Mobile Fun Blog » blackberry curve

Blackberry’s back! (well kind of) Celebrate with a new case.

LHogan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:20:16 +0000

We know that Blackberry have been down for a few days and that users haven’t been too happy about their loss of service. Jokes have been circling the Twittersphere about ‘Blackberry crumbles’ and ‘What did one Blackberry user say to another? Nothing’, but thankfully for Blackberry users the services seem to be returning to normal today.

What better way to celebrate than by getting a brand spanking new Blackberry case! Here’s a few of our favourites.

Otterbox Defender for Blackberry Bold 9780

The first case is for the Blackberry Bold 9780 and is from the Otterbox range. What’s great about Otterbox cases is that they provide three layers of protection: a thin thermal-formed cover for the screen and keys; a polycarbonate shell to protect the handset and a final silicone skin which absorbs shocks.

When combined this leads to the ultimate in protection , all whilst the Blackberry Bold 9780 case aims to remain as sleek and stylish as possible.

Otterbox for Blackberry Bold 9780

Dicota Hard Cover for Blackberry Curve 8520

The next case is for the popular Blackberry Curve 8520. When the handset first arrived it was used primarily by business men but since then the BBM features have attracted a lot of teenagers to the handset. The Dicota Blackberry Curve 8520 case is perfect for those teens who want a stylish yet sophisticated case.

Made from an impact resistant hard plastic, the Dicota hard cover snaps onto the back of you Blackberry and offers slim protection and a perfect fit.

One of the most fashionable blackberry curves cases, it offers protection from scratches and scrapes whilst giving you access to all the ports and features of the handset. Even better the case offers extra grip to the handset to help you avoid those butterfingers moments.

Dicota Blackberry Curve Case

Samsonite Mobile Phone Holster

Samsonite are well known for their high quality luggage so when purchasing a Samsonite Blackberry Torch case you know that you’re getting a high quality product even without the ten year guarantee!

The case is made from genuine leather to add style and protection and it’s perfect for both work and socialising. This Samsonite mobile phone holster will fit a lot of different phone models due to it’s size – Krusell also do a similar style case.

Being a holster style cover means that every inch of your handset is protected but in order to use the features and ports of your handset it must be removed from the case.

Samsonite Mobile Phone Holster

Top Ten Phones of 2010

Andy Simpson — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:33:29 +0000

It’s been an interesting and busy year in the world of mobile phones. Countless new handsets have all been gunning for the top spot and trying to beat Apple’s iPhone. Stiff competition from Samsung and HTC has meant that the iPhone isn’t always the phone of choice – as our X-Factor giveaway showed. But which handset really was the winner in 2010?

With just 3 days left of 2010, I thought I’d take a look back at some of the top handsets from the last year and see just which of them came out on top – after all, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t do an end of the year round up!

The handsets listed below are ranked on their popularity on the main Mobile Fun website from the 1st January through to today (29th December) and are based on a the number of people visiting the accessory pages for each handset.

There are a few surprises in here – most noticeable is that there are no handsets from Nokia, Motorola or LG.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 - Black

10 - Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Release Date: April 2010
Operating System: Android

At ten is the X10 from Sony Ericsson, it’s their only handset to make it into the top ten. It was their first handset to run the Android operating system and shows that Sony Ericsson aren’t just going to lie down and let the iPhone take over. The handset is crammed full of features, including a massive 4 inch screen, 8 megapixel camera with flash and a fast, 1GHz processor. Sony Ericsson have changed both the charging and headphone port on the phone, making the task of finding X10 Accessories easier than ever.

HTC Desire HD

9 - HTC Desire HD

Release Date: October 2010
Operating System: Android

Some of the guys in the office were surprised to see the HTC Desire HD finish so low in the top ten. Although it’s hugely popular, it’s only been out for a few weeks, so to even finish in the top 10 is a great achievement. It won’t take it long to get to the top spot, and I’m certain that this is going to be one of the biggest Android phones of 2011. The Desire HD is essentially the same as the original HTC Desire, but with a few noticeable differences – the first, and most obvious is the screen size – 4.3 inches – perfect for internet browsing and watching videos. Other differences include more internal storage, more RAM, and an upgraded camera.

