BlackBerry Curve 8330 Review

I think this is a good looking phone that packs a lot of features into its small size (4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches). The screen is small but very clear. It is a TFT LCD with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The interface is controlled entirely with a small roller ball. However, the little trackball that controls the phone feels funny to me because it's not smooth. The ball sort of rattles around in place and it's easy to roll over an icon instead of land on it. I've used trackball mice on computers before and this works nothing like that. When you roll the ball, it feels a little rough like it's vibrating in the socket. It's not uncommon for people to have BlackBerry trackball problems.

Besides my issues with the trackball, I found the interface pretty simple to navigate. Everything I need is just an icon away, be it my contact list, email, or web browser. It works very much like the Desktop shortcuts in Windows.

I am not much of a phone person as far as talk time goes, but luckily I share a plan with my wife so she can enjoy the unlimited minutes. The main reason I got the BlackBerry was for the Internet usage and the keypad for sending text messages. I’m more likely to text someone than call them, especially when I’m at work or in a place where it’s not convenient for me to talk out loud on a phone. Texting lends more to privacy, which I like. I also like being able to go online and use Google to look up something, or follow up with my friends on Facebook.