Looks can be deceiving, and this statement is true of the newest BlackBerry smartphone. The new Blackberry Curve 8900 packs much more into its slim black-and-silver chassis than would seem possible from looking at it.

The 1.3cm profile makes this the thinnest BlackBerry ever. Weighing in at 110 grams, ensures this phone fits anywhere, and fits the hand well.

It’s not expected of such a small smartphone, but this one has such a crisp and almost overwhelmingly bright screen. And given that the Curve 8900 connects only to the slow GSM mobile network rather than the super-fast 3G band, it’s astounding to see how quickly it downloads emails and larger attachments. Another benefit is GSM phones  require less power, which makes for longer battery life.

Browsing the web requires a little more patience, although using handy programs like Google Maps – which works well with the Curve’s inbuilt GPS receiver – and the free WorldMate travel tool were quite nimble. While 3G delivers greater raw speed, the GSM network has far wider coverage, with most of Australia at its disposal.

You can expect to get two call-packed days out of the Curve 8900 before it needs recharging, as long as you’re not using the 8900’s Wi-Fi radio to tap into the office wireless network.

The Blackberry Curve 8900’s keyboard is impressive, and fantastic to use, although the small inset buttons may not be compatible with large, fat fingers.

New software lets you open and even edit Office documents sent as email attachments, including Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, along with viewing PDF documents and, of course, photos.

For everyday use, the Curve can play MP3 music, videos and podcasts, including tracks downloaded from iTunes or Windows Media Player on your PC. Overall, the new Blackberry Curve 8900 remains one of the best business smartphones available.