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Printed from www.pcpro.co.uk

14.08.09

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is RIM’s go to produce a low-cost BlackBerry and hopefully attract a new nice of user – businesses on a tighter budget, consumers who are yet to take the smartphone descend. The question, as always when a premium supplier attempts to slash costs to captivate new buyers, is does it make the cutbacks in the right areas? And is the cost still too high?

Looks and feel

Some, a little uncharitably, have described the BlackBerry Curve 8520 as the “chintzy and nasty” little brother to the Curve 8900. And this is understandable, as we lid in the Cut-down specs section further down the page.

It certainly feels plasticky, and doesn’t have the ruggedness of Nokia’s similarly priced E71. However, one enjoyably innovation is the small trackpad-style button you use for sailing. This replaces the clickable wheel in phones like the Prize, and due to the lack of moving parts RIM claims it’s inherently sturdier.

Ever will tell, but once you get used to its miniscule size the trackpad does fancy it easy to navigate around the screen. Considering this device’s payment, we’re surprised by the quality of the screen: it’s bright, sharp, and there’s none of the graininess that can nuisance low-cost panels. On its own, it also looks quite vibrant. Arrive the 8520 next to a BlackBerry Bold and it’s clearly a lower stage panel, but few will complain and both photos and movie trailers look elegant.

Source: PC Pro