Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5859 in Cell Phone Accessories
• Color: Silver
• Brand: BlackBerry
• Model: 8320 Curve
• Released on: 2007-09-24

Features

• Smallest, lightest BlackBerry with full QWERTY keyboard--weighs just 3.9 ounces
• Wi-Fi connectivity for Web browsing and access to T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home unlimited calling service
• 2.0 megapixel camera with flash and 5x digital zoom; Bluetooth wireless connectivity with with stereo headset support
• Next-generation media player with audio and video playback in a variety of formats; expandable via MicroSD memory cards
• Includes: Battery, Charger, Stereo Hands-free Headset, USB Cable, Carrying Case and BlackBerry Desktop Software

Amazon.com Product Description
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion's formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM's long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service. This version comes in titanium, but it's also available in pale gold.

The Curve's full QWERTY keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a breeze..

The 2-megapixel camera makes it easy to capture pictures to send via email or upload to your online photo collection.

T-Mobile Service Options
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you'll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi--at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you're not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Staying Connected
With BlackBerry's push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.

Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.

For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you've come to expect. It's supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.

Phone Features

Click for larger view.

The Curve is fashioned in a liquid silver finish with chrome highlights and subtly curving corners. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces--just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.

You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.

Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve's support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.

With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list--either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.

Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.

Customer Reviews

One giant leap for BlackBerry fans
The feature that differentiates this from other Blackberries is UMA - unlicensed mobile access. In contrast to the AT&T Blackberry 8820, this T-mobile 8320 allows one to SPEAK over wifi. The 8820 can only use wifi for data.

It roams seamlessly between wifi networks and EDGE/GSM networks without dropping the call. I started a call from a Starbucks wifi network and walked out of its range. The phone switched over to the GSM network without dropping the call - no problem. I then walked into my office where there is wifi, and the phone switched over to wifi.

A few interesting points:

- Calls made over UMA (ie. wifi) are much clearer. They sound like an landline phone, not a walkie talkie.

- T-mobile bills you according to where you *initiate* the call. So if you start a call at home over your wifi and then walk out, you still don't get minutes deducted from your plan.

- The UMA HotSpot@Home add-on to your T-mo contract ($20/mo unlimited UMA talking for all lines on my family plan) also includes access to Hotspots at all Starbucks Cafes and airports. I didn't need to do a thing. As soon as I get near a Starbucks, the phone finds its Hotspot wireless network and latches on.

- I have significantly decreased the amount I spend monthly on voicetime by using a MyFaves family plan ($59/mo for 1000 whenever minutes) because all calls over UMA and all calls on to my 5 selected MyFaves numbers are not deducted from that plan's minutes.

- Tmobile gave me a free wifi router ($50 with a $50 rebate) that has been optimized for UMA voice. It firmware has been set up so that the UMA (VOIP traffic) is prioritized.

- I am SO dumping my Vonage line now. Vonage's voice clarity and reliability is nowhere close, and Tmobile's customer service is fabulous in comparison.

- I live in NYC and I recall when the cell networks went down on 9/11 due to overload. One comforting thought is that this phone will not die in times of network overload that since it can work on a completely different network (ie. wifi routers connecting to regular ISPs, which kept working on 9/11).

I'm a believer.

Solid all around performer
The Blackberry 8320 builds upon the popular Curve with the addition of WIFI and the ability to use both data and voice over WIFI. This is a bonus for those of us located slightly outside of the optimal coverage range for T-Mobile.

In addition, if you travel overseas and are within range of a WIFI hotspot, you'll be able to user your 8320 without any extra roaming or International fees (International fees always apply if you call International numbers - however you could use this phone overseas to call home without any added costs).

Some of the things I like about this phone:

1. The camera takes nice pictures and I've used it as a substitute for my regular digital camera. As with all cell phone cameras, the best quality is when you take a picture in direct sunlight. I upload the photos via email to my flikr account.

2. RSS reader built into the web browser

3. Spell checker now built into OS (just remember to correct any mis-spellings before you holster the device or the next time you look at your Blackberry you may see it reporting a spelling error and asking if you want to still send the email -- which you thought you sent hours ago)

Some of the things I dislike:

1. Blackberry devices still do not have the ability to display fully formatted html emails

2. The Blackberry devices are now being trickled out with selective features. For example, this model doesn't have GPS but does have WIFI. It's as if Blackberry is milking the product line for all it's worth -- and trying to get people to make small incremental upgrades to handsets as features are trickled out.

3. I've had problems on the media player when I used an 8300 (From ATT). I haven't fully tested this one yet. On my other Curve, the media player would not recognize all the mp3 songs I loaded. Now you might suggest this is a problem with song tags (and maybe you're right) - but the Curve was the only device which could not read the mp3 information (Tip: If your Curve exhibits the same behavior - browse for data files instead of using the search by artist/title/etc.)

Overall this is a very solid device. Battery life has been about a day which I find quite acceptable.

How Wi-Fi Works with 8320
First off, this is a great BlackBerry device that compares with any other BlackBerry device. Let's be honest: What you are interested in is how this phone works with VoIP over Wi-Fi. Okay, T-Mobile does offer the add-on "Hotspot@Home" service that allows unlimited calling when you choose to talk through the Wi-Fi network, but this is purely an option. This phone will still use Wi-Fi (or UMA), at the places you can access Wi-Fi, instead of using the T-Mobile cellular network... you'll just be using your plan minutes if you don't add on that unlimited option.

But, how does it actually work? Think of your home Wi-Fi router becoming another cellular tower. All cell phones "hand off" your call from one tower to the next as you drive down the highway. But with a UMA phone like this one, your home (or work) Wi-Fi becomes yet another available "tower" for your call to be handed to and from. So, start a call on Wi-Fi and walk out to the door, your call is automatically handed off to the T-Mobile tower without you noticing a thing. Started a call in your car on the way home? As soon as you walk in your front door, the call is automatically handed off to your Wi-Fi router seamlessly. As far as the phone and T-Mobile is concerned, it is no different than just driving further down the road to the next cellular tower. Yes, the phone easily connects even if your Wi-Fi requires a login (like most hotels) or the Wi-Fi signal requires WEP or WPA authentication.

I've been using my new phone for about one week and I've already burned through 250 minutes of my unlimited "Hotspot@Home" voice time through Wi-Fi, which before would have counted against my available plan minutes. You can't argue with the bottom line: this phone pays for itself almost overnight!