BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 > Reviews (41)

Blackberry Curve 3G 9300

Introduction

Previously I had a Samsung Tocco Lite which I bought due to my old phone broke after mistakenly been put in the washing machine, the Tocco didn't last for long either when i dropped it in my drink. I got the phone replaced with my insurance deal but the Tocco didn't even last a year before the touch screen ended up freezing. So overall I dont have much luck with phones, due to my Tocco becoming unfixable, 02 offered to upgrade me using my pay monthy contract so I would renew it and I would get a new phone, perfect! My sister recently had her birthday and got a nice new blackberry from my dad and she raved how good they are so I decided to go for the Blackberry deal. So with insurance and the idea that the phone is of a good quality i thought all my phone nightmares would end, maybe not! The review is about my experience of the phone which I have had for about 8-9 months.

The appearance

The phone has a very distinctive Blackberry look which anyone can spot. Overall the phone looks very professional and good quality. The phone has a sort of dark grey/black colour which I really like, I'm not into coloured phones. From the front the whole phone is shiny and it still has that look still now after 9 months of use. However the paint finish of the phone has started to look worn with chips and scratches but this is mainly due to use. There is an option to use a phone cover to protect the appearance of the phone which is an excellent idea as you keep the phone looking new and can brighten the phone with different colours or pattens to fit your personality. The screen is a good size at 5cm by 4cm so you can see pictures and videos as well as changing the screen picture to whatever you like such as a picture downloaded from your computer into the phone. All the buttons are still working and the labels are still perfect after constant use. There is a touch mouse in which you use as a curser to select what option you want, although it does still works i do find it can become either be too sensitive or stick which has got worse over the months. There are two holes, one being for the charger or to connect to your computer and the other for earphones so you can listen to songs or videos. The buttons on the sides of the phones can be used to lock your phone or change the volume, this acts as a shortcut and saves time trying to find what option is under what file. The buttons can be changed to whatever function you like, i changed the top button to lock and unlock the phone. The buttons to type on the phone have the same appearance as a keyboard for a computer. I found the change from a touchscreen to typing on a blackberry a bit difficult at start as i was so used to holding down the button down to get letters i wanted, after a few days I was fine due to being so used to using a computer. I do think the buttons on the phone to be a bit too small but it has to be to fit on the phone, its helpful having long nails. Overall I think there are a lot of positives to the apperance tot he phone.

The features

Calling people is really simple on the phone either by finding the person in the contact option on the menu or by looking at the previous calls you have had or typing in the numbers. I do find getting a good signal can be hard at times but this is not a daily problem. I have had problems with being cut off but most people could say that about there phones.

Texting is also very simple on the phone. I like how the history of texting between the contact is kept and is listed above so you can look over previous text messages while you are texting the person, its very handy as it prevents you from repeating yourself or forgetting what the person said in there last message. The conversations betwen contacts can be saved in another area of the phone, this is good if you want to keep vital info saved as the phone deletes the messages after a while to make room for new ones. A smiley option is available so while you text you dont have to type a smiley face, theres a few cute ones like an angel and hug smiley.

A really useful aspect of the phone is that you can connect your phone to your emails. I find this very useful when i was looking for a new job as i had signed up to a variety of jobsite websites so it let me see daily updates of new jobs in the local area. Also I like how i can see if someone has rated my review on ciao. Apart from ciao, jobsite websites, personal and promotional offer emails I don't have much use for the emails but for someone who had a business or worked somewhere where they sent and received a lot of emails I would say this feature would be very useful. When looking at a received email i find a lot you can not view if they are big in size or use a lot of graphics, this means you either have view it using the internet on your phone which can still not work or view it when you are next on your laptop. Although i dont get a lot of important emails it still is a bit annoying. When I have sent emails I havent had any problems. Replying or sending a new email is simple with options to attach a file or add other contacts to the email so it feels exactly the same as what you would do when on a computer. I especially like the feature to spell check your emails.

Adding a new contact is very simple on the Blackberry Curve. The information you can include for your contact is professional and detailed so it can be used as a address book/diary as well. The contact information includes title, full name, picture of the contact, company, job title as well as work and home address. Also the option to include 2 phone numbers (work and personal), email addresses, pager, fax and pin number (for blackberry messenger). You can also add the contacts birthday and anniversery date so you have no excuse to forget a persons personal information. Personally I don't include any of the information mentioned before, only there name and number as I am always scared of what would happen to the information if my mobile was stolen.

Like a lot of mobiles the Blackberry Curve has a calander in which you can see over a day, week, month and years.

There is an option to include reminders and alarms with a message attached for any day at any time for an important events, I use this option a lot for doctors appointments or peoples birthdays etc, as I have a terrible memory. The reminders have a lot of options such as colour of the reminders if you want them to be colour coded, sound it makes and how its formatted. The option for reminders is very handy for people like me or people who have a busy lifestyle where they have to remember a lot of important events. I have never had problems with using the calander, I think its practical and functional.

