David Flynn06 October 2009, 3:54 PM
RIM’s BlackBerry for first-time users pares back the features to hit a more affordable pricing level, with availability this week on Vodafone’s $59/month plan.
Research in Motion adds another member to its consumer-minded Curve series this week with the Curve 8520 (earlier codenamed Gemini).
Like the Curve 8900 released earlier this year, the Curve 8520 eschews 3G in favour of GSM. It also sports a somewhat funky styling, ditching the conventional faux chrome plastic trim for rubber sides, under which the side-mounted buttons become bulges.
This gives the 8520 a somewhat ruggedised look, although it seems neither more sturdy nor better suited to a rough’n’tumble outdoor life than any other BlackBerry.
Other changes include parking quick-access multimedia keys on the top panel and swapping the ‘pearl’ navigation ball for a small but responsive optical trackpad.
While GSM is the only mobile network supported, the Curve 8520 also packs Wi-Fi (and of course Bluetooth). GPS also fails to make the cut.
The rest of the formula is no surprise to any BlackBerry user: a QWERTY keypad borrowed from the Curve 8900, a microSD card slot (a 2GB card is included) and modest 2.0 megapixel camera.
Those omissions help RIM and its carrier partners deliver the Curve 8520 at lower monthly prices. Optus and Vodafone will both offer the Curve 8520.
Optus flags availability in late October and has yet to release pricing. Vodafone was quicker of the mark, with the Curve 8520 selling from this week at $59/month with unlimited email, $350 of talk and text and 50MB of data.
Vodafone is championing the Curve 8520’s lower price as a way for small businesses to upgrade older BlackBerry handsets (such as the 8700 series) or roll out BlackBerrys to their entire staff or sales fleet, especially using Vodafone’s Shared Business Cap plans.
“The $599 Shared Business Cap offers $3,200 of handset credit” explains Vodafone PR manager Michelle O’Brien. “This would have provided for four included BlackBerry Curve 8900s, however it now accounts for eight BlackBerry Curve 8520s.”