BlackBerry Curve 8320 Review - Intro
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Alfredo Padilla Published on October 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is a slightly updated version of the very successful Curve lineup of BlackBerry cell phones. The 8320's only major upgrade over the 8300 line is the addition of Wi-Fi, which can also be used with T-Mobile's Hotspot at Home service to make calls over Wi-Fi. The BlackBerry Curve 8320 provides very good messaging and organizational functionality on an easy-to-use and stable device, as is typical of BlackBerry devices. The addition of multimedia features on BlackBerry devices is a welcome addition, and we found the Curve's music and video playback functions to be good, but not great. The 2-megapixel camera takes good pictures for a cell phone, although it doesn't compare to high-end cameras found on some Nokia and Sony-Ericsson phones. Battery life on the Curve was also solid. Overall, the Curve is a very well rounded device. Those looking for an all-in-one phone with excellent business functionality won't be disappointed by the Curve.The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is currently available from T-Mobile for $249.99 with a two-year contract. This particular model is not available from other carriers, although other iterations of the Curve are.
Tour & Design - The Curve is a fairly small phone considering it packs a good-sized screen and full QWERTY keyboard into the design.
Audio Quality - Call quality on the Curve was very good, and you shouldn't experience any major problems in this area.
Imaging - The Curve's 2-megapixel camera does a solid job for a camera phone, but it's not on par with some of the high-end cameras we're starting to see on phones.
Making/Receiving Calls - The Curve provides the usual BlackBerry goodness, with solid calling options and easy-to-make calls.
Messaging - The strong suit of any BlackBerry device, the Curve doesn't disappoint, with excellent messaging capabilities and support for push e-mail.
Organizer - Organizational support on the Curve is very good and can be easily integrated with business tools like Exchange Server.
Multimedia - RIM has made strides in this area, but the multimedia experience on the Curve still lags behind Windows Mobile and Series 60 devices, not to mention the iPhone.
Software - BlackBerry OS is stable and easy to learn, and the ability to address any shortcoming with third-party software is a major bonus.
Battery Life - Excellent results in all of our battery tests indicates it should hold up well for most users.
Connectivity - With Wi-Fi on board, the Curve is a well connected device, although we would like to start seeing 3G devices from RIM for GSM networks.
Hardware - The Curve's hardware is generally solid, although we found the keyboard a little cramped.
Other Features - The Curve can be used as a dial-up modem and supports T-Mobile's Hotspot at Home service for Wi-Fi calling.
Value & Comparisons - The Curve is a solid value at $249.99 with a two-year contract, although you should note prices in the cell phone business do tend to drop fairly quickly.
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