BlackBerry Curve Cell Phone Review
By Alfredo Padilla
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
August 15, 2007
The BlackBerry Curve is the latest in RIM's lineup of BlackBerry devices that aren't exclusively for business users; improved multimedia features and a lower cost make it an attractive option for both consumers and business users on a budget. Priced competitively at $199.99 with a two-year contract, it is currently an AT&T exclusive, although it will be made available through other carriers soon. The Curve is smaller than most BlackBerries at 4.21 x 2.36 x 0.61 inches, but has the same large 2.4-inch screen as its larger cousins. There's also the trademark, easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard.
Dialing a number on the BlackBerry Curve is a quick affair at 2.78 seconds, although some may find the number keys are small, as they are built into the QWERTY keyboard. You can also easily call a number from call history or your contacts. The Curve's organizational features are excellent, as you would expect from a BlackBerry device. You can easily synchronize contacts, tasks, calendar, and notes with a Windows or Mac using the included synchronization software. Your calendar can also integrate with an Exchange server if you have access to one.
The Curve posted some mixed results in our audio tests. The audio received by the phone was excellent, with clean, bright voice reproduction. The sound sent by the phone is less impressive; low frequencies were exaggerated and higher frequencies fell off too quickly. This can make your voice sound overly bassy. Side tone - the small amount of your voice piped back into your ear so you can hear yourself- was just right, though.
BlackBerries are not known for their imaging and multimedia capabilities, but the Curve continues the trend towards making BlackBerries more media-focused. The 2-megapixel camera performed reasonably well in our tests, with average scores for resolution, color, and noise. It can't capture video, however; look at more video-capable phones such as the Nokia N95 if you need to capture candid videos of your adventures.
The Curve's music and video playback features are minimal, but do represent an improvement over previous BlackBerry generations. The Curve can handle AAC and MP3 files, but can't play back copy protected audio and video bought through online stores like iTunes. The large screen is big enough for watching video, but it's no iPhone; you aren't going to want to watch for extended intervals.
Any BlackBerry's raizon d'etre is messaging, and here the Curve performs as well as any other BlackBerry device. Both text and multimedia message are supported, but where the Curve really shines is in the realm of e-mail. With support for push e-mail, which provides immediate e-mail, the Curve keeps you updated in real-time. The e-mail program can handle any POP3 or IMAP4 account, and typing on the QWERTY keyboard was very easy. We were able to manage an impressive 51.3 words per minute in our test.
The Curve's Web browser is the same basic browser found on all BlackBerries, sufficient for light browsing but not up to the standards as the excellent iPhone or Nokia Series 60 browsers. The Curve also supports AT&T's Push to Talk feature, but unlike other BlackBerry devices doesn't support GPS.
BlackBerry devices have traditionally posted very good battery life scores, and the Curve continues that tradition with an excellent 8 hours and 1 minute of talk time in our tests. This is helped by the fact that the Curve doesn't use AT&T's newer and more battery-intensive 3G network, which helps to push the Web browsing battery life up to 7 hours and 2 minutes, and 9 hours and 41 minutes when playing back music. Chances are most users will find the Curve's battery life more than sufficient.
The Curve is a BlackBerry for everyone else. Much smaller than previous BlackBerry devices that fall into the "brick" category, it still includes the features that make BlackBerries so popular. Although the Curve's camera, music, and video features could use some polish, many users will find them sufficient and will enjoy taking advantage of the advanced e-mail and organizational features. Those who have been intimidated by more complex phones will especially appreciate how intuitive and easy to use the BlackBerry platform is. In the realm of consumer-oriented smart phones, the Curve is a strong competitor.
|
|
