In a nutshell: Smaller than the Bold, but packing
in nearly as many features, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is one of
our all-time favourite BlackBerries. Ideally-sized, with a brilliant
QWERTY keypad and a hi-res screen, this is an almost perfect device
for mobile email. Other top features include a 3 megapixel camera
with autofocus, a video camera, a music player, GPS, a heavy duty
battery, WiFi, and plenty of memory. The only significant thing
missing is 3G. Best buy:
*Free* from Vodafone
or O2.
Review:
February 2009.
The BlackBerry 8900 is the latest in the BlackBerry
Curve series, and is one of the best BlackBerries ever. Its name
suggests that it slots into the BlackBerry range just below the
BlackBerry Bold, but although
it lacks 3G, in some ways its even better than the Bold.
Like the others in the Curve series, the 8900 features
a full 35-key QWERTY keypad with a trackball. It looks almost identical
to the Bold, except that it's smaller and lighter, making it about
the same weight as many ordinary mobiles, and compact enough to
fit easily into a jacket pocket, or even into a jeans pocket. This
fact alone makes it into a much more mainstream device than the
old Curves or the Bold.
Before we start our review proper, let's just take
a moment to admire the ergonomics and construction of the 8900.
Unboxing the 8900, you can't help but admire the build quality of
the device - it just feels so solid and well constructed. Unlike
so many phones, taking the back off to insert the sim card and battery
is so easy. The keys are admittedly small, but they move crisply
and anyone with fingers in the normal size range for a Homo Sapien
should have no problem with them at all. You can even use it single-handedly.
The trackball is just like with previous BlackBerries - some love
it, some are less keen. We aren't 100% in favour of the trackball,
but it does the job.
Let's move on to the display next. It's enormous!
At 2.44 inches across and a resolution of 480 x 360 pixels, this
is just the kind of screen that we need when reading emails or browsing
the web (not to mention viewing photos or watching videos.) This
screen matches the iPhone 3G and outperforms just about anything
else in existence. The menus are reasonably simple too, and once
you've got used to the trackball and the overall size of the device,
you'll find that the 8900 is almost the perfect phone, ergonomically
speaking. For us, it's the closest that BlackBerry have ever come
to perfection. Just a little more work on the menus and a smoother
trackball, and it would be 100%.
Now, of course, the key selling point of a BlackBerry
is email on the move, and the 8900 doesn't disappoint. There's little
difference here with previous BlackBerries, so we'll just reiterate
that the BlackBerry implementation of mobile email is the best in
the business. It is compatible with virtually all email standards.
It also supports attachments, with a viewer and editor for Microsoft
Office documents. Combining this with the huge screen and the QWERTY
keyboard means that you get the best mobile email experience currently
available. It's also a brilliant environment for text messaging.
But the 8900 does a lot more than just mobile messaging.
For one thing, it has the best camera to appear on any BlackBerry
to date. With 3.2 megapixels, a LED flash and autofocus, it's the
same quality as the camera on the BlackBerry
Storm, and outperforms even the camera on the Bold. It may not
be an 8 megapixel replacement for a digital camera, but it will
produce excellent print quality images, and is a very welcome addition.
It marks one more way in which the 8900 Curve is almost a mainstream
handset. The phone has a media player too, of course, and with features
like playlists, shuffle and organising by artist and album, it's
a very usable MP3 player. It's very loud too! The 3.5mm headphone
jack allows you to plug in any compatible headset, in addition to
the one supplied. You can also use a stereo Bluetooth headset if
you prefer. With a 1GB microSD card supplied as part of the sales
package, and the potential to expand this to 16GB, you certainly
won't be short of storage for music or videos. The video player
works well too, with support for DivX & XviD, and flicker-free
playback on the high quality LCD display. There are even 5 games
included (from Sudoku to BrickBreaker), although we didn't get round
to testing these (all work, no play at Mobile Phones UK!) There
is also built-in GPS, so you can find your current location, and
this can be used with the BlackBerry Maps application.
The 8900 has a full choice of connectivity options,
including Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, USB and WiFi. The
WiFi connection is very easy to set up, and lets you access email,
the web, or data on your PC. This is probably the best way to make
use of the built-in web browser.
The 8900 has a whopping heavy duty battery, which
contributes to its weight quite significantly, but gives it plenty
of power to last even with heavy use. You can recharge it from the
mains or via a USB cable on your PC.
The 8900 is a quadband phone, which means that
you can use it worldwide, and usefully it is provided with an international
charger too, so no worries about forgetting to pack your travel
socket. But the one feature that is very obviously missing is 3G.
The Bold has 3G, the Storm has 3G, so why not the 8900? For some
this may be a show stopper, and it certainly is a pity to have to
rely on 2G data transfer with a device this powerful.
Finally, it's worth pointing out just what a polished
device the Curve 8900 is. As well as the physical build quality,
the usability factor is very high, with the 8900 being the latest
in a mature evolution of business devices. Unlike some competitors,
there's very little about the 8900 with a "beta" feeling.
Nice features include the wide choice of ringtones and alerts (both
audio and visual), the wealth of status indicators on the home screen
(e.g. missed calls, unopened messages, connection status, and calendar
alerts.)
This is definitely one of our favourite BlackBerries
of all time. The 8900 really is an accomplished multimedia device
and can become a one-stop shop for communication, music, media,
photography, web browsing and GPS too. Oh, if only it had 3G! Apart
from the missing 3G, this really is the best BlackBerry of all time.
Connectivity: WLAN, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, USB,
RIM wireless modem, 3.5mm stereo headset port
Memory: 128 Mbytes plus 1GB microSD memory card
(up to 16GB)
Size: 109 x 60 x 13.5 mm
Weight: 110g
Quadband GSM (1900/1800/900/850 MHz)
Talktime: 5.5 hours
Battery standby: 356 hours
BlackBerry
8900 Consumer Reviews
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Reviewed by Patrick from Ireland on
7th Nov 2009
This phone is brilliant for sure. It has everything I need and more.
100% Rating:
Reviewed by lk from dyu on 7th
Nov 2009
FROTH! Rating:
Reviewed by Oman Rohman Rochim from
Indonesia on 6th Nov 2009
I love Blackberry Curve (Javelin) 8900, it will be more excellent
Smartphone if built in with 3G as well as optical pointing device
instead the old stone age of trackball. Rating:
Reviewed by David from Scotland on
28th Oct 2009
I have had this BB for about 3 months and it is excellent. So good,
in fact, that I bought one for my mum and she is now a "Crackberry"
addict too! I use it for work and play. The push email is excellent,
sometimes arriving on my BB before my desktop at work! My wife has
an iPhone 3G which is also excellent and was better for Facebook
until the new Facebook App was released for BB last week. I have
had a couple of "General Service Error"s, but a battery pull (and
10 minute wait) sort it out. Battery life is much, much, much better
than the iPhone! Great screen, intuitive menus, decent camera and
useable video camera. No phone is perfect, but this is very close!
