BlackBerry 8900 Curve (Javelin) Review

Hardware

Construction

Now, the Curve line is one of the few BlackBerrys I haven’t had any proper time with. I started the old 7520 briefly, then the 8700, then the original Pearl 8100, then up to the 8800, then the Bold and the Storm, so this new 8900 Curve has a fairly foreign feel. The keys are much higher and audibly clicky-er than I’m used to, the body is the slimmest I’ve held since the Pearl, and is extremely light. A few things that I had heard second-hand from original Curve users is that the light construction actually works to its detriment, both leaving cracks through which dust can settle under the screen, and making the phone more prone to impact damage.

One friend who has been using his 8900 for awhile is already reporting hairline fractures along the center soft keys, which otherwise I felt were a little too soft – the Bold and Storm’s menu/back keys are much snappier. The keypad and battery door both feel loose, which can be disconcerting for the folks who are already aware of the Curve’s history. Speaking of the battery door, it’s plastic, despite looking nearly identical to the Storm’s nicer metal one – yet another sacrifice made in the name of cutting weight. (Update: Three months later, in April, my friend’s soft keys properly snapped off. Rogers wouldn’t offer service for it because RIM hadn’t reported any issues. Boo, hiss.)

What the new Curve lacks in solidity, it makes up for in style. As noted in our picture comparison, the Storm and the Javelin have a lot in common: beveled top with mute and lock keys, rubberized siding, and chrome edging. One Storm feature that didn’t make the jump was a reinforced headphone jack; although it’s hard to test, I’m under the impression the Storm’s jack is less prone to coming loose with ongoing usage, as I’m starting to see in my Bold. Eventually connections get weakened and can cut out your music unless your headphones are pressed in at just the right angle.

Being light also makes it feel really good in the hand and easy to tuck away, but as a personal preference, I prefer something heavier. As noted by others, the trackball is no different from any other BlackBerry’s, aside from being opaque. I kind of liked the soothing glowiness that the Bold and Pearl trackballs offered, but when the light shines around the rim of the Curve 8900′s, I like to see this new black trackball as the dour moon of office responsibility eclipsing the rest of your entire life – fitting for BlackBerry, no?

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About The Author

Simon Sage

Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.

BBAddict133

Not a bad review. The only thing I want to note is that you mentioned that you used UMA without subscribing. Both Rogers and T-Mobile allow UMA calling without subscriptions – it just pulls from your regular minutes (Whenever, Night/Weekend, Mobile-to-Mobile, etc.)
Simon Sage

Oh, cheers, thanks for clearing that up. So what are the benefits of subscribing to the service, then?
Luke Mathews

This phone is the worst phone I’ve ever owned. T-Mobile took the fattest dump on it’s customers by not offering a blackberry on the 3G network and blackberry made a crappy product. Oh sure, it emails, but try syncing it with a mac…no dice. Try using Blackberry maps…you’ll get to your destination before the map loads. Try using the internet…you’d have better luck praying for peek at CNN.

This phone BLOOOOOOOOOOOWS and I bet T-Mobes is freaking out because they failed their customers by offering a product that can never compare to the iphone or even bold simply because bold has the 3G. A T-Mobile rep told me I would be better off with an iphone! That last statement is permanently etched in my customer file. I think T-Mobes should give me the money to get what they think I need.
jackvicko

the best phone ever i used freakin g1 i used iphone but i liked… 8900 the most man its a bussssiiinnneesss phonee thank you tmobile
charlotte

i have had this phone for nearly six days now…….I LOVE IT!! just want to clear something up to all the bb haters….if you want something that does what an iPhone does, something that syncs correctly with a mac and is generally isnt a blackberry….then this next statement may shock you. BUY AN IPHONE!

my only gripe with this phone is the battery isnt amazing. two days tops, but thats with constant twitter/myspace and faceook updates, GPS, wordmole and constant texting.

but if sex was a phone…..it would be a RIM. Lol.

Enjoy.
Suffered!

My boss FOrce us to use this freaking phonE…

Wa Jin Jie Shi BeTaHan!!!!
CitkaLou

blackberry 8900 is a pretty sweet phone..but i’ve heard that the storm2 is better so i’m savin up to get one from gsmallover.com
Manimal

i second this review…worst phone ive ever had…. i had an iphone til it got stolen….this was a cheaper replacement for the time but its turned out to be the biggest headache ever…
ROODY RENELUS

i can receive call .when i try to call something appear in the screen not allowed to dial what should i do
bunga emas

just bought it yesterday……..my new baby….hope it works well with me
mdevraj

Blackberry Javelin 8900. Purchased in January 2010. Died in my pocket on August 16. Given for service on August 17. Received a replacement phone on August 28 since the original phone could not be repaired. The data was lost. Meanwhile Vodafone had deactivated my service. 4 days, 16 phone calls and at least 2 hrs on hold listening to the Vodafone jingle later, I received a call from Vodafone that they my service was reactivated and I could now configure my phone to receive email. But first, I was asked to switch off my phone, take out the battery and SIM card, reinsert these, and start the phone again. The handset wouldn’t come on. Vodafone said the problem was with the operating system of my handset. Back this morning to Redington, the Blackberry service centre. Now the replacement phone cannot be fixed and will need to be replaced. After much self assertion I am promised that I will receive a new replacement handset by tomorrow 4 p.m. They were trying to shirk me off for another week. But of course the handset will have to be personally collected. After that it will be back to Vodafone and their jingle. I’ll be singing it in my sleep.
Syeraeyramok

why when I want to call someone why it will show the word not allowed to dail ?