Affordable BlackBerry Curve 8520 incoming

BlackBerry has become the latest phone manufacturer to launch an affordable, low-end handset, with the announcement of the previously-spotted Curve 8520.

Of course everything comes at a price, and its wallet-friendly price tag has meant a drop in features – most notably is that the 8520 comes sans 3G.

It is however, compatible with Mac OS X straight from the box, meaning you can sync up your contacts, calendars and notes with your computer thanks to the new Mac version of BlackBerry's Desktop Software.

The phone also features a trackpad in place of a trackball, dedicated media keys on its top edge, Wi-fi and Bluetooth compatibility, and a rather low-end 2 megapixel camera, although it does have video capabilities.

We've heard Vodafone will be getting the handset in August on a £25 a month tariff, so if you're a business-type on a budget you might want to hold out buying a new phone until then.