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| Main » 2008 » June » 3 » latest review on the new RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 Review
latest review on the new RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 Review | 1:22 AM |
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Introduction:
About
this time last year RIM introduced the Curve 8300. The
consumer-friendly feature set paired with RIM’s legendary QWERTY made
it an instant hit, and CDMA users have lusted after it since day one.
Now they finally have a Curve to call their own, and with a few
enhancements to boot! The CDMA Curve 8330 brings some notable upgrades
to the original GSM 8300 including a bump in memory, integrated GPS and
most importantly high-speed EVDO data. Other specifications remain the
same, such as the 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, 3.5 mm
headphone jack and of course trackball navigation and that famous
QWERTY keyboard. The Curve serves as a compliment to the Pearl in
RIM’s lineup; both devices have all the power a business user needs but
with the multimedia features they are both aimed at breaking into the
consumer market. We’ll be taking a look at the Curves offered by both
Verizon and Sprint.
Included in the box you’ll find:
- Lithium Ion battery (1150mAh)
- Home Charger
- Leather Pouch
- USB Cable
- Stereo Headset
- User Guide
- Software CD
- 1GB microSD Card (Sprint Curve only)
Design:
The Curve comes in two different color palates. Verizon’s unit is bright silver, whereas Sprint and Alltel have both chosen a more refined dark Titanium
color. Both versions have a black, rubbery trim running along the sides
of the phone, and it extends a bit onto the back, especially at the
bottom. The housing around the display is black, as are the keypad
keys. Keys with an Alt function are half and half, with a silver top
and black bottom.
 |  |  | | Left - Dark Titanium, Right - Bright Silver | | QWERTY keypad |
 | | Display |
On top of it all is a 2.4” QVGA landscape display
featuring 65K colors. It’s a good display, and we were able to use it
in any lighting condition, but the picture wasn’t as crisp as we’ve
seen on other devices like the Samsung Ace. At the top right above the
display is a LED indicator light that flashes different colors
depending on the event.
Along the right side is a volume rocker and multi-function key, both of which are bright chrome and stand out against the black trim. On the left is the 3.5 mm headset jack and miniUSB port, with a black multi-function key below. At the top is
a single chrome key on the left used to mute the device and put it
in/bring it out of standby. There are also two cutouts, one centered
and the other off to the right, which serve as the Curve’s stereo
speaker holes.
 |  | | Battery | microSD slot |
The Curve has a fairly good in-hand feel. The 8330
is similar in design to the 8300; the two units look nearly identical,
but the 8330 is slightly thinner though a bit wider and weighs a tenth
of an ounce more.
You can compare the BlackBerry Curve 8330 to many other phones, using PhoneArena's Visual Size Compare tool.
At
just four ounces the Curve feels very light in the hand and pocket, but
unlike the Pearl this does not lead to a feeling of cheapness. Perhaps
it’s the rubber ring around the phone, but the Curve feels decidedly
higher quality than its little brother.
RIM obviously has a
balancing act on their hands with the keypad and phone design, they
have to keep the device wide enough so the keypad is useable but narrow
enough so it still feels good in the hand. The keypad on the Curve is
great, but we can’t help but feel that it is just a bit cramped.
Conversely, the phone feels a bit wide in the hand as well, so it’s
obvious that RIM tried to make the best out of the situation here.
We
are a bit underwhelmed by the Curve’s overall design. It is a good
size, but still on the large side for the average consumer. The
keyboard performs excellent, but feels a bit cheap. The color
difference is huge; Verizon’s silver housing looks almost gaudy,
whereas the Titanium finish gives the Curve a very sleek and modern
look. All in all it’s a case where we can’t necessarily find anything
bad to say about it, but at the same time can’t really find anything
good to say about it. It is what it is.
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Views: 326 |
Added by: krai999
| Rating: 0.0/0 |
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