Similar to the 8900 Curve it has a sleek design, full QWERTY keypad and part rubberized housing for extra protection.

A major new feature though is the brand new navigation controller. Replacing the rollerball is an optical trackpad and word is, it works a treat. This is the equivalent to the PC mouse going from rollerball to optical so you can expect no more clogging up and sticking that you sometimes get with the ball – way to go RIM!

There are also music control buttons embedded within the rubber housing (as well as a few other familiar shortcut keys).

The camera is only 2MP which is a step down from the 8900’s 3.2 MP but for taking pictures to upload to Facebook or email direct from your BlackBerry then 2.0Mp is more than adequate.

All in all this is a very nice looking unit with some brilliant features and will further RIM’s headway in to the mobile market.

The cost is £4.26 extra for the BIS Bolt-On and will prove a no brainer on the data orientated network.

Look out for details of the award winning INQ1 Social Phone in a future post as well. This looks a neat bit of kit and I will be road testing one soon.

For details of “3″ Business plans with BlackBerry to suit your business then please call me, David Allen, on 01204 595335.

New features include:

• Receive instant notifications on your BlackBerry homescreen
• Link Facebook friends with your BlackBerry contacts
• Integrate Freind birthdays and Facebook events with your BlackBerry calendar

You can download it and find out more on the official BlackBerry app page:  http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/features/social/facebook.jsp#tab_tab_overview

Just install the free App World™ software from here and load it up, then be AMAZED!  You can see scrolling featured Apps like Google Talk, ICQ and FlyCast (live streaming radio) (all free) or browse by category or use the search feature.

Full review to follow but just grab it now – here

I’m off to play now, you may not see me for a while…

Update 8th April 2009…

Ok, so after a few days playing around in the App World software I have installed:

•  FlyCast Uk (free) which is a very cool live streaming radio tool. There are loads of genres to choose from, sound is crystal clear and it works well with wi-fi.
• Windows Live Messenger (free) which allows MSN style messaging within your messages folder.
• PhoneyFart (£2.35) this gives you the ability to make farting noises on your BlackBerry.  The kids love this as you can set a timer from 10 seconds to 5 minutes to play tricks on people. A sort of electronic whoopee cushion! Interestingly, this app is the only paid one that appears in the Top 25 Downloaded Apps so far, I’m sure it’s an indication of the quality of the free apps though

On the whole it’s an easy to use system and once you have your PayPal account it’s also easy to purchase over the air. More to follow in future updates.

David

I noticed in December, after a successful UK TV ad campaign, enquiries for the Storm were massive – even though it was limited to Vodafone users only. This year (2009) sales of the 8900 Curve have been very high and client feedback at T-Phone has been excellent.

The trend seems to be very much in favour of the BlackBerry as an “all in” business device and the increase in sales will not have gone unnoticed by the likes of Nokia and HTC who are RIM’s main rivals in the ever more competitive mobile office device arena.

Great news all round then for RIM, T-Phone and for me in particular – looks like I will be a busy bunny over the coming months!

For all UK BlackBerry for Business enquiries please contact me, David Allen, on 01204 595335 or using the online contact form.

This will confuse me and thousands of others as it’s way better than the Curve 83XX series and has also started to be called, in some quarters, as the “New Curve” or “Curve II”.

All very confusing but these marketing types need to make their minds up.

Rant over.

A lot of my T-Mobile clients were asking questions too – was I going to have to start moving them to Voda? Before Xmas 2008 the phones were red hot.  A fantastic TV ad campaign for the Storm was really driving interest in BlackBerry so that was great. It was just unfortunate for those tied in to contracts with other networks.

Once we got hold some stock I started to think otherwise though. For the first time ever I was not impressed with a new BlackBerry. The touch screen was temperamental and the software (as on many touch screen devices) not easy to master.

I know they will improve the software and screen usability but I for one, was glad I had not rushed out and purchased the Storm when it was first released.

Watch this space…

The 8800 was, for me, an excellent email and web device and mine had served me well for over 3 years. Perhaps the only thing it was missing was a camera, but that’s it.

After an accident involving beer (BlackBerries are tee-total I discovered) it was finally time to replace it and as the 8800 is now discontinued on T-Mobile in the UK I looked at the options.

The Bold was looking good but after playing with one for 10 minutes I decided that it was not for me. So I then had a play with the new 8900 Javelin (billed as the new Curve) and I was bowled over.

BlackBerry Javelin 8900

The first and most obvious thing I noticed was the size and weight. A full qwerty keypad was also a must for me (which is why I never used a Pearl) and even though the Javelin has a full keypad, it’s a lot lighter than the 8800 so is easier on the pocket – or hip in my case. Fit’s nicely in my 8800 holster too!

Features wise, whilst it doesn’t support 3G it is Wi-Fi enabled which means that in blackspots at work and home I can use the wireless modem for lightening fast email and web. This will be very handy when abroad as lots of hotels have free Wi-Fi access so I can save big time on roaming data costs.

The media player is much improved and with an 8Gb MicroSD card in I can load in loads of films, videos and music. The screen on the video player is very sharp and the sound is good (if a tad tinny for those who are really fussy).

Next, in to the messages folder and..WHAT? HTML formatted email? On a BlackBerry?

After I’d picked myself off the floor from that shock I had a play and yes, emails are defaulted in HTML mode. Now my first thought was off the last 8 years when I had been telling people how cheap text only email is whilst abroad; no more £3 bills after a week on holiday hammering my email!!! On closer inspection though, in Options you can change it to Text OR HTML – phew! You get the best of both worlds as my UK BIS package will cover all email in HTML format, I just need to change it to text before going abroad.

I have installed some applications including the Facebook app and with the 8900 this is a great tool. It has a 3.2 megapixel camera and the quality is good. Combined with the Facebook app I can take a picture anywhere in the world and upload it straight to my Facebook profile. Just think, the whole world can see proof of those drunken nights out before you even get home!

There is one slight downside to the Javelin and that is the battery. With Wi-Fi turned on and a few extra applications running in the background (Skype for one – look out for a review) it can really drain the battery power. I have to turn the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off if I am out and about and know I won’t get to a charger for a while.

One other gripe is that the phone keypad is red-on-black and seeing as the buttons are small, some may struggle with seeing the numbers.

All in all though, this is a fantastic tool (I won’t say gadget because this baby is ESSENTIAL to my online business).

If you are in the UK and would like to know more about the Javelin (or BlackBerry in general) and how it may benefit YOUR business then call me. My office number is 01204 595335.  You can also contact me through my contact form here.  Just ask for David.