RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530
(Credit: Alltel)Joining the other carriers, Alltel added the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 to its lineup. It's available now for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, with a one-year contract and qualifying Smart Choice Pack (rates start at $69.99 per month for unlimited data, e-mail, and Web access).
Though more of an entry-level device, the Curve 8530 offers plenty of features, including Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, and GPS. The smartphone also has a 2-megapixel camera, 256MB Flash memory (expandable up to 32GB via the microSD/SDHC slot), dedicated media controls, and optical trackpad.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 for Alltel is available only to customers in the carrier's remaining 91 cellular market areas.
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530
(Credit: Sprint)Right in the nick of time for the holidays, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available from Sprint for $49.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
Though an entry-level phone, the Curve 8530 comes with a pretty decent feature list, including Wi-Fi, an optical trackpad, GPS, a 2-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, it will support the Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music Store, and Sprint TV.
If you're feeling it, you can purchase the smartphone in stores or through Sprint's business channel or telesales. The carrier will offer the smartphone in black, red, and royal purple.
Starting Friday, Verizon Wireless customers can purchase the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 in stores and online for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
As the CDMA kin to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520, the Curve 8530 is more of an entry-level device so you won't find some of the higher-end features found on the BlackBerry Tour, such as world roaming capabilities and a high-resolution display.
However, the Curve 8530 certainly brings some worthy upgrades to the aging Curve 8330, including a next-gen processor, an optical trackpad, and dedicated media controls, and one key feature that even the Tour lacks: integrated Wi-Fi.
On paper, it seems RIM has another crowd-pleaser on its hands, but we have some reservations about the phone's design and Verizon also happens to have another capable messaging smartphone in its lineup, the HTC Ozone, which offers the same features plus world roaming and costs $50 less.
RIM shipped us a Curve 8530 to check out, but it didn't include all the software that would ship on the final version, so we'll hold off on posting a review and verdict till we get a final product. In the meantime, however, you can read some of our first impressions in our hands-on photo gallery below and get a better 360 view of the phone in our First Look video. Stay tuned for more.
On Sale Now: $49.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 - black (Verizon Wireless)
On Sale Now: $49.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 - smoky violet (Verizon Wireless)
(Credit:
Sprint)
Verizon Wireless isn't the only one showing some BlackBerry love today. Following Verizon's announcement that it will bring the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8530 to its lineup on November 20, Sprint released a statement saying that it, too, will offer the Curve 8530.
Like the other models, the Curve 8530 includes features such a Wi-Fi, an optical trackpad, GPS, a 2-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, among other things. In addition, it will support the Sprint Music Store and Sprint TV.
Pricing and release date were not announced at this time, but interested customers can preregister for the device on Sprint's Web site. Sprint will offer the Curve 8530 in black, red, and royal purple.
HTC Droid Eris
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)When it rains it pours. On Thursday, Verizon Wireless opened the floodgates and unleashed a handful of cell phones and smartphones that should make their way into your hands just in time for the holiday shopping season. It looks like there's a little something for everyone, so let us know which you are most excited about in our comments section.
Here is a roundup of all of today's news:
Verizon's Droid Eris offers Android for less
Verizon introduces BlackBerry Curve 8530
LG Chocolate Touch is now official
Samsung's Convoy goes rugged
Verizon offers prepaid wireless for laptops
BlackBerry Curve 8530
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)A new BlackBerry has joined the Verizon Wireless family: the BlackBerry Curve 8530. The 8530 looks a fair bit sleeker than its predecessor, the Curve 8330, thanks to the touch-sensitive track pad and the slanted full QWERTY keyboard. We're also happy to finally see Wi-Fi capability, which was sadly lacking in the previous Curve. It also has 256MB flash memory, a 528MHz next-generation processor, EV-DO, GPS with support for geotagging pictures, a 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder, a music player with dedicated media keys, a 3.5mm headset jack, BlackBerry's App World application store, and, of course, plenty of e-mail and messaging features. If you're not satisfied with the onboard memory, you also have the option of adding up to 16GB of microSD/SDHC card storage.
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be available starting November 20 for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement.
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