BlackBerry Curve 8320 Review - Value & Comparisons
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Alfredo Padilla Published on October 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Value (6.5)
The BlackBerry Curve 8320 is available from T-Mobile for $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a mail-in rebate. This price is $50 more than AT&T's Curve 8300, but you get Wi-Fi functionality on the 8320, which the 8300 lacks. Despite the extra $50 we still feel the Curve is a solid value, providing excellent smart phone features in a nice form factor. You may be able to find a better deal for the Curve through resellers like Amazon.com, or if you wait a couple of months. However, we feel if you want to go out and buy the Curve from T-Mobile today you're getting a decent deal.
Comparisons
Nokia E90 - The Nokia E90 is at the other end of the smart phone spectrum. Both devices provide solid support for business users, but the E90 is a huge beast of a phone, with a clamshell design that reveals a large screen and keyboard. It's also a beast when it comes to price, costing between three and four times what the Curve costs. If you want the ultimate business-focused device and are willing to pay for it, go with the E90, but if you want a very good device at a much more reasonable price then the Curve is for you.
BlackBerry Curve 8300 (AT&T) - The Curve 8320's older sibling lacks the 8320's Wi-Fi support, but is otherwise the same device. We did find the T-Mobile version of the Curve was a little laggier due to the presence of T-Mobile's myFaves program, but you can turn this off and get better performance. We also found the 8320's camera is slightly better than the 8300's. Really this comes down to what carrier you're on, as both devices are very good.
HTC Mogul - The Mogul is at the top end of Sprint's smart phone lineup, and is a powerful and fully-featured Windows Mobile 6 device. The Mogul is a bit bulkier than the Curve, but has a much roomier slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It also costs a little more than the Curve, at $299.99 with a two-year contract. Aside from the hardware and cost, the major difference between the handsets is the operating system. Windows Mobile 6 is a powerful smart phone operating system with better multimedia support than BlackBerry OS, but is also less stable and has a steeper learning curve. This comes down to which platform and which carrier you prefer to use, because both handsets are solid choices for those looking for a good smart phone.
T-Mobile Dash - The Dash has been out for awhile now, but still holds up well compared to more modern smart phones, especially given its update to Windows Mobile 6. With a form factor similar to the Curve, it's also a smaller smart phone with Wi-Fi, but doesn't support T-Mobile's Hotspot at Home service. The "Standard" version of Windows Mobile isn't as fully featured as the "Professional" version, lacking notes, a touch screen, and with poor task support. These issues aside, though, the Dash compares well with the Curve in terms of functionality, and many of these drawbacks can be easily addressed via third-party software. The Dash is also significantly less expensive than the Curve at $149.99 with a two-year contract. If the Curve's price point is a little high for you then the Dash is an excellent alternative.
Apple iPhone - The iPhone has been one of the most talked about cell phones this year. We've decided to compare the Curve and the iPhone because of the Curve's multimedia features, so lets start there. The iPhone provides much better music and video functionality than the Curve, and the 8 GB of built-in storage is four times as much as the maximum you can get on the Curve with a memory card. Add in the easy synchronization with iTunes and support for DRM-protected content and the iPhone wins here. The cameras on the two devices are pretty much equally bad, although the Curve provides more options than the iPhone. On the business side, though, the Curve easily wins out. The iPhone's calendar and e-mail programs are clunky and provide limited functionality. Throw in support for push e-mail on the Curve and the iPhone is left in the dust in this area. The difference in price is also a big issue, with the iPhone costing $150 more than the Curve. Basically, if you want a multimedia device and are willing to pay the premium go with the iPhone, if you need true business functionality then the Curve is for you.
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