Highly recommended. 5*. Rating:
Reviewed by Winston from Zanzibar, Tanzania
on 19th Oct 2009
Excellent phone, I like it very much. Rating:
Reviewed by Tony from UK on 17th
Oct 2009
I had this phone for approx three weeks before the "General Service
Error" started got fed up returned it and accepted a Nokia E63 and
have not looked back (3g, WiFi and free push mail) no gps but thats
what the one fitted to the car is for. Rating:
Reviewed by Dee from UK on 12th
Oct 2009
Like all Blackberries, this phone is pointless unless you want to
subscribe to the extortionate Blackberry push system, all other
makers allow you pick up mail for FREE, yes you have to 'pull' mail
with others rather than have it pushed to you, but are you really
that crazy to pay for the difference? Also when you have a probelm
Balckberry will not help, the simply refer you to online forums
(so the opther suckers who have had the same problem end up supporting
you) or wait for it - you can PAY (yes PAY!) for an 'indicendt'
to be investigated. We should all rebel and take our business elsewhere. Rating:
Reviewed by Nadine from UK on
10th Oct 2009
Received mine two days ago: setting email a doddle and have experienced
no problems with call dropping, 'white screen of death', freezing
etc as I have with my sony c902. Would definitely recommend this
phone to anyone, no longer the perception that if you have a business
you need a Blackberry. Anyone can have it! Takes some getting used
with regard to typing etc but after say 1 day's use you are fine.
Great features and looks fantastic. Highly highly recommend. Lack
of 3G is not even an issue to worry about. Rating:
Reviewed by Carl Johnson from England
on 5th Oct 2009
Great phone, one downfall, break esily. i put down the phone from
a call and tried making one myself, a message popped up saying 'general
service report: generaly error!' and from then i could not make/recieve
calls or texts. whenever people tried phoning me it went staright
to answer phone, twice this has happened in a month with two brand
new phones. and RIM tried making me pay for a replacement Rating:
Reviewed by lee from UK on 3rd
Oct 2009
This is a top class phone, had a bold and now this one, this just
beats the bold in my opinion, camera slightly better, slightly smaller
in your pocket, this phone is brilliant you get your emails delivered
straight to you as well as facebook messages/updates, can sync your
music from your i tunes library, the two minus points is there is
no 3G, limited applications from blackberry to download, but top
phone buy it!!! Rating:
Reviewed by andrew foster from england
on 27th Sep 2009
i have had mine for three months the email is great and the build
very good.I was a nokia fan but the blackberry is better.The only
thing i find is that if you send ring tones or files to other phones
you have to synic it with your phone first and you have to be in
that aplcation first. Rating:
Reviewed by Jamie from UK on
26th Sep 2009
The biggest pile of junk ever. Nothing but problems - I've had mine
replaced 3 times, and Orange have now given me a HTC Touch 3g instead.
Fingers crossed that'll be better!!! It constantly restarts, writing
a text or email, whilst on the phone or even when doing nothing!!
I've had 3 other Blackberry's and they've been perfect, but this
is the biggest pile of junk I've ever seen. Orange tried to palm
me off with a 9000, but their technical support guy told me that
this has more problems than the 8900!! Never ever ever buy one of
these phones!! Rating:
Reviewed by starkiss from UK on
21st Sep 2009
In Response to Biggal86. You need to go to your media icon, within
there go to options and chose "receive using bluetooth" then pair
the device. There you go bobs your uncle frannys your aunt. [Reply
by GVS on 18th November 2009: A big thanks for the advice on file
transfer using Bluetoth - could never work out how to do it til
I read your post! Teh BB Curve is a GREAT phone by the way!] Rating:
Reviewed by Mick from UK on 19th
Sep 2009
I'm confused with the review from pzzaz. I've been using my 8900
since January of this year and have never missed a call due the
the vibration not being strong enough. I'm running software version
4.6.1.250. Perhaps the earlier versions were not as good. That aside,
the device is excellent and I cannot fault it in any way. I would
never go back to a traditional phone that's for sure. Highly recommended
100%. Rating:
Reviewed by Biggal86 from UK on
19th Sep 2009
Ok,,,how much am i lovin the BB Curve 8900 right now....i cannot
leave it alone for 5 mins!!! Only thing that is frustratin me is
I still av loads of pics n music on my old fone to transfer and
I cannot seem to bluetooth it cos it keeps sayin fail...if any1
knows what i can do then thatd b a great help!! Rating:
Reviewed by pzzaz from UK on
17th Sep 2009
If you want a phone that vibrates DO NOT GET this one.Its vibration
is so weak it is unnoticeable! RIM is misleading people by saying
it has a vibrating alert. It's vibration is anything but alerting.
I usually have my phone in my pocket and always get notified by
its vibration. With this one I had a ton of missed calls. I returned
it the next day. If you don't require a vibrating alert then I guess
this is a good smartphone. Rating:
Reviewed by Maxine from Chichester,
UK on 15th Sep 2009
Love this phone, it's brilliant for texting and emails. Strongly
recommend. Rating:
Reviewed by Shane from UK on
9th Sep 2009
In a nutshell, excellent! I could not cope without my 8900. Rating:
Reviewed by MissCheeky from UK on
9th Sep 2009
I got this phone two weeks ago and can't put it down, it's the best
phone I have ever had. I have always had sony ericssons and was
a bit aprehensive about getting this one but my friends have it
and they were all raving about it. Its got some great features the
Wi Fi drains the battery a bit and the phone doesnt vibrate and
ring both at the same time, it vibrates and then rings which is
something I thought blackberry would have thought about. Overall
this is a great phone, I highly recommend it, it is packed with
the latest techonology and is great for work and play. The sound
quality is great too. I was a bit slow with the qwerty keypad but
you soon get used to it. So if you are waiting to upgrade your phoen
I would recommend the blackberry curve it's the best phone on the
market. Rating:
Reviewed by B from UK on 9th
Sep 2009
LOVE IT! Takes a day or two to get used to if you haven't had a
Blackberry before but now I dont know how I survived without it!
Tried the iphone and many others and this beats them all, particularly
if you do a lot of typing. You always see celebrities with them
and now I know why! Rating:
Reviewed by Brad from Brighton, UK on
6th Sep 2009
I would echo Josh's comments to the letter. Rating:
Reviewed by Josh Graham from United
Kingdom on 3rd Sep 2009
I have had this phone for 6 months now, for me I have had no problems.
Extremley happy with this phone. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. Rating:
Reviewed by Minty from Scotland on
6th Aug 2009
Had this phone for nearly a month now, in a word fantastic. Ive
had alsorts of phones in the past, none of them come close to this.
I took me a couple of hours to get used to it. Ihad a go with an
Iphone, but it wasnt for me. Once you have mastered the trackball
its a doddle to navigate with. Rating:
Reviewed by bex from england on
1st Aug 2009
have put up with this phone for 6 weeks now of an 18mnth contract,ive
had 3 replacement phones and 1 replacement simcard,as the problem
i am getting with it is it keep cutting out and breaking up on calls
its terrible i love the phone to dont get me wrong but this is terrible
icant put up with it much longer its driving me up the wall,i know
of 5 other people who are having other problems with their phone
too ,,,please blackerry sort it out,i wouldnt suggest any 1 go for
this phone until theyve ironed out these problems Rating:
Reviewed by nj from indonesia on
30th Jul 2009
I purchsed blackberry 8900 in one of the handphone shop! I using
about 1 months ago, I like it v much with the design n v small and
easy to use But but got 1 problem it ll restart itself or like to
hang!! My memory still got a lot space How to prevent it ll hang
or restsrt it?? I need help or any advice?? Tq Rating:
Reviewed by Lu from Midlands on
24th Jul 2009
I had a BB 8900 Curve for 10 days and the trackball broke. T Mobile
kindly replaced it. I've had this one now for a month and the trackball
again has broken. Then, this morning the speaker has gone on it.