The internet can be included in your monthy contract or pay when you use it which i would think would be very expensive. This is my first phone where I have included internet into my contract, i was quite excited about having unlimited internet usage and thought I would always be on it which turned out to be quite wong. I think i mostly use the internet to check times/dates for things, looking up people on wikipedia (which i do a lot) and looking up lyrics on songs so I know I am singing them right. I think the saleswoman at the 02 shop sort of talked me into going for the internet deal so If I could go back in time I would of chosen not to go for it as I think its a waste of money as I'm on my laptop in the evening so I can do whatever I need to do during that time. I find the connection to get on the internet to be very slow using the mobiles network and not any betta when using WiFi. Getting on websites I want can get a bit stressful especially when it takes ages to get into the page to then tell you that you have no connection. I now very rarely use the internet only in connection with applications that need the internet to work which I will go onto later.

The Blackberry Curve has a feature in which you can download more games to your mobile. The link takes you to a page in which you buy lots of games. There is an offer where you buy 1 game and get the 2nd for free. I personally never buy games for my mobile as I am always cautious on the damage they might do to my mobile and I rarely play games on mobile unless I am bored of listening to my ipod when travelling. When looking at the game options there seem to be a good range with games such as The Sims, Monopoly, Tetris, and Bejeweled so I think gamers will really like this option.

The mobile also provides a map option. I have had the mobile for about 8-9 months and have only used the map twice, once when I was trying to find a nursery when I was an angency nursery worker and once when I got lost when on my way to an interview; both times the map did not help me at all and I had to ask for directions. I do think the option to choose either to look at the map to find where you are or to get the map to show you somewhere else when you type in the post code is a good feature but I find the quality of the map poor. I would say I am good at using a map but the quality of the map makes it very difficult to read.

The roads that do show up are mostly main ones, some of the names are missing, the compass and scale is poor as well as showing little landmarks to help you. Overall I think this feature is very poor but I dont think many people would need to use it.

The clock option on the Blackberry Curve is a useful tool which I have used a lot over the months mainly as an alarm clock. There is a lot of options for the clock tool such as changing its display, the time zone (which is useful when on hoilday) or using the clock as a stopwatch or timer. All options specify on the volume level and sound which is brilliant as I prefer my alarm as loud and annoying as possible as I am a deep sleeper and I need something to get me out of bed! There is also a very handy bedside mode for the clock, i have never used it before but I guess people might find it helpful. Overall I find the alarm to be very reliable and convenient.

Camera

The mobile has a 2MP fixed-focus camera. Although the quality might not be the best I have taken a few good pictures as long as it is taken in good light. The zoom is quite good but it does have a big effect on the quality of the photo. There is an option to take photos in a different colour effect, either black and white or sepia (which is an antique brown colour). I personally take my photos with my camera not my mobile so i rarely use the camera feature on the Blackberry Curve. The Blackberry Curve, like most mobiles now, can change into a video camera. You can change the effect of the colour with the same options as the camera as well as being able to zoom. The sound quality is average and the picture is at the same satisfactory quality like the camera. Overall I dont think the camera and video camera is not any special than other mobiles on the market now.

Blackberry App World

The app world available is a good idea and I guess it is competing with the apps you can buy for the iphone. To access the app world it is important to sign up using an email address and password so you have your own user area which stores all the apps you have downloaded. The apps available range from business apps for work, for socialising, news, music, recreation e.g. sport, weather, travel and games as well as thousand more topics. Some of the themes are centred around making your mobile more efficient and meet your needs either business related or socialising but some are just for entertainment factors as well as many many pointless ones; for example an app that changes the colour of the light that flashes on your phone to tell you that you have a text.

Using app world is very easy, you can either browse by category or write something in the search engine. When a list of apps do appear you can organise the list by popularity, how long it has been on the app world, rating, price, vendor or alphabetically, so it is simple to use and fits to your needs. The price range is broad, prices reach as high as £10 and as low as being free, the more expensive the better the app is but I have found a few good free apps such as the clssic game snake which I love to play.

I have had few problems with app worWhen I did first buy the phone I downloaded a lot of apps and it had a big effect on my phone by making it a lot slower. It's important to remember this before you buy loads of apps and then not use them which then uses lots of needed memory for your phone. My sister did have a problem with the apps, she did download a few apps which caused her phone to break (it froze and she couldn't use it at all) so the phone had to have all the software wiped to factory condition. My sister doesnt download anything now and has had no problems, she and the person who fixed it believe it was a faulty download or a virus that was attached to the app.

Downloads

When i first got the Blackberry Curve phone there was a few downloads included e.g. MySpace. The main ones I have are Facebook, Ebay and Youtube, I have heard of people using Twitter as well. I mainly use the Ebay app as i find it very helpful when I buy and sell items on the website. I love how I get a messages to tell me an item I am watching is nearly ending or I have been outbid on an item, its not helping my addiction to ebay!!! All the apps I have used I have not had any problems with and find they useful to keep up to date with websites.