8th Place - iPhone 3G

8 – iPhone 3G

Release Date: July 2008
Operating System: iOS

I bet you weren’t expecting to see the 2nd generation iphone in the top ten! At 2 and a half years old, this is the oldest handset in our list and was officially discontinued by Apple back in July. For it to still be in the top ten there must be a lot of people keeping them after their contracts have expired or passing them on to friends and family when they upgrade. The iPhone 3G uses the same wide range of iPhone accessories as the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, with the exception of a few speakers and docks.

7th Place - Samsung Galaxy S

7 - Samsung Galaxy S

Release Date: June 2010
Operating System: Android

Samsung hadn’t had much success with Android handsets, not until they launched the Galaxy S anyway. The phone was released almost at the same time as iPhone 4 and proved to be a great alternative. It matches or beats the spec of both the iPhone 4 and HTC Desire and has an equally stunning 4 inch display. The Samsung Galaxy S is without doubt the best Samsung phone of 2010 and it comes as no surprise that the Galaxy S is the only Samsung phone to feature in the top ten.

6th Place - BlackBerry Bold 9700

6 - BlackBerry Bold 9700

Release Date: November 2009
Operating System: BlackBerry

The media are saying that BlackBerry are having a tough time as more and more people are switch to Android and iOS devices, but that’s not necessarily the case. Two BlackBerry handsets have made it into the top ten – thanks mainly to their large corporate user base. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the professional’s ‘Berry of choice as it has fast 3G internet, a clear, high resolution screen and is perfect for messaging and emailing on the move. It’s interesting that their two touch screen efforts, the Torch and Storm2 didn’t even come close to making the top ten, finishing 26th and 46th respectively.

5th Place - iPhone 3GS

5 – iPhone 3GS

Release Date: July 2009
Operating System: iOS

The second iPhone to feature in the top ten is the iPhone 3GS – the faster version of the iPhone 3G. Visually they’re the same phone and all iPhone 3GS accessories also work with the iPhone 3G – the only real differences were to the internals of the phone. The 3GS has a faster processor and an improved camera. The iPhone 3GS is still available now, and will be until Apple announce iPhone 5 in July so I wouldn’t expect the 3GS to disappear any time soon.

HTC HD2

4 - HTC HD2

Release Date: October 2009
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.5

There is only Windows Mobile phone in our top ten – the HTC HD2. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise, as the HD2 is one of the best Windows 6.5 Smartphones we’ve ever used. The huge 4.3 inch screen makes using the OS pretty easy, despite it being designed for sylus based input. What is surprising though is that this is another fairly old handset, that’s now been replaced by the HD7 running Windows Phone 7.

3rd Place - BlackBerry 8520 Curve

3 - BlackBerry 8520 Curve

Release Date: August 2009
Operating System: BlackBerry

BlackBerry have always been associated with business users, but that all changed with the Curve series of phones. The original 8310 was a great handset that suited businesses on a budget, but it still didn’t really appeal to everyday consumers. Fast forward a couple of years, add in a much wider range of 8520 Curve accessories like covers and cases, freshen up the operating system and bring the price down and you get one of the most popular BlackBerry phones ever. It’s been around for a while and there’s plenty of life left in it, although the Curve 3G is gaining popularity and could soon knock it off it’s perch.

Nearly, but not quite - iPhone 4

2 – iPhone 4

Release Date: July 2010
Operating System: iOS

No, you’re not seeing things - the iPhone 4 isn’t the top handset of 2010, but it is a very close second. If it had been on sale for as long as the phone in first place, it would easily have taken the top spot. iPhone 4 is still the handset that manufacturers are trying to beat and the only one who seems to have achieved the impossible so far looks to be HTC – having said that, no-one can touch the iPhone for simplicity of use, it’s stunning looks, app store content or the huge range of iPhone 4 accessories.