It wont ring, play music, it doesnt make a noise if a message comes
through, speakerphone doesnt work neither does the alarm. Awful!
I should have listened to family & friends about BB's. This was
my 1st and last BB. Back to good old Sony's. Rating:
Reviewed by Rosie from Scotland on
21st Jul 2009
I got this phone 4 days ago and literally have not been able to
put it down - I am about to get in so much trouble at work! Where
to start?! This is my first Blackberry and before I had a look at
it up and running in the shop, wasn't convinced about shape/size
etc. But as soon as I saw it on and working, I loved it - the look
and shape, it looks so much more sexier and expensive than any other
phone I have seen. The screen is brilliant quality, I have loaded
a few videos on to it and the clarity is amazing. The keypad - I
got used to it about 30 seconds after using it! The roller ball,
I don't mind it at all, and I am really surprised at how many people
don't like it, maybe I like it because mine works properly, not
100% accurate but near enough. The camera is good too - and excellent
quality for just a 3.2. I love, love, love getting emails straight
to my phone just like a text, that and facebook alerts. I haven't
checked my mail on a computer since I got the phone - I haven't
needed to. I am not going to go on and on - the whole phone overall
is the best phone I have ever had, easy to use, I love that you
can change your font style and size too - a nice little feature
there. I have a 2gb memory card so I have lots of music on it, and
again, sound quality is excellent. I did however have to go back
into the shop the next day to get them to set up my internet etc
properly as I could only get access through my wifi hub connection
at home. But there was some problem on the Blackberry-Orange site
which was promptly sorted for me. I really can't think of anything
bad to say about this phone. As I said at the top of this review,
this is my first Blackberry, and I will never go back to anything
else now. Rating:
Reviewed by Babeee from UK on
19th Jul 2009
I avern't got the phone...but read the reviews (mostly outstanding)
And seen the phone itself...And - LOVE IT!!!! Its abit expensive
but by october it may av gone down! Fingers crossed! Rating:
Reviewed by Chris P Bacon from London,
UK on 17th Jul 2009
Got this phone last week and haven't been able to put it down since.
It's awsome in every way and it has a screen to die for. I cannot
understand some of the poor reviews below because it really is a
great phone with all the features you need. I appreciate it doesn't
have 3g but it does have wi-fi and the email is brilliant. You really
will not be disapointed. go on... go buy one. Rating:
Reviewed by George from UK on
14th Jul 2009
Nice phone, excellent for emailing and texting. I just wish I had
gone down the BlackBerry route sooner. In a nutshell, a brilliant
piece of kit. Rating:
Reviewed by ronnie size from gipsieland
on 13th Jul 2009
well,just illusion.no good signal,no 3G,horrible battery when you
use phone hard.freezing constantly.piece of rubbish,like all blackberrys.this
my second,but finally last blackberry. Rating:
Reviewed by Joe from UK on 7th
Jul 2009
Ok so, I got the BB curve 8900 as an upgrade from Orange and sent
it back after two days. The phone was functioning fine and I liked
the look and feel of the whole thing.. The two gripes I have are
the track ball and the key pad. The track ball seems to me so fragile
and sometimes doesn't register at all. The key pad moves around
and isn't stuck to the device... It all just seemed a little tacky
and badly put together, plus no 3G and only 1 gig of memory (I think
that might be orange)!!!! I've read so many reviews from this site
and really can't make up my mind as what will replace the curve.
I think we all have to remember that there's a war going on in the
mobile phone world. There doesn't seem to be many phone companies
at the moment who're willing to really test their phones before
release (maybe the exception is Apple??). All iphones seem to have
so many really bad glitches.. Or maybe it's a mix of manufacturer
and network blunders?? Really am thinking of just sticking to a
simple function mobile that texts and calls and lugging the laptop
around instead.... Rating:
Reviewed by Enie from Indonesia on
28th Jun 2009
I really love my Javelin 8900. I had it on March 09 until now. It's
no big deal the Javelin doesn't have 3G. It helps me to connect
internet, push email, FB, YM & BlackBerry Messenger. I am just satisfied
with my 1st BlackBerry that I ever had!! Rating:
Reviewed by Bob from UK on 26th
Jun 2009
My second dreadful experience of a Blackberry after 3 years of bliss
with a Palm Treo. What a nightmare to set up!!! My wife has an ipod
touch (not an iphone). she downloaded an app and within 3 minutes
had synched her mail. The Blackberry is specifically designed to
do this. (Buy a normal mobile if you don't want this feature) Yet
setting it up to do this reliably is awkward and slow and needs
some it knowledge. You can tell its been designed by IT geeks. It
has nothing of the simplicity or user friendliness of a nokia or
samsung. even changing the tones is hidden away. i'm sure once its
up and working it will be ok, but really, you guys at blackberry
could learn a lot from buying and using a Palm Treo for a while!! Rating:
Reviewed by MarkC from UK on
7th Jun 2009
I have had this phone for about 2 months now, I didnt want to do
a review without having to properly live with it for a while. Previously
I have had normal phones and this is my first internet / email phone.
Starting externally the phone is of a reasonable size easliy fitting
into your pocket. The key pad is big enough and the buttons have
good definition that even i can work them with either my finger
tips or finger nail however the key pad does have some play in it,
that may anoy some people but it doesnt bother me. The track ball
works fine but is a little delicate again it feels like it is loose,
as it is almost too easy to scroll. Sometimes when pressing the
track ball to select an item the ball will rotate slightly due to
it being loose and you end up selecting a different item. To get
round this i highlight the item on the screen i want then press
enter on the keypad, this works 90% of the time. Screen is good
quality and can show detail from webpages if your eyes are good
enough to read it you can do without zooming in and out on many
web pages as the definition is fantastic. Getting used to pressing
the blackberry button to access menues, options etc did take a few
days to get used to to but now it is second nature. Speaker is clear
and can be used as a speaker phone, but at full volume it gets very
crackly and aint much use. (i thought this was a defect in my handset
so i got it replaced, the replacement was the same, i guess it is
design feature to make you go and buy a proper hands free kit and
not wear out the phone speaker). Use as a phone is great quick access
to phone book, easy to use. Internet use is fine, edge vs HSPDA
who cares, it works good enough for me. I have raced webpage loading
with an iphone the 8900 was only a few seconds slower to load the
website. Email blackberrys were built for email and it works brilliantly
the 8900, it has almost replaced my laptop for email access. Battery
life is a little dissapointing based upon the figures above 356
hours standby, thats just not possible. I have enabled auto on-off
so it turns itself off overnight, i dont have bluetooth or wifi
turned on unless i am using them, and i only talk on it about 30
mins a day, doing this i get about 3-4 days from a full charge.
