RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 - black (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd. Part number: 8900
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 brings a number of improvements and additions to make it a nice upgrade to the Curve 8300 series. That said, AT&T offers other QWERTY smartphones that include 3G support and for less.
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CNET editors' review
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 - black (AT&T) price range: $0.14 - $424.30
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 06/09/2009
- Released on: 05/22/2009
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 offers a sleeker design and a vibrant display. The smartphone features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, and brings new productivity tools, a full HTML Web browser, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. There's also support for the BlackBerry App World and AT&T Navigator.
The bad: The BlackBerry Curve 8900 lacks 3G.
The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 brings a number of improvements and additions to make it a nice upgrade to the Curve 8300 series. That said, AT&T offers other QWERTY smartphones that include 3G support and for less.
Editors' note: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 for AT&T is similar to T-Mobile's Curve 8900 in design. For this review, we will be concentrating on the different features and performance compared with the T-Mobile version. For a full description of the smartphone's design, please see our review of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 for T-Mobile.
First offered by T-Mobile, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 is now available from AT&T for $149.99 with a two-year contract. The smartphone is largely like T-Mobile's version except it offers support for the carrier's various services, including AT&T Navigator, and free access to AT&T's nearly 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots. The hardware improvements and additional features include the high-resolution display, a full HTML Web browser, and a faster processor, and make it a great upgrade from the BlackBerry 8300 series.
However, unlike T-Mobile, AT&T has a fairly good stable of QWERTY devices and the Nokia E71x and the Samsung Jack give the Curve a good run for its money. For $50 less, both smartphones offer many of the same features and add 3G support, which the Curve lacks. The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 is a good messaging smartphone and if 3G isn't important to you or you're a BlackBerry loyalist, you'll be very happy with it. Otherwise, we think the Nokia E71x and Samsung Jack offer a slightly better value.
Features
As we noted earlier, AT&T's RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 has features akin to the T-Mobile model, but it adds a number of AT&T services, including AT&T Navigator, Yellowpages.com Mobile, and AT&T Music. The Curve 8900 also supports the recently launched BlackBerry App World, which you can use to peruse the catalog for new applications. The catalog has a basic, but easy-to-use, interface and features a fairly comprehensive database of applications, which you can view by category, top downloads, or featured items. You can also search by title. We downloaded several programs, including Facebook and Pandora, over AT&T's EDGE network with no problem. The Curve 8900 also comes preloaded with a number of apps and personal information management tools, such as Documents to Go Standard Edition, a Calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, a calculator, a password keeper, and more.
The Curve offers quad-band world roaming, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo Bluetooth support, Wi-Fi, and GPS. The only thing missing in the wireless department is 3G support, which again, you can get with the Nokia E71x or the Samsung Jack. Alternatively, if you want to keep it within the BlackBerry family, you can upgrade to the BlackBerry Bold. However, we realize not everyone needs 3G, and for occasional browsing, the EDGE speeds are satisfactory (see Performance for more).
The Curve 8900 is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with video-recording capabilities, flash, autofocus, 2x zoom, and image stabilization. In camera mode, you get a choice of three picture sizes and three picture qualities. There are white balance settings and the capability to add various effects to your photos, and with the built-in GPS, you can also geotag photos. The camcorder records clips in two formats (normal and MMS) with sound and offers video light and color effects.
Picture quality was OK. Even though we could make out the objects in the picture, the overall image looked hazy and somewhat gray, and video quality was a bit murky. Once done, you can share photos and videos via e-mail. You can also send photos via multimedia message or upload them to Facebook or Twitter. Of course, you can also set them as your background image or assign them to a contact. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 has 256MB of internal memory, and the microSD expansion slot can accept cards up to 16GB.
AT&T packages the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 with an AC adapter, a microUSB cable, a wired stereo headset, a soft protective case, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check out our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900;GPRS/EDGE) BlackBerry Curve 8900 in San Francisco using AT&T service, and call quality was decent. There was a bit of a background hiss during lulls in the conversation and some occasional crackling, but for the most part, we enjoyed clear audio with good volume. We didn't have any dropped calls and were able to use an airline's voice-automated system with no problems. Friends didn't report any major issues on their end. Speakerphone quality was quite good and almost more impressive than regular voice calls, since we thought the sound was much more pristine.
We were able to pair the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones. With the 3.5mm jack, you can also plug in your favorite pair of headphones for listening to music. While the BlackBerry's media player is fairly basic, we were happy with the sound quality when we plugged in our Bose On-Ear Headphones and listened to tracks. We also checked out a couple of video clips. An MPEG-4 file played back smoothly with clear picture and synchronized audio, but YouTube videos took a while to buffer and even then, the stream wasn't the smoothest.
