!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Before I begin - Please be aware that the image provided for this product by Ciao is actually of the 8900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ... Read review
£37.20 per month on Orange Racoon 40 (12 month contract) - 600 inclusive minutes, 500 more
texts, 200 minutes to UK landlines. Turn heads with the colourful BlackBerry®Skins triple pack - free with the BlackBerry®Curve?8520 on all new pay montly contracts. This phone's dedicated media keys make controlling your music and videos a breeze, while social networking apps designed for BlackBerry ensure keeping in touch is easy. On the work front, advanced email features, Wifi, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keypad will give you all the advantages of the office while you?re on the go. Features: free Christmas gift on pay-as-you-go, BlackBerry Skins triple pack - free on new pay monthly plans, BlackBerry®email, Bluetooth®2.0 + EDR, QWERTY keypad, WiFi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 and AAC player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, MP3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth®, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, music player. Plan features: free evening and weekend mobile internet for two months. blackberry curve 8520, blackberry, curve, 8520, racoon 40, 12, 200, minutes, uk, landlines, free gift, christmas gift, blackberry skins, blackberry email, bluetooth 2.0 + edr, qwerty keypad, wifi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 player, AAC player, music player, MP4 player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, mp3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, bluetooth, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, new, 830003/330015, paym, pay monthly, contract
£27.41 per month on Orange Dolphin 30 (12 month contract) - 200 inclusive minutes, 300 more
texts. Turn heads with the colourful BlackBerry®Skins triple pack - free with the BlackBerry®Curve?8520 on all new pay montly contracts. This phone's dedicated media keys make controlling your music and videos a breeze, while social networking apps designed for BlackBerry ensure keeping in touch is easy. On the work front, advanced email features, Wifi, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keypad will give you all the advantages of the office while you?re on the go. Features: free Christmas gift on pay-as-you-go, BlackBerry Skins triple pack - free on new pay monthly plans, BlackBerry®email, Bluetooth®2.0 + EDR, QWERTY keypad, WiFi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 and AAC player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, MP3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth®, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, music player. Plan features: free evening and weekend mobile internet for two months. blackberry curve 8520, blackberry, curve, 8520, dolphin 30, 12, free gift, christmas gift, blackberry skins, blackberry email, bluetooth 2.0 + edr, qwerty keypad, wifi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 player, AAC player, music player, MP4 player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, mp3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, bluetooth, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, new, 830003/330009, paym, pay monthly, contract
£32.31 per month on Orange Dolphin 35 (12 month contract) - 400 inclusive minutes, 300 more
texts. Turn heads with the colourful BlackBerry®Skins triple pack - free with the BlackBerry®Curve?8520 on all new pay montly contracts. This phone's dedicated media keys make controlling your music and videos a breeze, while social networking apps designed for BlackBerry ensure keeping in touch is easy. On the work front, advanced email features, Wifi, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keypad will give you all the advantages of the office while you?re on the go. Features: free Christmas gift on pay-as-you-go, BlackBerry Skins triple pack - free on new pay monthly plans, BlackBerry®email, Bluetooth®2.0 + EDR, QWERTY keypad, WiFi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 and AAC player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, MP3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth®, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, music player. Plan features: free evening and weekend mobile internet for two months. blackberry curve 8520, blackberry, curve, 8520, dolphin 35, 12, free gift, christmas gift, blackberry skins, blackberry email, bluetooth 2.0 + edr, qwerty keypad, wifi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 player, AAC player, music player, MP4 player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, mp3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, bluetooth, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, new, 830003/330010, paym, pay monthly, contract
£19.57 per month on Orange Dolphin 25 (18 month contract) - 200 inclusive minutes, more
unlimited texts. Turn heads with the colourful BlackBerry®Skins triple pack - free with the BlackBerry®Curve?8520 on all new pay montly contracts. This phone's dedicated media keys make controlling your music and videos a breeze, while social networking apps designed for BlackBerry ensure keeping in touch is easy. On the work front, advanced email features, Wifi, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keypad will give you all the advantages of the office while you?re on the go. Features: free Christmas gift on pay-as-you-go, BlackBerry Skins triple pack - free on new pay monthly plans, BlackBerry®email, Bluetooth®2.0 + EDR, QWERTY keypad, WiFi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 and AAC player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, MP3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth®, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, music player. Plan features: free evening and weekend mobile internet for two months. blackberry curve 8520, blackberry, curve, 8520, dolphin 25, 18, free gift, christmas gift, blackberry skins, blackberry email, bluetooth 2.0 + edr, qwerty keypad, wifi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 player, AAC player, music player, MP4 player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, mp3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, bluetooth, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, new, 830003/330017, paym, pay monthly, contract
£39.14 per month on Orange Racoon 45 (18 month contract) - 1200 inclusive minutes, 500 more
texts, unlimited anytime calls to UK landlines. Turn heads with the colourful BlackBerry®Skins triple pack - free with the BlackBerry®Curve?8520 on all new pay montly contracts. This phone's dedicated media keys make controlling your music and videos a breeze, while social networking apps designed for BlackBerry ensure keeping in touch is easy. On the work front, advanced email features, Wifi, Bluetooth and a QWERTY keypad will give you all the advantages of the office while you?re on the go. Features: free Christmas gift on pay-as-you-go, BlackBerry Skins triple pack - free on new pay monthly plans, BlackBerry®email, Bluetooth®2.0 + EDR, QWERTY keypad, WiFi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 and AAC player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, MP3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, Bluetooth®, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, music player. Plan features: inclusive sat nav with Orange Maps, 500MB anytime mobile internet browsing per month. blackberry curve 8520, blackberry, curve, 8520, racoon 45, 18, unlimited, anytime, uk, landlines, free gift, christmas gift, blackberry skins, blackberry email, bluetooth 2.0 + edr, qwerty keypad, wifi 802.11 b/g, backlit keypad, 2-megapixel camera, email, 2.46 inch screen, MP3 player, AAC player, music player, MP4 player, MPEG4, video recorder, vibrating alert, mp3 ringtones, polyphonic ring tones, bluetooth, quad band, 5 x digital zoom, dedicated camera keys, dedicated media keys, camera, new, 830003/330046, paym, pay monthly, contract
Advantages: Trackpad, dedicated media buttons Disadvantages: No case provided!!!!
