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More…The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the latest chic smart phone to sashay down the cell phone runway. Petite and gently rounded at the corners (as its name suggests), the Curve does for Research In Motion's line of QWERTY-keyboard-equipped handhelds what the Pearl did for RIM's standard keypad devices: Add a badly needed dose of style.
Research in Motion BlackBerry Curve 8300
Pricing
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- Spec Navigator
- Processor
- Display
- Operating System
- Camera
- Form Factor
- Battery
- Storage
- Dimensions
- Carrier
- Cellular Frequency Technology
- Features
- Audio
- Connectivity
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Media
- Messaging
- Sync
- User Interface
- Video
Display
| Diagonal Display Size | 2.5 inches |
| Display Resolution | 240 x 320 inches |
| Display Type | Color |
| Number of Displays | One |
Cellular Frequency Technology
| Cellular Technology (Voice + Data) |
|
4.5
5 User Reviews Add your own »
$164.89 - $234.99
From 4 Vendors
Get Best Prices »
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Phones »
Pros
Most compact, chic QWERTY BlackBerry yet
Improved media player
Cons
Productivity apps still thin
No high-speed or Wi-Fi support
Bottom Line
An impressive contender for people seeking a smart phone with strong e-mail and multimedia features.
BlackBerry Curve 8300
BlackBerry Curve 8300 Review, by Yardena Arar, PC World May 2, 2007
A more consumer-oriented cell phone/PDA hybrid than most of its siblings, the Curve packs such multimedia features as a 2-megapixel camera with built-in flash and 3X digital zoom, and new desktop media management software developed in cooperation with Roxio.
It's a world phone, with support for all four GSM frequencies (800, 850, 1800, and 1900 MHz). If only it supported broadband, too... But alas, the Curve's data transfer rates top out at 2.5-G EDGE speeds; lack of Wi-Fi or HSDPA support are among the device's few weaknesses.
Pricing information is not yet available: AT&T, the largest GSM carrier in the United States, says only that it will offer the Curve to customers later this spring.
I spent a few days with a production-level Curve equipped with late preproduction software and was generally impressed. The device certainly makes a terrific first impression: Small (4.2 by 2.4 by 0.6 inch) and lightweight (a tad under 4 ounces), it resembles a Treo that someone has flattened and widened out by applying a rolling pin.
It rested comfortably in my hand when I used it as a phone, and voice quality on calls was fine (though not as great as I might have hoped in view of RIM's touting of its noise-cancellation technology, intended to improve audio quality in noisy environments). We haven't yet lab-tested the Curve's talk-time battery life; check back later for a full assessment of this feature.
The Curve really shines as a mail and data device. Its 320-by-240-pixel screen is gorgeous--gone are the bad old days of muddy BlackBerry color displays. I also liked the small, marblelike trackball; its fluid movement substantially improves on the jog-wheel approach of yore. The trackball was particularly useful for skimming through Web pages on the embedded browser. But sometimes the trackball's fluidity moved the cursor more quickly than I anticipated it would--so I did a lot of backtracking through data entry fields.
I couldn't test the Curve's e-mail capabilities with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, but the BlackBerry Internet Service did a first-class job with my Gmail account--not surprisingly, given RIM's expertise with e-mail. Setup took only a few seconds, and thereafter new mail appeared quickly in a neatly organized inbox list.
Though RIM's multimedia credentials are less well established, the Curve is poised to remedy that with its improved media player, which was intuitive and easy to use, and its new BlackBerry Desktop Media Manager software, which facilitates transferring and organizing music, audio, and video files and which supports basic multimedia functions such as image editing and CD ripping. It's no substitute for dedicated music, video, and image-editing software, but for some users it will suffice.
The images I captured with the camera were adequate but (like most pictures taken with camera phones) a tad fuzzy. In my informal tests I could not assess the impact of the flash on image quality.
Unfortunately, such over-the-air activities as media downloads are relatively sluggish--I wish that RIM had included true 3G or Wi-Fi support. In addition, I miss the GPS chips and navigation software that come with the 8800, a more utilitarian, business-focused device.
Out of the box, the BlackBerry offers a rather thin array of productivity features in comparison to those you get in Windows Mobile PDA/phone hybrids. For serious word processing or spreadsheet support, you must turn to the growing number of third-party apps.
