Guys, I'm a Bold user and I've been curious about the Curve for a long time. I just love the size of the Curve and the keypad over my Bold, but I simply cannot understand why so many users here stick with the Curve 8900. The most compelling reason why I'm so reluctant to try it is because there is no 3G. Sure, the Curve has WiFi, but so does the Bold. Can any of you 8900 fanatics--or any 8000-series users, to say the least--give me legitimate reasons why the 8900 is worth owning despite lack of 3G?

This discussion has been going on and on. There is no perfect solution, depends on your needs.

Why I have the 8900:

1. Smaller, lighter
2. Double memory (more apps, less crashes)
3. No heating problems, hardware defects
4. Excellent battery life

Anyway, I had gone to the store to buy the Bold, but I found that it was just too big for me. That coupled with the double memory issue and I was sold on the 8900.
So the first 2 points for me are the strongest.

If I had to buy a phone in the current market, I would probably wait for the 9700 (Bold 2). I find that to be the perfect compromise.

My reason - UMA on T-Mobile - simply an awesome feature for me. Then size, camera (better than the Bold), memory. It's a nice device. Of course I'm now waiting for the 9700....

Regards,
SMF

You get the curve over the Bold when 3G is irrelevant to you.
3G is irrelevant if:
you live and/or work in an area that doesnt have good 3G coverage.
you plan to use apps, but not to browse alot

The curves specs are higher than the bold is almost every respect.

For me, the 3G wasn't a big deal because the coverage isn't strong in my area, and the majority of the time I use the browser I am in a WiFi zone.

I also prefer more memory, never have to worry about it being full, and the camera takes really good pictures. I also like the size more, the look more personally, and the keyboard more. All those reasons why I took it over the Bold.

Plus, AT&T wanted an extra $100 for the Bold, and even though my company was paying for it, I didn't see it as worth it.

U M A

With 3.2 megapixels, that would suggest pictures would be much larger in size. If you're not in a WiFi area and you want to snap a picture and attach it to an email, wouldn't it take forever to send via EDGE?

My dad has the Bold. With it being constantly connected to 3G and a lot of mails, calling, etc., he absolutely HAS to charge it every night, if it lasts till then.

My 8900 lasts 1.5-2 days and I call more and text more than him, with a similar number of emails being delivered.

I've also never had a problem with a picture I clicked not going through the mail because it was too big. But again, I don't do this often and I also don't give it much thought. Just click and send.

U - M - A

3.2 megapixel and autofocus so yes it's better and yes the images are larger but it's almost not noticeable in terms of upload difference EDGE vs 3G. I mean you're only talking about a meg or so difference.

Yup, the 1 and only true reason.

Dude, on eBay you can by larger batteries for the Bold if you need more power.

3000mAh Battery+Cover for Blackberry 9000 Bold M-S1 MS1 - eBay (item 270466169049 end time Oct-09-09 02:53:08 PDT)

Makes the device bulkier, but if you need the extra power you can get it.

Superior keyboard, higher resolution camera, greater onboard memory, UMA (T-Mobile), no 3G dropped calls to worry about. I have a Tour on Verizon (irhetun 7.0 hybrid) which is certainly faster on the network. But with the 8900 (5.0.0.238), I can run apps *and leave all of them in the background* without any concerns whatsoever and have them at my disposal immediately within a few clicks. 3G is simply not a good enough reason to steer me away from the Curve when I primarily run applications to supplement my daily activities. For the record, sending 3.2MP images via EDGE is not exactly turtle slow. And there is a reason why the upcoming Onyx is sized more towards the Curve than its Bold predecessor.

Edge on the 8900 is like having "2.5G"... it's not 3G, but certainly faster than Edge on my old 8310. The 8900 is compact, looks cool, super screen resolution, takes great pix/movies and is easy on the battery. I'd think packing a Bold around would be like hanging a calculator from your belt...

