BlackBerry Curve 8530 - A Reliable Smartphone

I was indecisive on what smartphone to purchase. I had a Nokia Xpress Music for a while and it worked just fine. I moved to another city and gave up that phone. I was reading up on iPhones and BlackBerries and I wasn’t sure which one would be better. I also didn’t want to spend too much money on a new phone. I browsed different cellular companies and decided to give it a try with Cricket, since there is no contract I could cancel with them anytime. I saw they had the Blackberry Curve 8530 for sale at $159.99 and decided to add it to my cart and purchase it. It was shipped overnight for free and right the next day I received my first BlackBerry.

I’ve had this phone for about a month now and I pretty much already know what I love and what I don’t like that much. I hope this review can help you decide on what phone to choose.

Likes:

· Great voice performance with calls – I used a cheap Samsung Stunt for a while and sometimes I could not understand what the person on the other end was saying. Witht this phone, that problem was entirely fixed! Even though Cricket can have poor reception - or no reception at all in some areas - my BlackBerry makes it easier to talk to people.

· Wi-Fi – Yes, I know there are other smartphones that also have this feature but since this is my first BlackBerry I am very happy with it. It makes it easier to surf the net when you’re at a location that offers free Wi-Fi. Even if you’re at home and you have your own wireless network, you can use your BlackBerry to check your Facebook account for example.

· BlackBerry Messenger – This is one of the things I love the most! I have two sisters and one lives in Taiwan and the other in Nicaragua. With this messenger we can chat anytime we want without paying anything extra. You can even send voice notes, pictures, and videos.

· GPS Support – I was happy to see that I could use Maps & Directions on this phone! I thought wow! I don’t need to print directions before I go anywhere because I can do it with my phone.

· Design – I love how thin and light this phone is. I was worried about having a heavy block for a smartphone, but when I put this phone in my pocket you barely notice it.

· Trackpad – I was worried I wasn’t going to get used to the trackpad but I think it’s awesome and it works great to surf through the menu or the web.

· BlackBerry App World – Every BB comes with the icon for the BlackBerry App World. You can enter and browse through hundreds of applications for your fun. There are so many that I don’t think I’ve browsed all of them yet. There are free apps and paid for apps. Some of them can really make your BlackBerry experience easier.

Dislikes:

· Battery life – As much as I love this phone the thing that I dislike the most is the battery life. It dies very quick if you use the internet browser a lot. I basically have to charge it every single night in order to be able to use it the whole day.

· No flash – The resolution on the camera is pretty good for the phone, however you always need light in order for it to be a clear picture. This phone doesn’t have a flash so you won’t be taking any successful pictures at night.

I hope my review can help you find the phone you’re looking for. My BlackBerry has been a reliable phone so far with so many features that make my cell phone experience more fun!