This is not bad perfromance considering my previous phone what was
a basic phone and only lasted 3-4 days as well. I bought this phone
for the following features, making phone calls, email and a some
internet, it performs those functions excellently. You can do more
with it by downloading apps but I am not interested in that, as
it is a business tool and not a toy. I would recommend this phone
to anyone who wants the above features. Rating:
Reviewed by emma from newport,s wales
on 31st May 2009
im so glad to have another blackberry,had the pearl before and loved
that,now got this beauty and will definately stick with blackberry
from now on. Its easy to use and anything your unsure of you can
check the help bit out within the phone,kind of like internal manual.
im quite impressed with the camera,more than adequate,lovely to
txt on(main reason i got another bb)got loads of apps like the usual
facebook,msn etc. the only thing is as im with t mobile,it takes
a while b4 getting emails then i only get the selcted few,and i
cant always use the web on it if not in wifi area as its either
very slow or says unavailable, the battery is okay,have had better,
other than that i love this phone and like the fact not everyone
u see has this phone so it turns heads a bit more than usual sony's
and nokia. love it,want it go and buy it Rating:
Reviewed by Bad Attitude from USA on
31st May 2009
Love it,instint wifi connect,fast upload/download GPS is awesome
google search is graet weather anywhere you want to check sports
all on fast web search. Great mp3 Rating:
Reviewed by Mike Mahoney from England
on 27th May 2009
It took me several weeks of research and looking at reviews before
taking a 'leap of faith' and going for the Blackberry 8900. I had
previously only ever used my phones for talk and text and had always
had Nokia or Sony Ericcson and I was worried whether I would be
happy in using the Blackberry as a phone. Well, I didn't need to
worry. I am absolutely not technical when it comes to phones but
it has only taken me a few days to get used to the Blackberry and
now it is second nature. And I am now making use of so much more
on the phone than I thought I would. Unlike others on this site,
I have had no issues whatsoever with it 'only being a 2G' phone.
Even in the worst signal areas I am able to connect to the internet
very quickly. Also, even with the huge amount of playing around
with it in the first few days, the battery life is brilliant (without
having to turn off wi-fi) and the roller ball is great to work with
and will last the life of the phone. When you add to this beautiful
build quality and a fantastic screen this is a phone I have become
completely hooked on. I must say that my local O2 shop were absolutely
great (and patient) in getting me to understand everything about
the phone and how to set various things up and took 2 hours in making
sure I was happy with it. Maybe this is why I've not had the problems
of one or two others, but these seem to be very isolated and unlucky
cases to me. I would unhesitatingly recommend the 8900 to anyone
- but beware because you will be charmed by the Blackberry. Rating:
Reviewed by Ahmad Fadhil from Indonesia
on 18th May 2009
well, very pity about a missing 3G on 8900. Rating:
Reviewed by Laura from England on
9th May 2009
This is the worst phone I've ever had! 1). the battery kept dying
and no amount of charging would resolve the problem 2). The camera
phone kept freezing so couldn't take pictures 3). Has an annoying
message that comes up every time I get a text saying my sim card
is full up, even when I delete a lot of messages off and I don't
know why it doesn't save some of it to the phone. 4). The roller
ball doesn't work properly so I can't scroll to the right. 5). The
text message part is weird and the automatic spell checker will
change the word to what it likes even if the spelling is correct
on certain words. I bought it on the strength of the good reviews
on this site and I'm very disappointed with it. I'm taking back
to the shop on Monday as I've only had it 3 months. Rating:
Reviewed by Jaz from UK on 28th
Apr 2009
Great phone. Had a issue witb battery life like most people however
have worked out the tricks. Firstly turn off wi-fi if you are not
using it, press the mute button (top right) for a 1 sec and this
will double your phone memory [Editor's comment: you mean battery
life?]. While in standby you still get textx, calls etc Rating:
Reviewed by James from UK on
28th Apr 2009
Decent device, not ground breaking. Good at email, nice solid design,
but no 3G so slow browsing etc Rating:
Reviewed by Richard Lewis from Banbury,
UK on 27th Apr 2009
Funnily enough I'm writing this on my 8900. I loved the term Crackberry
because that sums this phone up perfectly, I can't put the thing
down. Initially I was a little disappointed about the lack of 3G
but in practice its not a big deal. I was looking at getting an
iphone but felt it was a bit poncy, the Curve on the other hand
is a robust utility device. It also bucks the touchscreen trend
which many modern phones seem to be for the sake of it. I highly
recommend this phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Richard from England on
26th Apr 2009
Got one of these for my wife yesterday to use at work. What a brilliant
phone! Had it all setup and browsing internet throught wifi within
10 minutes. I don't need one for email but think I'll get one anyway
I'm so impressed!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Harj from London on
25th Apr 2009
Just got the phone on o2 a update. O2 was cheeking enough to give
me a second hand phone. However i was switched on to work this out
and reported it out to o2 who provied me with a replacement and
have me a New one. Very good phone. Missing GPS for internet. Internet
is not the best, however love the phone Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from UK on 23rd
Apr 2009
outstanding!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Gary from UK on 21st
Apr 2009
I have now been using this phone for six weeks and can honestly
say it is the best phone I have ever had. It has everything I need
and more. I just wish I had migrated over to a BlackBerry sooner.
Well done RIM and keep up the good work! 100% Rating:
Reviewed by Rayan from uk on
20th Apr 2009
i was useing nokia phone last 14 years & i had use about models
of nokia phones on that 14 years.i didnt change my brand. i just
bought this Blackberry 8900 phone ,i really love it its very User
Friendly and nokia didnt even Think about this kind of Tecknowledge......
Rating:
Reviewed by Felix Gonzales from United
States on 17th Apr 2009
sounds like either you got paid to blow all that sunshine up our
you know whats, about this product or are going to get paid. I haddle
all the complaints for our users and I can't begin to tell you the
nightmare it has been trying to resolve the issues that we have
encountered with this new 8900 device so much so that the first
device was replaced and this second unit is not doing much better.
the device would have error messages then lock up and the battery
would have to be removed just to get it going again and this would
happen constantly. Then emails would not arrive timely. we've spent
a lot of money with our IT people following the proceedure given
to us by BBrim and T-Mobile and still we have problems. Now don't
get me wrong the unit that the 8900 replaced had some issues so
we replaced it, but they were nothing comapred to what we are going
thru with this 8900. these problems began in 3/12/09 and continue
to present. and when you are a professional you can't be expected
to be dealing with problems with your com device on a continual
basis. It just does not make sense. Rating:
Reviewed by Matt Field from England
on 16th Apr 2009
Just got this phone yesterday and I'm completely sold on it - I
regret not switching to BlackBerry sooner! I got it purely for =personal
use - I'm a student - and it doesn't disappoint! The battery life
is stunning: after a full charge overnight, I've been calling/texting/browsing
like crazy and I've only lost 15% battery. The camera is surprisingly
good considering it's only a 3.2MP, and the images come through
crisp and are perfect for quick snaps if you're not concerned with
blowing them up to epic proportions. All in all, it's a seriously
good piece of kit and I highly recommend it to any student out there. Rating:
Reviewed by Becky from England on
10th Apr 2009
I am new to blackberry's but was attracted to the 8900 because of
all it's capabilities and apps, the text, e-mail and most of all
the GPS and maps, which would save me from buying a sat nav seperately.