The Curve 8900's full HTML Web browser is a great improvement over past models. Navigating sites is easier with the Page and Column view options and onscreen cursor. There are also zoom in and out functions. That said, it still trails the competition in terms of usability. Using AT&T's EDGE network, CNET's site came up in 55 seconds, while mobile sites for CNN and ESPN loaded in 15 seconds and 25 seconds, respectively.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 comes with a 1400mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 5 hours and up to 15 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Curve 8900 has a digital SAR rating of 1.01 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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A great phone.
by harriswoman on November 6, 2009
Pros: Very user friendly. Easy to set up email, blackberry chat, yahoo chat, etc. Applications are easy to use
Cons: There is nothing about this cell phone I do not like.
Summary: A great phone. All applications are very to use. The internet access is easy to use. I do not need a GPS. I can just Google a location as I ...
Summary: A great phone. All applications are very to use. The internet access is easy to use. I do not need a GPS. I can just Google a location as I would on my laptop. Great for the times you may need the internet, but you do not want to carry your laptop with you. All email has easy access. I have never had any issue with the phone.
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Very primitive compared to the Palm Centro
by DonvalH on October 27, 2009
Pros: Larger Screen & Keyboard. I liked the music Apps and the internet connections.
Cons: I could not find anyone who could tell me how to enter data from my computer without buying Microsoft Outlook. It is very slow to enter data on the Blackberry, compared to typing on a computer keyboard. The track ball is not very accurate.
Summary: I tried it for 30 days and returned it. My old Palm Centro does everything I could do on the Blackberry without so many steps. It might be OK if ...
Summary: I tried it for 30 days and returned it. My old Palm Centro does everything I could do on the Blackberry without so many steps. It might be OK if your company provides Microsoft OUTLOOK ( OUTLOOK EXPRESS does not help!). I found that it is very expensive to purchase Outlook if one doesn't have full blown Microsoft Office. It doesn't come with the Home & Student version. I would only recommend it, if the Blackberry is provided by your company.
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THIS PHONE ROx! Nicer THAN ANY SMASUNG,OR NOKIA PHONE
by HPFan101 on August 16, 2009
Pros: Looks, Sleek Design, Battery life is Very Good! I dnt have to charge it till 2 days! The Screen is beautiful! I thought this phone was 3G Cuz how fast it was! Great Layout! EYE CATCHER!! Easy to type on. Love the Scroll Wheel! And its blackberry!!!!!
Cons: Pricey other than that this is the BEST Blackberry Yet!
Summary: This Blackberry i have had for about 2 months its Pretty New Actually. I am still waiting on the Charging Pod and Bluetooth Sterero Systems for my house but i ...
Summary: This Blackberry i have had for about 2 months its Pretty New Actually. I am still waiting on the Charging Pod and Bluetooth Sterero Systems for my house but i cant WAIT! Till the Charging Pod gets here i heard it killer! I would love just to sit down after a long day and just place my phone on the pod without having to freaking Plug it in how annoying! The Battery Life is FANOMINAL!!! I highly recommende the Charging Pod.. LOOK IT UP! You'll fall in luv! The Blackberry software comes with Roxio Designed especially For BLACKBERRY! Yeah DUDE!! Wi-Fi is Great! Easy set-up and everything! Ok when using bluetooth it has a little bit of security but thats a good feel and when transfering a file via bluetooth the LED Indictator Turns BLUE! Blackberry has a built in Firewall. This is a Extremely Smart Smartphone. love how the light changes to red if i have a missed call, new email, new facebook alert, txt message etc. U can personalize ringtones to certain ppl and diff ringtones for everything like different ringtones for wen a new email comes or text ,etc, etc so u know what u got b4 u get to ur fone. Keypad is Great for texting unlike the Samsung JAck, Blackjack II, nokia it has spaced out keys not slippery crammed ones. Auto TEXT Is a Life Saver!! I love the Game Brickbreaker total entertainer! Camera Quality is Famonimal it even Takes the GPS Location of where u took irt!!!
Blackberry App World is amazing. Any fone with out apps are sore losers! And if u cant afford Data Charges... USE WIFI! Simple and easy as 1-2-3! You can set background images as well . arrange the icons and replace icons and put new ones on the main home screen. everything u think of the blackberry has some setting for it! ilove playing with the Settings! Overall BEST PHONE I HAVE EVER REVIEWD!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS! -
Very nice phone
by djebear43 on June 28, 2009
Pros: Voice dial, Email, gps, and just plain fun to play around with. Screen is wonderful.
Cons: I like everything about it.
Summary: This is by far the best cell phone I have ever had. It does everything I need and more, voice dial, email, gps. I almost did not get this phone ...