...most companies but not for Blackberry and RIM, who seem to make every effort to guarantee smartphone satisfaction. I must say that I am loving the touchpad, it is probably easier to use than the trackball was, it feels more precise, and it doesn't make the annoying sound.
The camera on the 8900 is in my opinion unarguably better, but with only a 2mp camera the 8520 really does RIM proud. In my experience the megapixels are far less ... more
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Before I begin - Please be aware that the image provided for this product by Ciao is actually of the 8900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I recently received my 8520 as an upgrade from the 8320. I had originally wanted to upgrade to the 8900 and spent a while doing a detailed comparison of the two, please see below for what I consider to be the main distinctions between these handsets.
8900 - 3.2 mp camera, slightly better definition on the display, leather locking case provided.
8520 - Better connectivity options, improved touch pad navigation and dedicated media control buttons .
Having previously owned the 8320, which I found to be a very good hanset, and played around on the Bold and the 8900 models I was always a fan of the trackball system and found it very easy to use. The touchpad navigation was something that originally put me off of the 8520 as I was unsure that anything would be an improvement on the trackball system. After speaking to someone at orange I discovered that the reason for this change was that "for about every 1 in 100 trackballs, there was a fault". These odd's would probably be acceptable for most companies but not for Blackberry and RIM, who seem to make every effort to guarantee smartphone satisfaction. I must say that I am loving the touchpad, it is probably easier to use than the trackball was, it feels more precise, and it doesn't make the annoying sound.
The camera on the 8900 is in my opinion unarguably better, but with only a 2mp camera the 8520 really does RIM proud. In my experience the megapixels are far less important than the general setup of the camera OS, and the Blackberry handsets have one of the best I have ever used.
In summary, although they are not that different the handsets have there own advantages, but the 8520 was definately the best option for me.
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
Communicator features
Operating System
BlackBerry Handheld Software
Messaging & data services
Cellular Messaging Services
MMS, SMS
Instant Messaging Services
RIM BlackBerry VM Client
Mobile Email Client
Built-in
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
Built-in
EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution)
Built-in
Internet Browser
Built-in
Ring tones
Polyphonic Ring Tone Voice Qty
32
Ring Tone Formats
MIDI, MP3
Multimedia features
Playback Digital Video Formats
MPEG-4, H.263 video and AMR audio, WMV (Windows Media Video), H.264
Digital camera
Sensor Resolution
2 Megapixel
Digital Zoom
5
Video Recorder Resolutions
176 x 144 (QCIF), 320 x 240 (QVGA)
Organiser
Alarm Clock
Yes
Calendar / Event Reminder
Built-in
Reminder
Built-in
Calculator
Basic
Display
Type
LCD display
Technology
TFT
LCD Technology
Transmissive
Display Resolution
320 x 240 pixels
Diagonal Size
2.64"
Colour Depth
65,536 colours
Digital player (recorder)
Supported Digital Audio Standards
WMA, AAC, AMR, MP3, AAC +, eAAC+, WMAPro
Memory
ROM
256 MB - Flash
Connections
Connector Type
1 x headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories
Power adapter
Battery
Technology
Lithium Ion
Capacity
1150 mAh
Talk Time
270 min
Standby Time
Up to 408 h
Manufacturer's product description
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smart phone neatly fits in your hand. A full QWERTY keyboard makes typing and sending messages easy, and comfortable. The bright screen displays over 65,000 colors, providing a great viewing experience. Take photos or videos and upload them to photo sharing apps like Flickr Uploader, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Send them to friends with MMS, messages, BlackBerry messenger or other instant messaging apps. Discover a world of possibilities and apps for the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone at BlackBerry App World. Get breaking news, and the latest scores. Track the markets, stay on top of Hollywood gossip, enjoy live radio or just play games. Control music and multimedia with dedicated media keys found atop the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smart phone. Skip over songs, pause music to talk, or repeat your favorites over and over. You can even mute phone calls with the easy-access mute button. Access what's important with trackpad navigation. Like a laptop, the trackpad lets you scroll through menus, icons and info by gliding your finger over it. Press and click to select an item and navigate to where you want to go.