Overall, however, I found the Curve a seductive alternative to other candy-bar phones with wide-aspect-ratio screens, such as the Samsung Blackjack and the T-Mobile Dash. If AT&T's price is right, the Curve could well become the hot PDA/phone of the moment.
Yardena Arar
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
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100
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90
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87
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Phones
100
100
84
57
Performance
| Battery Life Average (hh:mm) | 10:00 |
| Battery Life Word Score | Superior |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Research in Motion BlackBerry Curve 8300
2 Reviews Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 2 reviews
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Reviewed by: chuepenks87
Duration of ownership: 2 Days
Strengths: Great screen, applications, e-mail usage, thickness, camera, multimedia purposes
Weaknesses: No Wi-Fi or GPS. Can't edit Office files out of the box.
Overall: My choices were between the Blackjack, Pearl and Curve. I first excluded the Pearl because I "needed" the full key layout. After using both phones for a day I realized that the Curve is way better than the blackjack. Granted that since Windows Mobile 5 has A LOT more free 3rd party apps/games a lot of those are cr*ppy.Great media player. Can load a playlist and just listen to music while doing other things (on curve). Screen is sharp and bright. Movies look and sound great. I was worried at first about the size but it's about as thick as my moto rzr and only slightly thicker and longer.One problem I found is that the keys are super close to each other so I find myself having to use my nails sometimes. Not really a problem but it can't be good for the keys (wear out)... I don't have huge hands btw.It hasn't crashed on me yet... blackjack stalled on me twice.The camera takes great picture but the auto white balance can be off. if you have time just select the white balance yourself.
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Reviewed by: Stevec
Duration of ownership: 2 Months
Strengths: Easy to use with qwerty keyboard. Able to e-mail pictures directly from camera to anyone in your address book. Was able to seamlessly take my 900+ contacts from Outlook and download them to the 'Curve'.
Weaknesses: Little clumsire than my "pearl', but worth it to have a good keyboard. Also fairly expensive, even on a 3 year plan.
Overall: A good, sophisticated cellphone with all the features needed from Outlook to stay in touch with business contacts.
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: ockS
Strengths: Great screen, applications, e-mail usage, thickness, camera, multimedia purposes
Weaknesses: Width, keyboard noise, no shutter sound options
Overall: One of the most important things to me when it comes to phones is customization. You should be able to set it up to give you everything you need efficiently. With the Curve, emails, web browsing, even menu options were a breeze. I was also able to change my theme using the help of a few online BlackBerry communities that'll give you a customized feel. So far, the only two cons I've found is the lack of being able to change the shutter sound of the camera. It always goes off. I guess you can't sneak any shots in. Also, the keys on the QWERTY keyboard click when you hit them. You know how they complain about texting in movie theatres? It's because of this guy.
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Reviewed by: mainomega
Strengths: Size. Screen. Media Player. Proven BlackBerry experience.
Weaknesses: No Wi-Fi or GPS. Can't edit Office files out of the box.
Overall: My choices were between the Blackjack, Pearl and Curve. I first excluded the Pearl because I "needed" the full key layout. After using both phones for a day I realized that the Curve is way better than the blackjack. Granted that since Windows Mobile 5 has A LOT more free 3rd party apps/games a lot of those are cr*ppy.Great media player. Can load a playlist and just listen to music while doing other things (on curve). Screen is sharp and bright. Movies look and sound great. I was worried at first about the size but it's about as thick as my moto rzr and only slightly thicker and longer.One problem I found is that the keys are super close to each other so I find myself having to use my nails sometimes. Not really a problem but it can't be good for the keys (wear out)... I don't have huge hands btw.It hasn't crashed on me yet... blackjack stalled on me twice.The camera takes great picture but the auto white balance can be off. if you have time just select the white balance yourself.
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Reviewed by: nuzurevue
Strengths: Long battery life. Trackball is precise and makes overall use a breeze. Fast camera with clear pictures. Speaker phone is loud and clear. Huge, bright, easy to read screen. Typing is easy.
Weaknesses: Music is clear but comes out a bit thin. Data download can be slow--but this may be primarily due to my carrier. (AT&T)
Overall: Navigating around this phone is quite simple, and learning the shortcuts is a big plus. No problems linking up to GPS puck w/ Google Maps.Speed, ease, form, function, and reliability describe the best phone I've used to date. Blackberry really stepped it up with this one.
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