Media Options

Extras on the phone include the ability to store music on your Blackberry so it becomes more like a MP3 player which can be played on the speakers on the phone or listened to through earphones. The qulaity of the sound is good and you can use the music stored on the phone as a ringtone. The Blackberry Curve also lets you store pictures and videos (either from the camera or downloaded from your computer). There is also a flashy voice notes option in which you can record your own voice either to save on your phone or to send to others, im unsure how helpful this tool is but me and my sister have sent each other voice messages to each other through blackberry messenger. All of the media items on the phone are still working at good quality and I have not had any problems with them.

Managing your phone

For people who like to change the options on there phone to fit there needs, this phone allows you to have a lot of control over how you want your phone to work which I think a lot of people will like. The user can change typical things such as the ringtone of the phone or the date and time on the phone. However this phone allows you to be even more detailed such as customising the dictionary, the backlight brightness and the font of the writing when typing. I do like playing with my phone and changing options to suit me but some are so detailed you question if it neccessary. If you were not happy with the format of the phone i am sure the phone would let you change it whatever problem you have.

Security

One of the main positives I have found with the phone is the level of security you can have on your phone. Blackberry have provided you will a free protection software for your phone that you can download. Also you can have a password on your phone with the option of how many attempts a person can have on the password to access the phone which i use and find very helpful.

The mobile also offers firewalls, encryptions and a security wipes which you can control, these are all efficient, valueable and functional to the user.

games

The Blackberry Curve do have a few games that are free to play if you do not want to download any from app world or pay for some. There are

Brickbreaker
wordmole
texas hold'em King 2
Sudoku
Klondike
Ka-Glom

There is a good selection of games that are aimed at all types of gamers. The only problem is due to the graphics that are used in the game to increase the quality of the experience it does have a big impact on the battery of the phone.

Connections

There is the option to connect your Blackberry Curve to a local WiFi source which is beneficial and valuable if you need to use the internet a lot on your phone as the quality of the internet is improved. Once I got my phone I did connect to my home internet to help with the quality of the internet as I had already found it very slow sometimes and at times it did not load either the whole page of a website or only parts. Although it has improved the service I try not to use it as I know using WiFi on your mobile can put your phone at risk to people hacking into your mobile system. There is also the option to using Bluetooth in which you can connect with other mobiles, for example to transfer files such as music. I have never used the Bluetooth as there is other options the mobile provides which are more effiicient and a lot quicker e.g. email.

Applications

One of the main positives of the phone to a business person or even a student is the option to use Word, Spreadsheets, Slideshow and store files on your phone. The option to use the software on your phone to either create or edit as well as carry the information on your phone is a very functional and practical aspect to the Blackberry Curve. I can see a lot of people finding this useful as it asks as a memory stick. I personally have never used these options as I have no use for them but I like the idea of the feature being available.

Battery Life

I do find the major negative to the phone is the battery quality. I have found ever since I was given the mobile that the battery life runs low very quickly even if I have not used it a lot. When you do want to use all the specialised options the mobile provides such as the internet, playing a game or using an app the battery life runs low rapidily. I do find I charge my phone every other day which i find a bit annoying but I do find charging the mobile back up quickly which is a positive. There is an option on the phone that allows you to see the percentage of battery you still have which I do use a lot and find very practical as you can sort of judge when you will need to charge your phone next.

Blackberry Messenger

What attracted me first to Blackberry Curve was the option to use Blackberry Messenger. The saleswoman raved how good it was as a free messaging service which resembles MSN. I couldnt wait to connect to all my friends and be able to send instant messages.

Using the messenger after a while I found the hype to be unrealistic. The main problem is that there are times when i do send a message and it takes a long time for it to be sent when for the same time I could of text the person and recieved a message back. I think the only good aspects of the messenger is that you can see when the message has been sent and it tells you when it has been read, including showing you when the person is writing you a message back so overall there isnt any major benefits than texting.

positives

1. help option

2. lots of gadgets to keep you busy

3. Practical

Negatives

1. Connections to apps, downloads and internet

2. Battery

3. Blackberry Messenger

Conclusion

Overall I do think the mobile is of good quality and have had no problems with the basic calling and texting. Once you go into areas where a lot of technology has been used to make the phone more sophisticated some of the problems do appear. Blackberry messager is not as great as what people say it and I think the service needs to be improved. The battery life is very poor so you need to judge if you want to have more apps and downloads on your phone but sacrifise the battery. I think the apps and downloads available are very useful and entertaining, there is something for everybody but the prices can be a little over the top. There are some practical and benefitial aspects to the phone that people will find very useful in there life such as the Word document options. There is a lot of features that can keep the user entertained such as being able to store music, videos and play games which are major benefits. However after hearing peoples views and the hype around the phone before I got the Blackberry I am a little disappointed and feel the features are wasted on me. I think the only big benefit I have had from getting the blackberry is that i can see my emails on the go and be connected to Ebay. Overall I do think it is a good phone but maybe not for me.

thanks for reading :)

Emma