BlackBerry 8300 Curve - Expert Reviews

Pros: Eye catching design, Good camera, Excellent keyboard, Quad-band GSM, Bluetooth

Cons: No Wi-Fi, No HSDPA, Average battery life

Verdict: The BlackBerry Curve takes both good and bad factors from the Pearl and 8800, making it an enticing phone -- but we're still waiting for the ultimate consumer BlackBerry

Review summary: The BlackBerry Curve, or BlackBerry 8300, represents a new target demographic for the company: the budget user. Priced at $199 post-rebate with a two-year contract, the Curve is much cheaper than most other BlackBerries; the more sophisticated 8800 is ...

Verdict: We like the Curve. It offers a lot of functionality for its price, and its e-mail capabilities are amazing. Its organization software isn't the most powerful we've come across, but more than adequate for most users. Its multimedia support doesn't ...

Review summary: We also groused about the Pearl's lack of stereo headphones and the use of a mini-stereo jack that wouldn't take standard headphones. RIM fixed that in the Curve as well, shipping it with a hands-free headset that includes stereo earbuds and that ...

Verdict: As a phone, the Curve sounded very good. (I tested it on the Rogers Wireless network in Canada.) RIM says this is partly thanks to superior noise cancellation technology. Like the Pearl and other recent BlackBerries, it also includes a surprisingly ...

Review summary: RIM's second attempt at a mass-market phone makes strides in media capabilities while remaining true to its smartphone roots. With Video Tour.

Review summary: We also groused about the Pearl's lack of stereo headphones and the use of a mini-stereo jack that wouldn't take standard headphones. RIM fixed that in the Curve as well, shipping it with a hands-free headset that includes stereo earbuds and that ...

Verdict: Aside from the full QWERTY keyboard, the physical user interface is similar to the Pearl's. The front face features the same tiny trackball in place of the traditional BlackBerry thumb wheelit works as well or better in my opinionplus dedicated Start, ...