Simplify your laptop buyingRIM BlackBerry Curve 8300 - silver (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd. Part number: Blackberry Curve 8300
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- User reviews
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- Bottom Line:
- Though it doesn't bring Wi-Fi or 3G support, the BlackBerry Curve offers a best-of-breed design and a well-rounded set of features to make it an attractive device for consumers and mobile professionals alike.
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CNET editors' review
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8300 - silver (AT&T) price range: $199.99 - $220.00
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Edited by: Kent German
- Reviewed on: 05/02/2007
- Updated on:06/01/2007
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve boasts a sexy and slim design with an improved full QWERTY keyboard. The smartphone also has a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a media player. There's a new spell-checker for e-mail and memos, and audio technology that automatically adjusts call volume in noisy environments.
The bad: Unfortunately, the BlackBerry Curve doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi or 3G support. The device's camera still doesn't have video-recording capabilities, and call quality sounded a bit hollow.
The bottom line: Though it doesn't bring Wi-Fi or 3G support, the BlackBerry Curve offers a best-of-breed design and a well-rounded set of features to make it an attractive device for consumers and mobile professionals alike.
Oh, we'd hate to be a RIM BlackBerry 8800 owner right now. Just months after the 8800's release, Research in Motion has released a sleeker and sexier model that'll make you wish that you had waited a while longer--the world of technology can be so cruel. The RIM BlackBerry Curve (aka BlackBerry 8300) is the smallest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry to date, and we're absolutely stoked on the design. It feels more like a cell phone with the compact dimensions, yet you still get the advantage of a full keyboard for easy messaging. We want to be clear that the BlackBerry 8300 is more about the revamped design, rather than new features. The device does offer a few improvements, such as a spell-checker for e-mail and an upgraded 2-megapixel camera, but it still lacks the big items on a our wish list, namely Wi-Fi and 3G support. And to be fair, the BlackBerry 8800 may still be a better fit for power business users with its GPS functionality and lack of a camera (an increasing security concern at workplaces). That said, for consumers and mobile professionals, the BlackBerry Curve is a beautifully designed and well-rounded device that delivers great e-mail functionality, a little multimedia fun, and solid performance.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve is available now through Cingular/AT&T for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after mail-in rebates. The carrier said it plans to launch the BlackBerry 8300 later this spring, and we will, of course, keep you updated as get more information. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long.
Design
Simply put, it was love at first sight. Though we don't fully understand the name--it's no curvier than the BlackBerry Pearl or any of the other latest BlackBerrys--the RIM BlackBerry Curve offers a best-of-breed design that beautifully combines a full QWERTY keyboard into a sleek and compact form factor. The silver-and-black color scheme is standard but attractive nonetheless. We'll admit there's a slight resemblance to the Palm Treo 680 from the front, but it's much thinner and more manageable in terms of size. In fact, it's the smallest and lightest full QWERTY BlackBerry to date at just 4.2x2.4x0.6 inches and 3.9 ounces. By comparison, the BlackBerry 8800 measures 4.4x2.6x0.5 inches and 4.7 ounces, while the Treo 680 measures 4.4x2.3x0.8 inches and 5.5 ounces.
With such a slim profile and small weight, the Curve is comfortable to hold and use as a phone, even though it has a wider body than regular cell phones. The outer edges also have a soft-touch finish to give it a rubbery texture, thus making it easier to grip. In general, the device has a solid construction, but we did notice the slightest separation between the front faceplate and the phone's body on the left side. However, we're not concerned that this is something that will cause the phone to break.
On front of the device, there's a 2.5-inch diagonal, 65,000-color screen with a 320x240 pixel resolution. The display features a light-sensing technology that automatically adjusts the backlighting of the screen as well as the keyboard, based on your environment (indoors, outdoors, a dark room, and so forth). In addition, you can customize the screen with various themes and wallpaper, as well as adjust the font size, family, and style. We didn't have any problems reading the contents of the screen under various lighting conditions, and both text and images were sharp and vibrant.
As with all BlackBerry models, the Curve does not have a touch screen, but we still found the device easy to use and navigate with the provided controls. You'll find these controls beneath the screen; they include the Talk and End/power buttons, a Menu shortcut, an Escape key, and the trackball navigator. You can adjust the sensitivity of the latter under the Settings > Screen/Keyboard menu. Along the right side, there is a volume rocker and a user-defined launch button that's set to activate the camera by default. The left side holds a mini-USB port as well as another programmable convenience key, and--good news--the BlackBerry 8300 is equipped with a 3.5mm headset jack, so you can plug in Walkman-style headphones.
