BlackBerry Curve 8530 Rated 3.5 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 (Verizon) doesn't out-feature the latest smartphones but it does a great job of what BlackBerry does best, email, messaging and business docs, reviewers reported. All reviews noted that the BlackBerry Cuve 8530 plays music and video well. Reviewers also all liked the call quality and messaging features. The addition of Wi-Fi and fast snappy processor were praised.
Reviewers called the BlackBerry Curve 8530, entry-level and for first-time buyers and the photo quality was poor. With the latest price of $29.99 (from Verizon after rebates) it can offer value, however, buyers will still have to pay for a data plan like they do with the higher priced smartphones.
Some reviewers liked the new trackpad and keyboard, while some reviewers found the trackpad unresponsive and the QWERTY keyboard worked fine, but was cramped. Reviewers of all BlackBerry smartphones lately have be knocking the BlackBerry browser, an easy remedy is to install the BOLT browser, a favorite of all our readers for PC-like rendering.
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 comes in smokey black and violet. The phone is light and small, therefore you may want to try it out before you buy it. A QWERTY keyboard is always helpful and the violet color is appealing. Most reviewers rated it around 3.5 which is just slightly less than other higher priced smartphones. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 does quality for the popular a Buy One BlackBerry Get Any Free BlackBerry or Select Device deal offer from Verzion and costs $29.99 after a rebate with qualifying contracts. Don't forget you can avoid waiting for a rebate when you use the Wireless and Mobile News' online coupon-link Instant Phone Rebate Only Available with Online Purchase.
Online retailer Wirefly is offering the BlackBerry Curve 8530 for free with a new Verizon account.Wirefly always offers free shipping.
Bonnie Cha at CNET rated the BlackBerry Curve 8530 3.5 out of 5 stars, for 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. She calls it an first-time entry-level smartphone which feels a bit cheap and the screen has a low-resolution. The Curve 8530 has a next-gen processor, optical tackpad and is less expensive. She liked the features of voice dialing, smart dialing, sped dialing, MMS, VZ Navigator and V CAST. She did not like the browser. Messaging is the BlackBerry's strongest point as well as viewing business documents. Because you can only save apps in the main memory you have to watch app usage. The photo quality of the 2.0 megapixel camera was poor. Call quality was clear. Performance was snappy and music playback was impressive.
Jamie Lendino at PCMag rated the BlackBerry Curve 8530 3.5 out of 5. He liked that it felt fast but considering the touchscreen and Android competition, it's not a standout. The Cuve 8530 is light and the screen resolution was disappointing. Typing was fast, easy but felt cramped. It also works as a modem. Voice quality was good. The web browser is a weak point. Audio was good as video was smooth. It's a good handset but doesn't lead the pack.
Phone Arena calls the BlackBerry Curve 8530 the sweet spot of price, functionality and cool. They like the addition of Wi-Fi but note that it feels light and plasticy but fits nicely in you hand. The 2.4" display has a resolution of 320x240. The trackpad was not as precise as the trackball. The keyboard works but is not as good as the Bold. The 3G access is a good edition while camera is just decent. Media player is good. Call quality is good. For a slightly higher price point, they prefer other BlackBerry smartphones.