So far i love my 8900, apart from the fact that when i bought it
i had the same problem as Steve (commented on 7th Feb below) i couldn't
find the maps anywhere it jut told me i was at 0 N, after an almost
2 hour conversation with orange help and trying everything, we discovered
that if you go to Blackberry's homepage and download the program
called 'Blackberry Apps World' install and register (all free) then
the maps icon will appear on the main menu and should work, but
you also need to go into GPRS settings and refresh it so it can
find your position. My maps now work perfectly showing, roads, giving
directions and offering me things like hotels/restaurants if i want.
However i still can't get the proper sat nav going - any ideas,
very hard to follow a tiny map whilst driving, need the proper sat
nav pic with the person saying turn left etc. any ideas? Other than
that, very happy with my Blackberry and pleased with my purchase,
so am giving it 4 stars - minus one for having to go through looong
phone call to get maps set up. Rating:
Reviewed by Ruairidh from Scotland on
7th Apr 2009
Overall a great handset. Find the keypad easy to use, emails are
great, although notice that they sometimes take a while to come
through. Battery life is good, only problem so far which is disappointing
is that trackball has malfunctioned after just 2 months and handset
has been sent away for repair. Other than that, great phone, hence
4 stars. Rating:
Reviewed by Peter from Ireland on
31st Mar 2009
I've had an 8900 for about 3 months now. Excellent phone, solid
build, battery life is about 3 days and once you get used to the
qwerty keypad it won't be a problem. Two caveats though. 1) The
8900 is an email device first and a phone second. As a consequence
of this the call quality does not match a Nokia (I'm comparing to
a 6233 or 6288). You will get a lot of interference from outside
noise over the mic (eg. wind etc) and if you use the loudspeaker
it can get very distorted. Please note this is a phone issue and
not the metallic voice you sometimes hear when you have poor reception.
2) You can't (or at least I haven't figured out how to) set your
email service to manual. This means that the device will always
fetch your email automatically. This won't be a problem on your
home network but if you are roaming it could lead to heavy data
usage and very large bills. If anyone knows how to set this function
to manual please let me know. I'm knocking off a star for these
two details but for a lot of people these won't even qualify as
problems. Highly recommended otherwise. Rating:
Reviewed by graham from england on
27th Mar 2009
this is my second blackberry now. My main concern was that the key
pad was too small. I have fairly chunky fingers but i can use without
a problem. I have also found last week that if you go the the blackberry
bookmarks page from your browser, go to information and then gps
you can download a sat nav called Amaze for free. This is a fully
functioning talking sat nav. Although i have a sat nav i have been
evaluating it for the last few days and it can easily replace tom
tom etc. Rating:
Reviewed by Lionel from West Berkshire
on 25th Mar 2009
My first Blackberry and it excells my expectations. This is based
on 18 months using a N95 which has good features. Rating:
Reviewed by Ben from London, UK on
23rd Mar 2009
I would echo Sean's comments to the letter. It's a brilliant piece
of kit and I would have no problem in recommending it to anyone. Rating:
Reviewed by Sean from Northern Ireland
on 21st Mar 2009
I change my mobile every year at least once!! Ive been round them
all...Gimicks here and there. Last phone was LG viewty....best phone
so far was N96 8gb let down by poor battery.BUT THIS IS A CLASSY
NO NONENSE PHONE....i cant recommend this phone enough. My first
blackberry and its brilliant. Screen superb...making a call simple
and texting is a cinch...what more can i say..buy it and love it Rating:
Reviewed by Ashley from Epsom, UK on
5th Mar 2009
Further to my review below, I'd like to add that, for all the advantages
of the E71 over the 8900, the 8900 seems to be more reliable for
calls, which is obviously a core advantage. I have actually found
that the lack of 3G isn't a problem. If I was a commuter who wanted
to browse on the train for hours then I think it would be a factor,
but for me I tend to browse while I'm at home as I don't get the
time when out, so the wifi works a treat. Previously to actually
owning a BB I'd read that their browsers were pretty average. I'd
actually say the browser is excellent, and a pleasure to use. So,
just to be fair I've given 5 stars this time as that is the current
average, and further to my slightly harsh assessment of this device,
would actually say that it is a very handy device. The lack of functionality
in the email is dissapointing given BB's rep for such, but no phone
ticks all the boxes, and overall its a great phone for business
use, and thats what counts. Rating:
Reviewed by Ashley from Epsom, UK on
3rd Mar 2009
I have this phone as well as a Nokia E71, which is a very interesting
comparison if you are a phone geek like me! The 8900 is a great
phone for sure, but it lacks a few basic functions (unless I've
failed to find them - let me know if I'm wrong). For a start, the
email function doesn't seem to even have separate folders for inbox
and sent items. When you type an already used email address the
phone doesn't recognise it. You can't group emails by date, sender
etc. You can't hide your number when making a call. All of the above
you can do on the Nokia E71 with Nokia Messaging installed (free
at present). The 8900 is definitely a great handset, and if you've
not had a phone that does email (like most of the reviewers here)
then its great. However, I've got to say that the E71 beats it on
so many levels - build, keyboard (the 8900 is so plastic feeling
in comparison, and the Nokia offers things like full stops and other
symbols on 1 click rather than two or more). Also, the battery life
is tiny compared to the Nokia. I could go on and on, but the main
thing I'd say about Blackberry is that they've always had this rep
as the best email tool. That may have been true a few years back,
but having had two of the cutting edge devices of the last 12 months
I really can't agree. The one thing which is far superior about
the 8900 is the screen and sexy menu system. The Nokia's is almost
childish in comparison, and very annoyingly doesn't allow users
to upload wallpaper that covers the whole screen, but gets cut at
the top and bottom. So, my reccomendation is if you are all for
show then get the 8900 as it has a very high bling factor. But,
if you want a solid (both build and functions) handset that does
have 3G also, the Nokia E71 kicks this little baby's butt. Rating:
Reviewed by Rick from Deptford, UK on
3rd Mar 2009
I am totally new to BlackBerry and have only been using this device
for three weeks. In the past I have always been a bit sceptical
about moving away from a conventional phone. Well, I took the advice
of a friend, who has been using a BlackBerry for years, and I am
now converted! This device is awesome… there is no other word
to describe it!! The email facility is first class and I’m
now kicking myself for not migrating over to BlackBerry sooner. Rating:
Reviewed by Shane from UK on
1st Mar 2009
In a nut shell... BRILLIANT! Rating:
Reviewed by FUNDRUM from G.B. on
26th Feb 2009
My first Blackberry after having excellent Nokias for years. What
a beaut!! It has everything I need and more, in a neat easy to carry
fun and functional package :o) I may now be hooked on Blackberry
:o) Gary www.funwhenyoudrum.com Rating:
Reviewed by xbabe82517 from UK on
25th Feb 2009
I got this phone as a free upgrade from o2 and it arrived five days
ago. This is my first BlackBerry, having owned a wide range of phones
since I was 18 (I'm now 26) and I have to say that I'm absolutely
smitten! I like to think I'm pretty savvy where technology is concerned
and it didn't take me too long to get my head around this gorgeous
piece of kit. The first thing that hit me when I switched this phone
on was the screen - it's incredible! My previous phone was a Nokia
6500 Slide which had a screen that supported 16 million colours.
With the Curve supporting only 65,000 colours, I was worried that
the screen would look dull and washed-out in comparison to my Nokia.
