Blackberry Curve 8330 coming to MetroPCS

I've had a Blackberry 8830 World Edition with Verizon which was nice and fast, and very nice as a modem tether to my laptop. More recently I've had a Blackberry 8820 with AT&T - the slowest I've ever seen, and a carrier I'd recommend against if you want speed. The Verizon GPS was locked down, but Google Maps pin-pointed it close enough to get directions or do searches. AT&T has the GPS unlocked, but the internet sluggishness is so annoying, even ssh crawls. Bother are excellent phones, no matter the cell company flaws.

I use Cricket for my personal cell service. I enjoy the flat rate, same bill every month, even if I talk all day long on the phone. I'd like to have that same feature, plus have the features of a Blackberry. I was searching for what options are out there. According to Cricket, they've no plans to offer such a thing (my guess is this will change).

However, MetroPCS is supposedly going to have a flat rate voice and data, text and pictures, all for $50/month and on a phone that can actually use it, the Blackberry 8330.

I can't wait to give it a try. I wonder if there will be tethered modem support so I can use it from my laptop? Even without it, if I can sync my email, calendar, contacts OTA and have access to all the free tools I use with an unlimited voice/data package for $50, that's a steal.

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Update as of April 13th:
I ended up getting a Curve at BestBuy on March 26th (the only place you can reportedly get them for MetroPCS service, as MetroPCS isn't selling them directly, and not yet flashing other providers' Curves.), and then heading down the street to my local MetroPCS shop. They were pretty clueless about activated it and had to get help from the back room, and make a few phone calls. Even after that, I still had no Internet Browser icon, and it took them more phone calls. They ended up telling me that it had to download the icon and it would take some time.

I figured I'd just figure it out on my own and left. The real answer was the the device needed to complete the initial setup wizard and agree to RIM's terms before it would allow the Internet Browser icon to show up. I began downloading all the apps I like to use after that. I noticed things downloaded very slowly, but chalked it up to a number of other Blackberry fans doing the same.

During the next two and a half weeks I've found this isn't a short-term problem. At this point, without EVDO, it's not even something I'd use if I was paid to use it - well, if I was paid enough, I'd send test emails.

Which, is what I did. I'd send emails via the built-in messenger which queues the mail until it can send it. At the same time, I'd send email via the Gmail client, which also queues locally. The problem was typically with the data service. Sometimes as much as 4 hours later the emails would go out. All with outside 3-4 signal-bar strength access.

The worst case with this is that during these periods, no data was flowing. No internet, no IM, nothing. Everything would report lack of network connectivity. Rebooting the phone (power off, pulling the battery) sometimes solved this, but usually didn't. Calling MetroPCS support had them refresh my phone - which may have improved things, but still, constant timeouts.

Further, MetroPCS blocks many apps from having direct internet access. MidpSSH was the most critical app that didn't work, but there were at least half a dozen others.

The final straw was when on the road and I pulled over to look up a number and address, and plenty of bars, but no data service working.

I headed into Verizon to get a Curve with good data service. I ended up moving up to the Storm and so far have been enjoying it, even if there is a bit of a learning curve with the touch screen. Verizon was only $20 more per month for unlimited data (but not unlimited voice). The Curve a is good phone, but MetroPCS should never have put them on their low-end data network, at least not until they deploy EVDO - if they deploy EVDO. I've heard (rumor mill, so take this with a grain or shaker of salt) they may skip EVDO and wait until they deploy LTE, which the Curve won't support.

Today I took the Curve back to BestBuy. They were polite and asked while, and I said bad data service, constant drops. They took it back no problem. I asked if they'd had many returns, and they said yes. I asked why, they said the same problem. I really wanted the Curve for $50/month unlimited data and voice. MetroPCS should really have more sense than to offer bad service and get bad press.