Finally then, the Number one handset of 2010 is the HTC Desire.

Top handset of 2010 - HTC Desire

Release Date: March 2010
Operating System: Android

It’s the closest thing to an iPhone killer that you’ll get and one that Android fans have been desperate to get their hands on. The Desire is easily the most popular Android phone out there, although the Desire HD will catch it up pretty soon. The Desire was the first mainstream handset to get a fast 1GHz processor and has an amazing screen. The range of Desire accessories is growing all the time too, although it will have a tough time matching or beating the number of iPhone 4 cases that are available!

So there we are, that’s our top handsets of 2010. Any surprises? Should any other handsets have made it? Let us know in the comments.

Mobile Fun Hot Handsets – July 2010

Andy Simpson — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:08:15 +0000

After a busy month for Apple, HTC & Samsung it’s time for another new Hot Handset list. July saw 3 of the biggest handsets go head to head with each other, but with limited supply and numerous problems reported with iPhone 4, it was going to be interesting to see which handset came out on top. This month there are three new entries into the top ten, with the other handsets staying pretty static. Here’s how the handsets ranked for July. (Previous month’s position is shown in brackets)

iPhone is back on top

Despite all it’s perceived problems, the iPhone 4 has stormed its way to the top of the charts, and that’s before it’s was launched on all networks. It only went on sale with T-Mobile and Three 2 days ago, so next month I’d expect iPhone 4 to have an even bigger lead over the HTC Desire. This means that the Desire has been knocked off the top spot after 3 months. Following HTC’s announcement that they’re downgrading the screen on the Desire due to supply issues, I’d expect it to drop even further next month. Another handset that’s worth mentioning is the iPhone 3GS, which despite now being an old model held on to third place – I’d imagine the recent price drop and it being offered on all networks will have helped with this considerably.

The scores are achieved using a points system. We award points based on sales, number of customers owning each phone, searches on the website, page views and a few other bits of data. At the end of the month we total these up and publish the rankings.

For the last couple of months I’ve been revealing the scores for the top handsets as I think it gives a better idea of just how incredibly popular these phones are. This month iPhone 4 scored more than the HTC Desire and iPhone 3GS combined, based on our points system.

iPhone 4 scored 318 points (+ 198), the HTC Desire came in second with 206 points (-37), iPhone 3GS held on to 3rd place with 100(no change). By comparison, the BlackBerry 8520 in 4th scored 39 points and the HTC Wildfire in tenth place scored just 20.

BlackBerry handsets have had another strong month and have managed to hold onto the same positions that they’ve held for the last 3 months.

Sony Ericsson aren’t doing too badly, the X10 slipped slightly to 8th place. Their new X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro didn’t manage to make the top ten, but finished 12th and 25th respectively.

Nokia as I predicted last month, Nokia have now slipped out of the top ten. Their best performing handset is still the X6 which has dropped to 14th place.

Motorola. Still no sign of Motorola. Despite a few recent successes in America, Motorola are still struggling to launch a winner over here. Their best performer this month was the Milestone which could only manage 41st.

LG could only manage 23rd with the Cookie. This is really bad as the Cookie was originally released back in 2007 and they’ve failed to release a handset since then that’s been anywhere near as popular.

Samsung have had a good month with both the Galaxy S and the Wave breaking into the top ten – a massive improvement on last months 27th and 14th places respectively. The Tocco Lite has held on to 11th place. The Galaxy S is a great alternative to both iPhone 4 and the HTC Desire so I’d expect to see this in the top ten for a quite a while.

Coming Up

August and September are fairly quiet months for handset releases, although we are hoping to see some new handsets from BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola. For more information on what’s coming up in the next few weeks, take a look at our Release Calendar.

