Mobile News

Release Date: August 2010

Battery Life:

Battery life is one of the biggest factors most people look at when they’re thinking about picking up a Blackberry, and the good news is that you’ll find some decent battery life in this phone. Talk time is an average of 5.5 hours, while standby is about 14 days. Of course, like most phones, using the “heavy” aspects of the phone such as 3G will definitely decrease your battery life, but that’s what travel chargers are for!

Battery life is a little short compared to other phones out there, but for people that are used to the BlackBerry line, they’ll most likely find themselves still picking up a Curve 9300 3G.

Memory and Processor Speed:

Right off the bat, you might think that the 624 MHz processor isn’t going to be enough to handle all of your cell phone needs. However, the reality is that the processor is more than fast enough to handle Web browsing, applications, and music — without slowing down a bit. The only time you’re really going to notice the processor lag is during heavy multitasking use, so make sure that you close applications that you’re completely finished with.

There is an expansion for microSD use — you can actually add up to 32GB of storage with a microSD memory card. The internal memory is a bit low at 256MB, but so many applications automatically use the SD card that you won’t really notice the lack of heavy internal memory.

Camera:

Since the Curve isn’t aimed towards the social set, the camera isn’t as high end as what you might find in other phone lines. The camera is 2MP but it’s a camera that focuses on capturing the world around you. The integration of the camera into the main operating system is actually quite slick — you push one button and you’re automatically taken to the camera element of the phone. You can then view pictures or take new ones — it’s always up to you.

Screen:

The screen on the BlackBerry is one of the biggest advantages the device has — people that are used to the BlackBerry form factor will find the screen space more than ample.

The resolution for the new Curve 9300 is 320×240 pixels, at QVGA quality.

Other Features:

* GPS
* HSPDA
* Bluetooth
* Music Player
* Wi-Fi

Summary:

Is this a major upgrade? Well, that depends on how you look at it. First and foremost, you have to totally be a member of the BlackBerry tribe to really appreciate this phone. That will ultimately determine how you really feel about the phone. Most BlackBerries are designed for the business market, but more social people are beginning to get on the bandwagon. Adding in 3G capabilities is a good play for Research in Motion, and this will bring a lot of people into the Blackberry tree.

Speaking of BlackBerry’s new crowd, the newly rebuilt Curve 9300 is perfect for new cell phone users that are intrigued by picking up a smartphone, but aren’t sure where they want to actually go in the mobile phone world.