Ideal for the "casual" business user (Blackberry Curve 8900)

Member Name: frenchboy88

Product:	Blackberry Curve 8900
Date:	11/09/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loads of features, stylish, lack of 3G not a huge hindrance, Sat Nav on Orange!

Disadvantages: Lack of 3G, Average Battery Life

I got this phone on Orange for £25 a month with 600 texts, 500 minutes and unlimited use of internet and email. Also, as an added bonus, I was told I could download Orange Maps Sat Nav and use that for free! Much better than Google and Blackberry Maps!

So I have now had this phone for about 3 months and it hasn't failed me yet. I mainly use it to check emails and share prices, so the internet capability is the main attraction. I use the Opera Browser (one of the MANY FREE downloads available) and although browsing isn't lightening quick its good enough for me - but for those who are less patient the loading times (typically 10-15 seconds per web page) will be annoying.

Sound quality is very good when taking calls, and although the keyboard takes a little bit of getting used to its actually a lot nicer to use than a convential mobile phone keyboard once you have mastered it! Just make sure you try one before you buy, my girlfriend HATES it with a passion! I have an 8GB SD CARD installed which is more than enough to store music and videos - I download videos off youtube and transfer them instantly using drag and drop (the PC recognises the BB as an external hard drive!).

Battery life is nothing special, I keep mine out of the silly pocket and in a silicon skin so this may explain why the battery only seems to last 2-3 days with moderate use, but that seems to be the norm for smart phones these days.

OK, so this phone won't "wow" your mates like an IPHONE will, but its still plenty of fun as there are more and more free applications coming out every week (weather, games, GMAIL, music, etc). The internet capability is sooo useful, even for something like checking the opening times of your local supermarket or finding a restaurants numbers, its just so useful to have. Its not broadband speed but it works very well and will suit all but the most pernickity of users.

Summary: Doesn't have the "fun" factor of an Iphone, but a great phone all the same!