One of the biggest complaints about the BlackBerry 8800 was its keyboard. RIM switched up the layout and feel of the keyboard on the 8800, and many users found the buttons to be slippery and cramped. Happily, the BlackBerry Curve's full QWERTY keyboard offers a better typing experience, as it reverts back to the styling of the keys found on the BlackBerry 8700g and 8700c. This means you get more spacing between the buttons, and they're tactile and less slick.
Finally, the camera lens, flash, and self-portrait mirror are on the back of the device, and a mute button is located on top. The 8300 is equipped with a microSD slot, but it's inconveniently located behind the battery. The RIM BlackBerry Curve ships with a travel charger, a USB cable, a wired stereo headset, a belt holster, and reference material. For more BlackBerry add-ons and downloads, check out our cell phone accessories page.
Features
The RIM BlackBerry Curve doesn't offer anything revolutionary in the features department (read: no Wi-Fi or 3G support), but as mentioned previously, there are some slight enhancements. First, the Curve adds a new spell-check functionality for e-mails. As you would expect, the feature will look for any spelling errors in your messages before they're sent and offer alternatives to misspelled words. Spell-check is also available for memos, but not for text messages. You can turn this feature on under the Options > Spell Check menu, where you can also find settings to ignore acronyms, words with numbers, add words to a custom dictionary, and more. During our review period, the feature worked great, and it definitely comes in handy--especially if you're sending messages to clients, your boss, and other professionals.
The BlackBerry Curve is compatible with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. In total, the device can support as many as 10 accounts, including POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts, and there is an e-mail wizard on the device to guide you through the setup process. An attachment viewer is also onboard to open popular file formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDFs, JPEG, GIF, and more, and we were able to receive and open all files. Other messaging options include text, multimedia, and instant messaging, although the latter is limited to the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger client.
As for voice features, the Curve is a quad-band world phone and offers a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and support AT&T/Cingular's push-to-talk service. In addition, the phone features advanced audio technology that's supposed to cancel out background noise and echoes and will automatically increase the volume when you're in a noisy environment. (See the Performance section below for more on call quality). The BlackBerry 8300's phone book is limited only by the available memory--the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts--with room in each entry for eight phone numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well a group category--business or personal--or one of 45 polyphonic ring tones. The Curve also supports MP3 and MIDI ring tones.
Once again, wireless options on this BlackBerry are pretty disappointing. There's no integrated Wi-Fi nor is there 3G support. You're reduced to surfing the Web at EDGE speeds, which, yes, aren't that slow but also aren't very fast. Also, unlike the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve doesn't include a GPS radio. Instead, you will have take advantage of the device's integrated Bluetooth and add this functionality via a Bluetooth GPS receiver. Other supported profiles include wireless headsets, hands-free kits, dial-up networking, object exchange, and A2DP for stereo Bluetooth headsets.
One-upping the BlackBerry Pearl, the Curve boasts a 2-megapixel camera (vs. 1.3 megapixels) with a 5x zoom and a built-in flash, but unfortunately, still no video-recording capabilities. You do get three picture sizes (1,600x1,200; 1,024x768; and 640x480) and three quality options (superfine, fine, and normal). You can also tweak the white balance and add color effects. That said, we were pretty disappointed by the quality of the pictures. Though the images had sharp definition, the colors were off and had a gray overtone.
For more entertainment, there's also a media player onboard that supports MP3, AAC, MIDI, and WAV music files and AVI, MP4, MOV, and 3GP video formats. There's 64MB of flash memory, but you should store multimedia files on a microSD card since they tend to be memory hogs. The music player is pretty rudimentary, but it displays some track information such as title, artist, and album art, and you can create playlists as well as shuffle and repeat songs. You can have music play in the background while you use the device's other apps, and if there's an incoming call, the Curve will pause the music, then resume the track after you hang up. One notable improvement to the video player is the support for full-screen mode, so you can take advantage of the entire screen's real estate. The 3.5mm headset jack is also a boost, since it gives you the ability to plug in a better set of headphones or earbuds.
Finally, the BlackBerry Curve includes a number of PIM tools, such as a calendar, a tasks list, a memo pad, an alarm, a calculator, and the BlackBerry maps application. The latter is particularly useful, as it gives you maps of the United States as well as text-based driving directions--great for mobile professionals. Of course, you can always download more applications; check out Download.com for some ideas.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) RIM BlackBerry Curve in San Francisco using Cingular service, and call quality was just OK. We had no problems hearing our callers, but there was a slight hollowness to the overall sound. In addition, our friends reported an echo on their end. As we mentioned earlier, the 8300 features an audio technology that's supposed to block background noise and echoes, but we didn't really find that to be the case. We did notice, however, that the call volume automatically increased when we were talking in noisy surroundings, such as a busy street corner. It's a bit alarming at first, since you're not expecting it, but it does help to hear your callers. Speakerphone quality was good, and we were able to connect to the BlackBerry with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.
