[cam8310]

hi everyone i just had a quick question about the ever popular blackberry curve series and my question is why did they take away the flash on the blackberry curves?
because my 8310 had it and now the 8520 and 8530 and 9300 don't have it why??

[aab81901]

hi everyone i just had a quick question about the ever popular blackberry curve series and my question is why did they take away the flash on the blackberry curves?
because my 8310 had it and now the 8520 and 8530 and 9300 don't have it why??

A possible explanation could be that the Curve series has always been considered low-end devices. I don't think they flash is included in the new/upcoming devices either. I could be wrong...

[TLS2000]

I think that aab81901 is correct. The Curve 8300 was the top Blackberry when it was released, but it has since been replaced by the Bold/Torch/Storm series of phones at the high end.

[Kevin Michaluk]

Yep, it was a cost saving measure. And a measure to add further differentiation between lines of BlackBerry products.

The Curve is entry level. The Bold is now high end. That wasn't always the case of course... for example the Curve 8900 was a pretty darn top end device, even if it lacked 3G. But with the Curve 8520/30, RIM made the very conscious decision to position the Curves as low cost and basic, which gave them the opportunity to remove the flash. When the Curve 83xx's hit the market, the Bold line didn't exist. You had the 8800 series, which wasn't really targeted as high end, but rather as more of a business user phone (while the Curve 8300s were for consumers).

With the lines of consumer and business so blurry (lots of companies using Curves), RIM switched the strategy up to differentiate between low end and high end. So companies wanting to buy 20,000 Curves wouldn't be seen as buying 20,000 consumer phones for business, but rather 20,000 entry-level phones.

Still would be nice if it had a flash though!

[Tõnis]

You mean my 8330m is a low-end/entry level device?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Laura Knotek]

You mean my 8330m is a low-end/entry level device?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

It wasn't in Q2 2008 when it was released.

[eve6er69]

My wifes 8530 has a status and alert led on it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[the_sandman_454]

It wasn't in Q2 2008 when it was released.

It lacked CDMA Rev A, which even many dumb phones at the time had already adopted, but besides that, there weren't entry level/high end devices when it came out, just more or less similar ones but targeted to slightly different audiences.

The lack of a flash on newer curves was a cost saving measure. Same reason they have a lower resolution screen, and in some cases, slower data connectivity than the Bolds, etc.

[Vurhan]

The Bold 9700 was the spiritual upgrade from the Javelin, or rather the Javelin the spiritual predecessor to the Onyx, Tour being a transition in between both devices. The later Curves are a new minimal line intended for Blackberry newbies ( no offense ), the 9000 a new high end device which until summer is a unique device in itself.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[K Bear]

The 8900 should have been a Bold & the 9700 should have been a Curve.

[Laura Knotek]

The 8900 should have been a Bold & the 9700 should have been a Curve.

I suspect that the 8900 was not called "Bold" because it lacked 3G.

Prior to the 9300, all GSM Curves lacked 3G.

The 9000 and 9700 both were 3G devices.

[K Bear]

I suspect that the 8900 was not called "Bold" because it lacked 3G.

Prior to the 9300, all GSM Curves lacked 3G.

The 9000 and 9700 both were 3G devices.

True, but it's not like the 9700 had stable 3G (for T-Mobile customers) anyway, a reason why the original Bold 9000 never was released on T-Mobile (besides the fact that their HSPA network rolled out slower than AT&T's).

[breakmedown]

Personally, I think the reason they opted for no camera was so it was cheaper for people to get into, but crappy enough that once you got into it you'd want to upgrade. I think it works wonderfully.

[Laura Knotek]

True, but it's not like the 9700 had stable 3G (for T-Mobile customers) anyway, a reason why the original Bold 9000 never was released on T-Mobile (besides the fact that their HSPA network rolled out slower than AT&T's).

That sounds more like a carrier issue than a device issue. I've had no 3G issues with the 9000 or 9700 on AT&T.