As expected, Canadian carrier Koodo Mobile is now selling the BlackBerry Curve 8530, their first RIM device to date. Koodo is owned by Telus, who has been offering the BlackBerry Curve 8530 since January and has recently knocked the price down to $24.99 on contract. The difference with Koodo is that you can get it for $150 off contract on their Tab system, allowing you to pay off the other $150 on your monthly bills, a lot like T-Mobile’s Even More plans.
This is also Koodo’s first honest-to-goodness smartphone, meaning we can expect some new, cheap data plans as soon as they update their online store. A similar Bell-owned carrier, Virgin Mobile Canada, broke into smartphones with the Pearl 8130 almost two years ago, so I find it a little surprising that it took so long to catch up, especially given Bell and Telus’ cozy relationship. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will also be available on Koodo for $350 if you’re not digging the Tab thing – keep an eye on Koodo’s site for availability. If you’re on the fence, be sure to check out our review.
[via CNW]