Summary: This is by far the best cell phone I have ever had. It does everything I need and more, voice dial, email, gps. I almost did not get this phone because of the reviews that mention no 3 G on the phone, but for me it connects to the internet just fine. I have only had it for 2 days but have not had any lock ups or anything yet. My Samsung Blackjack I had was garbage in comparison. I also switched from AT&T to T-mobile and so far I like the switch, the call clarity is better but in all fairness that could just be the phone. I have not had any dropped calls either, which with AT&T I would have several dropped calls. Any way, Great phone. I highly recommend this phone.
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Best Blackberry Yet
by happykook on June 26, 2009
Pros: Easy to use Keyboard
Well Laid out Menu's
Easy to Use Email
Easy Wi-fi Capablity
Edge Network Access
Excellent quality cameraCons: No 3G Network access for voice calls
Summary: As my wife's last cell came to the last of its days (RAZR V3xx) she decided she wanted a phone that had a good qwerty Keyboard, and have more ...
Summary: As my wife's last cell came to the last of its days (RAZR V3xx) she decided she wanted a phone that had a good qwerty Keyboard, and have more capabilities than just text and phone calls.
We checked out several different phones, but she decided quickly that she was not a fan of touch screen phones, so we looked at blackberry's.
Immediatly the Curve jumped off the shelf at my wife, and after playing with it for about 5 minutes she decided it was the phone for her.
Enough about how we got the phone, and more on the phone itself:
Although the phone lacks 3G access the calls are clear and no calls have been dropped.
The internet is fast and having the ability to connect to wi-fi hotspots to augment the speed is amazing. Having a full capable internet browser quite nice, and having a good size screen to view it never hurts.
Email is fast and easy, it only takes a few seconds to sync most major providers to the phone, and emails arrive extremely fast when recieved.
The Menu's are easily laid out and easy to understand, the ability to customize the screens makes it even better as it only takes a minutes to set the phone up the way you like.
As far as the construction, the phoen is well built, sturdy, and i can say that there is no sounds of things bumping around in the phone, unlike other reviews for this phone.
All in all, this phone is great for the price and I highly recommend it. -
Compact full-feature phone, but a bit pricey.
by dadown on June 12, 2009
Pros: Compact size, hi-res display. When typing, it can substitute abbreviations and some spelling corrections. Scrolling and zoom on web pages.
Cons: Sometime the small text is hard to read. Numbers are an Alt of alpha keys. Bluetooth service doesn't include FTS. USB connector is a micro-USB instead of a mini-USB.
Summary: I like the hi-res display, but wish it was a bit larger physically to make it easier to read. Receiving files via Bluetooth requires initiating reception before trying to send.
Summary: I like the hi-res display, but wish it was a bit larger physically to make it easier to read. Receiving files via Bluetooth requires initiating reception before trying to send.
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BB Curve 8900 is excellent phone
by citybornJJ on June 11, 2009
Pros: The Curve supports many useful apps. It supports a full browsing experience. It has excellent integration with facebook. It can manage texting and messengers very well. It has wifi for better access to video and streaming of web audio.
Cons: Screen isn't as large as other smart phone. Not touch screen. Does not have 3G but depending on your area this may not be a huge issue.
Summary: The Curve is a very good phone that if you have reasonable expectations will meet your your needs. It has many useful features and options that are very smart. It ...
Summary: The Curve is a very good phone that if you have reasonable expectations will meet your your needs. It has many useful features and options that are very smart. It is more that just a texting device to be sure and I continue to find new uses for it constantly.
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BB8900 on AT&T, Good for email and nothing else.
by huanbei on June 6, 2009
Pros: Instant push emails from pretty much any provider. Vivid Screen. User friendly OS. Good QWERTY keyboard design, very easy to type on.
Cons: Cheaply build. Super light weight with everything plastic, and poor fit and finish.
Summary: I wanted to try all different phone's and different softwares. So I came from iPhone 2G to the Nokia E71x, then to this one. iPhone obviously have all the ...
Summary: I wanted to try all different phone's and different softwares. So I came from iPhone 2G to the Nokia E71x, then to this one. iPhone obviously have all the fun stuff down the perfection so its pointless to compare (browser, music, video, photos, 3rd party apps). Both iPhone and E71x are extremely well built, solid metal with nohting whopping around. Blackberry can't compare with that either, good design, but cheap materials poorly assembled in Mexico.
But what neither iPhone nor Nokia even come close to the 8900 its the email. On the 8900 I'm able to get push emails gmail, hotmail, yahoo and exchange. The red light on top blinks almost instantly after i received an email. (email is Almost perfect, expect I can't directly sync with MS Exchange because my company doesn't have BES.. only IMAP, which means non of the remote wipe features work)
The keyboard is very easy to type on, ignoring the fact that the whole phone makes cracking noise when I type because things are loose. So i guess that's a plus too. Trackball works fine, but I hope it doesn't get stuck easily in the future.
