Ampers & Dot

This week, after nearly a year of anticipation from Blackberry junkies, TMobile finally released the Curve 8900. This model (code named Javelin) is a nicely improved follow up to the hugely popular Curve, giving TMobile a contending Blackberry to fight off AT&T’s Bold and Verizon’s Storm. Now all three carriers have exclusivity to a new, next-gen Blackberry - giving “crackberry addicts” from each something pretty to play with.

Blackberries Storm (VZW), Javelin (TMOB), and Bold (ATT) - Courtesy of Engadget

Before I dive in to a rant - I want to address the Curve 8900 and how much of an upgrade it is over the original Curve.

• Better screen - Kevin at JK on the Run even uses the word “love” in bold, when describing the 480×360 display. I can’t even begin to tell you how many pixels that is in such a small space - but let’s just say: PRETTY.
• Incredible form factor - As Sascha Segan from PCMag says it’s the “best of the past three models”. It’s smaller than the original Curve, but with the chicklet QWERTY pad. As slim as the Pearl, but with a Bold size screen. This thing has it all - and is TINY.
• Better Camera - the 3.2 megapixel camera is better than the original Curve, plus has video recording.
• WiFi - Yes, it’s Edge only… but TMobile is still pretty much EDGE only anyway- so the important thing is that the 8900 also has WiFi.

So there- I’ve made the case that this is arguably the best Blackberry on the market (depending on your preferences). So why the post? Because chances are you haven’t even ever heard of this phone. And that really bothers me.

When AT&T launched the Bold this fall there were Blackberry nuts (sounds like a crappy cereal found at Whole Foods…) lining up waiting to fork over $300 WITH contract.

When Verizon launched the Storm you’d have thought it finally had an iPhone, based on the lines at retail stores. VZW spent more promoting the Storm than a governmental bailout (too soon?). But it worked. There was so much buzz around the Storm that people actually got excited to talk about Verizon!

So what the heck happened? Why didn’t TMobile promote the 8900? At all? It’s just sort of there. Even now, months later - Verizon still has a section of its homepage dedicated to the Storm. AT&T has the Bold featured (in between iPhone glamor shots) on its wireless page. TMobile? Nothing.

At the time of this writing - to find the 8900 on the TMobile site you have to go to the phone page, select “Blackberry”… then go to PAGE TWO! Do they even know they have this phone?

I think TMobile missed a big opportunity here and while I have some theories (that all include the Google Phone and/or Steve Jobs), I can’t figure out why there was no push.

I often complain about the lack of marketing for Windows Mobile devices - that there’s never a consistent or clear message, no branding, and overall no marketing support - but this isn’t a problem with Blackberry devices. People love them. They’re buzzworthy. “Blackberry” is almost a colloquialism for email device. So why not push it?

No excuses. So here’s an endorsement: the TMobile Blackberry Curve 8900 is an AWESOME phone.

There: I’ve just done more than TMobile’s entire marketing team.