About this Top Ten

This list is unique as it is not based on handset sales, but the number of users with a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to the mobilefun.co.uk website between 1st & 31st July 2010.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – June 2010

Andy Simpson — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:19:31 +0000

Another new month sees another new Hot Handset list. June saw the biggest phone release in history with the iPhone 4, but with a limited number of handsets making their way into the UK, iPhone 4 didn’t quite manage to push the Desire out of the number one slot, but still stormed into the charts in second place. As with last month, there is just one new entry, with most handsets moving just a couple of places. Here’s how the handsets ranked for June. (Previous month’s position is shown in brackets)

HTC Desire is still Number 1

Given the hype and the fact that Apple sold 1.7 million phones in just 3 days I really expected the HTC Desire to come in second, if not 3rd. This means that the Desire has now been the most popular phone for 3 months. Having said that, the Desire’s popularity has dropped off a little over the past 4 weeks and I think it’s going to struggle to keep the top spot next month as more and more people manage to get their hands on iPhone 4.

For the last couple of months I’ve been revealing the scores for the top handsets as I think it gives a better idea of just how incredibly popular these phones are. This month the Desire scored twice the amount of points than the iPhone 4 and more than all variants of iPhone combined based on our points system.

The HTC Desire scored 243 points (-71), iPhone 4 went straight in to second place with 120 and the iPhone 3G/3GS dropped to 100(-44). By comparison, the BlackBerry 8520 in 4th scored 38 points and the Nokia X6 in tenth place scored just 13. What’s interesting here is that iPhone 4 scored almost the same amount that the Desire and iPhone 3GS dropped, suggesting that a high number of Desire and iPhone owners have made the switch to iPhone4.

BlackBerry handsets have had another strong month and have managed to hold onto the same positions that they’ve held for the last 2 months.

Sony Ericsson aren’t doing too badly, the Vivaz is sitting comfortably in 8th place but their Android powered X10 dropped down two places to 7th place. Surprising to see the X10 mini didn’t make the top ten and finished 21st.

Nokia are still desperately clinging on to 10th place, and I really thought they’d be out of the top ten this time round. The N8 isn’t due for another 6-8 weeks and I’d be very surprised if the X6 is still there next month

Motorola. Oh dear, still no sign of Motorola, despite a number of new phones being announced. They seem to be gaining popularity again over in the states, but they need to do something soon in the UK or people are going to start forgetting all about them. Their best performer was the

LG could only manage 24th with the Cookie. This is really bad as they’ve released so many phones since the Cookie, but they’re just not popular.

Palm have been bought out by HP now, so I don’t expect to see much from them. None of their current phones feature in the top 100.

Samsung are suffering again this month. The Tocco Lite has held on to 11th place, but their flagship handsets, the Galaxy S and the Wave aren’t doing as well as they’d have hoped with the Galaxy S coming in 27th and the Wave 14th. Surprising really as the Galaxy S is a great alternative to both iPhone 4 and the HTC Desire.

Coming Up

July and August will see some big handset releases0 and I can’t wait to see how well they all do. For more information on what’s coming up in the next few weeks, take a look at our Release Calendar.

About this Top Ten

This list is unique as it is not based on handset sales, but the number of users with a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to the mobilefun.co.uk website between 1st & 30th June 2010.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – May 2010

Andy Simpson — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 08:09:07 +0000

Another new month sees another new Hot Handset list. May was a relatively quiet month for new releases so I wasn’t expecting much to change. There is just one new entry, but for the most part, the rankings haven’t really changed. Here’s how the handsets ranked for May. (Previous month’s position is shown in brackets)

HTC Desire is the most popular phone

Not much movement at first glance – the HTC Desire has kept the iPhone off the top spot for the second month running! The Desire’s popularity has grown significantly over the course of the last month.

On last month’s top ten I revealed the scores for the top handsets - the Desire scored over 30% more than the iPhone did based on our points system – this month it scored an unbelievable 218% more than the iPhone! In fact, it scored more than the next 5 handsets combined.

