BlackBerry Curve review - Hardware
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Mark Brezinski Published on August 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (10.26)
The Curve's QWERTY keyboard will allow users to type somewhere around 51.3 words per minute, depending on dexterity. That's a reat speed; it's faster than the 8800 and the Motorola Q, both of which have simialr QWERTY keyboards. However, the Helio Ocean (which has a much alrger, more comfortable keyboard) was a touch faster, and the HTC Mogul was about the same speed. QWERTY keyboards are generally much faster than other arrangements, as most people are already so familiar with the key layout. We did have some problems with missing keys at times on the Curve, though, due to their tiny size and cramped arrangement. Those with larger fingers will most likely run into similar problems. We would have liked to see the keys staggered a bit farther apart, or otherwise shaped differently to cut down on accidentally hitting two keys simultaneously. Overall, the QWERTY keypad is good, but not great.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 51.3 | 10.26 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 39.3 | 7.86 |
| HTC Mogul | 44.9 | 8.98 |
| Motorola Q | 39.6 | 7.92 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 38.4 | 7.68 |
| Helio Ocean | 53.0 | 10.60 |
T9 and Auto Complete (0.0)
The Curve doesn't need T9, since it has a full keyboard. It also doesn't have any auto complete feature, which would have been appreciated. This lack was expected, however, as the 8800 and 8700 don't have it either.
One Hand Usability (5.48)
Using a QWERTY keyboard with one hand is really hard if you're not used to it. We found our accuracy fell travelling from the opposite side of the keyboard, as our thumb got in the way of us seeing the key. We also noticed the keys felt smaller and closer together for one-handed typing. In spite of these drawbacks, the Curve still managed 27.4 words per minute, which is a pretty good score. Even with only one hand, QWERTY keyboards are still faster than a standard 12-key array.
| Cell Phone | Words Per Minute | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 27.4 | 5.48 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 23.1 | 4.62 |
| HTC Mogul | 17.7 | 3.54 |
| Motorola Q | 22.0 | 4.40 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 23.7 | 4.74 |
| Helio Ocean | 28.3 | 5.66 |
Keypad Backlighting (5.0)
The keyboard backlight on the Curve can't be configured separately from the screen, so the timing setting for the screen will affect the backlight. There aren't any brightness settings, just on and off. If you set the backlighting to automatic, then the light sensor will toggle it on and off for you. The keypad is really unevenly lit, however, with splotchy brightness in random locations. Annoying as the unevenness may be, the backlighting does its job.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (9.0)
The trackall on the Curve is great. We liked it a lot better for menu navigation than a d-pad or joystick, since you don't have to press repeatedly on anything to move around. You can control the horizontal and vertical sensitivity separately, and there are nine levels to choose from. Using the trackball might take some getting used to, but once you do, using a d-pad again will seem like a giant step backward. If, however, you find you just can't get accustomed to a higher sensitivity (80+), then the trackball might not be for you, as you'll be spending a lot of your time navigating pulldown menus. Just about the only aspect of navigation you won't want to use the trackball for is scrolling down long websites. Fortunately, space and shift+space work as page up and page down, respectively. We would have liked to see a smart scroll, though, where slow movement decreases sensitivity and fast scrolling increases it.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Curve doesn't have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (1.0)
The Curve has a trackball, and while it technically isn't a jog dial, it does allow you much of the same quick-scrolling functionality when set to high sensitivities.
Soft Buttons (0.0)
The Curve doesn't have soft buttons.
Volume Control (3.0)
The volume rocker itself functions well. The buttons have a good amount of play to them, so you'll know when you've hit them. There are also a ton of volume profile settings you can customize, which will be a blessing to micromanagers. Others will feel lost at the sheer level of customizations.
There were a few shortcomings of volume control in general. First of all, you can only control the volume from inside a call or inside the media player. We would have liked the volume keys to work on the home screen, especially since their functionality hasn't been replaced by something else: hitting the volume keys does nothing. Secondly, there isn't any way to mute dialing, so you'll hear their tones even when the phone's on mute. Oddly enough, the same is true of the calculator. Once you've inputted the maximum amount of digits, pressing a number key will make the phone beep. We're not sure if this was an oversight or if BlackBerry was just really intent on alerting you your number is too large. Judging from the calendar and task alert policy, we think the former is most likely the case.
Power and Standby (5.0)
Power and standby are controlled by two different buttons. The standby button is on the top left of the phone, and will suspend the phone if held. The power button is a secondary function of the end key. They both have good play, so you'll know when you've hit them, and since they only perform their functions when held down, it's unlikely you'll accidentally activate them.
