The Blackberry Curve 8530 is the CDMA version of the entry-level 8520. While it comes with the same general design and feature set, it gets a leg up over its close sibling with a few additional talents.
Physically, the 8530 shares the exact design cues as its GSM counterpart. If you remember our review of the Curve 8520, we praised it for its attractive profile, comfortable 3.4-inch display and handy size. Our opinion extends to this newer version.
As a phone, it turns up mixed results when it came to call quality. On our end, conversation sounded loud and clear, with just the slightest hint of interference. Those on the other end, however, had plenty to complain about, especially once the speakerphone was used. General handset performance was snappy, thanks to the speedy processor paired with fast 3G. Battery life is rated at 4.5 hours of talk time, which amounted to a day or two of regular use for us.
Despite the entry-level tag (same as the 8520), this new Curve offers a good amount of options. There are the usual Blackberry favors, from the souped-up messaging set (BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Exchange Server, threaded views) to the usual basic phone features. Unlike the GSM version, though, the 8530 adds 3G, Wi-Fi and even aGPS to the mix, making it much more robust in terms of functionality.
It comes with some good productivity tools thrown in, including a good document viewer. There's no native way to create Office docs, though, so you'll have to pay for a capable editor. Music playback is surprisingly a strength, with expansive file support and excellent sound quality (even through the onboard speakers). The camera module (2.0 megapixel) is a notable downside, taking rather disappointing photos.
Overall, the Blackberry Curve 8530 is a pleasant surprise. While marketed (and priced) as an entry-level smartphone, it comes with all the necessary features that make it a complete handset (heck, many of Blackberry's more expensive phones don't even have Wi-Fi). It also costs less than its GSM counterpart at only $99 on contract.
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