“Low end” and “Blackberry” are not terms that you’ve probably heard together before, but that’s exactly what’s on its way to you in the shape of the Blackberry Curve 8520. with no 3G, a mere 2MP camera and limited onboard memory (although, of course, with the option to expand that with some microSD action), this is definitely a phone that’s coming in at the lowest end of the smartphone market. But that, manufacturers RIM believe, is exactly the portion of the market that they’ve yet to tap. So, previously fond these things too expensive to buy even on a contract? Like to stick with yor pay-as-you-go ways but can’t even start to imagine the possibility of forking out hundreds of pounds for a fancy smartphone? Then the Blackberry Curve 8520 is most definitely for you.

Because even without the 3G, even without the fancy camera, even without all the other things that RIM have trimmed and chopped and slimmed, this is still a cracker of a phone. The QWERTY keyboard, as you’d expect from the masters of this format, is fantastic. The new optical trackpad (kind of like a mini version of what you find on most laptops these days) is a great replacement for the trackball (which to be honest we were never massive fans of).

All of this ringing some bells, tweaking some interest, sparking some unashamed desire? Then get your hyperlinking fingers involved in these Blackberry curve 8520 deals, or on towards this Blackberry Curve 8520 review.