Voice activation recognizes names and commands very well without any need to train the device. While driving, it makes dialing a lot easier - and safer.
One user assignable button on the left initially activates voice dialing, and the one on the right activates the camera.
Service around the Boston College campus was fair.
BlackBerry and T-Mobile both advertise that the phone offers "Real Web Browsing" with higher quality pages than the mobile versions. While the feature does offer some rich browsing, it is nowhere near the quality of Apple's iPhone.
The HotSpot @Home service is a brilliant creation on T-Mobile's part. The service not only allows unlimited calling at home, but guarantees a good connection. Also, when users call 911 from their home on their cell phone, it is routed to their local police station when used in conjunction with a T-Mobile HotSpot @Home router ($49.99). Living in an area with bad cell coverage from all carriers, HotSpot @Home worked great in providing crystal-clear reception at home. The one flaw with the service, however, was the transition from the Wi-Fi network to the Edge Network (e.g. calling someone at your house and then getting in your car while continuing the conversation). The call was often dropped in these cases, but generally HotSpot @Home is a valuable and effective service.
Overall, the BlackBerry Curve is the perfect offering for the student who wants the functionality of a BlackBerry with a full keyboard. HotSpot @Home from T-Mobile is a great option for those who have bad service where they live.
The Curve is compact, packed with features, easy to use, and probably the best smartphone on the market for students looking for a more business-geared device.
2008 Woodie Awards
