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BlackBerry Curve 8900 or BlackBerry Javelin is an addition to the solid smartphone T-Mobile line and one of the top products of this company. It is an improved version of the Curver 8300 series, and it has several improvements, like a sleeker design, a more solid construction, faster processor, 3.2 Mp camera and a sharp display. This smartphone integrates also WiFi and you can make unlimited calls over this type of networks. The biggest disappointment is the lack of 3G, and it could have given this phone a real competitive advantage on smartphone market.

This phone will appeal both mobile professionals and common consumers, and it offers work and play features, packed in a little elegant design. This Rim BlackBerry is the thinnest device with a full QWERTY keyboard. This smartphone measures 4.2''x2.3''x0.5'' and it weighs only 3.8 ounces. It feels comfortable in hand, and it is easy to slip in a pocket. BlackBerry Javelin has in the same time a sleek profile and a solid construction. The phone's main body is made of plastic, but it has some finishes and painted applications which give it a more durable look.

Javelin has tapered edges like the Storm model but the metallic paint gives thie model a fresh and modern look. It is less corporate than the Bold BlackBerry we all know, and this means that it might attract a wider range of users. Javelin has a 2.4'' TFT LCD, which supports 65,536 colors on a 480x360 pixels resolution. Sharpness' level and brightness also make this phone's screen quite impressive, and the surprises don't stop here! Curve 8900 runs the latest version of OS, and this brings an updated interface with much more features and high performance. One needed improvement must be done about the look, because all the icons look almost the same, and it's hard to distinguish the folders on the screen at a glance.

Below the screen, there are is the navigation array, which includes the Talk and End keys, the shortcut to the menu, the back button and the well known trackball. This is a simple and spacious layout, and it's pretty easy to use these controls and navigate the phone. The side controls are designed for one hand operations. The keyboard is similar to BlackBerry Bold's and taking into account that the phone is smaller than the other previous versions, the keys are also smaller, but they still can be used properly. The keyboard has a good backlight and something special would be that the color of this backlight is red, and not the classical white.

On the left side you have a key which can be programmed, and the default function is for voice dialer, but you can change it any time. There, on the left side is also the 3.5 mm headphones jack and the volume rocker and the mini USB port. The camera is on the back, next to the flash, and under the battery cover there are the SIM card and SD card slots. The SD card has a protection plastic layer and it looks sort of flimsy, and it might not hold up over time. The mute button and the lock key are situated on the top. This phone comes with a travel charger, a 256 Mb SD card, an USB cable, a case for protection and a CD with software utilities and reference material.

This phone runs RIM OS 4.6.1.11, and this means a real improved user interface, but also new functionality and applications. In this OS version you can also esit Word, Excel and .ppt files, and this is available due to the inclusion of DataViz's Documents utility in the Go Suite. The Standard Edition is preinstalled on the phone and you can upgrade to the Premium Edition if you want to create documents. BlackBerry Javelin comes with management tools like calendar, to do list, memo, voice recorder, password management utility, calculator and many other useful applications. There is an online catalog with BB applications, if you are looking for new software or games. T-Mobile offers some suggestions in choosing the applications according to the model of smartphone you own. Best improvement has been done in Web browsing area, and the new HTML Web browser supports also RSS feeds and media like YouTube clips. Navigation is easier with the two viewing modes, Page and Column, and you can also zoom in/out on pages.

There are two options for getting connected: WiFi and EDGE from T-Mobile, because 3G is not available yet on this model. Surfing the Web is ok on EDGE, but 3G would have been an interesting feature. Voice features include roaming, speakerphone, voice, smart and conference dialing, speed dial, SMS and MMS. For each contact in the address book, you have entries for multiple numbers, e-mail addresses, home and work addresses, job tile, and much more: picture, group ID and customized ringtone.

GPS uses both satellites and triangulation to detect your position, and the maps and the driving directions come with BlackBerry Maps application. This utility is preloaded on Javelin, and if you want real time tracking you should get TeleNav GPS Navigator.The camera is pretty cool, it has 3.2 Mp, video recording capabilities and you can edit the size and the quality of the picture and also customize the white balance settings.

Call quality is great but the 512 MHz processor is sometimes slow, like when accessing the photo folder, or other folders with a lot of items, but the general performance is good.This phone has a LiIon battery, and the rated talk time is 5 hours, and in standby mode the battery lasts up to 14 days.

The lack of 3G is a big disappointment, but the OS is very good and the design is solid. The features are improved and the performance of the processor is great. It is a great step in RIM's smartphone development process.