Hi,
I have the hankering again for a new phone. I've had the Pearl for about a year now. ( Longer than most of my phones )
The reasons for looking are:

Childish, want a new toy
Want full qwerty
Want a better browsing experience ( use opera and bb )


It's between the Curve and the 8820.
The issues I'm struggling with are:

Curve Pros
Smaller form factor, fits better in my pocket.
Keyboard may be easier to use than 88xx.
Only $99 after rebate.

Curve Cons
I see a lot about Dust issues. I've had that before with a Razr, and I hated it.
I see the paint chipping off on some people's phones.
So general build quality seems less than 8800 ( my perception ).
I hear the speaker phone quality isn't quite as good as the 88xx.

Pros on 88xx.
Better perceived build quality.
Better electronics ( radio, speaker ) ??
Longer lasting battery.


Cons on 88xx.
Maybe a bit big to use as a phone or for pocketing. ( I always pocket my phones ).
Cost $299 after rebate.

So my questions are:

Is the 88xx really worthy of paying so much more for it ?

Are my perceptions about the quality of the phone correct or are both phones pretty close ?

Is there anything you care to share with my struggling soul that would help me decide between the two ?

I think I can deal with the size, it's big but not very heavy or thick. ( I pocketed a treo 650 for about a year, but have an 8525 sitting in a draw because it was a brick to pocket.

Also, really I could care less about GPS or WIFI, I like making my battery last, and JiveTalk/browsing eats up enough of it.

Also, not sure the wife will go for me spending $300 on a new phone so soon, unless I can convince her of the added value.

I appreciate any advice. I know i've read probably every thread for the last few months about the comparisons, and am still coming up short.


Thanks !
Floyd

floyd, get the curve. The 8820 is ONLY worth that much more if you wanted the WiFi and GPS badly.

You will like the curve.

Hopefully will hear more advice tonight, but I do appreciate yours.
I told the local shop to put an 8320 on hold for me until tomorrow at noon, just in case.

The 8320 is T-Mobile. If you're going to use it on Cingulat/AT&T, make sure it's unlocked.
You also won't get UMA or MMS if you use the 8320 on Cingular/AT&T.

My mistake. It's the 8310. I'm on Att/Cingular.

I have the 8310. You will love it. For 200 less than the 8820, grab it. And the 8310 has GPS.

Nope, no one here has opinions.

99$ dollars for the 8310? Defintely do it. You'll love the device.

Well it sounds like the overwhelming consensus is for the Curve. I guess it's a pretty good deal to pass up.

I guess the negative things I've heard about the Curve are only happening far and few between.

Thanks so much.
I started another thread to ask for help on how is the best way to change over.

funny thing, I just upgraded the pearl to the latest OS this week. Oh well, good practice I guess.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8800/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Okay

Can't tell you the reason for the cost difference target audiance I think consumer vs prosumer.

I like the weight of the 88xx series size no biggie fits right into my pocket though I normally carry it in a fortte case on my hip!

Really do love the feel of the curve and the keyboard and do miss the camera but I have another pda a device with that functionality!

But with the curve at 99.99 after rebate the choice is easy. CURVE

have to agree i have the 8800 here in canada, i previously had a 8700 i like the 8800 much better and love the gps but i love the feel of the curve better and the keyboard is much better, if they changed the keyboard and added a cam to my phone it would be my winner but i wanted gps and didnt care for the cam,, so i picked the 8800 as it was a no $ upgrade for me,, so i took the higher priced unit,,

I was in the same position you were, just a few weeks ago. I still have one week to go on my evaluation period.

The price difference was really the only difficult thing to overcome. I have never cared about a camera on a mobile phone. I've had them, and just never use them. The size difference is minimal. The curve may look smaller, but if you hold it beside the 8820, and over it, the difference is very small. In fact, the 8820 is thinner. It's the thinnest Blackberry.

I was drawn to the look and feel of the 8820. While I did like the Curve, I couldn't help but feeling I would have regretted not buying the 8820. It feels solid, and the wifi, if you are able to use it, is faster than EDGE. (my experience)

Really, the price of the Curve is hard to pass up, and I do feel guilty. I wanted the wifi and GPS, and personally, I liked the look and feel of the 8820 better. The SD card is hot swappable, and the plastic below the Space key is one piece that continues around each side. The keys are just as good as those on the Curve, just very different. As a phone, it's shape is more square, and so it may be less comfortable as a phone (slightly), but conversely, the keyboard is larger.

It is a very hard decision to make, if you happen to like them both.

