Research In Motion (RIM) has been targeting the entry-level market for some time now but it wasn’t very evident until they released another qwerty smartphone, the Blackberry Curve 8520. Like most other Blackberry phones, the Curve 8520 gets a stylish glossy finish and a sleeker look. It’s a bit smaller than the previous full qwerty Blackberry handsets but is still comfortable to use.

RIM ditched the usual trackball and replaced it with a touch sensitive optical track pad instead. The trackpad is really nice and comfortable to use but sometimes I find it cumbersome especially when scrolling over really long web pages or list of messages.

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8520 is probably most notable for its design, since it brings a couple of new tricks to the table. The overall look of the phone, however, is similar to the Curve 8900, and the two models actually share the same measurements at 4.3 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick. The Curve 8520 is a smidge lighter at 3.7 ounces, and while lightweight, we thought the phone felt slightly plasticky. However, the black model features a soft-touch finish along the outside edges preventing the smartphone from feeling too slick. T-Mobile also offers the smartphone in a frost color.

Specifications

Camera: 2-megapixels, 5x digital zoom
Display: 2.46in (320×240-pixels)
Messaging: SMS, MMS, push e-mail
Connectivity: Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz), GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, WiFi 802.11b/g
Internal memory: 256MB Flash memory
Expansion slot: microSD
Other features: Multimedia player, wireless email, organizer, browser, phone
Standby/talk time: 17 days/4.5 hours
Battery: 1,150mAh lithium-ion
Weight: 106 grams
Dimensions (w x d x h): 60mm x 13.9mm x 109mm