General performance was snappy. Despite the occasional "loading" message when trying to view photos in slide show mode, we didn't run into too many delays when opening or working in various apps. Music playback through the device's speakers was impressive for a cell phone, with fairly full sound and decent balance, but we could have done with a little more bass. Watching video was smooth overall. Audio and video were synchronized, but as expected, there was some pixelation of the picture during action sequences. Web-browsing definitely could have used a boost from 3G speeds, as we got a little impatient waiting for pages to load.
The BlackBerry Curve is rated for 4 hours of talk time and as long as 17 days of standby time. In our battery tests, we were able to get 8.5 hours of talk time on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry 8300 has a digital SAR rating of 1.51 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Pretty cool device...but....
by 67UMSM on June 17, 2007
Pros: PERFECT for using email, surfing, PDA...easy to set-up & fugure out
Cons: as a phone it sucks
Summary: Grabbed this a couple of weeks ago because I thought it answered my need for not carrying both a BB AND a cell phone...its basically the size of a ...
Summary: Grabbed this a couple of weeks ago because I thought it answered my need for not carrying both a BB AND a cell phone...its basically the size of a cell plus the added benefit of a powerful PDA.
The latter does not disappoint...really, its fantastic. However, there is a bit of Emperor's new clothes here if anyone thinks if one intends to use it as their main cell line they will not be jumping back to the mid-late '90's as far as call quality and experience goes. Traditional cells work great in my area so I know its not the service. Also, I keep getting a SIM card error...the store keeps telling me to simply take the card out and put it back in which I do. This resolves the problem temporarily however it has happened 6 times in the past 3 days...and I am not exactly jogging or playing catch with it. I admit this may be specific to my device but I thought I would let you know.
To sum up...utterly fantastic PDA, throwback as a phone.Updated
I posted an earlier summary and loved the PDA functions but hated the phone service (I switched from Verizon to Cingular/ATT to get the device). I returned the unit today thinking perhaps I had a lemon but I gotta tell you...I experineced the same poor call quality (I live in the Santa Monica, CA area...not exactly on the outskirts of bumfu$#%&-ville...a town with no coverage). Either Cingular(ATT) sucks in LA and this thing is a fantastic PDA, or it is a horrible cell phone. Nevertheless...going back to the evil Verizon tomorrow AM, thanks to the 30 day test run.18 out of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I've got thumb advice for you...
by westnedge on May 30, 2007
Pros: Ergonomically perfect
Cons: Your thumb will still be reaching for the wheel and your phone carrier will not be on the learning "curve" yet...
Summary: Looking to bring your thumb back into the fold of your hand to play with the other fingers? Have you ever thought of using your device with your left hand? ...
Summary: Looking to bring your thumb back into the fold of your hand to play with the other fingers? Have you ever thought of using your device with your left hand? Have you ever wanted voice dialing? Have you used the Ethernet feature of the 8703e and liked it? Have you wished that your screen had the resolution of your pc monitor? Didn't you always wish you could scroll faster through your email list and delete multiple emails instead of one at a time? Did you want your device to be a quad phone when you travel abroad? Did you ever wish it was slimmer and sleeker, and had a better holster instead of that God awful plastic geek holster?! If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are in for a treat!
Finally, RIM has offered up some useful improvements. Having the SD micro card for an additional 2 gigs of memory is a nice to have as well. Now I can watch a slide show of my little baby daughter while I am traveling. Very cool.
So the basics:
Email and texting: Has improved because the track ball is so much easier to work with. Having the dedicated convenience key to assign an application too was good planning too. Very convenient indeed to press the key on the side to bring up an application. Spell check is a must have as well.
The phone: Easier to hold and lighter makes it much more comfortable. Clearly the quad-band is great when you?re over seas. The voice dialing is a nice gadget when your hands are busy. Sounds good, nice reception, great speaker phone. And a host of sexy things like ringtones and mp3 tones if you care for that stuff.
Tethered Modem: Had it in the 8703e and loved it, used it all the time with my laptop. Great connectivity, and save $ on buying a card or subscribing to the Starbucks ISP.
Lots of other fun features to explore and use like the expandable memory card you can insert the map, the camera if you care for that, and IM if you use that too.
