Blackberry Curve 9300 3G is a valuable addition to the best BlackBerry Curve series. With this handset, RIM has tried to do away with the shortcomings that Blackberry Curve 8520 had. Apart from adding 3G and GSM, that were thoroughly missed in Curve 8520, the company has made some other worthy additions as well. Its heartening to see that instead of simply repeating the old features, RIM has tried to come out with some new features. Like Curve 8520, this phone from Blackberry is also an entry level phone so it doesn't have those high-end features that some of the top Blackberry phones come with.
Blackberry Curve 9300 3G specifications
- Dimensions: 109 x 60 x 13.9 mm
- Weight: 104 gm
- Screen size: 2.46 in.
- Memory: 256 MB, (extendable upto 32 GB via Micro SD slot)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, USB, Bluetooth
- Operating system: Blackberry OS 5.0
- Keyboard: QWERTY keyboard
- GPS: Yes
- Camera: 2 megapixel camera.
- Secondary camera: No
- Radio: No
- Browser: HTML browser
- Battery: Li-Po 1150 mAh
Lets take a look at the individual features to get a better idea about this phone.
Design and Looks
In design and feel, the phone is similar to the previous curve series phones. With 109 x 60 x 13.9 mm dimensions and just 104 gm weight, the phone is light. Below the 2.4 inches screen, is the popular QWERTY keyboard. Just like the Curve 8520, the corners of the phone are rounded. It also has the optical trackpad, that the company first introduced in the Curve 8520. There are three media keys at the top, that looks like another good attempt by the company to reach out to a wider market. There is a micro USB port and 3.5 mm jack. The device has a rubbished finish that enables a good grip in the hands.
User Interface
The phone uses Blackberry 5.0 OS that Blackberry users are familiar with. New users will take some time to become familiar with the details. Customizing the screen is simple and allows you to get easy access to your favourite applications. It has a universal mail box that brings all your mails from different email accounts at one place. Apart from that, you can develop you own themes to further customize your screen.
Display
The phone has 2.46 inch screen, that is certainly smaller if you compare it to some of the other smartphones in the market. Like most Blackberry phones, this phone also doesn't have the touchscreen. The web browsing experience will also be affected, if you’re used to a larger screen. But with vivid colours, the display quality is good. Agreed, that it doesn't matches the display quality offered by some better phones, but we’re discussing an entry level smartphone here that is much cheaper than those high-end phones.
Calling and Messaging
Calling from Curve 9300 3G is not only easy but is also problem free. With separate call and end buttons, its simple and fast to make calls. While using the phone, we found the sound quality to be excellent and the signal strength strong. Speed dial keys on the keyboard also makes dialing easier.
Messaging is what that Blackberry phones are known for and this one is no exception. The push e-mail service remains the most useful feature apart from the regular sms and mms. E-mail accounts are easy to set up. Not to mention, the QWERTY keyboard that makes typing easier and quick.
Internet
The browser is not the best but it works fine. The screen size does play a spoilsport while browsing the net but its not that bad an experience. You’re required to zoom some small links to access them or to read smaller text. However, with the optical trackpad its easy to move the cursor from one link to another.
Camera
With 2 mega pixel, the camera is very much basic. With good lighting conditions, pictures turn out to be decent. But since there is no flash, the camera does struggle a bit in the poor light. The picture quality is good enough to upload in Facebook or other networking sites but if you want to capture pictures for long term memories, this camera may not be the ideal choice.
You can shoot videos with this camera at the maximum resolution of 360×240 and since the video is captured at 15 fps you shouldn't expect great video quality.
Music and Video
With three media buttons at the top, there is something to look for the music lovers. These buttons not only provide an easy access to music and video files but also make it easier to select and play different music. Sound quality doesn't disappoint either. The handset also has the 3.5 mm jack that can be used to connect any headphone.
Video quality is reasonably good. Videos can be enjoyed even with the limitation of 2.4 inch screen with 320×240 pixel.
Battery life
When it comes to the battery, like all Blackberry devices, this one doesn't disappoint either. Blackberry claims 4.5 hours of talk time, 29 hours of music playback or 19 days of standby time on this handset which is no exaggeration. With light use, the battery can lasts for a few days and even with heavy use it can lasts for full two days.
Final Words
The email and messaging features remain the best points of this phone. So if you require heavy email usage, its an ideal phone for you. Besides messaging, the phone provides you a decent web browsing experience, 3G connectivity, GPS and above average media features. And all this, without burning a hole in your pocket. Being a mid-range phone it offers a decent platform to enter the smartphones market. There are shortcomings such as low screen resolution, and just 2 mp camera, but at this price, they are acceptable.
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