But I was shocked! The screen is so bright, crisp and colourful.
It's a massive improvement over every phone screen I've seen! Once
I'd finished admiring the screen, I got stuck into setting up my
e-mail, the browser and Wi-Fi. I have wireless internet at home
and it took me no time at all to get it all connected. I saved the
connection and my clever Curve now automatically jumps onto my Wi-Fi
whenever I'm home. And it IS free, providing you connect to your
own wireless at home. I was very impressed with the browser. The
amazing screen makes browsing a treat, and whilst no phone browser
can ever replace a 'real' browser on a PC or laptop (in my opinion),
the browsing experience on a BlackBerry is probably one of the best
you'll get. I've already saved many of my favourite websites and
discovered that certain sites that wouldn't open on my Nokia will
now open with no problem at all on my Curve. Regarding the absence
of 3G (which my Nokia did have), I can honestly say that I don't
miss it because there is no 3G coverage where I live anyway, so
I never even used it on my Nokia! And because my Curve connects
to my wireless at home anyway, I get faster speeds on that than
I ever would have got with 3G. I do have 3G coverage in my local
town centre and where I work, but surfing in those places on GPRS
or EDGE has been perfectly satisfactory for me with only very short
delays when loading websites with lots of graphics. I don't do massive
amounts of downloading on my phone so the absence of 3G doesn't
bother me at all. Had a few issues setting up my e-mail (I use Gmail)
and I kept getting my sent e-mails back as a new message in my inbox.
I have now overcome this issue by setting up a Yahoo e-mail account
on my BlackBerry (I removed the Gmail account), and set up forwarding
on my Gmail account to send a copy of every incoming mail to my
Yahoo account. This means I can send and receive e-mails perfectly
fine now, but I don't have the annoying issue of getting my sent
items sent back to me! This is not an issue with the phone - this
happened because of the way e-mails are stored on Gmail. So once
I had that sorted, I got on with experiencing everything else the
phone had to offer...and I still haven't finished! The keyboard
is dinky, but I have fairly chunky fingers with only short nails
and I have no problems. I made a few typos at first, but now I'm
more acquainted with the keyboard I'm a lot better! I've also added
a few apps and I can now use Windows Live Messenger from my phone
if I want to. There's also the facility to use AIM or Yahoo Messenger.
And I'm sure there are plenty more apps out there to add, I just
haven't discovered them yet! The OS is very intelligent - I love
how you can hide certain items in the menu if you have no use for
them. I've already tidied mine up! You can also rearrange the items
so you can have your five most-used options at the top, which will
then appear as shortcuts on your home screen. The phone book is
incredibly sophisticated, with the ability to add job titles, company
names, birthdays, anniversaries, and plenty more. I've had a play
with the GPS and it works fine, though I doubt I will have much
use for it as I don't drive! I have to say that the camera is not
as good as the one on my Nokia, and the video-recording is quite
poor in comparison. But I have a 12mp Kodak digital camera which
records in HD, so I really couldn't care less about the Curve's
camera! It's there for emergency snapshots, but other than that,
I doubt I'll ever use it. The music player looks good, but again
I can't really comment as I have an iPod and have no intention of
using my Curve as a music player. But I have Bluetoothed a couple
of songs from my laptop to use as ringtones. Which brings me to
the Bluetooth - it was difficult to figure out at first, as you
have to go into the Media settings and set the phone to 'Receive
via Bluetooth' and only then can you receive items. But once I'd
got it worked out, I was fine! Pairing it with my laptop worked
like a dream. Battery life is good - I have played around with it
almost non-stop since I got it, and the battery has still lasted
a good two days. I'm sure that once the novelty has worn off and
I can actually leave it alone, the battery will last a good three
or four days. And of course - the basics, like making and receiving
calls, and texting, are great. Call quality is good with decent
clarity. The functions available during a call are very useful,
such as displaying your own phone number on the screen, and the
menu also gives you full access to your Contacts and Messages, etc.
The speakerphone is also very good - a lot clearer than my Nokia
was. Finally, I'll talk about build-quality. I'll admit it felt
a bit lightweight and flimsy at first. But that was only because
I was used to the solid and heavy feel of the stainless steel body
on my Nokia. And I do miss that a little - a metal body just makes
a phone seem a bit more sturdy - but it's something I can quite
happily live without because this phone is a beauty and does everything
it should perfectly! The build-quality may be plastic but it's still
well-made. I couldn't recommend this phone enough and I know that
I will always be a BlackBerry lover now. RIM should give themselves
a massive pat on the back for this phone, it's simply perfect! Rating:
Reviewed by Brad from UK on 24th
Feb 2009
This is one serious piece of kit. I love it and have no doubts in
recommending it to anyone that is looking for a comprehensive communications
device. RIM have done an excellent job with this one. Rating:
Reviewed by Eddie from UK on
19th Feb 2009
This is my first Blackberry and so far I'm very pleased. My last
couple of phones have been SEs. Not bothered by the lack of 3G,
as I never used it on my other phones. Email was easy to setup and
works great, both sending and receiving. keyboard is fine and I
find myself sending correctly spelt texts now (I am in my 50s, it's
a generation thing). Had to sign up for an 18 month contract so
just hope the rollerball lasts that long. Battery life seems OK,
only charged it twice in the week I've been using it. Overall, no
complaints so far. Rating:
Reviewed by Grant from London, UK on
19th Feb 2009
You have to admire the phone's aesthetics before exploring the various
avenues of its functionality. This BB slips smoothly into your pocket,
such are its dimensions. It has a wide display with a 480 x 360
pixel resolution and a lovely qwerty keyboard that is very comfortable
on the fingers. The navigation trackball is an efficient navigation
tool, with the mastery of which, BB becomes extremely easy to explore.
It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Unfortunately, there’s no
3G which could be a deal breaker for some. That said, the phone
sports a good 1400 mAh battery and gives a good all-round performance
with regard to talk and standby times. It also supports EDGE, GPRS
and WLAN connections. The 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus and
image stabilisation is brilliant and takes good sharp pictures.
You can access your email accounts including POP3 and IMAP as the
phone can be connected to BIS. This phone enables you to access
your emails with ease, emails can be received in HTML format and
all the attachments of your emails can be downloaded without problems.
The processor of the phone is quite impressive at 512MHz. The speed
combined with the high resolution screen enables you to run applications
without any lag. Not just that, the screen also enables you to play
videos with the perfect clarity and brightness. Also, you can benefit
from the phone's support for Word and Excel files with a spell checker.
