BlackBerry Curve 8530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)

by BlackBerry

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches ; 3.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002XDQK06
• Item model number: Curve 8530
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

Product Description

Verizon BlackBerry 8530 Curve Black LOW

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well rounded Blackberry with everything you need, November 24, 2009

By 

D. Miller (Chagrin Falls, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackBerry Curve 8530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

I've had just about every Blackberry on the market and this one wins the race, so far. It is light, well constructed and easy to hold. The keyboard is, like most Blackberry's, easy to use, even with big thumbs. Functionality is very well rounded with the much needed wi-fi finally coming to a Verizon Blackberry (outside of the Storm2). The trackpad is a real win. Responsive and easy to use. I use it with our Enterprise Blackberry server and everything works flawlessly. I send around 100 messages a day and the phone manages it without any trouble and is comfortable to use. Highly recommended.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BlackBerry 8530, February 7, 2010

By 

Chad Roose (Clifton Park, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackBerry Curve 8530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

I just got this phone and have had for a few days. This is my first Blackberry phone and the phone I had before was the Envy2. I must say this phone was a little hard to figure out but it only took me an hour with out using instructions. The buttons are a little small and I do fumble texts every now and then.The battery life is good. I got this phone mainly so I could ditch my ipod and carry it all in the palm of my hand. And so far it's doing a great job at holding up as a mp3/mp4 player. When playing music it hardly drains the battery. When playing movies like on most portable devices it does take a big chunk of the battery but it doesn't kill it. So far I have only watched an half an hour of a movie and the battery was still good. Everything works well on this phone and I highly recommend to anyone who doesn't want to be tied down to an apple iphone. Also when uploading music make sure to use the blackberry media sync. It makes it a lot easier to to put all your music on the phone.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All your (important) questions answered, June 25, 2010

By 

Samuel D. Uretsky "Samskara" (Wantagh NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: BlackBerry Curve 8530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless) (Wireless Phone)

Selection of a smartphone depends on what you plan to do with it -- it's that simple. This is particularly significant since Google, with its collection of mobile apps, has made many important features available for many different models and operating systems. BlackBerry gained a great deal of its market leadership because it could be used by companies to keep in touch with a large and scattered field force, but for individuals and smaller groups, the same things can be done using Google's free services. Google also offers synchronization of calenders and address books. At this point, many of the critical features that have made smartphones so valuable are available for any phone. For myself, I chose the BlackBerry Curve because of the physical keyboard with a good keyboard feel. I previously had the original Curve, and upgraded because the new model has both 3G and wifi.

KEYBOARD -- the keyboard is small, and this may be a problem for people with large hands, but the keys are separated, and generally easy to use. They have a sharp, reassuring feel. Even so, it may be worth going to a store and checking the various keyboards before making a selection.

FIT AND FINISH -- some reviewers have described the Curve 2 as feeling "cheap", and it may well be, but it does appear to be well made, and it's considerably lighter than other smartphone, notably the iPhone. There's no question that the iPhone has an air of luxury about it, it seems solid, well made. In contrast, the Curve 2 is light. That's a subjective consideration, and again requires personal evaluation. It depends on how you feel about the two devices and can't be determined by a review, but the Curve 2, in spite of its light weight, seems durable. I've seen reviews that complained about the poor fit of the battery cover, but I haven't experienced any problems.

CONNECTIVITY -- Verizon offers this phone with 3G and wifi, so the download speeds are quite good under most circumstances, however it is not suitable for travel outside the United States (maybe it can be used overseas using a WiFi connection and Skype. I've been told that, but don't know.)

DISPLAY -- not as bright as some, but adequate. As with most BlackBerry devices, the Curve 2 has a fixed keyboard, and so the screen size is smaller than can be found on cell phone with either a virtual keyboard or a hidden keyboard (hinged or slide) which is a limiting factor if the phone is to be bused for watching videos. It can be read in daylight, although I haven't tried it on very bright days.

CAMERA -- poor. The is a fixed focus camera with no flash, and not even the tiny mirror device that was included in the Curve 1 for self portraits.

KEYBOARD -- standard BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard with chicklet keys. As with all keyboards of this type, it's poorly suited for people with large hands, but for those with smaller hands it's comfortable and has a very good click and feel.

ACCESSORIES -- frankly inadequate. The phone ships with a charger cable and one to connect to a computer. It does not ship with ear phones, a car charger, or a case. The case may be important for conserving battery life (see below). Looking at some of the reviews and prices for car chargers and cases, these may add as much as $40 to the price of the phone. Chargers from other BlackBerry devices may or may not be compatible, but the ones from the Curve 1 are not (the case can probably be used, but it's a loose fit.) Because Verizon was offering the older model at a very good price, there are a lot of them around, and people may be tempted to switch from the previous model for the 3G and WiFi features assuming they can use their old accessories. Cables definately don't fit, the phone does not include a memory card, and because the case can be important, consider these expenses in calculating the price.

BATTERY LIFE -- many reviews have commented unfavorably on the battery life. Slip cases and holsters are designed to shut off the screen, which conserves the battery. I've had no problems with battery life while using a case, but would imagine that it drains more quickly, perhaps too quickly, without one.

UPGRADE PATH -- The BlackBerry desktop manager makes it easy to transfer from one BlackBerry to another, or from a BlackBerry to a Palm of Windows Mobile device. It apparently does not work with other operating systems. Since we've gotten into a system where cell phones are replaced as often as every 18 months, it seems worth considering not only the current phone, but what direction you plan to take.

IMPROVEMENTS OVER PREVIOUS MODEL - the main features of the 8530 are the upgrade to 3G and inclusion of WiFi. In addition, the trackball has been replaced with an optical trackpad which is both more reliable and operates more smoothly. The method of inserting and/or removing a memory card has been greatly improved.

Presumably in the interests of making the device more suitable for entertainment purposes, the top controls, which were limited to the mute key on the older model, have been replaced with video/audio controls. The pause button doubles as a mute button during telephone calls. BlackBerry has always had a reasonably easy to learn OS, and the latest version has many improvements over previous ones when it comes to finding functions and adjusting settings.

WOW FACTOR -- poor. This is not as trivial as it may seem. People do judge us by our dress style and possessions, and the choice of cell phone may influence the way we're seen by potential customers and clients. The BlackBerry has traditionally had an aura of being businesslike and efficient, while other phones may reflect more concern for being modern and technologically up to date. Early in his term, there was more discussion of President Obama's use of his BlackBerry than of his teleprompter. The design of the Curve 2 is rather generic, and may not be recognized.

SUMMARY -- the Curve 2 is a reasonably priced smartphone with the traditional BlackBerry strengths in e-mail and messaging. The Curve 2 offers 3G and WiFi, which are major improvements over earlier models. For other uses, notably entertainment, games, photography, there are much better choices. Although I'm speaking only for myself, I can't confirm the objections of other reviews (cheap feel, poor battery life).