BlackBerry Curve review - Tour & Design
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Mark Brezinski Published on August 10, 2007 Comment on this |
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Front
The front of the BlackBerry curve is dominated by two things: the large screen and the keyboard. From the top down we see the status LED, the 2.2-inch, 320 x 240 pixel screen, the controls, and the keyboard. There's no microphone on the front, though; it's located on the bottom of the phone.
Left
There are a handful of features on the left of the Curve; from the left, we see the camera key and the volume keys; the bottom button lowers the volume and the top takes it up.
Top
There is just one feature on the top of the Curve; the mute button, which puts the phone into Standby mode. This also acts as a pause button when playing music; useful if you're listening to music with the phone in your pocket and need to quickly stop it to hear an announcement or the like.
Bottom
The only major feature on the bottom of the Curve is the small hole for the microphone.
Right
On the right we see (starting from the left side of the photo) the headphone/headset socket (a standard 3.5mm socket), the USB sync/charging port, and the Push-to-talk button. The latter is a little poorly placed; we found ourselves accidentally pressing it more than once when using the Curve.
Back
On the back of the curve, we see the small LED flash, the recessed camera lens, and the self-portrait mirror. On the bottom of the phone is the catch that holds the backplate in place.
Battery Out
Underneath the backplate is where all the fun is on the back of the Curve; at the top you can see the LED flash, the camera lens, and the back of the speaker. Below this you can see what lies underneath the battery (an 1100mAh lithium-ion model); the MicroSD card slot and the SIM card slot. Both of these are a little awkward; they require you to remove the battery for access, and the retaining clips are hard to lock into place; several times during testing we removed the battery only to have either the SIM or MicroSD card fall out because they were not properly locked into place.
In the Box(4.5)
The Curve comes with a good selection of accessories. Along with the phone itself, you get a stereo headset, USB travel charger, CD-ROM with BlackBerry User Tools, USB cable manual, and Quick Start guide. Missing, however, is the carrying case that comes with other BlackBerries; you'll have to buy one separately if you want to keep your Curve all shiny and clean.
Handling (8.0)
The Curve fits comfortably in the hand when making a call: your hand curves around the body, while the index finger can easily reach the volume keys to adjust the volume without taking it away from the ear. But it's a little too wide to type comfortably with one hand; the wide keyboard means your thumb can't easily reach across the keyboard. But BlackBerries with QWERTY keyboards are designed to be used with both hands, and the Curve feels comfortable when used this way.
Portability (8.0)
Weighing in at just 3.9 ounces, the Curve is lighter then most smart phones and other BlackBerries. And at 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches, it's also significantly smaller than the 8800; it would easily fit into a shirt pocket. It's the same thickness and height as the Pearl, but it is significantly wider; the price you pay for the QWERTY keyboard.
Aesthetics (6.5)
Aesthetics is something RIM has obviously been working on; the Curve has a clean, curvy design that again makes it look like a slightly-stretched Perl. It is a step up over the previous BlackBerry phones, but its form factor remains somewhat brick-like. If you're looking for a smart phone with a great look to it, try the Helio Ocean instead.
Durability (6.5)
The exterior of the Curve is obviously made of plastic, and feels like it could get scratched and marked pretty quickly. But there aren't any hinges or other weak points which could get easily broken, and the backplate locks into place tightly. So, the Curve should stand up to dust and dirt, but we would recommend a case if you want to avoid scratches and dings.
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