Great QWERTY Meets Solid Connectivity

Back to Basics: The 9300 Curve offers smartphone functionality on a tight budget

Considering that the Curve is widely dubbed as BlackBerry’s entry-level handset, the inclusion of 3G connectivity in the phone’s feature set is very pleasing indeed. Mix in a functional QWERTY keyboard that makes compiling emails and text messages a breeze and an excellent battery life and you’ve got yourself a fairly good smartphone. The 9300 is by no means perfect, however, and suffers from a poor app selection and clumsy user interface that are made to feel outdated and underpowered by some of its more up-to-date market rivals.

What We Like

Possibly the biggest selling-point of the 9300 Curve is the high-speed 3G connectivity it boasts. Its predecessor, the 8520 Curve, only managed to offer users Wi-Fi, so to find both of these internet browsing options on the new release is a real plus point. Whether you’re on the move or at home, you’ll have no trouble connecting to your wireless network with the latest member of the Curve clan.

The handset also has a full-QWERTY keyboard for users to take full advantage of. The responsive keys are comfortable to type with and easy to use for even the clumsiest of typists, with the well-spaced keys allowing you to type quickly and without making too many accidental errors.

Another of the Curve’s plus points is its enhanced battery life, which gives you up to 4.5 hours of talk time over GSM networks and just under 30 hours of music playback – an impressive feat for a smartphone, to say the least. What’s more is that the hefty battery packed into the 9300 Curve doesn’t affect the phone’s weight too much, either; the handset registers on the scales at a reasonable 104g and feels fairly compact when gripped.

What We Don't Like

Sadly, it’s not all positive for this budget BlackBerry smartphone. The 9300 has its faults, one of which is the handset’s tacky exterior build. Despite being lightweight and boasting a solid QWERTY keypad, the Curve feels cheap and plasticky at times, with a clumsy optical trackpad that makes navigating the old-fashioned user interface a nightmarish experience.

The over-priced and dull collection of apps also leaves a lot to be desired with the 9300. RIM have failed to match the extensive and varied selections of apps offered by smartphone giants Android and Apple, making them look outdated in comparison to some of their more advanced rivals.

Unfortunately, the negatives which detract from the device’s overall appeal don’t end here. The 2MP camera the Curve is fitted with is poor to say the least, whilst the interface is dull and boring compared to some of the more intuitive software on-board HTC and iPhone handsets.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry 9300 Curve is best described as being a mixed-bag. 3G and an excellent QWERTY keypad are the main plus points, although the sluggish interface, poorly built trackpad and disappointing range of apps make these seem less exciting. On the plus side, the bland OS which the 9300 runs on will be rejuvenated once the BlackBerry 6 software update emerges, which is something to look forward to if you’re an owner or potential buyer of this relatively average handset.