Verizon Prepping BlackBerry Curve2 for the Holidays

Ed Hardy · 10-27-2009, 11:48 AM

Verizon Wireless is apparently going to release a model from the BlackBerry Curve 8500 series in time for the holiday shopping season. This is an updated version of one of RIM's most popular consumer-oriented smartphones.

A product catalog meant only for for Verizon employees has leaked to the public. Most of the products on it are already available, but there's one notable exception: a device being called the Blackberry Curve2.

Few details are given, aside from the fact that this device will sport Wi-Fi and come with social-networking apps like Facebook and Flikr.

Looks Familiar
Although the Verizon flier doesn't specifically say so, the image shown is of a BlackBerry Curve 8500 series model. There was also an earlier rumor that this carrier would be getting a device from this series.

Earlier this year, RIM updated the venerable Curve series with the latest software and a new design. It runs BlackBerry OS 5.0, and has a QVGA display above a QWERTY keyboard. Between these two is an optical trackpad in place of a trackball or D-pad.

Verizon's version is expected to have support this carrier's mobile broadband service, Wi-Fi b/g, and Bluetooth.

Pricing & Availability?
Exactly when Verizon will release the BlackBerry Curve2 is not yet known, nor is the price it will charge. However, this device is expected to be a relatively inexpensive model in Verizon's offerings.

Those who are interested in this model don't have to wait: T-Mobile USA launched the BlackBerry Curve 8520 this summer.

Source: BGR

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Varjak · 10-27-2009, 05:59 PM

I just don't get Verizon and/or RIM.

VZW sells the Tour, which is very like a Bold but without WiFi; and now there's this Curve2, which seems like a Bold but without 3G? Does this make much sense? I guess the Bold is exclusive to ATT in the US and there isn't a CDMA/EV-DO version; but this plethora of very similar; but inferior phones is exasperating.

Ed Hardy · 11-01-2009, 01:06 PM

I agree. RIM offers too many models that are too simular to each other. I don't understand the need for the Tour, Bold2, and Curve2, all of which are quite similar. These should be combined into one.

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Drillbit · 11-02-2009, 01:37 AM

Bold isn't exclusive in the US. For example, its also sold in Japan and Korea. On this rock called Guam, the Bold is carried by two carriers and appears to be the best selling smartphone, arguably of course, if you want to factor the Curves and Pearls.

Do you know there will be a second Tour coming? Code named Equinox, it will feature the Bold2's trackpad and wifi.

Why didn't the Tour had Wifi before? The Tour and its predecessor, the 8830 World Edition, had been the only phones in the world to have both GSM & CDMA. The Storm is practically a touch screen World Edition. Somehow in the need to stick both GSM and CDMA support, not much is left for Wifi. It would take a little more advancement in micro circuitry to finally be able to stuff Wifi on it, which is where we will be getting with the Storm 2 and Tour 2.

The Tour actually has CDMA/EV-DO and yet four GSM bands and one UMTS band. You can practically roam the world around this one. About every CDMA/EV-DO phone lacks any form of GSM capability. Try roaming with a Sprint or Verizon HTC Touch Pro. In Asia, there are CDMA networks but the coverage is extremely limited, and non existent at all in places like Japan.

The Bold 2 is probably the world's first quad band 3G UMTS/HSPA/W-CDMA phone. It supports 2100, 1900, 850 and the new 800 standard. For the US T-Mobile version, its the first 3band 3G with 1700, meaning it supports 2100, 1700, and 900. Depending on the version, since both are headed for Europe, the European traveler with the Bold 2 will be roaming on either AT&T or T-Mobile's network. Likewise, any businessperson using AT&T or T-Mobile can roam in 3G. For US T-Mobile its actually a first.

Why is there no CDMA Bold? There's a technicality involved. The Bold and Bold2 uses a 624MHz Marvell PXA930 CPU based on ARM & Intel xScale. This chip however, lacks any CDMA support. Might be a surprise for many people, but modem support on a smartphone is integrated into a single chipset that includes the CPU, GPS support, and graphics accelerator.

The Tour on the other hand, uses the Qualcomm MSM7600 running on 528MHz. This chipset has both GSM and CDMA support. Who uses this chipset? Also the Storm and Storm 2. Beyond Blackberry, the HTC Touch Pro2 for CDMA, but not the GSM models that use the MSM7201A. While short of almost 100MHz, this chip does have graphics acceleration however.

Its amazing to think that you have two phones that look remarkably similar and yet, at the very heart of the device, the chip is different. The Bold's 4.6 OS is meant for the Marvell PXA930, but the Tour uses OS 4.7, which is the same series as the Storm. The OS kernel is meant for the Qualcomm MSM7600.

Of course, it also begs the question, why didn't they just make a GSM version of the Tour instead, because its the Qualcomm CPU here that could double duty for GSM?

The Curves are another weird story because all the Curves, including the 8900, uses Freescale CPUs, the same brand as Nokia. Although in the case of the 8900, the clock is up to 512MHz. To save costs I think these Freescale CPUs lack 3G UMTS modems.

While the Verizon Curve2 aka 8530 might look physically identical to the 8520 Curve, chances are the motherboard has to use a Qualcomm CPU with CDMA and EV-DO support.

Drillbit · 11-02-2009, 01:48 AM

Let me add one more thing. One can't help notice that unlike other phone makers, RIM Blackberry seems to spend more time trying to engineer more band connectivity than any other handset manufacturer. They got a focus in mind---the traveling businessperson or professional or expat. This is crucial for multinational corporations.

Having said that, there aren't that much triple band 3G phones out there. The Bold, the iPhone 3G and 3GS, top end Nokia N and E series. Then when it comes to phones that support both CDMA and GSM, you're down to Blackberry.

Varjak · 11-02-2009, 05:27 PM

Thanks Drillbit, those two posts were very clear and informative. I didn't really think of it in those terms.

One quibble though. Wasn't there a 'world phone' (CDMA + GSM) before the 8830? I can't think of the model; but I seem to remember the advertisements and thinking about it, as a long-time Verizon subscriber.

I will say this about BlackBerry: more than any other manufacturer, they seem to really make sure the phones have the best sound quality and 'network connectibility' for voice than any other phones. Especially with respect to ATT. Many people have few problems with ATT when using a Bold or other BlackBerry (like my father's Curve). Most have issues (at least here on the East Coast) when trying to use an iPhone.