Overall I think this is a well rounded phone. It doesn't have 3g, but hey if I really want to browse the internet on a phone I'd gotten iPhone. Blackberry does email and it does it well. Just wish RIM can use some real materials and improve the fit and finish.
*I don't regret returning the E71x for this because the S60 OS is un-usable with little 3rd party support.
*I'm going back to iPhone again after 18 months.1 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Sorely disappointed.
by chariw on November 12, 2009
Pros: The screens clarity is amazing, and the phone is sleek, black, and sexy.
Cons: The interface for this phone is surprisingly low-tech and simplistic, and there is no "Today" screen showing appointments and tasks at a glance. It reminds me of my first computer with Windows 3.1.
Summary: I purchased the 8900 thinking it would be an upgrade from the annoying touch screen of the Samsung Epix, but I was painfully disappointed. "Blackberry" is a big name in ...
Summary: I purchased the 8900 thinking it would be an upgrade from the annoying touch screen of the Samsung Epix, but I was painfully disappointed. "Blackberry" is a big name in the smartphone industry, but this phone has little more to offer than overpriced GPS and IM capabilities. If you have loads of friends with Blackberrys, perhaps the IM feature will be attractive. If you really love to take pictures with your phone, maybe the 3.2 megapixel camera is a big deal. In general, I am sorely disappointed. This is a Blackberry, for crying out loud, and I really expected more. The price is outrageous for what you get, particularly when you consider the cost of mandatory internet fees. In fact, the only browsing I did with this phone was to spend two weeks looking for apps to make the phone "behave" like a Windows Mobile phone. The bottom line is that the 8900 is a pretty package with very little going on inside.
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Hey Read My Review its the best :P
by GarrettGoff45555 on August 20, 2009
Pros: Battery Life, Ability of Charging Pod i love when the clock shows up! i love blackberry! Soooo many settings! Love the layout and Sleek Look! Fast too! Auto Dimming Backilight! and it has a scroll wheel thats what i LOVE!
Cons: Ummmmmm the phone is too perfect hahahah idk theres not any
Summary: This is the Best phone i have researched in my book! I love the Sleek Look, Sleek Desighn, The feel of the phone in your hand, how easy it is ...
Summary: This is the Best phone i have researched in my book! I love the Sleek Look, Sleek Desighn, The feel of the phone in your hand, how easy it is with the Auto Text, Famonimal QWERTY Keyboard (hahah that was funh to type qwweerrttyyy) Love how you can set backgrounds!Backup all your data on the Blackberry desktop manager!! Great flash on camera! and great Quality! I cant rave enough about how well the battery life is on this !! Like Omg Its awesome! I love the Scroll whell! It charges sooo fast! Its also a Blackberry hahahahahahaha! Love the Easy Wifi set up! love the back of the phone and the nice finish to the battery door with the nice Titanium Bberry Logo!I just feel so ritzy texting on it!!
0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
- Part number: 8900
- Description: A sleek twist on a classic style. You can keep your finger on the pulse of what's important to you with the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone. The striking 480 x 360-pixel screen offers up crisp on-the-go video, images, text, maps and more. With a refined design, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone is an easy-to-use device that delivers expanded functionality and reliable results.
General
- Product Type BlackBerry
- Service Provider Not specified
- Width 2.4 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4.3 in
- Weight 3.9 oz
Cellular
- Technology GSM
- Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
- Phone Design Candy bar
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Phone Navigation Buttons Trackball
- Voice Dialing Yes
- Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
- Application Software Alarm, Tasks, E-mail, Browser, Calendar, Contacts, Organizer, Media Player
Communicator Features
- Operating System BlackBerry Handheld Software
Messaging & Data Services
- Mobile Email Yes
- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes
- EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
Digital Camera
- Camera highlights With a resolution of 3.2 megapixels, this model will give you higher quality pictures than other phones.
- Sensor Resolution 3.2 megapixels
- Still Image Formats JPEG
- Focus Adjustment Automatic
- Digital Zoom 2
- Video Recorder Resolutions 352 x 480, 176 x 144 (QCIF)
- Features Video recording
GPS System
- GPS Navigation GPS receiver
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology TFT
- Display Resolution 480 x 360 pixels
- Diagonal Size 2.44 in
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV, WMA, MIDI, AAC +, eAAC+
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x USB
Power
- Type Battery charger
Battery
- Technology - Lithium ion
- Capacity 1400 mAh
- Talk Time 330 min
- Standby Time 356 h
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Research In Motion Ltd.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Research In Motion Ltd. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.rim.net
- Address:
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3W8, Waterloo, ON - Phone: 519/888-7465
- Email: webinfo@rim.net
- Fax: 519-888-7884
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