RIM has finally brought the BlackBerry Curve to the CDMA market on both Sprint and Verizon, both are almost identical but still have their differences. Today, we’re taking a look at the Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8330.

It doesn’t look totally different from the original GSM Curve but is very similar in layout to the Sprint version. The silver and black casing match the built-in Verizon theme very well. The 8330 is a great choice for Verizon users looking for something between a Pearl and the 8800 series.

The keyboard on the phone is one of the best smartphone keyboards we’ve ever used, and is the same keyboard we’ve come to love on the Curve’s released thus far. The 8330 has a 2 megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom and flash that works great for quick snapshots while out and about. We weren’t super excited about the quality, but it works.

Since it runs on the CDMA network, it is EVDO capable where available. Web pages loaded in the browser application loaded exceptionally fast. Unlike the Sprint 8330, the Verizon version does not offer live streaming content (VCAST) that Verizon is known for. You can however, play multimedia through the built-in media player that supports a slew of formats. Verizon does offer VZ Navigator GPS service on the Curve, however, it is missing a few features that others offer including traffic information and a 3D street view.

In our testing, we tested the 8330 in Sacramento on the Verizon EVDO network. Voice quality during calls was awesome, and on the other end of calls, the quality was still very good. The speakerphone makes voices a little hard to understand but you can get used to it. Battery life was also very good, running for around 5 hours on a single call.

Our only issue with all the Curve’s to date is that the microSD slot is still located behind the battery, and it’s kind of a hassle to swap cards if you have a bunch of media stored on them. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is the best smartphone available to date for Verizon customers. You can find it today at a Verizon Wireless store near you for $299 after a two-year contract or online for $100 cheaper.

Pros

• Great keyboard.
• Excellent call quality and battery life.
• Built-in GPS.

Cons

• No Verizon-specific multimedia features.
• MicroSD slot still behind battery.

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