It's not easy being RIM. Yes, it produces arguably the best and most flourishing line of business smartphones on the planet but the Canadian company is a little lightweight when compared to the likes of Microsoft and Nokia.

Even Apple is valued at nearly three times RIM's $31bn market capitalization. Which makes it all the more remarkable that it can keep on producingwonderfully high quality handsets like this.

You see the BlackBerry Curve 8900 isn't just an incremental recuperation to the 8300. It smashes it in every possible way. In fact so good is the 8900 that unless you desperately need 3G connectivity it is arguably a better handset than the flagship BlackBerry Bold.

Ok, let's address the first of these two points: 3G. Indeed the 8900 is lacking it, in a way lack of 3G feature is really the only major downside which is a shame because I know for some this will prove a deal breaker.

Of course it really shouldn't unless you plan on doing a lot of web surfing because RIM's famed email client is superbly optimised and you won't lose out too much overall. So secondly, why should I even moot the idea that a cheaper, more midrange handset could even have the temerity to outmuscle the Bold? Let's break it down.

Starting with the physical dimensions at 109x60x13.5mm the 8900 is more slim line than the Bold and significantly lighter at 109g to 136g making it extremely pocket friendly. The 8900 also feels very solid and shares a great deal of the Bold's sleek new styling as well as the same improved trackball and convenient top mounted screen lock button.

Evenly good is the 2.4-inch display which actually packs in more pixels (480x360 verses 480x320) than the Bold's 2.5-incher and is a joy to behold with razor sharp icons, vivid colours and - if anything - a slightly warmer tint in the manner of the iPhone 3G when placed alongside the original iPhone.

The camera in the 8900 is better too with a welcome bump from the two-megapixels seen in both the 8300 and the Bold to 3.2-megapixels with autofocus and an LED flash present and protected under a class cover. Granted the results aren't going to worry any Cybershot, Pixon or Renoir owners but it's a nice little upgrade.

RIM hasn't skimped on the other features either with GPS and Wi-Fi still part of the mix along with the full Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP for streaming music to headphones. Another key component for many, voice recognition, also appears while the keyboard is as easy to use as ever with just the right amount of give. We found our typing accuracy to be better as well thanks to the spacing introduced between the keys since the 8300 and again in similar vein to the Bold.

Showing RIM's desire to engage the man the in street as well as those everlastingly positioned behind their desks, the 8900 sports a top notch multimedia player which offers support for MP3, AAC/AAC+, WMA, DivX, Xvid, H.263 and more - a list many of which an iPhone owner would be envious. No fatal flaw here either as a 3.5mm headphone jack is fitted, though perhaps it would be better located on the top than the side.

There's no falling down when it comes to battery life either with official stamina quoted at up to a mammoth six hours talk time and 19 days of standby. In reality this translated to a good day to two days when combined with moderate use and should prove more than enough for most. Something which can't be said for the paltry native storage (under 100MB) RIM tends to supply inside its handsets (Storm aside). That said, the inclusion of a microSD expansion slot compatible with cards up to 16GB means this won't prove an issue.

There's a final addition on top of all this too with the 8900 priced to compete in the midrange sector with it free or virtually free on most contracts from £25 per month and upwards. It will also appear on T-Mobile and O2 with other telecoms expected to land it soon meaning there'll be a wide range of choice.

positives:

Beautifully built and styled

Stunning high resolution display

GPS, WiFi & Proper Bluetooth implantation

Super redesigned keyboard

Excellent battery life

microSD expansion slot

3.5mm headphone jack

Cons:

No 3G

result: Quite simply, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is the best handset RIM has ever produced. No 3G isn't the biggest dilemma when you appreciate what's packed inside.