blows
I'm returning the Curve
Just thought I would explain why.
Texting, I found the keys of the curve small and I have to chicken peck to use. I also thought the threaded texting, and just texting in general to be barbaric.. even compared to the treo. Its pretty bad when I can text faster and more accurate using the Iphone.
Internet, yes its fast but using the small ball to navigate pages was more of a pain. Its ok for light internet use (which is probally what its ment for). Pages didnt load up like a true html browser, and overall I wasnt impressed. Opera was better then the BB browser, but it still felt outdated compared to other phones.
GPS, well since verizon locked the gps down I wasnt expecting to be very happy with the gps capabilities of the curve. The google maps on the curve compared to the iphone google maps, both using cell phone towers instead of real gps was actually surprisingly different. The iphone got me within a block of my location, the curve had me about 2 miles off. I heard it might be because the iphone also uses wifi spots to pinpoint the location more accurately. The Verzon Navigator isnt even available for the curve yet with no date to when its going to be available. UGH.
price. Ok so I have 450 mins $39, $15 for text, and $30 for data.. I was going to pay $10 more for gps. $95/month. Sprint with its open GPS the same phone with unlimited text (instead of 1500 texts/month) would be $69. ALMOST $30 Plus I get unlimited text????? Thats just crazy.. im not moving to sprint, but seriously, price per month is important since being locked in a contract for 2 years would mean a difference of $720 for the same phone. Also doesn't verizon and sprint share towers/coverage?
Mac Support, or lack off. The mac support/software that comes with the phone and the software on RIM's own website is currently not compatible with the verizon curve. Will it be? No one knows... im sure it will someday, but right now, I cant take that chance. I have 30 days to try out this phone.. actually 15 because I live in California.
Dont get me wrong, I love certain things about this phone.. the camera, the size, and some excellent third party applications like Jivetalk, but when cell phone companies make you sign a contract, and verizon's high cost, I think the user needs to be picky.
Final review score. B- (being returned monday)
Here are some videos of reviews, tests:
Made a quick video just showing off the phone and some of its features.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB3Lf25Me_Y
Which is better for texting? Iphone VS Curve: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II6rRtuZuMk
I have been noticing that the keypad of the curve is really small.. even with my little hands.
Anyone could type that fast on any device if they practice. Given how slow you typed on the curve, I can tell you're not used to it. I can type like a madman on my curve, but you appear to, well, suck at it.
I have heard that it takes practice to get used to the iPhone 'keyboard'. It's pretty easy to see you've has little on the curve. It takes time to get used to any keyboard, big or small, so just practice and get used to it.
Last time I heard, the Guinness Book of World Records listed the fastest texter in the world as some teenage girl. She used a physical QWERTY keyboard device. Until I see that broken by the iPhone, please don't say it's better.
well I understand that, but the physical keys are so small, and closely put together, its just annoying. I also have an env, and that keyboard is perfect. But this is just too small, too cramp and I cant even use my full finger on a key without hitting all the ones around it.
For full html viewing of webpages, get opera mobile for your bb. Works even better than the iphones browser as it wraps text for the screen when you zoom in. BBOS 4.5/4.6 includes an upgraded bb brower that will support full html also.
i can't comment on the 8330 as far as the keyboard, but I can type extremely fast on my 8830, which I still prefer over the curve.
Bring back the color changeable trackball from the original Perl. That was so neat.
I'm half-way serious: a geiger counter
The problem with BB on CDMA is that they use 3 year old processors like the Qualcomm MSM6550 (ARM-6) in the "new" 8330. My 2.5 year old A920 has a comprable chip. I think BB hates CDMA and thats why they can't put a modern ship in their CDMA line-up. I am waiting for Raphael, even a Mogul gives better processing/network abilities.
0) Android
1) Wifi+UMA
2) tethering via Bluetooth DUN, Bluetooth PAN, _AND_ via wifi
3) world phone (CDMA, GSM/EDGE, Euro/Asian WCDMA, AT&T WCDMA, T-MoUSA WCDMA), 2 RUI(?)+SIM card slots plus an ESN number for CDMA networks that don't use the RUI card
4) world peace
5) a (german) chocolate cake
Larger VGA screen.
