Between Storm2 and Bold 9700 posts, things were a little crazy on the blogs last week, but if you were catching everything you would have caught our Verizon BlackBerry Curve2 8530 Review on Friday. In that review I spent a lot of time (some would say way too much time) talking about the name of the new Verizon Curve. The box I received actually had the device labeled the "Curve 2" (with a space) while the About screen showed Curve 8530.
From there, I went on to argue that in a perfect BlackBerry world, calling this unit the Curve2 would make perfect sense in following the Storm2's branding, but that doing so totally ignores the fact the Curve 8900 (which features a better display and camera) exists on other carriers and would technically already be the Curve 2. Also, the fact that the original Curve 8530 codenamed "aries" didn't have WiFi but the latest units do, one could make the argument that it should really be the Curve 8550 just like the Storm2 is the 9550 vs. the WiFi-less 9530. Also seems weird that the rubber on the back below the camera would then say just Curve vs. Curve2. Does it really matter what they call it? Maybe not... but some of us crazy CrackBerries do care about these things. Check out the review for the full overkill rant.
As for the point of this post... well, in that review we posted one image from Verizon's Holiday Catalogue that showed the New Curve was coming, but BGR today followed up with the full catalogue that shows the new Curve and that it will be dubbed the Curve2. Definitely sounds better than Curve 8530 (am sure they'll sell more this way), but definitely is confusing from an overall BlackBerry brand marketing standpoint.
Reader comments
Verizon to Launch New Curve as BlackBerry Curve2?!!
I read the whole rant in the review, but you summed it up well in this post :P That should be how you did it in the first :D I think you just need some sleep once in a while...
*sigh*... you're right. been a crazy couple of weeks with no sleep and being sick. glad this post was ok :)
So how much longer before you write about the 9530 5.0 "official" upgrade disaster that some people are having. Everyone of my friends that upgraded has not been able to install Facebook yet. We know you've been sick, but give us some blogging love about this!
Facebook works fine for me. I think you are overstating things. Every time there is a major upgrade like this there are issues with certain devices and app combinations. Happened last year with the OS 4.5 upgrades as well.
Blackberry 2 Motorola Droid HTC . I must say that perhaps I am somewhat of a dinosaur but I just updated my storm 9530 with the new Verizon OS and I am rather happy with it. I know new technology is great, however I look at my lifestyle and I can pay bills on line with my Storm, I check my stock portfolio, I have GPS for directions, I watch videos at will on you tube, my email is always on time, and my calendar and contacts sync automatically, therefore I am constantly updated. I take pictures and videos and upload them to Facebook. Verizon has made certain that the internet connection where I live is extremely fast. I can upload full pages in 8-15 seconds and I do not have wifi. I mean fast is fast, isn't it. So for Thanksgiving I am thankful for my son, my job, my health and my Storm 9530.
Its really all that I need.
any news on the tour update been hearing maybe tommorrow when storm comes out. sptints gotta come out with some newer phones.
I also noticed they're calling the 8230 a "Blackberry Flip" no pearl in the name...I like it
All these devices are basically the same. More RIM overkill with the same device and just renaming it something else. I'm so over it.
I have been known to be wrong or miss something.....but is it just me or is it a little weird that the Storm2 is getting no advertisement that I have seen but they are pushing the Droid....Have I missed the commercials and advertisements for the Storm2? Or does Verizon not have enough faith in the Storm2 to push it? Just wondering because I was all excited about it....but now that my Storm has the new OS it seems to be running a lot better. I like RIM but am a little torn on what to do.....Droid or Storm2....help!
No kidding. With a supposed launch tomorrow we've yet to see ANY advertising??? Weird....
I'd say that the box you got Kevin was obviosuly pre-production, as was the phone. The "branding" hadn't been worked out yet. You look at that sheet BG posted up and you see no numbers, just names. And yeah, no space in the Curve2 name. So we don't REALLY know WHAT number this thing would actually launch as. While the unit you had said 8530, maybe it will actually launch as the 8550? It would be SMART in my mind to launch as the Curve2 8550 (and Al Sacco might actually approve...) since that fits both the Storm2 branding and the 9530 vs. 9550 numbering logic. And hey, extrapolate that out and you get a Tour2 9650 once they launch the wifi version of it, and put wifi in the 8230 and you get a Flip2 8250! Then all the Verizon BlackBerry smartphones are "2's"...LOL!
Now, just to throw another monkey wrench in the works, but back when the 8330 launched wasn't it being called the "Curve 2" back then? Since it was a seriously upgraded device over the original 8300 Curve? I could swear, something is tickling the back of my brain saying "Curve 2" isn't a new moniker...
I must admit that last week I was waiting for the release of the Storm 2. I loved my Storm but was unhappy with its sluggishness. Sunday night I loaded OS 5.0 (official release), and except for a few minor irritants, I have decided to keep the Storm 1. The difference is amazing. It is now what I expected when I first got it.
I will now wait for my free (or somewhat free) upgrade when the time comes.
Had Verizon waited another week for the OS upgrade, I would be getting the Storm 2 tomorrow. For once Verizon actually saved me money, probably a mistake on their part.
Wow they already bastardized the Tour and sent to the back of add in just 3 months? They must love all the dough they sending to Fed Ex shipping replacement phones for faulty trackballs that can't be replaced by the users. And how the hell did this phone not have wi-fi in it?
The Tour is following along the lines of the 8900,a stop-gap device which will have no place once all the 8520/8530(low end) and 9700/Essex(high end) devices are released.I won't even get into the shoddy quality constuction of at least the first batch of Tours(which supposedly is fixed......supposedly).
I want to get the curve 2, curve 8530, whatever it's going to be called. but i'm not due for an upgrade til july 2010. in the meantime i'm hanging onto my barely functioning env2 and don't know if I should wait for the upgrade or just sign more of my life away to vz when the new curve is released. i get a new phone and then get over it in about 6 months. dangit I'm so materialistic.
Ok Verizon reps are more dense than i thought. I called two stores today and i informed them that their press release stated they would be getting the storm2 tomorrow and both of them proceeded to tell me that they had no idea and could not divulge any info. I mean come on. give me a friggen break. The stores open at like 8 in the morn, they must have the phones in stock and they are still trying to hide the ball. its getting re-god-dam-diculus!
ok sorry, but i had to vent.
needless to say they had no idea if the new storm would be included in the BOGO promotion...
EDIT- i still cant get over how much Verizon got on my nerves today. i would almost switch to at@t but that may be a bit extreme as at@t has no service in idaho...
I apologize for your Dumbass Idaho reps. Yes, we all know its launching tomorrow. Every store got inventory today. And yes it's BOGO.
Thanks for listening! you put my mind at ease :o)
"but that doing so totally ignores the fact the Curve 8900 (which features a better display and camera) exists on other carriers and would technically already be the Curve 2."
Kevin you are forgetting one very important thing here. To the vast majority of BlacBerry users, CDMA and GSM are two different worlds. Most VZW users have never heard of the Curve 8900 nor do they care if it is not something they can get on Verizon. Only hard core users join websites like Crackberry and jump carriers to get the latest and greatest. As far as they are concerned the Curve 8330 is the Curve 1 and this, with all of the vast improvements you detailed in the review, will be the Curve 2.
My verizon rep said they may release 5.0 for the Curve 8330 when they release Curve 2. I don't care about the Curve2 I just want 5.0 on my 8330!