All in all, a huge improvement, and must have. Get one and you'll never use the wheel again!16 out of 18 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great device for email, internet, and mp3
by yort710 on June 24, 2007
Pros: pop email, mp3 support, compact size, camera, 3.5mm input jack, micro sd expansion
Cons: lack of wifi, price of BlackBerry service, highly addictive
Summary: I previously had an 8700 and loved it. The pop email is amazing. The reason I wanted the Curve was because I wanted a BlackBerry with a camera and the ...
Summary: I previously had an 8700 and loved it. The pop email is amazing. The reason I wanted the Curve was because I wanted a BlackBerry with a camera and the full Qwerty keyboard. I love the fact that it is smaller and offers so many more features. I would say that it probably is the perfect compact size. It's easier to hold in my hand as a phone than the 8700 and lighter too.
I was a little worried about switching from the trackwheel to the the pearl. It didn't take that long to switch and master it. There's even some feedback to it that makes it easier to operate.
I use it as an mp3 player as I ride the train to work. The sound quality is really quite good and it can hold a lot of songs with a 2gb micro sd card. I picked one on amazon.com for $23.
I will say that I have noticed that the operating system seems a little slower than on the 8700. Sometimes there is a little delay of a second, but it has never frozen or needed to be reset. The OS is super stable. I use it as my primary phone and have have had no issues.
The internet loads fairly quickly. My friend has a 3g Verizon BlackBerry and I didn't notice a tremendous difference in download speeds. I will say that I have had to recharge it more frequently, but that is only because I've been using it for so much more. This Crackberry addict is more addicted than ever.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent phone with a case upgrade on a Professional level
by rickjones2007 on May 31, 2007
Pros: Great quality , a much more durable case and easier to use key board
Cons: no GPS or 3G
Summary: This is an great improvement over the 8800.
I owned an 8800, a 8100 pearl which I still have and now this 8300.
The case of the 8300 is much ...Summary: This is an great improvement over the 8800.
I owned an 8800, a 8100 pearl which I still have and now this 8300.
The case of the 8300 is much more professional in quality than the 8800. The casing is not slick and slippery to touch like the 8800 and has rubber skin edges for a better gripping surface similar to professional camera bodies. The overall casing of this phone is much more durable than the 8800 but with less weight and size. This is a phone you can take with you anywhere and subject to a more harsh enviroment. The key board is much easier to use, lights up brighter and reminds me of a palm treo that I once owned.
The functions of this phone is identical to the 8800 with the major exception of the GPS. I have found that the Blackberry maps program still works great on the 8300. There are a few programs on this phone not on the 8800 such as spell check.
The over quality of the 8300 is as to be expected first rate and lives up to being a blackberry.
I fail to understand how anyone such as the others below can write a review about a phone that they have not even owned, handled or tested. I strongly recommend upgrading to this phone if you are an 8800/8100 user and want a better grade/professional case and keyboard. As far as camera phones being a security risk in corporations actually a GPS device is far more of a risk as it can give someone the abilty to place or identify an area to be a target of intrest or distruction more so than a photograph also a GPS device can be actived and you can be tracked anywhere in the world while the phone is on. Anyone in the field of corporate security knows what a threat that could be to a CEO of a major corporation.
I highly recommend upgrading to the 8300.5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A newbie to the whole Blackberry and hybrid phones
by dukefuji22 on September 27, 2007
Pros: Initial review - a good phone
Cons: None yet...
Summary: After my contract expired, I decided that I would jump into the "hybrid" phone market. I wanted something to replace my IPAQ (especially since I lost all my data!!) and ...
Summary: After my contract expired, I decided that I would jump into the "hybrid" phone market. I wanted something to replace my IPAQ (especially since I lost all my data!!) and cell phone. After reading reviews on cnet and other websites, it was down to the Curve and the Samsung Blackjack. I decided to purchase the Curve (based on the reviews) and jump ship from another carrier to AT&T.
Since I've only had the phone for less than a week, my review is far from comprehensive. This is only an initial impression. I'll break down the functions that I've used and review them briefly:
Phone calls: Since I'm using the phone primarily for phone calls, call quality was important. At first, I hesitated on the Curve as I've read reviews complaining of the "hollow" sound. I haven't had that happen yet and am pleased with the overall quality. No dropped calls yet either, so that's a good thing!
Email: Accessing email away from my computer wasn't of high importance in deciding to buy a new phone. But, I have to admit that being able to view messages is convenient. Sending messages is easy as well.
Keyboard: I'm still getting used to it but so far, it's pretty easy to use.
Calendar and contacts function: I haven't used the calendar yet, but from what I can tell, it should be fairly easy to use. Like my old pda, the Curve has multiple views (daily, weekly, monthly). I haven't sync it yet with my Outlook. Hopefully, that won't be a problem.