You can also rely on the phone with Google Maps installed, the combination
of GPS will always keep you informed of where you are positioned.
Even it you are lost in the midst of thick woods, the phone will
give you a hand for you can navigate your way back using the GPS
and the LED photolight. The phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack and
a decent music player that can deal with both MP3 and AAC audio
formats. It even synchronises with your iTunes library… how
good is that? The phone does not disappoint music lovers, for it
gives you a smooth audio experience and gives you freedom to shift
through the tracks of your choice. Ignoring the absence 3G, the
phone has many efficient features to boast about and indeed, you
too will boast about this beauty if it sits in your pocket. Rating:
Reviewed by Arron from UK on
18th Feb 2009
I must dissent from the rave reviews hitherto awarded by the site
and its users. Firstly, it should be noted that the video camera
on this phone can only record at 240 x 176 and NOT at 480 x 352
as listed on the review specifications. This is confirmed on BlackBerry's
UK website. I bought the Curve 8900 for personal use, not as a business
user, as I was attracted to the QWERTY keyboard for texting and
my using my private webmail account. I believe the phone is marketed
on this basis, as a corporate user would surely prefer the Bold
9000 with its larger keyboard and 3G internet access. However, in
my opinion the phone is unsuitable for this purpose. The keyboard
is simply too small; after a week of intensive use I still found
it frustrating and typo-prone (perhaps my hands are larger than
average, but not a great deal so). The trackball is fast and efficient
for navigation, but it feels flimsy and I had concerns about its
long-term durability. Moreover, the ball required a lot of pressure
to depress for 'select' which I found uncomfortable (the enter key
could be used instead, although this was a little unwieldy). There's
also no FM Radio which I would expect on a smartphone designed for
personal use. As for the BB's primary selling point, mobile email,
I configured the device to 'PUSH' my Gmail messages to the phone
relatively easily. However, although I appreciated the ability to
full HTML emails, I eventually used the Gmail mobile app instead
- comprehensive synchronisation with the webmail version and any
other IMAP email client, full search and label access. This application
is available from Google for just about any mobile phone, and the
BB version has only a few modest additional functions. The screen
is very sharp at 480 x 360, but it is still only 2.44 inches across
and this feels like a waste of such a high resolution (the iPhone
uses the same resolution over a 3.5" screen which still looks sharp).
Finally of course there's the lack of 3G. I didn't anticipate that
this would be a problem, but in practice the high resolution screen
and advanced browser encourages desktop style website viewing with
full graphics, which can be frustrating slow using GPRS or even
EDGE. The phone has therefore gone back to O2 this afternoon! Rating:
Reviewed by Marcus from London on
18th Feb 2009
I think this is a wonderful phone and feel giving it just 3 stars
because it got damaged after dropping it on the pavement is a little
harsh. Phones are not designed to sustain this type of impact! I
broke the glass on my watch whilst fixing my car engine but I don’t
blame the watch manufacturer!!!! I rate it FIVE stars and would
strongly recommend. Rating:
Reviewed by Jerry from Bahamas on
17th Feb 2009
I love the features of this phone as well as the interface and lightweight
design but I dropped it on the sidewalk once and now the speaker
phone doesn't work which means no ringer and no music. I had the
curve 8300 and that thing took a major beating and never skipped
a beat. My kid even used to throw it around and the most I ever
had to do was reinsert the sim or media card and everything was
fine. If it were durable I would have given it a 5 Rating:
Reviewed by Heather from UK on
16th Feb 2009
My very first BB and I am loving it. Rating:
Reviewed by Vijay from United Kingdom
on 13th Feb 2009
I received my phone today my first ever blackberry and i am absolutely
delighted with it, it will be replacing my iphone 2g. The screen
is awesome, i had everything up and running within an hour including
my email, msn messenger and facebook. With this phone you have the
world at your finger prints. My advice is get it!!! Camera quality
is good sharp crisp clean images with the 3.2 MP built in camera. Rating:
Reviewed by luckysepgirl from Scotland
on 13th Feb 2009
I got mine yesterday and this is my first BB, I have already fallen
in love with it. It is compact, very light (even lighter than the
general Nokia "N" series. The battery life is great, I have been
using the phone all day yesterday and today, surfing the net and
still have 75% remained battery. The WiFi is super fast, although
it is 2G, not 3G, I find it is actually fast enough, only slowing
down a little bit when downloading picture from the web page. The
design is very classic, I expecially love the Titanum cover and
screen. Keyboards are very easy to use, I don't seem having any
problem with the rolling ball either. The speakers are really good,
too, produce high quality of music. Oh... how can I forget, the
email on the move, I love it. Finally the only disadvantage I find
about BB8900 is the langauage supporting system, it doesn't support
Chinese or any other Asian languages, which is not practical in
nowadays, especially in business world. However, I manager to get
a software installed for only $10, which still works out well. This
is definately a great compact phone comparing to Storm and Bold,
and any other BB smartphones. Rating:
Reviewed by Gina from UK on 12th
Feb 2009
I love my new BlackBerry 8900, its so much better than previous
Curve models that I have had. I rate it very highly and have no
doubts in recommending it to anyone that wants a high spec phone
with the ability to send and receive emails. Nice battery tip below
from Dean, I can now get three days on a single charge, which is
better than the one day that I was getting. Rating:
Reviewed by Kurt from Norwich, UK on
12th Feb 2009
A top notch phone with superb features and build quality. Strongly
recommended. Rating:
Reviewed by fryburger from UK on
10th Feb 2009
well i am now able to get the screen to show missed calls/messages
before unlocking. The battery does perform slightly better if you
use the standby button and you turn wifi off when you dont need
it. So as a result, i can give this phone 5 stars. best blackberry
ever! Rating:
Reviewed by Craig from UK on
8th Feb 2009
The best BlackBerry yet. Well done RIM and keep up the good work. Rating:
Reviewed by Steve from England on
7th Feb 2009
I am new to BlackBerry but decided to take the plunge with the 8900
because it is so compact, and still has nice features like the 3.2
megapixel camera and music player with 3.5mm jack. I am absolutely
loving the QWERTY keyboard. Finally I can send text messages with
proper punctuation without watching whole hours of my life disappear.