The HTC Desire soared to 314 points, the iPhone dropped slightly to 144 and the HTC HD2 dropped to 59. By comparison, the Nokia X6 in tenth place scored just 15.

The scores are achieved using a points system, we award points based on sales, number of customers owning each phone, searches on the website, page views and a few other bits of data. At the end of the month we total these up and publish the rankings.

Despite being almost identical to the HTC Desire, the Google Nexus One didn’t make the top ten and finished in 18th place.

BlackBerry handsets have had a strong month again and managing to hold onto their positions from last month.

Sony Ericsson aren’t doing too badly, the Vivaz is sitting comfortably in 7th place and their Android powered X10 held on to 5th place.

Nokia are still clinging on to 10th place, but with no new handsets due for a couple of months, I’d expect this to be their last appearance for a while. Hopefully the Nokia N8 will do well for them, but that’s not due until August.

Motorola, bless them, are yet again nowhere near at 32 with the Milestone, and LG could only manage 19th with the Cookie. It’s not good news for Palm either, despite having two new handsets go on sale. The Palm Pre has now dropped out of the top 100 completely.

Samsung are suffering this month too, with the Tocco Lite slipping out of the top ten and into 11th place.

Coming Up

June and July are always great months for handset releases. There are some big handsets coming and I can’t wait to see how well they all do. In just over a week Apple will be announcing their new iPhone, the Samsung Wave is due to hit the shelves any day now, with the Galaxy S not far behind it – three big releases that will no doubt turn this list upside down.

For more information on what’s coming up in the next few weeks, take a look at our Release Calendar.

About this Top Ten

This list is unique as it is not based on handset sales, but the number of users with a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to the mobilefun.co.uk website between 1st & 30th April 2010.

Mobile Fun’s Hot Handsets – January Update

Andy Simpson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:40:46 +0000

We’ve just updated our list of the 10 most popular handsets in December. The thing that makes our top 10 handset list different from other retailers, is that ours is not based on handset sales, but the number of our customers that use a particular phone, accessory sales and visitors to our website over the last month.

: Which is Number 1?

December has been a relatively quiet month for new releases but with manufacturers fighting to sell the most phones at Christmas, who’s going to come out on top?

To see which are the most popular handsets in the UK right now, or to see if your phone makes our top ten, head over to our Hot Handsets page.

Top BlackBerry Curve 8520 Accessories

Andy Simpson — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:10:42 +0000

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 might be a brand new BlackBerry handset, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any accessories available for it. The 8520 Curve is the replacement for the 8300 Curve which was a great handset that packed a lot of features into a pretty small design. The 8520 combines the features from the 8300, 8310 and 8320 into one device and as with all BlackBerry’s its great for email and messaging. The BlackBerry 8520 Curve weighs less and is slightly smaller then the 8310 Curve and has WiFi and GPS built in. It’s also the first BlackBerry handset to feature a trackpad in place of the usual trackball.

BlackBerry have kept the business users features and have also put more of a media and entertainment spin on the new 8520 Curve, so to make the most of the phone there are a few accessories that you should invest in – especially if you’ve upgraded from the 8310 as the cases & chargers for the 8520 are different.

To help you make the right choice in deciding on accessories for your new smart phone, we’ve compiled our list of top 10 accessories for the BlackBerry Curve 8520.