Adding new contacts has been pretty simple, so no complaints there.
The Curve is working out to be a good fit for me. I like that the Curve is both a phone and pda in one gadget. It may not have features that a business person might need (wi-fi, ability to edit Excel, Word, etc) however. But, for a "regular" consumer, it might be a worth a look when buying a new phone.
I hope to give a more thorough and updated review down the line. Good luck!Updated
I'll try and update my review that I posted almost a month ago.
Call quality - still pretty good, except that the signal doesn't seem to be as strong in my house as the other carrier. I've had very few dropped calls, but what cell phone doesn't have that issue?
Keyboard - Easy to use so no complaints there.
Camera - takes some pretty good pics, but not enough memory to store them on the phone. Will probably need to insert a sd card to hold the extra pics. But, I didn't buy the phone just to take pics either!
Synching w/Outlook - thought I had a problem doing this at first before someone pointed out to me that I had installed the BB Desktop Mgr software incorrectly (duh!). Now, no problems in synching w/Outlook. I've heard that there is software out there to synch the Curve with Google calendar. If anyone knows about this and info on its realiability, let me know!
Cons - I'm sure they'll pop up at some point or another. But, as of now, can't report on any since I haven't run into them.
No phone is perfect - but, for me, the Curve has been the best so far.Updated
This is an update of my review that I posted almost a month ago.
Call quality - still pretty good, except that the signal doesn't seem to be as strong in my house as the other carrier. I've had very few dropped calls, but what cell phone doesn't have that issue?
Keyboard - Easy to use so no complaints there.
Camera - takes some pretty good pics, but not enough memory to store them on the phone. Will probably need to insert a sd card to hold the extra pics. But, I didn't buy the phone just to take pics either!
Synching w/Outlook - thought I had a problem doing this at first before someone pointed out to me that I had installed the BB Desktop Mgr software incorrectly (duh!). Now, no problems in synching w/Outlook. I've heard that there is software out there to synch the Curve with Google calendar. If anyone knows about this and info on its reliability, let me know!
Cons - I'm sure they'll pop up at some point or another. But, as of now, can't report on any since I haven't run into them.
No phone is perfect - but, for me, the Curve has been the best so far.Updated
Overall, I'm pleased w/the phone. Call quality remains the same - I hear more static on this phone than on previous phones, but it's tolerable. Hardly any dropped calls, so that's good. Haven't had to contact AT&T for customer service, so can't vouch on that end. One complaint: I've had to lock my phone while not using it. This is because I've accidentally hit various keys that are on my speed dial list. As a result, I've called either family/friends by mistake one too many times!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Almost Flawless
by arcurlyq-216310626177926609829 on September 16, 2007
Pros: Small size, easy to use, excellent battery power, fast, fast, fast!
Cons: no 3G or videocamera; cannot edit or create word or excel documents
Summary: I bought this phone last week; I have never had a crackberry before, but it became necessary to get one given a need to have access to email when away ...
Summary: I bought this phone last week; I have never had a crackberry before, but it became necessary to get one given a need to have access to email when away from the office. I previously had the Samsung sync and had been less than impressed with this phone's limited capacity when it came to checking and responding to email. So, I broke down and became "one of those people." First, I was surprised by this phone's small size and really bright screen. The phone fits easily in a little holster that I purchased and it is not too large if I put it in my pocked or clip it on my pants. The initial set up was a snap; I was checking my various email accounts within 5 minutes. I really just needed this phone for email and it definitely delivers. The call quality is not bad either; certainly better than my Samsung Sync, although not as good as the old Razr that I had. Typing on the keyboard is easy and took me just a few minutes to figure out how to access all the symbols. The best part is that the whole configuration, including the trackball navigation, is incredibly easy to use! The OS seems to have been set up around this whole trackball navigation system. Getting my Sim card and memory card into the phone was a little difficult, though. In addition, I am bummed that I have to pay for software to allow me to edit and view Word and Excel documents; it's not critical, but being able to do so would totally eliminate my need to carry a laptop around when traveling on business. In addition, I would have liked either 3G capability or a videocamer - adding these two components would have probably resulted in a 10 rating. The camera works well with the built-in flash and pictures come out really nicely. The Blackberry system is very fast; even though you don't get 3G access on this phone, checking email and surfing the web is so fast that you don't notice (the Blackberry is even faster than my previous 3G phone).
