The design of this handset is similar to that of the Curve range of phones. The metal features of the older Bold handsets have been replaced with plastic, although the feel of the handset is still very solid. The coating on the back of the phone is textured rubber, which also makes the handset easier to hold. The phone is also fairly small which is an advantage for many people and business users in particular will like it as it fits well into a small pocket.Screen
The screen on this handset has a touchscreen feature so you can use this to make it quicker to find what you need. The screen itself is small at less than 2.5 inches so if you want to surf the web or watch videos you may find it a little difficult.
Using the Phone
The phone has the BlackBerry OS 7 and there have been some improvements to this. The icons on the screen are sharper and it has been given speedier features. However, it is still difficult to customise it as much as you would like. You can make use of the social networking feeds for sites such as Facebook and Twitter and you can synchronise your email accounts easily. Another useful feature for business users is the Documents to Go which is ideal for editing of both Word and Excel documents.
Power
The processor included is a 1GHz processor which ensures that performance is never slow. The battery life on the phone will take the average user into a second day, which is far more than most smartphones offer.
Camera
The camera onboard is a 5 megapixel offering which is more than adequate. There are plenty of modes and functions which can help to take a great photo and the flash is ideal for poor light. Movies cannot be taken in HD but they are fine for those who want to upload film to their social networking sites or YouTube.
Conclusions
One of the main niggling points of this phone is that it is far more expensive than other models in the range. This is partly because of the addition of a touchscreen, so if this is not important to you then it might be worth considering a cheaper model.
However, it also has the advantage of being perfect for emailing on the go, a great processor and a battery that lasts far longer than on some other smartphones. If you need to upgrade your existing handset and are not too worried about web browsing then this is a good phone to consider, particularly as it is free on many contract deals.
Phil Turner is always surprised at some of the mobile phone deals available and how monthly contracts working out cheaper than actually buying a phone.