Loving the ringtones, as it has proper ones that go "ring ring"
really loud! It took me about an hour to get to grips with the menus,
and now it is pretty much second nature. I am enjoying having a
web browser on my phone too. One question - my GPS doesn't seem
to do anything. It always tells me that I am at North zero degrees,
East zero degrees. Any suggestions? ALso, I am on Orange and I'm
wondering if they have removed Blackberry Maps, because I can't
find them anywhere. Once again - any help appreciated. I was under
the impression that I could use this for GPS navigating, but I can't
see how. Rating:
Reviewed by dean from wales on
6th Feb 2009
this phone is totally awesome! no im not a teenager but a 40 year
old! who loves gadgets! it does everything. Facebook,msn yahoo messenger
emails all on the go and very easy to set up! I cant get a signal
cause im in the middle of no where in wales but no problem,i just
connected it to my wifi internet router and im still in touch with
all my pals! if you buy if you wont have any regrets! Rating:
Reviewed by frank from yugoslavokia
on 6th Feb 2009
nice phone cool fetures and very responsive. i recommend Rating:
Reviewed by David from Wales on
5th Feb 2009
I like this phone lots. It has does everything that I need it to
and it does it well, which is important. The battery tip from Dean,
which is not in the User Manual, is excellent and my phone now lasts
over two days before it needs charging. Because this phone is so
good, I suspect it will be BlackBerrys best selling phone to date. Rating:
Reviewed by Matt from Brighton, UK on
5th Feb 2009
In my opinion, this is without doubt the best BB that RIM has ever
made. The overall quality and features of the device is nothing
short of awesome. Anyone thinking of a new phone that wants to access
email on the move should definitely consider this beauty - you will
not be disappointed! Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from UK on
4th Feb 2009
I am currently waiting for my 8900 to be delivered but am responsible
for a companies communications and I.T needs which includes our
current base of Blackberry devices and our own Blackberry Enterprise
Server. I tell you this because the phone review above has emitted
one star due to the lack of 3G??? When a Blackberry device is registered
as a Blackberry device e.g. it is used via a Blackberry server infrastructure
this device DOES NOT NEED 3G because the Blackberry Server (BES)
looks after all the file / data management for this device (and
all other Blackberry's) Even web browsing is especially tailored
through the server to suit the particular device so dont be put
off with the lack of 3G, RIM know exactly what they are doing with
this device. I currently use the Curve 8310 for work and am looking
forward to getting this device for private Vodafone use but will
have to inform Vodafone that I want the Blackberry functions on
my SIM otherwise no advantage from a Blackberry. They are truly
special devices and have transformed our business communications,
keep it up RIM! Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from UK on
4th Feb 2009
In responce to my earlier mail i commented on the poor battery life,
however after taking Deans advise the battery life drastically improved,
therefore it now gets 5*. Rating:
Reviewed by Denis from UK on
3rd Feb 2009
This is my first BlackBerry and all I can say is, it is great. No
way will I be returning to a standard phone. It does everything
from making calls to collecting your emails. The build quality is
second to none. Rating:
Reviewed by john west from croydon on
3rd Feb 2009
Just got mine and i understand why they call it crackberry. cant
keep my hands off it. simply amazing. messenger and emails are a
breeze. theres no 3g but if you needed that kind of speed to download
something just use your pc or get a tom tom(for the maps) battery
is phenominal. I love the auto off and on function. saves loads
of battery. Rating:
Reviewed by Ruairidh from Scotland on
3rd Feb 2009
First BB and very impressed. Build quality is great. Very easy to
use emails and internet. Battery life seems good, have managed three
days but that's with limited internet usage. Good tip below re standby
mode to extend battery life. Keys and trackball much better than
on previous model. Rating:
Reviewed by Matthew from UK on
2nd Feb 2009
Just go this baby as a free upgrade. The only problem I am finding
is I cannot put the thing down. Its just brilliant and the screen
is top notch. The navigation via the trackball thingy is so easy
to use. You will not be disapointed believe me. Rating:
Reviewed by Ian from UK on 31st
Jan 2009
Brilliant! As simple as that. Rating:
Reviewed by Gary from Portsmouth, UK
on 30th Jan 2009
What a phone! It is beautifully built and styled with a stunning
high resolution display. It has GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, microSD slot
and a 3.5mm headphone jack so you can use your own iPod headphones.
The phone can also sync with iTunes on your PC, which is brilliant.
I have been using this phone for one month now and can say I am
impressed and would recommend it 100 percent. Rating:
Reviewed by Maxine from Norwich, UK
on 30th Jan 2009
This is an excellent all-round communications device. It may lack
3G but that aside, it is definitely one heck of a phone. I would
strongly recommend it if you're looking for a phone that can also
handle you emails. You can even view and send attachments like PDF,
Word, and Excel documents. It is brilliant and looks so sexy. Rating:
Reviewed by Bobby from UK on
29th Jan 2009
In short, a brilliant device in every way. Rating:
Reviewed by Rodney from London, UK on
29th Jan 2009
This is my first BalckBerry and I am very pleased so far. The phone
is great and all my friends are dead jealous, especially when they
see how easy it is to receive emails. I cannot see me ever going
back to a normal phone as this does everything I need. Rating:
Reviewed by Dean from UK on 29th
Jan 2009
This is a lovely piece of kit and does everything well. To increase
battery life, you need to put the phone in standby mode before placing
it in the holster. To do this, you have to hold down the mute button
on the top of the device for 1 second. The battery will then last
twice as long. Other than that, I have no complaints whatsoever. Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from Uk on
29th Jan 2009
The Phone itself is fantastic, however O2 my service provide know
nothing. I have only had the phone for a few day and the only issue
is the battery life, however i had not charged it for the recommeded
10-12hous which could be why. If anyone knows ways to enhance the
battery life please inform. Other then that Get this phone its the
shizzle. Rating:
Reviewed by Lewis from London, UK on
28th Jan 2009
Excellent phone, superb screen, good features, and build quality
is best in class. Rating:
Reviewed by Sally from England on
28th Jan 2009
This phone was a vodafone replacement for the BlackBerry Storm,
which was absolutely rubbish and kept going wrong. However, the
8900 is a completely different ball game and it does exactly what
it says on the tin!. It is brilliant and is the best phone I have
ever had! The screen quality is top notch as is the rest of the
phone. The email facility is great and you can even synchronize
the phone with your iTunes library via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager
software. I rate it 100%. Rating:
Reviewed by Dan Gleebitz from UK on
28th Jan 2009
I've had this handset now for three weeks and I'm very pleased with
it. It has by far exceeded my expectations. Well done RIM, keep
up the good work! Rating:
Reviewed by Dan sheldon from UK on
28th Jan 2009
This is my 1st Blackberry and I'm converted. It was a toss up between
the 8900 and iphone but I had an ipod touch already and hated the
touch screen keyboard so went for the 8900. Good decision. Coming
straight from a "regular" phone it took a little while to get used
to the keyboard ("little while" = hours, not days...). I have large
hands/fat fingers but I can use the keyboard absolutely FINE so
i have no issues with the keyboard size. The phone looks great and
after 2 weeks I'm still finding new things to do with it. I would
definitely recommend this Rating:
Reviewed by Vladimir from UK on
27th Jan 2009
The best BlackBerry ever ! Rating:
Reviewed by fryburger from UK on
26th Jan 2009
The 8300 series was good but its starting to feel a bit old now.
i think the 8900 brings the curve bang up to date. theres a couple
of features i like. you get a proper internet browser that allows
you to view websites properly by zooming. its got word/excel/powerpoint
applications. bedside function is nice. theres a button specifically
for locking this phone which you never had on the old curve. you
get more memory too and a much better camera. i do miss being able
to see the message/missed call icons before you unlock the keypad.
that was handy with the old curve. best of all for me are the looks
and the display. it just feels really futuristic when your scrolling
around the icons with that improved joystick. its also noticeably
smaller than the old curve. Theres almost no point bothering with
a Bold which is too big and the Storm, which doesnt let you press
buttons properly. This 8900 is fantastic! Rating:
