Key Features

*Email and Text Messaging
*Instant Messaging
*Social Networking
*Wi-Fi Enabled
*Bluetooth
*Browser
*Organiser
*Camera and Video
*Media Player
*Voice Recorder
*Java

Technical Information

*Standby time of 408 hours
*Talk time of 4.3 hours
*Screen Resoluton 320x240
*QWERTY Keyboard
*USB Connection
*Internal Memory of 256 MB
*Supports Micro SD external memory card
*Weighs 106g / 3.74 oz
*Height: 109mm, Width: 60mm, Depth: 13.9mm

Communication

I think that the Curve 8520's a really good smartphone to own, it's so easy for me to keep in touch with family and friends through Blackberry Messenger and the Facebook App. There's a Voice Dialing feature that I like to use too, and it's pretty fun to test the phone and see how "smart" it really is by saying contacts' names in strange ways and seeing if it recognises them. Quite childish I suppose, but I'm a teenager, who can blame me. E-mails can be accessed quickly and easily, by the click of a button, and can be replied to in a matter of seconds - this is good for business as well as personal communication. The instant messaging services available are: Windows Live, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, ICQ and Blackberry Messenger. My favourite is Blackberry Messenger, it's only available on contracted Blackberrys and it's only available on Blackberrys ( - which means not everyone can use it), but it's free, and loads of my friends are buying
Blackberrys, so I can use BBM to talk to them, which means I don't have to go over my limit on texts!

Media

The camera isn't very good quality, and you need to buy an external memory card if you want to store videos, music and other media files on the smartphone. It's worth it though, you can do so much with the Blackberry - I'm planning on using it as my main MP3 Player and getting rid of my Ipod. And it's already my preferred method of emailing, instant messaging and social networking.

The Blackberry Curve 8520 Model

The QWERTY keyboard is easy to type with, compared to my previous phones it's faster and easier to type messages with. The blackberry menu button enables you to see all the featues the Blackberry has to offer when pressed on the home screen, as well as showing further options when pressed while using an application. The device is small and you can fit it perfectly in the palm of your hand, the curved sides make it feel nice ad smooth when held, and a soft rubber runs around the sides which provides good grip so it doesn't slip out of your hands easily. On the back the word "Curve" in embossed into the rubber which is a nice touch, as is the iconis Blackberry logo on the back. A few of my friends have said their Blackberry logo on the back is peeling off, I'm hoping mine lasts. The smartphone uses a trackball to navigate, making repeatedly pressing the up and down buttons a thing of the past. It can also be used to zoom in, and is also used to click on-screen options and links. The call and hang up (which also serves as the power) buttons are large and easily located. There is a symbol ("sym') key which displays various emoticons and other characters when pressed. The earphones jack is located at the top of the left side of the device, below it is the port for charging and USB connection. There is also a convenience key on the left side. Convenience keys enable quick access to user-assigned applications, for example mine are assigned to Voice Dialling and Camera. On the right side there are 3 convenience keys.

Practicality

Due to it's size, the smartphone can be taken anywhere realy easily, you can fit it in a pocket or bag effortlessly. I use the Facebook app when I'm bored waiting for public transport, or travelling. I've found the Blackberry to be an amazing catalyst for personal, social and business life. I like how if you've password protected your Blackberry, you can still make an emergency call if needed. You can use the Blackberry as a mass storage device to store files from your computer. The battery life is amazing, it seems to last for an eternity compared to previous phones I've owned. Charge time is quick too, it doesn't have to charge all night, every night, like my old phones did.

Problems

I have only had one major problem, which was easily resolved; the trackball froze - so I couldn't move my cursor. I resolved this simply by turning off the Blackberry, removing and replacing the battery and then switching the phone back on. I then realised that everytime you remove the battery, and then turn the phone back on, it has to load up everything again and it takes a few minutes. It gets quite annoying. So don't take your battery unless you really need to!
I dropped it on a cemented pavement, and it didn't break or have any technical faults, it didn't even freeze! but it did chip and scratch one of the corners, so I can't rate the durability and robustness fully, because it isn't invincible. Likewise for the value for money, I'd only rate this as excellent value for money if it was free!
(haha...)

Verdict

In my opinion it's the best phone I've ever owned, and i's say it's one of the market leaders, and it deserves to be to be honest. There are so many features and it's capable of so much. My only worry is that I will get too dependent on it!

I say: if you're looking for a smartphone, then this is the one you want!