[Veej]

Ok...so I went on a cruise about a week ago...and I got my 8100 Pearl stolen. And im through AT&T so needless to say that they have no insurance for Blackberries. I was pissed about that considering I was paying them a monthly charge for insurance....but they refunded me the charges, which was nice. Now my only thing about getting the curve was the price. Since I am buying a phone without a contract, things will get quite pricy, and Ive only been with AT&T for about 5 months so no upgrade anytime soon. So I was thinking of getting another pearl, and I LOVED that phone. Gave me everything I wanted, but had a few flaws, like the suretype giving me weird words. But im sure that was just my phone. But I really liked the capabilities of the 8300, as far as internet goes, and that full keyboard is what I like. And as im looking at the price differences between phones on ebay, its like a $200 difference. Is this really worth spending $200 more than the pearl. I dont really use the Blackberry for business needs, just to have email and internet in hand at all times...and I like having that. I REALLY want the 8300, but $400 just seems like a lot to me. What do you guys think? Are there any places cheaper than that for a new phone?

[jeremyckitching]

Not really, without a contract, and especially if the unit is new. The Curve does look like a great unit, and I have played around with it for a little while and it was nice. However, I just need the basics of e-mail and Internet usage, so my 8700g is perfect. Stable and reliable, it hasn't let me down yet. You will probably find the Pearl to be cheaper as it has been around longer, but I do believe the Curve is worth the price.

[bthooper]

oh come on..the pearl is so yesterday....get the curve!

its all about being cool

[peshman]

'nuff said!
I got mine a few days ago and it's the best Blackberry I've had to date. I had an 8800 before that just stopped registering on the cell so I got upgraded. The only criteria was a full qwerty keyboard. Got the curve, it's lighter and slightly smaller too, but packs a proper 3.5mm headphone jack and proper mp3 playback. Has a camera too, and a micro sd slot.
What more do you need to know?
Go and get one.

[benjamin7062]

I was in your shoes once. It is hard to answer a question like yours because everyone's needs are different and so are your finances.

For me, 200.00 is nothing. I spend 200.00 on stupid stuff all the time. Like you, I had to pay full price for my curve coming from a pearl. My hesitations weren't money. I had to decide if it was worth it given the size and similar features.

All I can say is the curve is the best Blackberry (out of 7) and best cell phone (out of 15'ish I've used)

I'm a 'very' heavy user however. I'm also a unix engineer and benefit greatly from the bigger screen and ssh. I use my phone to watch TV, for mp3's, for my in car navagation, and to read any news I get. I pull my phone out for everything under the moon.

Anyway... I wouldn't go back. The pearl did a lot of the same things and I still have my pearl collecting dust. The money didn't scare me and the screen size is what made the decision for me. When dealing with these tiny screens ... A little can go a long way.

Good luck in your choice!
Benjamin

[bthooper]

I kinda feel bad about my previous post. I mean, it's easy for me to say it's about being cool, cause I just got my curve a few weeks ago with a new contract...not full price.

For me $200 is not nothing. I would have to think about that.

On the other hand, I've spent a lot more on phones and PDAs that do a lot less. I've dropped $400 for a Clie for goodness sake!

All I can say is that I don't think you'll be disappointed.

On the other hand, I was working in a hotel lobby yesterday at the coffee shop - great place to escape to, cause no one thinks to look for me there, they have free WIFI, and I can get stuff done without anyone bothering me like in my office - but as I was working there, three business dudes sat near me and all pulled out their new Curves. Popular, I guess...so it will soon lose it's elite status!

[perpetualjon]

I also had the Pearl and went to the Curve. Best thing I ever did! The full keyboard is simply awesome after having to use the Pearl. The Curve is basically the Pearl with all the flaws removed. It has a better camera and flash, larger screen, louder speaker, real phone jack (no mini jack), better media manager, and full size keyboard. I've never been happier about a phone than this one. The OS was very intuitive to me (better than any previous I've used), and, of course, the push email is 'da bomb!

[mishycupcakes]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0) BlackBerry8300/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I'm quite pissed at my Curve right now. The one I received is laggy, beginning to receive dust, and loose in a few spots. I loved it when I got it first, but the novelty has already worn off after 9 days. I'm going into the store today to exchange and look at other Curves and make sure it's sealed like no other.

[Dream Rider]

I have tried the HTC 8125, all the Treo's, the Pearl (sweet little phone), the 8800 (great call quality and must have full keyboard, but too big) But the CURVE is AWSOME. Great size with the full keyboard and a very good media player. Call quality and reception is among the best for this type of device. Spend the extra money in the long run you will be happier!