BlackBerry Curve 8320 Review - Tour & Design
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Alfredo Padilla Published on October 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Front
Left
Top
Bottom
Right
Back
Battery Out
In the Box (6.5)
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 comes with a fairly decent set of accessories. In addition to manuals and a CD with synchronization software, you also get a battery charger, stereo headset, USB cable, and carrying case. The only other thing we would have liked to see is a memory card to get you started, but these are pretty cheap these days; you can pick up a 2GB micro SD card for under $40.
Handling (8.0)
The Curve is well named, as it has soft lines and fits easily into the palm of your hand. The controls are within easy reach thanks to the trackball interface, an improvement on older BlackBerries that used a scroll wheel on the right side of the phone. At 3.9 ounces, it won't weigh you down, even if you have to hold it up to your head for a long call. When you compare the Curve to older BlackBerries like the 8700 series it becomes obvious that RIM has spent time on developing a more ergonomic design, and it works.
Portability (8.0)
The Curve isn't the smallest of phones, but compared to other smart phones it is rather diminutive at 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches. It's small enough to fit comfortably into most pockets or bags, but certainly isn't a Razr by any stretch of the imagination. Still, given that some smart phones like the BlackBerry 8800 or HTC Mogul are significantly larger and heavier, we feel portability is one of the Curve's strong points. The Pearl is smaller if you are looking for the most portable BlackBerry, but the Curve is one the smallest we've seen with a full QWERTY keyboard.
Aesthetics (6.0)
Although the Curve is definitely prettier to look at than older BlackBerries, it's still no beauty. You do have a choice of two colors from T-Mobile, however (Titanium and Pale Gold; our review unit is in the Pale Gold), so you can choose whichever you think better suits your outfit. No one will be swooning over the Curve, though. The best that can be said is that it could be worse.
Durability (6.5)
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 doesn't have any moving parts, which is a plus when considering durability. The keyboard feels like it can hold up well, but the body of the phone is made from cheap-feeling plastic that can be easily scratched. We'd suggest investing in a cover if you shove it in your pocket and want to keep it looking nice.
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