>> Bonnie: Hi, this is Bonnie Cha, Senior Editor at CNET.com and today we're taking a first look at the Rim BlackBerry Curve 8900 for
TMobile; this Smartphone was first announced at CES 2009 and updates the company's Curve series with a sleeker design and new features.
The Curve 8900 is actually the thinnest full QWERTY BlackBerry to date and I definitely like the sleeker profile. But even more than
that I like that the 8900 has a better construction than previous Curves which felt a bit plasticy [phonetic]. Not only does it feel
more solid but it's also comfortable to use as a phone and a messaging device. On front here you have a 2.4 inch display it's not a
touch-screen but it has a better resolution than the BlackBerry Bold and I was definitely impressed at how sharp and bright everything
looked. The Curve 8900 also runs the latest version of the BlackBerry operating system so you get an updated user interface and
more features which I'll talk about in a little bit. The one minor complaint I have about the interface is that a lot of the icons
look the same so it's a bit hard to distinguish different folders and applications on screen just at a glance. Below the screen you
have standard navigation controls and a full QWERTY keyboard the buttons on the keyboard are similar to the Bold's but since the phone
is smaller the keys aren't as big or roomy so it's not quite as easy to compose messages on the Curve 8900. But going back to some
of the new features I mentioned earlier the Curve 8900 provides some improvements over the previous Curves the Smartphone now ships
with [inaudible] documents to Go Suite so you can view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoints documents. You also get a full HTML
web browser with page view or palm view and zoom in and out functions. There's also an on-screen cursor that you can move in any
direction and place on any part of the page where you can click a link. It's nothing compared to the iPhone or the like but it's a
definite improvement from previous versions of the BlackBerry browser. Multimedia is pretty well represented there's a 3.2 megapixel
camera that took pretty decent photos and it also can handle video recording. The media player can support a variety of music and
video formats and it ships with software that will help you sync your personal library with the device including your iTunes library.
The 8900 also offers intergraded Bluetooth, GPS and WiFi; you can even make calls over WiFi with TMobile's unlimited Hotspot Calling
service. And while that's all great there's one big disappointment about the phone and that's the lack of 3G. TMobile has finally
rolled out its 3G network and I think they're in need of more 3G Smartphones and it's something that would have added more value and
appeal to the BlackBerry Curve 8900. Still a solid Smartphone and its current state with good performance and call quality but again
the 3G support would have really made it better. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available to business customers first starting
January 26th and then in stores nationwide on February 11th. At launch it'll cost $199.00 with a 2 year contract. I'm Bonnie Cha
and this has been your first look at the Rim BlackBerry Curve 8900 for TMobile.
^M00:02:58
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