Don't even know where to start...... But if there are a million things that can be done to improve the 8330. So, I'll only list the top 10
1) processor (at least double it)
2) memory (64mb isn't cutting it)
3) improved screen (vga)
4) updated OS
5) simplified and improved menu (like 9000)
6) wifi with uma access
7) quad band gsm (will allow it to be a true world phone)
8) true html browser (full access to web pages like iphone)
9) better camera (minimum of 3.2mp now)
10) improved battery life
I would include an endless bubba tape dispenser on the side.
i love it, i bought one today and im upgrading from an old 6900 model, the keyboard is a little bit smaller, but the trac ball seems to run very smoothly, the video cam is alright and the sound is amazing.
the sensitivity on the back light could be a little bit better, but it is a good sized screen and overall good pixel quality.
i would give it an 8/10
very nice phone and definitely worth getting
EVDO is enough for internet use and everything but what would REALLY set this phone through the roof is it had WIFI and a native Skype App.
1) fully usable bluetooth
2) fully usable gps
3) easily removable external port for storage media
4) full wireless tethering support
5) a pony
Well...let's just face it...THIS PHONE IS FLAT OUT UGLY!!
No required data plan.
Just picked up the 8330
Some things I don't really like.
(O) No VZW Navigator.
(O) No Mobile IM Program like on the Pearl
(O) Is not Yahoo Go 3.0 or 2.0 Compatible
Any idea if it will it ever be Yahoo Go 3.0 or 2.0 Compatible, or just a matter of thime?
The Curve is a alright device on VZW. In my opinion any device without VZW standard UI on it is great.
I do think it's funny that i went to a VZW store today and got blind sited by sales rep's telling me how cutting edge the curve was until I told him I've carried one for about a year on my other account. He quickly then switched his attention to selling me a Voyager with Mobile TV.
Oh by the way the no VZW phone are going to be Rev A for a while . The extra speeds of Rev A are reserved for air cards. This why they can sell you an $60 air card plan on top of you $45 or $30 a month for an BB or PDA instead of an $15 or $30 tethering plan.
Anyway the Curve needs
REV A on VZW (not going to happen)
Different color option (this one is probable)
World Capabilities on VWZ Sprint
Touch screen (the tract ball takes to long to navigate calendar functions)
Flash camera
Side access to SD slot
HTML Email
Built in GPS
WIFI on VZW
Quicker processor
More internal memory
Obviously if the phone had all these features is would be the size of an brick and cost about 500 with a two year but we can always hope
Needs more cowbell
1) File storage - ability to save document attachments to SD card
2) File transfer - bluetooth or ir to other headset or device
3) Definitely faster processor
4) Better attachment of the rubberized sides (mine always feel like they are loose)
5) voicemail to text service
6) additional video playback formats
7) built in OLED projector for viewing larger documents on a flat surface
Make it Windows Mobile........duh =)
The keys are kind of annoying to press and kinda small, so I guess I would improve the keyboard most of all.
Take off the Verizon Logo and ad G3!!!!
I would put it right in my grubby little hands. I'm still using a 7100t. D:
In my opinion, there is no better smartphone in the U.S Market at this time. It's truely a great phone. However, I'd add:
-> Evdo rev A
-> faster cpu
-> Dark Charcoal/black color
-> External memory card slot, so you don't have to remove the battery
-> You can never have to much memory or battery life.
-> Last, and least, wifi
THANK YOU!!...i was searching for the SD slot forever....and now you pointed out where it was...other users insisted it was on the side....i insisted..."unless it is invisable..."
Now...you have any advice on how to hook up my hotmail properly?
Replace it with Sony's Xperia...
I forgot to add 2 very important items:
-> HTML emails
-> Docs to Go
Check out Opera Mini for a browser for your Curve - www.operamini.com
Symbian people. More innovative, more features, better looking, more reliable. Just get a euro one with no bloatware. Sorry Verizon, Sprint and Alltel you're just gonna have to convert to the WORLDWIDE standard for mobile networks. Verizon = HDDVD AT&T = BluRay
I got one from VZW on Friday. Being a long time customer it only cost me $80. For $80 it's pretty darn cool, cost me less than the Razr V3M it replaced. Comparisons to an iPhone are silly for a number of reasons, #1 being the cost of admission. #2 that it syncs perfectly with my old version of Office XP which an iPhone currently can't do. I need my to do list and everything else.
