BlackBerry Curve 8350i Specs, Features & Reviews

The only thing keeping me from giving this phone a full five stars is texting and data speed, and that is Nextel's fault not RIM's.

I love this phone, it is so well built, is extremely versatile and has outstanding battery life!

Apart from being on the Nextel iDEN network, it is largely the same as any other Blackberry Curve series phone. I have downloaded and installed many different apps for it and it does most everything very well. Nobody beats Blackberry at email, nobody. If this phone could do high speed data and reliably text it would be the best of all worlds. It does have WiFi which helps out a lot, but still doesn't replace having strong data available from the cell tower. The one other wish would be for more speed on the phone itself, it is slow to process requests many times, but it is rock solid stable and 99% of the time it just works!

Ok, so i have been reading a lot of reviews out there and i just don't think some people are judging this phone on the right criteria **If you were not a previous NEXTEL user then NO this phone might not be for you. That said i will not mention data speeds or possibly delayed texting as these are known issue with the iden network. For my review, i absolutely love this phone, i have been a nextel user for about 4 years now and this is by far my favorite phone. The phone is very sleek looking with that beautiful nextel yellow just slightly highlighted in the design, the feel of the phone is great in my hands. Recessed trackball does not bother me but a lot of people seem to disagree. Speaker is loud and clear when playing back ringtones and the OS seems to run very smooth without interruption (owned phone for weeks now and had to pull battery out twice maybe). Major issue with this phone however is the echo it tends to create when the earpiece is turned up too loud during conversation (yes that is why it echoes...). Wi-Fi works fast and efficient and this is the only curve with Wi-Fi and GPS built in! (besides the 8900). I would recommend this phone to any Nextel user, i repeat to any NEXTEL user...

Just listed my iPhone on eBay, and just got my phone in today. The iPhone was just waaaay to overpriced service wise and didn't do half what my other Sprint Curve would do email wise... SO I was going to just switch over to sprint again and get a boost phone for ptt at work. Well than I saw this!

GOOD TIMING!

Pros:

PTT: I have a snow plow on my truck and the company I work with is all Nextel, and I love the DC. Sorry but VZW doesn't have anything on Nextel, I'm glad Sprint is finally caring about Nextel.

BlackBerry eMail: There is nothing like it. (period) sorry apple but not quite there yet. I need me email fast and I tried the whole iPhone thing, but it just drove me insane and I tried to put a smile on my face and be a happy macboy but it wasn't there yet.

Price for Service: Simply Everything is the best thing in wireless. It just doesn't get better than that.

Weight: This may just be because the iPhone was heavy, but this phone just feels light and easy to handle.

New OS: I like it, just getting used to the icons but its looks nice!

WiFi: HECK YES! Finally!

Cons:

trackball: compared to my old curve 8330, this one seems like the trackball is recessed or something. It's a little more difficult to maneuver but not that bad, just going to take a little getting used to.

Data Speed: It's slow on Nextel but the WiFi makes up for it.

Sprint TeleSales: They have no information at all! First I heard overnight, than they said 3-5 days, They wouldn't update the site with a tracking number. SO I literally was checking the site on the 4th day and was picking up to call when UPS showed up, and than an hour later I get a tracking number. Thanks SPrint!

Overall a hit! Thanks Nextel, also I didn't have any problems activating my phone at all. They ported my number over after I got the phone in like 5 minutes so that was cool. I'm very satisfied now that I got my phone! I'll probably put my whole business on Nextel if this works out!!

This phone is awesome, was skeptical at first about buying it reading all the reviews on here about delayed texting, I was a nextel user to 5 years and was fully aware of the problem but I have to say, with the new OS 5 upgrade and all the money Sprint is putting into combining their Towers with Nextel, they have definitely fixed this problem, have had no delayed text messages, internet works lightning fast (Facebook page loads in about 6-10 seconds with OperaMini, WiFi makes it a little quicker if you have a connection.) The Direct Connect works wonders and I am glad to have it back as I can reach my dispatch for my ambulance company in the click of a button, it makes up for not having a portable radio for dispatch. I owned the Sprint 3G Curve for about a week and traded it in for the 8350i primarily to have the DC but also because the "Track Pad" was garbage and one of the worst ideas RIM has come up with. The Speaker is loud and clear on this phone and believe it or not I get better service with my 8350i than I did with the Sprint 3G curve. At first I also could not figure out why when I responded to a text and reviewed what I sent it was completely blank. Made numerous calls to Nextel Customer Care and nobody had an answer for me, not even the Blackberry Tech. After reading a few forums online come to find out, when you respond to a text, you have to type in the space that looks like the "Subject Line" and you will see that this space expands when you press enter, took a while to figure out but that was the answer. I give this phone a 5/5 rating and have absolutely no complaints about this phone. My only reccommendation for Nextel is that they should have made this a Hybrid Phone, the texting would be a little faster through CDMA but with all the money they are putting into bonding the CDMA towers with iDen towers this problem will no longer exist. The Yellow Highlights etched into this black body make for a hot phone, definitely recommend this phone!!

