BlackBerry Curve 8900

The much-anticipated BlackBerry Curve 8900, previously codenamed Javelin, is here, replacing the old 8300 series as RIM’s mainstream full-keyboard device. And, as part of a push into the consumer market, it comes with a whole heap of cuddly features.

Firstly, there’s an updated look, with ‘chrome’ and shiny black plastic replacing corporate greys, a more rounded, sleeker chassis – clearly from the same mould as the higher-end Bold and Storm handsets.

Inside job

Internal changes include a more powerful processor and a boost to the internal memory (up to 256MB) to keep things more responsive. There’s also now a GPS receiver on-board, bundled with the BlackBerry Maps application.

You’ll find a 3.5-megapixel camera round the back, with autofocus, a flash for improving indoor shots and even image stabilisation. It’s not going to replace your compact camera (particularly with the two-second shutter delay), but it’s fine as an everyday snapper and will also shoot video.

The tidily put-together media player is carried over from the Bold and Storm, includes support for DivX, XviD, H.263 and WMV video, as well as AAC, WMA9 and MP3 audio And, joy of joys, there’s also a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a hot-swappable microSD slot taking up to 16GB.

Push me, poke you

BlackBerry is famous for its email, and it’s here in all its glory, as well as supporting just about any other email provider you’ve already got. There are also applications for various instant messaging and social networking services, including Windows Live Messenger and Facebook. You’ll also find a set of applications capable of reading and editing DOC, XLS and PPT Office files.

Internet browsing benefits from a very capable browser too, with most sites rendered in a recognisably computer-like way – save any Flash-based elements, which aren’t supported.

And here comes the Curve’s only real disappointment – no 3G – only quad-band GPRS/EDGE. There is Wi-Fi, though, and the device does use some clever compression techniques to make even GPRS browsing possible at non-hair-tearing speeds.

Conclusions

It all adds up to a solid-feeling, good-looking smartphone with a decent feature set, all tied together with a very mature operating system.

If email’s important to you, it’s an excellent choice – but Blackberry’s impressive steps into areas besides its email core strength are starting to pay dividends.

The BlackBerry Curve will be available from the Carphone Warehouse from December 20, from free on contract.