Because the design. The design of Javelin 8900 is very nice and simple. I like it very much

It was my first blackberry and for me the size of the phone matters since im using it constantly you want something that can fit on your hand and get a good grab and also the 3g is not important for me since browsing its just for looking address and what not most of it its just emails and pins!!!

2 reason

1. U M A

2. I am not carrying a brick in my pocket

Fill me in on this one, guys. I'm an AT&T user and I don't know exactly what "UMA" is, though I get the sense that it's like a Vonage service. Am I right?

Generic Access Network - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Voice over WiFi.

That certainly explains why you started this thread.

Hey, I'm new in the Blackberry world, so give me a break.

Looks better, lighter/smaller, more memory, better camera, longer battery life. In my area there is barely any differrence in speed between EDGE and 3G. So in my case, Longer Battery Life>3G.

Not everyone needs 3G.

You must ask, what would be the benifit of 3G? What use would you have of it?

For someone like me, I rarely touch the blackberry browser. My device is purely used for phone, and messaging. So 3G wouldn't be of any use to me (well, better reception, extra band is nice!). I don't mind if the phone has it and ya, it would be nice, but it ain't a deal breaker for me. I don't spend time browsing the web, watching youtube, or streaming music (which pandora works fine on EDGE btw).

You do have a point there, dude. I do a lot of emails with my Bold, and without fancy graphics EDGE would do the job nicely. What sucks is that when browsing, not every website has a condensed mobile version that would be EDGE friendly, and sometimes I have Javascript issues that force me to use Opera of Bolt browser. YouTube is definitely a no-no without 3G, but YouTube is for leisure.

We'll just have to wait until the new 9700 comes out.

YouTube works fine on EDGE, on my 8900, if I'm in an area with decent reception. And as BallHawk3 pointed out, Pandora works too. So does Stitcher. Is there the occasional hiccup? Yes, but not enough to be a deal-breaker. These applications drain the battery quickly, of course, but I believe they'd do so even faster on 3G. I tend to use them the most when I'm at home anyway, with wifi, and with the 8900 plugged in. The Opera and Bolt browsers work on my 8900. So when I was choosing which one to buy, it was the memory on the 8900 that won me over.

Ubizmo

I can't eat a Whopper either, I have tiny hands. Using a Bold is like holding a refrigerator.

haha

rumor had it from an AT&T rep i talked to they mentioned the 8900 3G version may be coming in time, but im not holding my breath. Honestly the EDGE isnt bad. I do constant emailing and constantly am texting and using apps on the phone. I have an 8330 from Alltel/Verizon and it runs on EVDO and i see way better battery life on my 8900 vs my 8330 when doing the same things.

Honestly, using the browser on Wifi sucks as well, so I don't think 3G would be any better.

Hate to say it, the blackberry broswer sucks. They got to fix it. I was fine when I was on 4.2 on my 8320, got the job done. Then 4.5 came out. The browser was improved (looks wise) but I notice things took a little longer to load (it was now liveable). I get the 8900 with bad boy 4.6 and faster processor....GOOD GOD MAN! I don't even use it anymore, at that point I just call someone near a computer.

Then again, my browser options are all turned on and I use IE indetification. I noticed with the blackberry identification, things go a lot faster.

As indicated by NJBlackBerry, it is voice over WIFI. That is helpful if you have a weak signal. You can use (WiFi and hence UMA) to have better reception. If you already have a good signal reception, it does not have any use. It is like having an umbrella on a non-rainy day. You need the umbrella on only rainy days.

(Actually, I just remembered one big advantage, which is to call home (USA) from abroad (outside USA). It is considered to be a domestic call).

in the LA area the Bolds 3G loads the ATT website (opera mini) about 2 secs faster than my 8900. faster yes, but doesnt offset the bulkiness and out the box battery life ... and the extra $100 lol

Wirelessly posted

Its true, I couldn't fathem the bulkiness of having the bold, otherwise I'd of gotten it, and the battery life on my 8900 rocks. However I may pickup the bold 2 once its out.

3G isn't even in our stupid little state...LOL...so not even an issue when deciding to get it.

LOL

...'nuff said?