I bought the 8350i used from an acquaintance who operates a small phone store. He showed me three MikeBerries, but when I laid eyes on the 8350i, I was insta-hooked.

VERY pleased with my choice! Calls on the 8350i were crisp and clear, and so were phone calls/DC on speakerphone. Speaking of the said speaker, it is definitively LOUD. I could listen to music on speakerphone and it sounded great, even at the highest volume level.

The lack of a 3.5 port for headphones means being forced to use a wired adaptor. I just used the one I wss given by a former Keybo2 user. The button on it allows to pause music playback.

At first, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to send SMS. I factory-resetted it without upgrading to 5.0, and BAM, "Send SMS text" has abruptly appeared.

PROS:
- RF is GREAT. The 8350i easily latched on the MiKE network, and has yet to drop it.
- Voice calls sounds VERY good, clear and crisp.
- SMS always go through quickly, and without a hitch.
- Battery life is consistent at 3ish days, and I use it as a music player a LOT.
- The camera flash is AWESOME. Taking night shots? No problem.
- WiFi. Hell yeah!

CONS:

- DC occasionally locks up, but I know this to be a software problem. 5.0 will fix that problem, so it's no big deal. Otherwise, that's it... the 8350i is a very efficient communication tool that also has some good media options to boot. The 8350i is worth every single penny spent on it, IMO.

First let me start by saying Nextel is a horrible network if you're not a construction worker lol. I'll basically explain my experiences with this device via pros and cons.

PROS:
-Nice size, feels good in your hand (unless you put a case on it)
-Display is by far better than any other nextel device
-Internet on this device is significantly faster than any other nextel device I've used
-Camera is decent
-Multitask feature; I didn't think it would have it since it was nextel, but when I updated it, this feature was included
-Unlock is EASY, I was actually on prepaid with BOOST mobile when I used it, and the unlock was simply installing different service books lol

now it's time for the CONS:
-iDEN network requires an Internet connection for a call, a text, and of course the web, meaning you could not talk and text at the same time like most other carriers
-Seeing as I was using mine with BOOST the BBM and app world did not work
-Noone could get through when they tried to call

When you see the current lineup of iDEN devices, it goes without saying that the Blackberry 8350i is the best Nextel has to offer. It's the only viable feature phone for Nextel users, and it is an excellent phone in general.

Pros:
1. Strong reception, good voice quality.
2. OS 4.6 is elegant and stylish. Menu is quick and responsive. Keypad is one of the best i've used. It is a beautiful, comfortable device.
3. Loaded with multimedia and office features that are practical and easy to use.
4. Push e-mail works very well, despite iDEN's limitations. I have not had any email's delayed.
5. Direct Connect/Speakerphone are loud and clear.
6. Internet browsing is surprisingly pleasant, even for iDEN. Speeds were comparable to EDGE.

Cons:
1. Battery life is subpar. It will get you through a days use, but not much further.
2. MMS issues flare up from time to time, but are not extremely bothersome (especially to Nextel loyalists). Some of my messages have been delayed by 5-10 minutes, which isn't a big deal to me. Lack of SMS is puzzling.
3. Phone antenna (located at the bottom of the phone) is very sensitive. You cannot hold the phone by its bottom portion during calls.

The Blackberry 8350i is a powerful, well constructed, and elegantly designed device. It brings style, form, and top notch functionality to Nextel's lineup. The pro's definitely outweigh the con's with this phone. This is a great phone for business users, and for those who are simply looking for an ample upgrade on Nextel. It serves well in both capacities. I would recommend it to anyone within Nextel's service area.

This phone brings alot to the table for Nextel users. I will agree that the nextel service isnt strong as Sprint, but having the DC option on this device makes it all worth having. The only downside i've noticed is the texting is done as an mms so its takes a longer period of time to send or recieve. Overall hands down, one of the top 3 best Nextel phones currently out.

Let me start of by saying, I was a bit hesitant to upgrade to the 8350i, just because I know how nextels data capabilities are compared to Sprint, but I was glad I decided to. I currently own the Curve 8330 for Sprint and LOVE it, but I want the Palm Pre when it comes out, but needed to keep a blackberry for work. I was getting of my old i880 anyway so I decided to give the 8350i a try. As of right now (only had it 2 days so will update later) it is FLAWLESS. Call quality is great, emails come through in a flash, speaker is loud and crisp (not too loud like other nextel phones. The web browsing is just as good as on my Sprint Curve, and I haven't used the wi-fi yet. The only drawback is the texting, which has nothing to do with the phone, but nextel, and has been a hassle since my first nextel phone. If you are thinking about upgrading, DO SO, this is a great blackberry, and a great phone overall.

After doing the software update to the phone it has been great. I was never one to use a PDA never the less a Blackberry, But since my company had given me one to use it has worked great. Had the same issue that a lot of you have had and took it to the sprint store for an echoing issue they did an adjustment to a setting and ever since i have not had the problem. absolute great phone.