BlackBerrys are known to be practical, efficient smartphones packed into a compact device. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 lives up to this legacy.

Encased in a black glossy casing, the Curve 8520 is of a handy size and very lightweight at only 105 grams. The phone is also pretty slim; it is only slightly more than half an inch thick.

Being a candybar phone, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 does lack a bit of screen real estate. Images and text on the screen appear sharp, and colours are vibrant. This works great for emails and chat screens. However, the limited screen space does dampen the browsing experience a bit. Portrait photos were also at a disadvantage because of the screen's resolution.

Accessing the BlackBerry Curve 8520's on-screen interface is also easy. The phone's trackpad was very accurate.

Even though a game of Solitaire on the phone required fairly precise cursor movements, the trackpad did well.
Surfing the web, accessing email and chat functions also worked great on the Curve 8520. The phone lagged a bit occasionally when I was switching between applications, but its response was pretty efficient overall.

A full QWERTY keyboard on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is perhaps one of its strongest points. Even though the Curve is a very compact phone, the keyboard did not feel cramped. I was able to type long emails fairly quickly.

What the Curve 8520 seems to lack though, is a good camera. At only 2.0 megapixels and no flash, the images you can take with this phone are pretty limited. The camera is capable of recording video, but the quality is pretty average as well.

If you're not a heavy user, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 won't need a battery charge for an extended period of time. I managed to get the phone to last about 3 days before the Curve 8520 needed a recharge.

The Verdict

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a very easy to use, entry-level BlackBerry phone that packs plenty of value-added features into one handy device.

Those who are looking to get an inexpensive BlackBerry for its excellent email and connectivity functions will find a good choice in the Curve 8520.