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Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 Review

Posted
by
Kyle McInnes
on November 30, 2009, at 8:53 AM
in Editorials, News, Reviews, Spotlight and Top-Story
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37 Comments

blackberry_curve_8530_sideways

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 is the latest update to the Curve series. It’s just like the BlackBerry Curve 8520, only with WiFi and GPS, plus a few other minor improvements.

First off, lets talk about the major improvements: 3G and WiFi. While the 8520, the GSM version of the 8530, also has WiFi, this is new for Verizon customers. We have the Storm2 with WiFi but that’s about it when it comes to BlackBerry devices on Verizon with WiFi. We’ve heard rumors that all future BlackBerrys going to Verizon will ship with WiFi, so we’re hoping the 8530 is proof that this is true.

One of the major downsides to the 8520 was that it did not have 3G and instead ran on EDGE. As we have all seen from the countless AT&T ads attacking Verizon, the network isn’t known for having voice and data at the same time, but this isn’t the case with the 8530. Personally, I don’t use this feature often, as my calls don’t last long and most of my business is done over email. It’s also not obvious to me why you would keep your friend on the phone while you navigate the web in search for whatever information you need. In any case, when you connect your device to WiFi, it establishes a new connection to RIM’s NOC, allowing you to make calls and browse the web.
Click through for more details, pics and opinion about the BlackBerry Curve 8530

AT&T starts 3G MicroCell Femtocell trial

Posted
by
BlackBerry Cool
on September 22, 2009, at 1:07 PM
in News
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33 Comments

3g

Originally known as an Access Point Base Station, Femtocell is a small cellular base station that uses a broadband internet connection to provide 3G connectivity. Ideal for areas with lackluster coverage such as rural, underground, or any area with otherwise bad reception. The system typically support 2 to 4 active devices at a time.

AT&T will be charging around $20 per month for unlimited calls via the 3G Microcell system and has begun a trial in the test market of Charlotte, North Carolina. Users can also buy the unit outright and pay for minutes with their pre-existing plan. Check out AT&T’s 3G MicroCell information page for more details.

BlackBerry browser comparisons – has WiFi been fixed?

Posted
by
Kyle McInnes
on September 14, 2009, at 10:29 AM
in News
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13 Comments

blackberry_9700_trackpad

RIM has always had problems with WiFi on a BlackBerry device. When comparing a BlackBerry to the iPhone on WiFi, the iPhone makes the BlackBerry look slow and jittery. RIM recognizes that there are a lot of improvements to be made with the pan and zoom functionality on the browser, and says the issue lies on-device, and has nothing to do with the NOC.

There are 2 issues at play here:

First, the on-device RAM needs to be improved in order for pages to load faster and for the device to have a better browsing experience.

Second, the BlackBerry is too conservative with power management. RIM puts the WiFi radio to sleep too quickly in order to preserve battery life, and this affects the WiFi browsing experience.

In recent videos posted by Salomondrin, we see the the Bold 9700 browser experience on WiFi compared with 3G. While it’s not obvious if the reviewer had all the necessary criteria for a proper comparison, the two devices load at approximately the same speed. WiFi should be much faster than 3G and if they are loading at approximately the same rate, this suggests that the issues may not have been fixed on upcoming devices.

If this is not the case, RIM needs to get these videos ripped from the Internet asap. Personally, I’m expecting the WiFi issues to be resolved with the Bold 9700 and the Storm 2, rather than have to wait for the next generation of devices.

When comparing the Bold 9700 and the Storm 2 on WiFi, the Bold 9700 actually does really well. Scrolling through a page doesn’t produce the same jitters as previous devices do. This is leaving me to believe that RIM has made some advancements in making the device better on WiFi.

So I’ll leave the question to the readers.

You have seen both videos, do you think the WiFi browsing issues have been resolved?

Free 3G BlackBerry Curve 8900 and Bold theme

Posted
by
Kyle McInnes
on July 22, 2009, at 11:10 AM
in News
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76 Comments

redzappertheme

RedZapper does some very nice themes and one of the more popular themes is the 3G theme. It’s available for the Bold and Curve 8900 and is based on the 3G iPhone theme by Jonathan Lundström.

Download the 3G theme for the BlackBerry Bold.

Download the 3G theme for the BlackBerry Curve 8900.

Sprint to offer MiFi for BlacKberry and WiFi enabled devices

Posted
by
Kyle McInnes
on May 13, 2009, at 1:29 PM
in News
.
2 Comments

novatel mifi portable hotspot
Image courtesy of Will Park from IntoMobile.

Sprint has announced it plans to launch the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 intelligent mobile hotspot device for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service agreement (excluding taxes).

MiFi allows users to connect to the Internet by bridging WiFi enabled BlackBerrry devices to Sprint’s 3G network – the EVDO Rev A Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. MiFi creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be shared among up to five users and a variety of WiFi-enabled devices through its connection to the network. Sprint is calling the service Sprint Mobile Hotspot, and it will be the first in the U.S. to support MiFi’s GPS capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of select location and mapping applications.

Stay tuned because Sprint’s MiFi service will launch the first week of June.

Pricing

Business and consumer customers may choose from the following service plans for the MiFi 2200: $59.99 per month mobile broadband only plan (excluding taxes and surcharges).

or

$149.99 per month Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband (phone plus device connectivity — excluding taxes and surcharges).

Both plans include up to 5 GB per month and 5 cents per megabyte overage for the MiFi 2200. The plan includes unlimited text, picture and video messaging, GPS navigation, email and Web surfing on their phone, plus 5 GB of 3G Internet access on your BlackBerru – for $149.99 per month, a savings of $599 per year vs. comparable Verizon plans. For that same price, customers can use the MiFi 2200 and connect to more devices at once.

(Rumor) T-Mobile rolls out more 3G coverage to a city near you

Posted
by
Kyle McInnes
on April 7, 2009, at 1:13 PM
in News
.
11 Comments

tmobile_3g_rollout

This hasn’t been totally confirmed, but it is almost certainly true. T-Mobile is rolling out additional 3G coverage in such cities as Wichita Falls, Rockford, Springfield, Beaumont and College Station.

See the pic for more details. Is your city on the list?

[Via]

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