Bottom line - if you need a device from which you can check and compose emails on easily AND you want something that has a great battery life and phone capabilities, this is the phone. You WILL NOT be disappointed!Updated
A week into owning this product and I am finding it more and more necessary to get through the day. It has actually enabled me greater freedom at work, as I'm no longer tied to running back to check my computer every 10 minutes. The phone is so easy to use; everything on it is very intuitive and seamlessly integrated. I have not found this phone to be slower without the 3G capability; in fact, this phone with the Blackberry service is proving to be far more reliable and much faster than my previous 3G enabled phone. The keyboard has a nice set up; I tried the apple iPhone, but hated the tap-to-type keyboard on the screen. The call quality continues to be fairly good, maybe a little hollow but better than my Samsung Sync. I still wish that it at least came with software to edit and create Word and Excel documents with, but it's not a deal breaker for me by any means. Handango offers some options, but I would prefer to pay less than what they are asking (if anyone knows of good Word and excel-compatable software for a BB that is synced to a Mac, please send me a message at arcurlyq at yahoo dot com). I will agree that the lack of videocamera is a bummer, BUT the email capabilities of the phone were more important for me. Feel free to contact me personally if you have specific questions about the device. I am looking forward to spending more time seeing what else this baby can do!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Stop thinking your gonna save time by using a PDA phone!
by tonyyvnn on September 5, 2007
Pros: Practical uses Simple and Easy to use
Cons: How do you change email delivery???
Summary: If your looking for tech advise this is not the review for you. If your a normal everyday joe that likes tech, but really does not understand or care about ...
Summary: If your looking for tech advise this is not the review for you. If your a normal everyday joe that likes tech, but really does not understand or care about the behing the scenes guru talk - read on.
There are also some helpful hints which will make it even more enjoyable at the end, so please read on.
First you will not regret this phone!
Ok I m one of those guys who says I m gonna buy a palm phone and use it to organize my life(yeah right.) Well I have tried numerous upon numerous PDA phones. Palm 750, 650(2) Nokia E52, Siemens(yes they were hot once), 8120 and I am sure some others.
I have always hoped to become that guy that is organized, but I finally realized that will never really work by trusting some little digital device.
Well after dealing with the new 750 Palm windows version on vacation for a week I was giving up. Depressed I went back to the ATT store and was ready to just get a simple flpi phone.
But then God smiled down on me(Its still safe to say his name?) I must say make sure you get a sales man that actually knows his stuff, that was my mistake when suckered into the 750.
When explaining to the sales man what I really want is a simple email delevery device that can do photos and carry a fair amount of tunes(Sorry Apple I don t need to hear 1000 songs betweensync and if so I can put a removable 4 Gig micro Sd card.) A simple menu system that gets me what I want without pushing 20 different buttons. I have never used the office doc because you can read or type much on a small screen, browse some web pages.and finally a phone that has good reception with an ear piece that I can actually hear out of PS 3G - needs a serious shot of steriods(What a joke).
He asked If i ever tried a BB before I told no and that I thought it ws more for that corporate guy who needs instant email and heard that the web is not that great.
He told me he has heard many stories like mine, guys hoping for that miricle device to make them the better organized business man, who always just became frustrated and pissed thier wife off for numerous hours the first few days by saying yes dear as we stare at our new best friend and try to figure out what the hell we are doing. (You know you've done this)
Instead of showing me a ton of phones he grabbed my Palm 750, walked into the backroom brought out the Curve and told me its time to grow up and become a realist. Plus buy a small pocket calendar($9.95)
So after he took his time and set up my email and explained some simple things he sent me on my way.
All I can say is Thank you!
All though I have only had it for one day I can already tell this is a winner. plain and simple to use, plus BB offers great support and actual information that explains what to do. He also set me up with a plan for $10 extra a month I can use it as a modem for my laptop. This is great since I am in real estate and am always looking for hotspots (Usually borrowing some idiot who never placd a password on thier modem.) while out looking at properties to get info. This is also a plus instead of trying to access and read a webpage on a tiny little screen.
The only issue I have is I don t want my email to be out i am having a hard time trying to figure out how to change the email delivery.
Overall this device appears to be easy to use is light and perfect in the hand. I wont miss my phone resetting or freezing and not syching correcly or coming up with some error issue not resolved.
Now for some extra advice.
Don t buy the leather case get the holster. If you go into security you can set it so when you place it in the holster it automatically locks.
The plug is an universal USB plug, so if you have a newer motorola on nokia car charger it may work and you ll save $30!
Plus it charges when hooked up to your CPU
Also i took the pushtalk button and turned it into the key pad lock button so if I throw it in my pocket instead of the holster.
The sales man also showed me how to create folders in the application screen. This is great for hiding all the extra Icons. What i did was i placed a folder called hidden icons in my extra apps folder I created. I then hid all the items such as purchase ring tones themes and many other sale devices.
