Rim BlackBerry Curve 8520 Smartphone

I can't deny it any longer, as I'm a "Crackberry Addict," and need serious treatment for this disorder. A cell phone used to be just a device for me, and I didn't care about getting anything fancy. As long as it made and received calls with some regularity, I could have cared less. Over a year ago I bought a Blackberry, and saw that phone get destroyed by my clumsiness, as it fell to the ground in a parking lot. It was distressing, and I immediately went to the store to get a new one, due to getting the shakes and becoming grumpy without it. The phone I bought to replace it is the Blackberry Curve 8520 Smartphone, and due to having an upgrade plan with my carrier, it was only $129. I consider that money well spent, because this is the best one I've had, although it may not be as fancy as some of the ludicrous priced models.

The main reason I like this Blackberry, is that its a major improvement over my old one for making and receiving calls. I have only had one dropped call since getting this, and the auditory quality is the best I've ever had on any style of phone. A lot of cell phones aren't that loud, but this one you can adjust the volume to full blast, and hear any caller even if you are in a working environment with loads of noises. To make a call with this is easy, as some "Berries" are built more for data plans as a primary function, but this one is multi-tasking all the way. All you have to do is click on the phone application, and dial to your hearts content. Or you can just simply dial the number, or do voice command.

Voice Command is the coolest function ever. I'm still waiting for it to say "I can't do that Dave." To do voice command, all you need to do is press the button on the left side. You can say "Call toiletoctopus", as it automatically registers the number with what I have in my address book. This is a fine way to call someone when driving, or when you don't really want to make your fingers work. The command prompts are loud, and its had no issues with recognizing who I want to call. That was a previous pain on older models, and I like how its been right everytime. The voice is fairly pleasing enough for a female computer, and its a fine way to save time.

Dialing with the numbers can be a bit difficult, if you don't have the best eye hand coordination, which is something I have to admit to. The number/letter keys are quite small on this one, which is something you should consider. With some practice I've become much more accurate with this, but there are a lot of mistakes, but thankfully they can be quickly corrected with the "del" button. You can once experienced with it, send out text messages and type on apps like Facebook, but of course its not as easy as using a laptop/desktop type of computer. Thankfully they got rid of the annoying trackball with this, which I totally hated, and was a major point of vulnerability. On the Smartphone,  you use the "Trackpad". This is a brilliant concept, and it doesn't get stuck like the stupid trackball did. You can get to other apps much easier with this as well.

The browser on this phone is incredible, and almost as quick as what I have on my laptop. You can easily download songs on this in a matter of minutes, and I love being able to view Youtube and other video sites on it. The wait times aren't that long, and for most text articles on news sites, loading is almost immediate. It's a great way to check on sports information, or to look at emails. This is the best Blackberry for Facebook as well. As soon as you get a message on your profile screen, it lets you know of this message. It's automatically opened, so you can look at it right there, before deciding what to do with it.

I love the fairly large screen on this phone, and the color index is above average. On the main screen you easily see the image you've put on it, or the original wallpapers that are already loaded into the phone. Underneath this is your email/phone options, and you can scroll through to find pre-loaded games, such as Ball Bricker, Word Mole, and Suduko. These aren't that great, but that's why you can easily download better ones from your service provider. Ball Bricker's a fine way to be distracted for a litle while if bored. The Suduko is guaranteed to annoy you, as its more than difficult.

The camera on this is average, and you can't really take crystal clear pictures with it. The image quality seems to always be a bit fuzzy, and if you are taking the picture in dark conditions, I wish you the best of luck. Yes there's a flash, but its very weak, and I've yet to be able to take a decent picture in poorly illuminated environments with it. One cool thing is your Media Manager though, as it stores your ring tones, music downloads, and of course pictures. You can store over a hundred pictures on this phone, and add them to your internet accounts, or put them as your screen saver. This is a neat function, and whenever my house calls, my newborn's son picture appears on the screen.

The talktime is decent enough, and is much longer than the 4.5 hours its capable of. I've gotten over five hours of it, and standby time is well over a week in time. This phone is only charged every two-three days, and I've never run out of juice completely. You can full charge it in several hours also. The charger cord is a bit bulky, so you might want to consider a travel option if you are on the road a bit. This hasn't caused me any issues, and its strong just like this phone is. Yes, this is the most durable Blackberry I've seen yet. Its been dropped a couple of times, and due to it not having that stupid trackerball, it can take some abuse. While I wouldn't recommend this kind of treatment, it delivers on its durability.

This phone isn't the smallest, but you can fit it in a durable belt pouch. Thankfully the screen size makes up for this, and considering that's your information center, it can use the extra dimensions. On the upper right hand screen, you can easily view your service capabilities. On the upper left hand side, you can see if your phone's on audible or silent mode, and verify your battery's strength. I like the battery meter on this, as some Blackberries are hard to see. This one is large, and features an old fashioned five barred drawing that lets you know when its time for a charging. A major plus, and this makes this a great phone, instead of just a data device that also happens to have one.

This is a fantastic product, and I'm impressed with its telephone and data capabilities. I really like using this, as it makes life a lot easier, and I consider its price to be well within reason for most. You can get this Blackberry at a variety of retailers, and if you have a cell plan, it might be possible to get it cheaper than its manufacturer cost. Having the tracker pad is a major advantage, and it adds to the durability of this phone. In addition to the phone's tough abilities, its so light you barely know its there. While this might make you look down on your belt to know its safely with you, I like this, and fully recommend this phone to anyone who's trying to keep ahead of the technology curve.