BlackBerry and RIM have been busy making generous modifications to the popular Curve phone. The result is the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300, the device has been loaded with the BlackBerry OS 5 app, and while it’s not as snappy as Android or iOS, it offers a rich smartphone experience with excellent support for messaging and web browsing. The Curve 3G has good Wi Fi, 3G and GPS service, and integrates your social networks for full account management.
The basic design of the device is based on last year’s successful 8320 model, the main visual difference being the chrome trim framing the phones’ transmissive 2.4-inch LCD screen and full QWERTY keyboard. The landscape screen is colorful and a good size, making it ideal for browsing the web and messaging. For navigation, the BlackBerry interface has stuck with the optical trackpad; It’s incredibly responsive and intuitive, scrolling and selecting in one fluid motion.
Curve 3G users have been promised an upgrade, the device uses BlackBerry OS 5 but OS 6 is available as an upgrade. Settling for OS 5, you’ll find the phone to be pretty similar. But for BlackBerry fans “samey” might be just what you’re looking for, the generic app-based menu layout gives its users a simple, comprehensive overview of everything with main widgets leading to sub-menus and sub-menus offering lots of options. when it comes to messaging and entertainment.
The Curve 3G has a dedicated social network integration that allows full management of MySpace, Twitter and Facebook accounts; they can be a bit tricky to work with in general, but due to the depth of each app, this can be forgiven. As the name suggests, the device uses 3G technology which enables consistent high-speed connectivity and great support for the SNS aspects of the phone. Wi Fi is another reliable connection that BlackBerry has added; Excellent web connectivity is possible when you are in the catchment area of a local wireless access point.
BlackBerry’s popular Messenger application is presented as an alternative form of communication, BlackBerry’s specialized feature has become a popular instant messenger around the world, and Curve 3G is an affordable route into it. Email accounts can be set up with the phone and basic SMS and MMS messages are also included. The QWERTY keyboard offers unmatched support for messaging, for me the Curve model offers the best keyboard; The individual keys are well spaced and although small they are easy to press, a small click gives you enough information when entering your messages, you’ll find yourself pulling together messages and emails in record time.
When it comes to media and entertainment, the Curve 3G is a bit limited, the 2MP camera gives users a basic photo capture and video recording tool, all content can be uploaded to YouTube and its networks. social. A music player offers typical playback options with standard controls and a modernized skin, and the video player can handle multiple codecs. There is a selection of games for users to play and the memory can be upgraded with a microSD card.
The BlackBerry Curve 3G is ideal for BlackBerry loyalists and newbies alike, the interface is easy to use and the QWERTY keyboard is great for creating long messages. The device is mid-range and has to contend with phones like the Nokia C6 and Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro and both phones are much more media rich than the BlackBerry. But neither do they have the best keyboard on the market for the popular BlackBerry Messenger.