So I've seen a lot of similar questions being asked and answered (sometimes) so hopefully this thread can eliminate some of these issues when first getting these phones.
1. I just got my new curve the other day and my battery doesn't seem to hold a charge for very long/my battery seems slow to charge.
-Batteries all have a break in period. That is to say that your battery will need some good charging before it holds a charge and charges quickly. Leaving your phone plugged in all night while in standby or off helps a lot the first few days as well just making sure the phone doesn't get too low of a charge in general on the first few days. Leave it plugged in sometimes when you are just sitting at home.
-Also be aware that the settings you are using (back light and the like), wifi, themes (some third party themes can really change your battery life), and applications running can affect battery drain
-Updated: If you seem like you have way short battery life some things can be done to check what is going on. Hold down the application button and make sure no apps that shouldn't be running are closed. An example would be the camera; leaving that running in the background can drain your battery fast. Also try and make note if your phone is constantly searching for signal, this can drastically bring down your battery life. Bringing down the back light can help too. If it just seems like its not keeping a good strength this may help (only do this if everything I said above about letting it break in and apps has been done or it may be a moot point). Pull the battery and let it sit for a few minutes. Now let the phone reboot; once it has turn it off or put it in standby (off is better) and let the phone charge to 100% and even let it sit there after it is charged for a little while. Now see if you notice a difference.
2. Quickpull does not work/how do I rest my phone without doing a battery pull.
-Even though mobihand and appworld says differently Quickpull does not work with 8530 as of right now. The developer is aware as far as I know, if this will be fixed is not known. For now you can do something similar by pressing Alt+ Right Shift+Del on your keyboard.
3. Is this gap on the call buttons normal?
-YES...well...probably yes.
There should be a gap between the call buttons and the phone body itself. Those buttons should not be stuck down and should allow the buttons to press down easily and without stress. Now the portion right under the track pad should be down and attached keeping the screen flush around the track pad. If there is a huge gap and you notice your trackpad is no longer flush you need to return it and get a new one. This is a MFG defect and is covered.
4. When I add a new calendar entry or sync one it is under the wrong email how do I change this?
Options>Advanced Options>Default services
5. My contacts are duplicated and/or screwed up
-There could be a few issues with this one but the two most common are from using Google sync or Facebook. If you are having issues with either one most people have found removing the google app is the best call and either just turning off the Facebook address book sync under options or reinstalling it.
6. My keyboard back light keeps turning off, my screen back light is too bright and more back light questions.
-The keyboard back light is controlled by the light senor in your BB (its where the notification LED is). It will shut off when it believes you are in a well lit area in order to save battery. If you are concerned that it is working properly place your thumb over the led and see if it turns on.
To change any back light settings go to Options>Screen/Keyboard
7. How do I lock my phone without the lock screen icon?
-There are two ways (well three actually). You can press the A button and hold it and it will lock. You can also put your phone into standby (you will still receive notifications) by holding down the play button on top of the phone (note it is not a different button it is the same button you just hold it down). Third option if you do not like those is go to options>screen/keyboard and set one of the convenience keys to lock your screen.
8. I don't like threaded SMS can I turn that off?
-No you can not choose between threaded or standard SMS at this time. The BB community had been asking for threaded sms for some time and it was finally pushed out. All functions of SMS still work the same in the sense of updating some website or receiving notifications but they will stay in one thread.
8.5 I don't have threaded SMS on my 8520 why does the 8530?
-Threaded SMS is not phone specific but Operating System specific. One you upgrade to 5.0 when it is officially pushed out you will have it as well.
9. The application I installed in APP world didn't work/wasn't satisfactory so I uninstalled it but app world still has it listed.
-This can happen in most cases if you uninstalled the application via Options>Applications but sometimes it happens if you uninstalled it via the desktop manager or from app world itself. It is generally good to remove apps installed in app world through app world or desktop manager for future reference. If you uninstalled it from the application screen and App world still has it listed do not worry it is not still on your BB. If you removed it from app world or desktop manager some files may be there (it will be listed as reinstall or deleted) but this is not always the case. To make sure it is gone first use the menu button to make sure the option to delete it is not there. If that option is gone highlight the app hold down ALT then press R+S+T.
10. Is there a charging dock for the 85XX?
-No the 8500 series does not have the connectors that can be used for a charging dock. There is talk that one will be released that just has a connector for the usb port on the side and there are ones already out by some third party companies.
11. What cases are available for the 85xx?
-First off just about any OEM case for the 8700 and 8900 can be used for the 8500 series. If you go to blackberry.com you can see some examples there. There are pocket pouches, belt cases, and silicone ones. There are of course many different third party cases such as the popular otterbox. These can be found her in the crackberry store and all over the web. The same also goes for skins/screen protectors; Best skins ever is one example.
12. Where can I find themes for my 8500/What themes work?
-Themes can be found in a multiple of places! Some example are; here in the theme forums and store, app world, blackberryforums.com, themes4bb.com, themeberry.com, and blueroomsolution.com
-It is generally a rule of thumb to only download themes (even if sometimes others work) for your specific device. Themes for the 8520 usually work on the 8530 but the opposite is not the case as 8520 still only has 4.6 not 5.0. Also reports that 8350i themes working have been made but the button schemes and other things will not always be compatible.
13. How does the 85xx compare to other phones?
-The easiest way to do this is to go to
Smartphones, Cell Phones & Smart Phones at BlackBerry.com choose the 8530 or 8520 and click the link to compare devices. Some of the key differences in most BBs out right now is the dedicated media keys, fast processor speed, Open GL compatibility, track pad, Curve style keyboard instead of Bold, lower resolution screen and lack of a flash on the camera. So it has its good points and bad points. If it is the right phone for you is not for anyone else to decide, it is just what you currently need/want in a Blackberry (and I'm sure the fact that it is between free and 50 bucks with an upgrade/new account is a big thing for most).
14. Should my keyboard move?
-Again yes an No
The keys do need to have some play in order to not get too much stress when using them. But you probably should not be able to put your thumb down and twist the keyboard like it isn't even attached in there (I'm not even sure how this is possible). But if it wiggles a little, I wouldn't worry about it.
15. The trackpad on my 85XX seems real jumpy; is there an issue?
-You could have a faulty track pad but even more likely is you just need to adjust the sensitivity. Everyone uses the pad differently pressure wise and speed wise so what works for some may not work for you; its the same as a mouse on your computer. Go to Options>Screen/Keyboard and scroll down to the Trackpad sensitivity settings. Just play around with it until you feel the most comfortable and what works no may change as you become use to the trackpad. Of course you can always do a battery pull if you feel like it worked before and now is just not reading right.
16. What file types (media) work with the 85xx?
Video format support: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV9
Audio format support: MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCELP EVRC, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA9, Windows Media 10 Standard/Professional
17. My trackpad moves a little. Is is supposed to?
As with the other questions like this...Yes and No
Yes it will most likely click up a little and back down if some pressure is applied. This is no big deal and as long as your trackpad is functioning correctly there isn't any issue. Now if you find your track pad can twist or can move far enough forward to slide under the housing these issues need to be addressed.
Ok thats it for now I'll add more later probably. Questions/Suggestions are welcome; I'll try my best.
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Curve 8520/8530 FAQ 
BTW, I use Standby mode.
Linear Mode