As far as email goes you can set it that all you email accounts (including MMS) show up in one folder on the main application screen. Then just place your other emails folders in the secondary folder. You can always choose which account you want to send an email from or if you reply it will reply from the email address sent too.
So thats it I know I probably rambled on mostly, but lets face it most of us are always looking for that new gimmick that we think will save us time. I think by now we know it does not. Get a simple device that does the basics, you will actually save more time! If you are really going to type a word doc or compile and excel sheet you sure the hell are really not going to use you tiny litle key pads to do so.
Best of luck to all!4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
by david7467 on June 16, 2007
Pros: Size, Fit, Form and Function
Cons: Lack of 3G (high speed internet)
Summary: Wow! First, I am not new to PDAs, as I have owned everything from the Treo 650 to their 750 model as well Cingular 8125 and Blackberry 8700. While this ...
Summary: Wow! First, I am not new to PDAs, as I have owned everything from the Treo 650 to their 750 model as well Cingular 8125 and Blackberry 8700. While this isn't the fastest internet phone due to lack of 3G, it does the job well when surfing the internet.
The Treos are notorious for performing a soft reset for no reason. They are much heavier than the Curve and have applications that most of us never use. The Blackberry 8700 was ok but lacked a good phone (needed a good bluetooth to overcome that) and had no camera.
What the Curve does extremely well is the attention to detail they put into designing this PDA. It's easy to navigate through each of the applications and has a nice 2meg pixel camera for good measure. The BB 8800 (came out 3 months ago) makes no sense UNLESS you work for a company that does not allow cameras on property. It is larger and heavier than the Curve with a poor keyboard and no built in spell checker.
This Curve gets a SOLID 9 only because it lacks 3g. Have I mentioned how thankful I am for this pda? As soon as this unit is available with 3g, I will push my company to get me one!3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Smaller then it Works
by bafrank on August 22, 2007
Pros: Size, interface, funtionality, value
Cons: Sound Quality
Summary: Blackberry Review
So this is my first. I am sweet virgin blackberry ready to be picked. I thought I was an iPhone. I like the iPhone. But, the BB was ...Summary: Blackberry Review
So this is my first. I am sweet virgin blackberry ready to be picked. I thought I was an iPhone. I like the iPhone. But, the BB was much less expensive and frankly works better. Not as slick. But better. At this point, RIM the company that makes blackberry's, has been doing it for years and the curve represents that latest and most sophisticated direction the company has embarked on. With the Pearl and Curve RIM is actually moving away from corporate land - these two are much different beasts - both pretty, cool looking, a bit shiny but don't attract too much attention. The curve is really a perfect size. Barely larger then most other popular phone only devices, what strikes you when you first pick it up is diminshing size and weight. It looks large when sitting on a table but when placed next say a RAZR you realize it's barely larger. Held, it is light enough to rest nearly undetected in the pocket of a quality shirt, flat enough to comfortably slip into the back pocket of a pair of slacks and compact and frankly sturdy enough to drop into a pair of shorts for a day of adventure... And that's where it really becomes useful. Unlike the locked down corporate versions that many use, this BlackBerry has all the functionality of a PC laptop. It's not as elegant as a mac, I know I use one, but it is nearly as funtional as any PC laptop. It will do just about anything that the vast majority of people use a computer for on a quick daily basis. That is: email, web surf, google search, directions, news, and some access to photos, music and other benefits like in a pinch you could check your account balance or do play by play for a Yanks game.
I don't think many are going to give up their iPods for this machine, but in a pinch it does have a useful music player. It operates essentially as a USB drive and can even take a decent picture (from the perspective of a photographer). The camera takes good pictures relative to what looks to be its 2 inch by 2 inch screen and has a flash for dark close-ups. Viewed after a one touch email to a friend the native 2MP picture is about 4 x 5. That's fine for taking a pictures of an event poster and recalling later or even a decent scene sot. Available 2gb of storage for ~$50 makes keeping much of this easy, and as I said, mac or PC plug the phone in and it's a USB drive for easy file management.
The phones sound quality, I will be honest, sucks. I believe, and though I am no engineer, that most of the problem is AT&T's bad GSM sound quality. I had to use friends phones after loosing the first of the two curve's I've bought, and when using phones on T-Mobile and Verizon networks phones sound like phones while ATT&T sounds like a walkie talkie in a bathroom. Luckily the curve comes with a stereo headset. If you have not used one of these, you will quickly wonder why we ever thought that a phone should only go to one ear. It will not longer makes sense. Everything else we listen to comes in from both ears, why shouldn't the phone. Try a conference call-in for work, with the stereo headset wired to the phone it changes the user experience entirely. You won't go back.