1. BlackBerry 8520 Curve Swivel holster

The BlackBerry 8520 is a stylish looking phone that needs a stylish case to go with it – especially as you don’t get one in the box with the phone. This BlackBerry 8520 Curve Swivel holster is made from premium lambskin leather and has a rotating belt clip on the rear. It has a proximity sensor that can automatically change the alert tones on your 8520 Curve when ever it’s inserted or removed from the case.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Cases

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Swivel Holster

2. BlackBerry Curve 8520 Skins

BlackBerry Skins are an extremely popular way of protecting your BlackBerry Curve 8520. They are a rubber case that wraps tightly around your phone protecting the back cover and edges against damage. They leave all the audio and charging ports accessible aswell as the side keys. BlackBerry Skins are available in a range of colours.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Cases

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Skins

3. BlackBerry Curve 8520 Screen Protector

The last thing you’re going to want to do to the screen of your brand new Curve 8520 is scratch it. This screen protector has been specifically made for the BlackBerry 8520 Curve, is easy to install and can be removed easily, leaving no residue behind.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Screen Protectors

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Screen Protector

4. BlackBerry 8520 Curve Battery

The BlackBerry 8520 will be a workhorse for some people – a business tool that you can’t be without. If you’re going to be out of the office for the day and know that you’re going to be on your phone a lot, then then best accessory you can get will be a BlackBerry 8520 Curve spare battery.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Batteries

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Battery

5. BlackBerry 8520 Curve Car Charger

Battery life is never great on a smartphone so a car charger is a worthwhile investment. The genuine BlackBerry MicroUSB Car charger will work in both 12v and 24v vehicles (Cars, Lorries and Trucks). The BlackBerry Curve 8520 uses a different charger to older BlackBerry devices so double check to make sure you order the right one.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Chargers

BlackBerry Curve 8520 Car Charger

6. SanDisk 8GB Micro SDHC memory card

The high resolution display and the 2MP camera make this phone perfect for recording videos, taking photos and playing music, but it’s limited internal memory means that it won’t be long before you run out of storage space. This SanDisk 8GB Micro SDHC memory card will hold over 7000 photos, 1500 songs or 9 hours of video recording.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Memory Cards

Sandisk 8GB Micro SDHC Memory Card

7. BlackBerry HS655+ Bluetooth Headset

BlackBerry and Plantronics have teamed up to create the BlackBerry HS655+ Bluetooth Headset. It’s a lightweight ‘in-ear’ headset that weighs just 9g and comes with a charging case that can clip to your pocket and vibrates when a call comes in. The HS655+ can be charged using a Mini USB data cable or Mains/Car Charger. It supports last number redial, voice dialing volume change and mute.

View All BlackBerry 8520 Curve Bluetooth Headsets

BlackBerry HS655+ Bluetooth Headset

8. BlackBerry VM605 Bluetooth Car Kit

The BlackBerry VisorMount Speaker phone is extremely easy to use. Just clip it to your car’s visor, turn it on, and you’re ready to start making and taking hands-free calls on the go. It supports voice activated dialing, caller ID, and verbal notifications to let you know who’s calling, you can stay in touch while keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. It has a built in FM transmitter that can be used to broadcast audio from your calls, music and sat nav through your car stereo without having to connect any wires. It uses the same Micro USB charger as your phone too, so you won’t need to buy a separate car charger for your Curve 8520.

View All BlackBerry Curve 8520 Bluetooth Car Kits

BlackBerry VM605 Bluetooth Car Kit

9. Parrot MKi9200 Fitted Car Kit for BlackBerry 8520 Curve

Parrot have always made fantastic car kits and the Mki range are no exception. There are three options available, the MKi9000, Mki9100 and the Mki9200. The main differences between them being the display screen that comes with them. I’ve chosen the MKi9200 as the best one for the Curve 8520 because the external screen makes it easier to navigate the menu’s and to see who’s calling you without having to look at your phone. You can play music from your phone through the MKi9200 using Bluetooth or 3.5mm line in. The Mki9200 will synchronise with your phone book, and supports voice dialing. There is also a small remote that you can attach to your dash or steering wheel to control your music and calls. Regular software updates that improve compatibility with BlackBerry phones are available free of charge from the Parrot website.

Mki9200 for BlackBerry Curve 8520

This isn’t the full range of accessories, just a selection of the ones that we think do the best job of enhancing your phone. If you’ve not seen the accessory here that’s right for you, then take a look at all of our BlackBerry 8520 Curve Accessories.