Other Buttons (4.0)
The Curve has a few other buttons not discussed above. The first and most useful of these is the menu button, located to the left of the trackball and branded with the BlackBerry logo. To the right of the trackball is the back button. On either side of the phone are two "Convenience Buttons," which can be set to different program shortcuts. Their default functions are Push to Talk and the camera on the left and right, respectively. The ability to customize these buttons' settings is appreciated, especially since many users won't use PTT, and business users might not think the camera is important enough to warrant its own button.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The Curve comes with the BlackBerry's standard landscape, QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) display. This is the standard for mid-range or high-end phones, providing pretty good detail and color depth.
| Cell Phone | Resolution | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| HTC Mogul | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Motorola Q | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 320 x 320 | 8.5 |
| Helio Ocean | 320 x 240 | 8.0 |
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (8.23)
Pixels per inch (PPI) measures the screen's pixel density. Higher density means better detail and sharper colors. The Curve manages to fit 164.6 pixels into every inch.
| Cell Phone | Pixels Per Inch | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 164.6 | 8.23 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 165.3 | 8.27 |
| HTC Mogul | 142.9 | 7.15 |
| Motorola Q | 168.0 | 8.40 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 170.0 | 8.50 |
| Helio Ocean | 168.0 | 8.40 |
Screen Physical Size (6.08)
The Curve measured just about 2.43 inches diagonally. For comparison, most normal phones have 2" or 2.1" screens.
| Cell Phone | Size Diagonal (inches) | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 2.43 | 6.08 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 2.4 | 6 |
| HTC Mogul | 2.8 | 7 |
| Motorola Q | 2.4 | 6 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 2.4 | 6 |
| Helio Ocean | 2.4 | 6 |
Screen Brightness (9.5)
We measure screen brightness by setting the phone to maximum brightness, browsing to a blank white page, then measuring luminosity with a light meter held two inches away. The Curve measured 105 lux, which is really good. The Curve has quite a few brighness settings, including automatic backlight, and a manual brightness slider with 10 settings. You can also set how long you want the backlight to last before it turns off, though there was no "forever" setting or equivalent, which we found disappointing.
| Cell Phone | Brightness (lux) | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 105 | 9.50 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 90 | 9.00 |
| HTC Mogul | 102 | 7.85 |
| Motorola Q | 60 | 3.00 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 85 | 8.5 |
| Helio Ocean | 63 | 4.35 |
Screen Bright Light Performance (8.0)
For this test we shine 3000 lux of light on the screen to approximate how clear the screen would be on a sunny day. The Curve did really well, and we were able to read all the text and make out every icon. Even on the sunniest days, you should have no trouble seeing what's on your Curve.
Color Depth (6.0)
This category refers to how many colors the phone's screen can display. In true BlackBerry form, the Curve can showcase 65,000 colors. This is what most mid-range or high-end phones display, but a few can have 260,000 or even 16 million. For business users, however, 65,000 should be just fine.
| Cell Phone | Colors (thousands) | Score |
| BlackBerry Curve | 65 | 6.0 |
| BlackBerry 8800 | 65 | 6.0 |
| HTC Mogul | 65 | 6.0 |
| Motorola Q | 65 |
6.0 |
| Palm Treo 700p | 65 |
6.0 |
| Helio Ocean | 260 |
8.0 |
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (9.0)
The Curve uses a standard Mini USB port for both data and charging. We really wish more manufacturers would include a standard port like this for data transfer; and charging proprietary cables are annoying. It must be noted that you'll need to install the BlackBerry software before USB charging will work properly.
Headphone & Jack Compatibility (8.0)
The Curve has a standard 3.5mm jack, which is another thing we wish all phones would come with; 2.5mm headsets are often paired with a proprietary jack, solely to sell proprietary headphones. The Curve also supports Bluetooth headsets and uses A2DP to provide users with great sound quality. For a business device, the Curve certainly has great audio support.
Internal Storage (1.0) The Curve comes with 64MB of memory, which should be fine for all your non-multimedia needs. If you want to load up your device with music, video or pictures, however, you can add a Micro SD card.
Expansion Slot & Format (5.0)
The Curve supports Micro SD memory cards. Micro SD cards come in capacities of up to 4GB, which should be enough for about 1000 songs. The card slot is a bit hard to get to, and requires you take out the battery. We would've preferred an external, spring-loaded slot, but at least you can be secure in the safety of your tiny little card.
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