A look at the budget Blackberry Curve 3G 9300

Get more info on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 Phone here.

 

 

First Look: The budget Blackberry Curve 3G 9300

via Consumer Reports Electronics Blog by Consumer Reports Electronics Blog on 9/8/10

The RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G, $80 with 2-year
contract with T-Mobile.
Photo: RIM

I've been using a press sample of the new BlackBerry Curve 3G (9300), the apparent successor to the RIM's entry-level BlackBerry Curve 8520. The Curve 3G, available today from T-Mobile for $80 with a two-year contract after rebates, is virtually identical to the 8520, but adds (you guessed it) 3G connectivity for faster file downloads and GPS capability for searching and navigation.

Though it comes with the BlackBerry 5.0 operating system, RIM says the phone will be upgraded in the "coming months" to the newer BlackBerry 6 OS currently available on the BlackBerry Torch 9800. Other Curve specs match the 8520 closely, including its 2.4-in display, a barebones 1.9 megapixel camera, and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support.

Here are my impressions of the phone:

Palm friendly. As with its ancestor, the Curve 3G fits comfortably in your palm, measuring 4.29 in x 2.36 in. x 0.55 in. And it's also among the lightest smart phones we've tested—just 3.7 oz.

Web browsing. As I expected, browsing the Web over the Curve's 3G connection is noticeably faster than doing so on the 8520's sloth-like 2G network. But viewing pages on a low-resolution screen that's less than 1-3/8 in. tall is a challenge. Zooming in on pictures only made them blurrier, though YouTube videos ran surprisingly smoothly.

GPS. You can perform Web searches based on your GPS locations as well as get turn-by-turn driving directions, but you may want to keep a stand-alone personal navigation device handy. The Curve 3G's maps are fairly rudimentary and the tiny display may be hard to see if you mount the phone to your windshield. Also, there doesn't appear to voice prompts—or if that capability does exist, I couldn't get it to work.

Solid navigation. The trademark BlackBerry menu, back, and hang-up/end keys along with the optical trackpad provide easy access to the Curve 3G's functions, features, and applications.

Typing. As with other Curve models, the keyboard is on the small side. But the tiny buttons are raised sufficiently and provide good feedback. I was able, then, to type reasonably fast and accurately, so long as I used the predictive text feature.

Documents and e-mail. As expected, the Curve 3G lets you create and edit documents. Setting up e-mail is also easy; you can access a BlackBerry e-mail address and manage numerous e-mail accounts.

Display. Though small, the 320x240-pixel is adequate given the phone's rudimentary camera and Web browser. But I found it did an excellent job displaying e-mails and attachments.

Bottom line: The Curve 3G offers a welcome, if modest, step forward in upgrading the economy-class BlackBerrys. Its price is a little steep considering a few dollars more can put a much more capable BlackBerry, such as the Bold 9700 ($100).

—Mike Gikas

Get more info on the BlackBerry Curve 8520 Phone here.
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