How to find your BlackBerry model number

Andy Simpson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:41:23 +0000

BlackBerry phones have really taken off over the last few years and are no longer seen as just a business users phone. As their popularity has grown, so has the range of devices – the days of just having a range of 2 or 3 BlackBerry’s has gone and with most of them looking pretty similar, getting the right accessories for it can be quite tricky if you don’t know the model number of your BlackBerry.

To confuse things a little, BlackBerry have recently started to give their handsets nicknames such as BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Curve, BlackBerry Storm & BlackBerry Bold. These names aren’t always the model number of your phone as there are currently 5 handsets that carry the name Pearl and 5 handsets that carry the name Curve. To get the right accessories for your BlackBerry you will also need to know the 4 digit model number that normally starts with an 8 or 9.

This short guide will show you a few quick and easy ways to work out which BlackBerry model you have.

Check your phone

BlackBerry 8300 Curve Rebadged by O2

This might seem like a really obvious thing to suggest, but most handsets will normally have their model number printed on the housing somewhere. If you have bought your BlackBerry direct from your network, you may find that the model number has been replaced with the networks logo. If this is the case – try the next step:

Check the box

Model Number Printed on BlackBerry Box

Again, it might seem obvious, but if you’ve got the box to hand, look for a sticker with a series of barcodes on it – your model number will be printed on here.

Check on the Phone

Your model number can be seen on the 'About' Screen

All BlackBerry phones have an option in the settings menu to show you information on your phone. This is probably the quickest and easiest method of checking your model number. From the main menu choose; OPTIONS -> ABOUT. This will then show you your model number on the top line and information on the software running on your BlackBerry will be shown underneath. To go back to the main screen from here, just press the back arrow 3 or 4 times.

Last Resort

Model number is printed on the IMEI label

If you can’t turn your phone on and you don’t have the box, there is one last way to find out the model number of your BlackBerry, and that is to remove the back cover and battery from your phone and look on the IMEI label. The IMEI label is normally a white sticker with a couple of barcodes on it. Your model number will be printed somewhere on this label.

Top 10 Accessories for the BlackBerry 8900 Curve

Andy Simpson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:16:30 +0000

The BlackBerry 8310 Curve was the first mainstream BlackBerry handset that was aimed at everyday consumers as well as businesses. It was a great handset that packed a lot of features into a pretty small design, and as with all BlackBerry’s it was great for email and messaging. Its replacement, the BlackBerry 8900 Curve, is even better. It weighs less, is smaller, has a higher resolution screen and has Wi-Fi Built in.

BlackBerry have kept the business users features and have also put more of a media and entertainment spin on the new 8900 Curve, so to make the most of the phone there are a few accessories that you should invest in – especially if you’ve upgraded from the 8310 as the cases & chargers for the 8900 are different.

To help you make the right choice in deciding on accessories for your new smart phone, we’ve compiled our list of top 10 accessories for the BlackBerry Curve 8900.

Blackberry Curve 8900 Swivel Pouch

1. BlackBerry 8900 Curve Swivel holster

The BlackBerry 8900 is a stylish looking phone that needs a stylish case to go with it. The Pouch that’s included with the phone does an ok job of protecting it, but it’s nothing special. This BlackBerry 8900 Curve Swivel holster is made from premium lambskin leather and has a rotating belt clip on the rear. It builds in protection for the trackball and has a proximity sensor that can automatically change the alert tones on your 8900 curve when ever it’s inserted or removed from the case.

View All BlackBerry 8900 Curve Cases

Flexishield Plus for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

2. BlackBerry Curve 8900 FlexiShield Plus

This protective case is similar in style to a silicone case, but much much tougher. They are made from a tough gel that transfers the energy away from your phone when you drop it. They have a non slip feel to them, so the chance of it slipping out of your hand is greatly reduced. FlexiShield Plus includes a clear screen protector to prevent scratches from ruining the display. The FlexiShield is also available without the screen protector.

