The Good 2. The Good 3. The Bad 4. The Bad Show less. Operating system. Screen Size. What the Critics Are Saying Prices Where to Buy. Common Questions Where can I download the Curve manual? How long is the warranty period? I have Curve problems. Where can should I go for support, replacement or repairs? Ask the Community. Email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. Compare this phone to: Compare Compare. BlackBerry Torch BlackBerry Curve BlackBerry Bold. Quick view Screen Size. The BlackBerry Curve 's screen size is 2.
The phone runs on proprietary operating system firmware. There's no secondary front camera. Curve Specs. Own this Phone? No Compare BlackBerry Smartphones. While that's not quite as thin as the hardly-there Motorola Razr , it's a massive improvement over previous Curve designs, which tended to be somewhat chunky.
Although the casing of the Curve is a surprise, there's still plenty here that will be instantly familiar to BlackBerry boffins. The traditional row of action buttons -- including the twin call commands, Menu and the all-important Back button -- remain largely unchanged.
They surround the optical track-pad, which is another RIM hallmark. The top of the device features the 3. The latter is the same as the one seen on the BlackBerry Torch While it initially appears to be touch-sensitive, it's actually a physical button residing under a plastic cover that flexes slightly when pressed. The right-hand side of the Curve has the volume controls and the handy Convenience Key, the latter of which can be customised as a shortcut to various apps or functions.
Due to the thinness of the phone, these buttons have been squashed down to the extent that they're little more than small ridges. Pressing them in a hurry is often a hit-and-miss affair. The left-hand side of the phone is bare apart from the micro-USB port, which handles charging and data transfer. Flipping the phone over reveals a glossy plastic back panel and that instantly-recognisable BlackBerry logo.
There's a small, almost invisible groove on the side of the phone that allows you to slide your nail in and prise off the battery cover; it took us a few minutes of confused fiddling to even realise it was there. Getting the battery cover off is easier said than done, but at least the microSD card is hot-swappable. When you've got a whacking great Qwerty keyboard on the front of a phone, it stands to reason that the screen size is going to suffer -- there's just no way you can have a massive display and all those lovely buttons.
Unless, that is, you want a phone that's so long you'll never be able to fit it in your pocket. Naturally, this rule applies to the Curve , which has a rather small 2. Some Android devices in the same price bracket sport spacious 4. That makes the Curve 's display credentials seem dismal. On the plus side, with a resolution of x pixels, the Curve boasts a pixel density of ppi, which ensures a pin-sharp image quality.
It makes viewing photos and browsing the web much more pleasing. Unlike its sibling, the BlackBerry Bold , the Curve doesn't feature a touchscreen. This is very much in keeping with the low-cost ethics of the Curve range.
But when you consider that BlackBerry OS 7 has been built to accommodate both physical and touchscreen inputs, it's a let-down. Touchscreens are appearing even on the cheapest of Android devices, so it wouldn't have broken the bank for RIM to factor one into the Curve 's design. The keyboard is arguably the star of any BlackBerry device apart from the Torch , for obvious reasons , and that certainly applies here. Text input on the Curve is blissfully intuitive.
The keys themselves have a decent amount of space between them, which avoids accidental multi-button presses. Although the keys rest lower in the casing than on previous Curve phones, the Qwerty keyboard is a joy to use. RIM has gone to great lengths to keep the thickness of the Curve down and that goes for the keyboard too. The buttons sit lower in the casing than on previous BlackBerry devices. Thankfully this doesn't result in a drop in responsiveness or overall comfort.
If you've gotten caught up in the mobile CPU race of late, you may be disappointed to learn that the Curve isn't sporting a flashy dual-core processor. Instead, there's an MHz single-core chip beating at the heart of the phone. This puts it on an equal footing with the Orange Monte Carlo and Motorola Defy -- two Android devices that aren't exactly on the cutting edge. The humble nature of the CPU doesn't matter. The Curve positively purrs along, with smooth scrolling, fast loading and generally pleasing performance.
That's something that many dual-core Android devices can't muster, despite their raw power. Of course, it could be argued that BlackBerry OS 7 is taxing the hardware much less than the incredibly versatile Android 2. RIM has selected what appears to be the ideal processor for the task at hand. We couldn't fault the phone's performance during our review period other than when it came to website rendering see below. Tucked within is an MHz single-core chip, which doesn't sound powerful, but it purrs along perfectly.
There's MB of storage on the Curve , which will hold a few photos and apps, but means the phone can't be relied upon as a music player or digital camera replacement. Thankfully you can be a little more adventurous by making use of the Curve 's microSD card slot, which is located under the battery cover. The unit we reviewed didn't come with a microSD card, but you may find that some networks will supply one for free.
The phone accepts media up to 32GB in capacity. Another bonus is that microSD cards are hot-swappable; you don't have to power-down the handset and remove the battery to get to the card slot. It's also worth noting that you cannot record videos without a card present. Apps are fast becoming one of the main reasons to own a smart phone. The Curve feels almost like it's not completely finished, as though you're holding a dummy unit in a shop. It's only 11mm thick, and light as a feather at 99g.
It also has precise edges - not enough to cut you, but it certainly gives that impression. Made of a combination of brushed metal and black plastic, this is one good-looking handset, and measuring just x 60mm, it's a great size.
Up top you have the standard 3. It's typical BlackBerry fare. The back houses the 5MP camera lens on one side, while the LED light for taking snaps is at the other end. We missed having a flash on the Curve , so it's really good to see it back here. The battery door is made of a high gloss plastic that looks like it'll scratch to high heaven given half a chance, and rests just above the speaker. This battery cover's not easy to get off - and that's being kind.
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