Research in Motion's nicely updated BlackBerry Curve 8530 first hit Verizon, but this new Sprint version retains nearly all of the same features. It also costs less, and adds some extra multimedia power that the Verizon version lacks. At $49.99 with a two-year contract and reasonable monthly fees, it's a good deal for a powerful smartphone and offers an excellent non-touch alternative to touch-screen handsets like the HTC Hero and Palm Pre.

Design and Call Quality
Since this handset is so similar to the Verizon model, I'll gloss over the similarities and focus on the differences. (Read the Verizon review for more details.) The Curve 8530 on Sprint measures 4.3 by 2.4 by 0.5 inches and weighs 3.9 ounces. I tested a black model; Sprint also sells a violet version. Sprint's version has a smooth back cover, which pops off neatly and conceals an easy-to-access microSD card slot (my 16GB SanDisk card worked fine); there is also 111MB of internal storage. A standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack makes finding upgraded earbuds simple. The 2.5-inch 320-by-240-pixel LCD looks a little out of date these days, but RIM's new UI graphics help. The keyboard is one of the best I've tried in this style. It's not quite as roomy as the Bold or Tour keyboards, but it's still comfortable enough for extended typing sessions.

The Curve's dual-band EV-DO Rev A (850/1900 MHz) and Wi-Fi radios provide plenty of high-speed data connectivity (the old Curve 8330 lacked Wi-Fi). Voice calls were warm and clear, with distinctly pronounced syllables and no background hiss whatsoever. The 8530 also had plenty of volume in the earpiece. Reception was average. Calls sounded fine through an Aliph Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset, and the speakerphone was loud enough for outdoor use. Battery life took a hit at just 4 hours and 16 minutes of talk time. That's about half an hour less than the Verizon version and on the low end of acceptable.

Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions
The Curve 8530's 528 MHz Qualcomm processor makes the UI and apps move at a good clip. The new trackpad is sensitive, accurate, and doesn't gunk up like the old trackballs. BlackBerry OS 5.0 includes threaded text messages and a new Web browser, plus BES-related enhancements. The Web browser is still way too sluggish for desktop page rendering; twice, even WAP pages froze while loading and never finished. The Curve 8530 edits documents, hooks into major IM services including Google Talk, and supports push e-mail for up to 10 POP, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange, and Web-based e-mail accounts. You can also buy or download more than 3,000 apps from BlackBerry App World.

Since this is a Sprint handset, you get Sprint TV, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup, and Sprint Navigation. I don't usually compare plans in phone reviews, but Sprint phones tend to run about $20 to $25 cheaper per month than equivalent Verizon versions once you pile on the features; that holds true with the Curve 8530. Stereo music files sounded crisp and punchy through Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth headphones and better than they did on the Curve 8330. MP4, AVI, and 3GP videos played smoothly and vibrantly, even ones at 480-pixel width. The device syncs with PCs and Macs with the Roxio-based Desktop Media Manager and BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac, and you can even sync unprotected iTunes tracks. The 2-megapixel camera took splotchy, saturated photos, and recorded 320-by-240, 15 frame-per-second videos were too dark; both could use updating.

Sprint has an excellent array of smartphones to choose from. The slightly larger BlackBerry Tour 9630 loses Wi-Fi and returns to the old school trackball, but has a larger keyboard and better screen. The Palm Pre offers a powerful touch screen OS, a stellar Web browser, and a (finally) burgeoning third-party app store, but feels slower and has poor reception. The HTC Touch Pro2, our current Editors' Choice, offers an ultra-high resolution 3.6-inch touch screen and plenty of multimedia power, but it's very bulky and has creaky Windows Mobile underpinnings.

Benchmark Test Results
Continuous Talk Time: 4 hours 16 minutes

Compare the BlackBerry Curve 8530 with several other mobile phones side by side.

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