How would you change RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8330?
By Darren Murph 
posted May 9th 2008 6:30PM
posted May 9th 2008 6:30PM
posted May 9th 2008 6:30PM
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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.