The other issue with the phone is something that has confounded me for years. My first Ericcson analog cell phone in 1995 (gh 337 for you real techie's!) solved this issue perfectly and things have only regressed since then. If you live in a large metropolitan area chances are that there is significant background noise. The discreet mikes used in mobile phones condense sound in order to remain sensitive at great distances from the source of the sound. Well, this phone like so many these days, has the sensitivity cranked way up. This is great if you are an engineer in a sound proof room testing the best possible sound quality with no background noise. If you walk down a busy Manhattan street, the background noise for the other person is unbelievable. Even my first phone had a simple adjustment for mic sensitivity. This could also be an effect of the limited dynamic range available through AT&T's GSM network - less dynamic range means faster data, and more phone information transfered across what is a really impressive network - but i've found relative to other ATT&T phones the sound quality on this phone is only slightly worse. It would be great to see a phone with some noise canceling technology or at least an auto adjusting mic sensitivity. As far as AT&T's contribution to the problem, it's a trade off. You want to turn your phone on in Paris, the British Virgin Islands, the Middle East or Eastern Europe, or when your tire goes flat on some really dark deserted road in the middle of nowhere, and when you turn it on you want everything to work - messages, email, browsing - just like you were home. Then your only real choice is AT&T. It's a trade off many many customers will make some compromise for.
Overall, I think the biggest departure for the BlackBerry Curve is that it is decidedly not corporate. This is a Blackberry for personal use. It's aimed at exactly the same market as an iPhone. And its aim is good. It does not feel corporate in its size shape and form, but it still benefits from simple corporate style functionality requirements; battery life that comfortably allows a long weekend of personal use without a charger, or two heavy days. You only need to grab the supplied USB cable if you've already got your laptop and with some occasional time plugged into a USB port weeks away become easy and worry free. The UI is simple and fast and like a PC extremely customizable. It's not an iPhone, but if RIM seems ready capture a chunk of the upcoming text based personal communication market, this feel good unit and subsequent units can certainly entertain a broad group of people with a high degree of satisfaction and most importantly, a lesson learned from observing others in this market, make it feel good.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The best smartphone hands-down
by james.schauer on May 19, 2007
Pros: Form factor
Cons: Minimal software availability
Summary: This is the best BlackBerry ever; Those who have never owned one HAVE NO VALID OPINION, becuase those of us who have know how powerful it is. The form factor ...
Summary: This is the best BlackBerry ever; Those who have never owned one HAVE NO VALID OPINION, becuase those of us who have know how powerful it is. The form factor is near perfect; keyboard size, screen size, it fits in your hand very naturally.
3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
- Part number: Blackberry Curve 8300
- Description: Featuring clean lines and soft edges, the BlackBerry Curve 8300 smartphone is the smallest and lightest BlackBerry smartphone ever to come with a full QWERTY keyboard. It?s packed with incredible features, including a camera, BlackBerry Maps, a media player, expandable memory, Voice-activated Dialing, tethered modem and trackball navigation. Plus you get all the core functionality you?ve come to expect in a BlackBerry smartphone - email and text messaging, instant messaging, web browser and advanced phone functionality. The BlackBerry Curve - it?s your connection to everything that matters.
General
- Product Type BlackBerry With digital camera
- Service Provider Not specified
- Width 2.4 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4.2 in
- Weight 3.9 oz
Cellular
- Technology GSM
- Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
- Phone Design Candy bar
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Phone Navigation Buttons Trackball
- Caller ID Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
Communicator Features
- Operating System BlackBerry Handheld Software
Messaging & Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Mobile Email Yes
- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes
- EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages
Digital Camera
- Camera highlights With a resolution of 2 megapixels, this model will give you higher quality pictures than other phones.
- Sensor Resolution 2 megapixels
- Digital Zoom 5
- Camera Light Source Flash
Display
- Type LCD display
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x USB
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included USB cable
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium
- Capacity 1100 mAh
- Talk Time Up to 240 min
- Standby Time Up to 408 h
Product series
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8300 - silver (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 240 min, With digital camera, 3.9 oz
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 - pale gold (T-Mobile)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 240 min, 3.9 oz
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 - titanium (T-Mobile)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 240 min, 3.9 oz
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 - titanium (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 240 min, 3.9 oz
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 - red (AT&T)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), Up to 240 min, 3.9 oz
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RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 - pink (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: CDMA2000 1X 1900/800, Up to 260 min, With digital camera / digital player, 4 oz
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Research In Motion Ltd.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Research In Motion Ltd. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.rim.net
- Address:
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3W8, Waterloo, ON - Phone: 519/888-7465
- Email: webinfo@rim.net
- Fax: 519-888-7884
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