View All BlackBerry 8900 Curve Cases

Privacy Screen Protector for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

3. BlackBerry Curve 890 0 Privacy Screen Protector

I’m sure that we’ve all had times when we’re sat reading our messages or emails on our phones, only to find that the person sat behind or next to us is also reading them. BlackBerry Curve 8900 Privacy Screen Protectors are designed to stop people from reading your screen. They’re a tough protective layer that fixes easily to the screen of your phone, but once fitted will only allow people looking straight at the screen to see what’s on the screen. Look at an angle from the side and you won’t be able to see a thing.

View All BlackBerry 8900 Curve Screen Protectors

BlackBerry 8900 Curve Battery DX1

4. BlackBerry 8900 Curve spare battery

The BlackBerry 8900 will be a workhorse for some people – a business tool that you can’t be without. If you’re going to be out of the office for the day and know that you’re going to be on your phone a lot, then then best accessory you can get will be a BlackBerry 8900 Curve spare battery.

View All BlackBerry 8900 Curve Batteries

Charging Pod for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

5. BlackBerry 8900 Curve Charging Pod

With this, you have a great way of showing off your new phone at home or in the office while charging the battery. It can be connected to a mains charger, or to your computer using a USB cable and charges the battery using two small charging pads on the back of your phone so there is no need to mess around with cables. Simply stand it in the pod to start charging.

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Sandisk 8GB Micro SDHC Memory Card

6. SanDisk 8GB Micro SDHC memory card

The high resolution display and the better quality camera make this phone perfect for recording videos, taking photos and playing music, but it’s limited internal memory means that it won’t be long before you run out of storage space. This SanDisk 8GB Micro SDHC memory card will hold over 7000 photos, 1500 songs or 9 hours of video recording.

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BlackBerry HS655+ Bluetooth Headset

7. BlackBerry HS655+ Bluetooth Headset

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Brodit Active Holder for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

8. BlackBerry 8900 Curve Brodit Active Holder

This phone-specific cradle will hold your phone securely and has a car charger wired into it. As the charging port is quite low on the side of the 8900 Curve, there is a cut out that allows you to charge your phone while it’s in the holder. They are made from a strong ABS plastic and are designed to be screwed onto your dashboard, although if you don’t fancy doing this you can use a Brodit ProClip. These are secure mounting pads that clip on to your dashboard and can be removed without causing any damage to your vehicle. ProClips provide an ideal base for fixing an active holder on to.

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Supertooth Visor One Bluetooth Car Kit

9. Supertooth Visor One Bluetooth Car Kit

For many BlackBerry 8900 users, the BlackBerry is a second phone – often provided by the company you work for. If you also carry your personal mobile around with you, you’ll know how difficult it can be to stay safe and legal on a handsfree in the car. The Supertooth Visor One will solve this problem for you. It’s a Multipoint Bluetooth Car Kit, which means that you can pair it to two phones at the same time. Both your BlackBerry and your personal phone can connect simultaneously, and no matter which phone rings, you can take the call on the handsfree without any complicated button presses. Just hit the answer button and the call comes through nice and clear. The Visor One also supports the A2DP profile, so if you have music stored on your mobile, you can play it back through the car kit too.

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THB Bury Fitted Car Kit for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

10. THB Bury Fitted Car Kit for BlackBerry 8900 Curve

THB Bury are the only manufacturer that still make hard-wired car kits. These kits will charge your phone while it’s in the cradle, can be connected to an external antenna and will hold your phone securely in the car. The best thing about the THB System 8 Car kit is that the cradles are interchangeable, so when ever you change your phone, you don’t have to replace the whole kit, just the cradle that the phone sits in. To get the THB Bury you will need to order two parts, the THB Bury System 8 Kit and the THB Bury BlackBerry 8900 Curve Cradle. THB Car Kits require Professional Car Kit Installation.

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