Yup. I'm with you Derby.
I actually like the 8820 better in many ways.
The price is the big thing.
However, in reflecting, the 8820 does take up more room in the pocket. The thinness of it sort of makes up for the other largeness though.

One thing about the keyboards. I used to have a treo650 whose keys remind me of the curve. Then I got a Htc 8525, whose keys are very well spaced.
I find that having the keys farther apart actually makes typing more difficult for me on the phone. It causes my hands to actually have to move, and to use my eyes more.
When typing on the 8820 the other day, the more spaced keys seemed like it would be actually a little more difficult to get used to than the tighter keys on the curve.

Still, I do love the solid, classic look and feel of the 88xx, but I'll probably still get the curve for now.

My desire would be for the 8820 to get a little narrower and shorter ( like the curve ), but to keep the same square, sturdy build, and to come down in price. Then it would be a no brainer.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8820/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I bought the 8820 and never looked back. Phone cameras are useless IMHO, and you can't beat the looks of the 88XX series. Fits in the pocket great and the wifi is a life saver with the stupid data rates here in Canada.

Wirelessly posted (8800: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0) BlackBerry8310/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Lol, you just desxribed the 83xx.

funny how that worked out.

If RIM was ever to release a CDMA Curve and Verizon were to pick it up, I would switch in a second. I like the keyboard better on the curve, and would really love to have a Camera again.

Couldn't do it.
I played with the curve at the store for about 30 minutes, the whole time comparing it to my pearl.
There just wasn't enough extra to justify the extra bulk or more importantly, wasting my upgrade. The browsing was so close, even with the extra screen size. I guess I just like my pearl and it will take a lot to get me off of it.

However, if that 8820 went on sale I may very well spring for that. I just like the look and feel of it. And I think I actually like the keys better than the curve.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Well, for the extra money, I'm able to look at my 8820 sitting on my desk, red light blinking, and smile at what Blackberry's sales pitch refers to as Executive Styling . You know that whichever you choose, you'll probably be happy. I too noticed that the description you gave regarding keyboards seemed to reflect you preference for the 8820. And, I had to convince my spouse, as you do, of this model's merits. Fortunately, she was willing to buy me the iPhone for Christmas, so I just said I was saving her $100.

Other than camera vs wifi, the size issue seems to concern you. If you'll compare the dimensions given in the specs, they are very close. Just compare the differences on a piece of paper. I think the Curve's shape makes it deceiving, and that the Curve appears smaller than it is.

When I had my Razr phones, they were wider than most others at the time, and I think, still are. What made them so great was that they were thin, and were virtually undetectable in a pocket. The 8820 is thinner than the Curve.

I'm not trying to move you towards the 8820, but I think this model needs a little defending in the Forums. It is more expensive, so I think sales are less, and thus has fewer proponents. Also, many do want a camera, instead of gps & wifi. Executive Styling...

Executive styling. Ha! I like that. It's true. Yea like I said, I would get it in a heartbeat if it was for the same deal as the pearl, but the sensible side of me says not to spend $300.
Something that's not usually mentioned, I believe the battery lasts longer in the 88xx, which is very important to me. I like to feel like I can browse to my hearts content, use the gps for fun and games, stay connected to aim, and make a few calls and still have over half the battery left at the end of the day. That, the thinness, the styling and feel, are all plusses for the 88xx. I'll wait ATT out, They'll come down on it soon. )

I think you and I just talked me into the 88xx phone. I hope you're proud of yourself.

Length
8820 4.49"/114mm
Curve 4.2"/107mm
Width
8820 2.60"/66mm
Curve 2.4"/60mm
Depth
8820 0.55"/14mm
Curve 0.6"/15.5mm
Weight
8820 4.73 oz/134g
Curve 3.9 oz/111g

Standby time
8820 528 hours or 22 days
Curve Up to 408 hours or 17 days
Talk time
8820 300 minutes or 5 hours
Curve Up to 240 minutes or 4 hours

For Wi-Fi, the 8820 has both Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g and Wi-Fi: 802.11a

I had called Blackberry once about the differences in build, and, although it must be assumed the person I spoke to was not an company engineer, he said much of it was style. One is as good as another, he implied.

I don't know if I'm as fast typing on the 8820 keyboard as I was testing the curve. But for me, there was something that annoyed me about the spaced clicky buttons.

If you search the forums, and decide to choose the Curve, you'll be in good company. I'm still planning on sticking with my 8820. Remember again: Exxecutiiive Styyyling