The BlackBerry Curve 8520 has a lower price tag than high-end Blackberry models, because it lacks several high-tech features. Its plastic casing and rubberised sidewalls are already suggestive of its bargain price.
The Curve 8520 is the first BlackBerry smartphone to have an optical trackpad button, a feature usually only found on high-end models. This optical feature gives the 8520 a slight technological edge over its predecessors, which used a trackball. Though the trackpad is not particularly sensitive, it is good enough for a smartphone. It works as well as a trackball, but there are problems when scrolling through lengthy documents or web pages.
All the major messaging features of premium Blackberry phones are present in the Blackberry Curve 8520. E-mails are redirected to one inbox, while SMS, instant messaging texts and Facebook postings are neatly organised in one spot, eliminating the need to switch from one application to another. However, you can still access all these web 2.0 applications individually if you prefer.
The BlackBerry 8520 comes with a 2-megapixel camera, but image quality lags behind the standard for premium camera phones. You always have to use auto focus on the camera, in order to avoid it selecting the background rather than the than the subject. Colours range from poor to warm, with a reddish tone. Images are barely recognisable at full zoom and the camera has no flash or self-portrait mirror.
BlackBerry 8520’s are supplied free when you sign-up to 18-month contracts with Orange or O2 at £30 and £35 per month, respectively.