Changes:
1) Lower plan prices!!! I had to drop my minutes from 1350 to 450 (with unlimited data and texting) to be comparable to my old voice-only plan. The pricing isn't very competitive with AT&T's current Blackberry plans, mostly because of their rollover minutes, and the phone price is comparable even with all of VZW's rebates and renewal credits.
2) The browser in this thing sucks to the point of pure uselessness.
3) No way to configure email pull time intervals from my POP3 account. Sometimes it takes a minute, sometimes it takes 15. Still trying to get my Gmail account to push but it isn't, not sure why.
4) No way to delete or modify the advertising email signature that I can find. If someone knows how to edit that please let me know!
5) VZ Nav wouldn't install from their web site until Saturday. I like it just fine though now that it works, easier to use with much better performance and accuracy than when I ran it on my Razr.
6) Bluetooth problems. It sees my IBM T60 and my T60 sees it but they can't communicate anyway. My 640 Plantronics can't activate voice dialing. The included Bluetooth stereo headset sounds like crap; nobody can hear me. Note that I don't use this thing for music so I don't care about stereo, I just need people to hear me and they can't. Not really a Curve problem just a problem with BT headsets in general, a very sore subject with me.
7) Outgoing audio quality from the microphone isn't great either. Incoming is good but everybody says I sound a bit fuzzy. Every Blackberry I've ever taken a call from is bad in this area so at least I expected it, but they really need to get a grip on it.
8) Blackberry Desktop took a number of tries to install on my IBM T60. You have to use Verizon's CD distribution, the latest on RIM's site will install but won't work with the phone... Typical Verizon. I did find an allegedly updated version on the VZW web site but it won't install at all...
9) Even with my diminished expectations for their 8330 because it didn't cost me very much, the overall experience so far has been a bit rocky. For all their claims about testing causing delays in introducing new phones, the launch of their 8330 isn't going very well.
What I like about it:
Good RF performance. Not all VZW phones are equal in this area but this thing grabs and holds signal well.
It's my first smartphone but not my first PDA. I had a few Palm's before this, but once I get past the learning curve and work around the limitations, I think it'll do me just fine. Did I mention that it only cost me $80? If I paid $400+ for it I would have returned already, given how difficult it's been to setup and learn.
Forgot to mention that the LCD and backlighting should always stay on if plugged into a charging source.
As everyone has been saying, the opera mini browser REALLY improves the performance of this phone.
And the signature can be deleted by logging into the blackberry site from a pc and adjusting the account settings
DJ, I think that Opera Mini does some things better and some things not. You really need both, ultimately, but an iPhone it will never be. That's OK, it's not what I have it for.
There is no way to change the signature through the blackberry.com site on the VZW Curve. I just spent an hour trying and it just ain't there for this particular phone. Can't do it through the Desktop Manager either, which is a pretty awful application all around.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around why a solution this mature and popular is so freakin' difficult to setup. I'm glad Apple is taking RIM on directly, it'll force them to get better. Sooner than later, I hope, for their sake and mine.
1) Faster CPU
2) Firefox Browser
3) HTML email
4) WiFi
5) Unlocked GPS
MAKE A WORLD EDITION!
I would drop the price to zero on the hardware like "SAM'S CLUB" figured out how to do with the PEARL during a roll-out earlier this year...
That is of course if the Manufacturer has sufficient supply and the Distributing Provider Companies don't have any tricks up their sleaves.
i just returned the verizon BB curve today - fantastic piece of hardware, great network, emails show up faster than they do in my outlook/desktop at work. i don't need it to replace a laptop...though i'd suggest a less ridiculously stripped down browser.
unfortunately the synch software is totally buggy. calendar appts and contacts will synch just fine to the device, but the won't synch BACK to my outlook from the device. i discovered this after having a hunch that i'd booked 4 appointments into the same 2 monday slots (one each on device, one each in outlook).
VZW customer service was somewhat helpful, i must say their technical support is exponentially better than anything i ever got from at&t in 5 years.
anyway, there's some kind of synch patch because VZW/RIM discovered the device>outlook calendar bug - but when i downloaded it, the patch totally removed (or hid, or rendered invisible) the BB desktop manager! after spending 3 hours of my biz day accommodating these operational inefficiencies, i decided to roll back my contract and go to t-mobile.
as a manhattan resident, i know plenty of people who swear by t-mobile, sprint, at&t...i'm not a traveling salesman so i think the trial period will be a perfectly acceptable window to validate coverage.