Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The feature that differentiates this from other Blackberries is UMA - unlicensed mobile access. In contrast to the AT&T Blackberry 8820, this T-mobile 8320 allows one to SPEAK over wifi. The 8820 can only use wifi for data.
It roams seamlessly between wifi networks and EDGE/GSM networks without dropping the call. I started a call from a Starbucks wifi network and walked out of its range. The phone switched over to the GSM network without dropping the call - no problem. I then walked into my office where there is wifi, and the phone switched over to wifi.
A few interesting points:
- Calls made over UMA (ie. wifi) are much clearer. They sound like an landline phone, not a walkie talkie.
- T-mobile bills you according to where you *initiate* the call. So if you start a call at home over your wifi and then walk out, you still don't get minutes deducted from your plan.
- The UMA HotSpot@Home add-on to your T-mo contract ($20/mo unlimited UMA talking for all lines on my family plan) also includes access to Hotspots at all Starbucks Cafes and airports. I didn't need to do a thing. As soon as I get near a Starbucks, the phone finds its Hotspot wireless network and latches on.
- I have significantly decreased the amount I spend monthly on voicetime by using a MyFaves family plan ($59/mo for 1000 whenever minutes) because all calls over UMA and all calls on to my 5 selected MyFaves numbers are not deducted from that plan's minutes.
- Tmobile gave me a free wifi router ($50 with a $50 rebate) that has been optimized for UMA voice. It firmware has been set up so that the UMA (VOIP traffic) is prioritized.
- I am SO dumping my Vonage line now. Vonage's voice clarity and reliability is nowhere close, and Tmobile's customer service is fabulous in comparison.
- I live in NYC and I recall when the cell networks went down on 9/11 due to overload. One comforting thought is that this phone will not die in times of network overload that since it can work on a completely different network (ie. wifi routers connecting to regular ISPs, which kept working on 9/11).
I'm a believer.
Click Here to see more reviews about: BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone, Titanium (T-Mobile)
Adding a fashionable touch to Research in Motion's formidable arsenal of telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8320 Curve for T-Mobile is also the smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more business-oriented 8800 combines RIM's long-valued corporate email and messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features, including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to music via wireless headphones). In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it also offers Wi-Fi connectivity for access to the Internet and email as well as access to T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service. This version comes in titanium, but it's also available in pale gold.
T-Mobile Service Options With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you'll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi--at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA2 (AES-CCMP), LEAP, PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA. Whenever you're not using a Wi-Fi network, the Curve works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Staying Connected With BlackBerry's push email technology, your email will find you without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text, you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
For corporate users, the Curve delivers all the enterprise email and messaging capabilities you've come to expect. It's supported on BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell GroupWise environments.
Phone FeaturesThe Curve is fashioned in a liquid silver finish with chrome highlights and subtly curving corners. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9 ounces--just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320 x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.
You can snap vivid photos (though no video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application. Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional wireless headphone thanks to the Curve's support for the Bluetooth stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are conveniently located on the side of the handset.
With the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list--either via the integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic and MP3 ringtones.
Vital Statistics The Blackberry Curve 8320 weighs 3.92 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 408 hours (17 days) of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
Click here for more information about BlackBerry Curve 8320 Phone, Titanium (T-Mobile)
