In the fast-paced world of smartphones, these handheld powerhouses seemingly face changes on a daily basis. In order to remain relevant, manufacturers must stay competitively appealing and contemporary. The trick for manufacturers is not always to perform a complete overhaul of a certain line of phones, but sometimes it is to tweak and refine existing, already excellent phones. This is exactly what Research in Motion did with the Blackberry Curve 2.
An update to the Curve 8520, the Curve 2 maintains the same shell as its predecessor. The only change in looks is the somewhat smooth, checkered pattern that is now found on the back cover. That, and the Curve 2 is a touch thinner than previous Curves, having slimmed down from to 0.6 thick to 0.5 thick. Users familiar with the Bold will find the keyboard setup instantly recognizable because it is nearly identical. The QWERTY keyboard is smallish, but it is still better than most other available models, so it should not be an issue. Volume buttons are found on the right side of the phone, which is where the camera shutter is located. As usual with Blackberries, the camera lens itself is on the back of the handset. SIM and microSD card slots are under the battery cover, but it is not necessary to take out the battery to access them.
The Blackberry Curve 2 can be used in a larger number of areas because it is a GSM quad band phone. Anywhere in the world that GSM is found, the Curve 2 will operate. There is a speakerphone installed, but UMA calling is one of the Curve 2s best features. UMA refers to calls made on WiFi networks, and with the Curve 2, users can set the handset to automatically hook up to UMA service on available WiFi. Transitions to GSM are very smooth if the WiFi signal fades. Very capable web browsing is accomplished on the Curve 2 with a WiFi 802.11 b/g connection. The handsets operating system is Blackberry OS 4.6. This is the same OS as on the Bold, but the Curve 2 loads web pages better. A fast 512 MHz Xscale CPU is at the heart of the phone, eliminating any concerns about speed. The Curve 2 provides BES and BIS services which is important because push email has become the Blackberry calling card. These options allow the user to let their carrier use Blackberry server services or let them use Blackberry servers when they choose.
Rather than completely change the look and operation of past Blackberry phones, RIM took the Curve 2 as its opportunity to update already successful phones. The Blackberry Curve 2 builds on what works and what users like. Users will be pleased with the next step in the evolution of Blackberry handsets.
