HTC 8300 Smartphone
- Screen Size (Diagonal): 2.2 inch
- Installed Memory: 64 MB
- Operating System: Windows Mobile
- Design: Mobile
- Style: Smartphone
- Network Type: GSM 850 GSM 900 GSM 1800 GSM 1900 GPRS GSM EDGE
Available From
Why are these offers here?
Smart Buy!
Lowest price from a Trusted Store
Second Lowest Price
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Quintessential smartphone
Pros
Small and light, good battery life, great interface, decent camera, stylish
Cons
Pricey, RF performance could be better, period key
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Curve is a "BlackBerry for everyone". A great keyboard, good battery life, and a simple interface make it a joy to use.
Yes, BlackBerry devices have a negative connotation. If you own a BB, you more than likely are obsessed with it and are just perpetually e-mailing and surfing the Internet. It's associated with "middle management" and those annoying people in suits who are just glued to their PDAs.
The BlackBerry Curve aims to change that. Along with the Pearl, the Curve is part of the "consumer-oriented" BlackBerry product portfolio. I'm happy to report that Research In Motion (RIM) hit the nail right on the head, and has a winner on their hands.
The Curve is a very user-friendly device. The form factor is small enough to be unobtrusive in a pocket, but large enough to easily hold and use. Whereas some PDAs are chubby and awkward to slide into your pants, the Curve fits in there nicely. You're no longer forced to buy a goofy case or belt clip.
The casing itself is rubberized on the edges, with a smooth painted plastic elsewhere. Build quality is top-notch, with the plastics feeling very nice and sturdy. Pressing on the casing doesn't give any squeaks, and all the seams fit very tightly. When you pick it up, you can feel the quality and durability.
Obviously a great device with a poor keyboard isn't very appealing, but RIM built an amazing keyboard into the Curve. The full QWERTY keyboard has a logical layout with the one exception of the period being an "alternate" function for a key. Most other PDAs/smartphones have the period on a dedicated key. A minor gripe. The keys themselves are very responsive and have a nice click when pressed. They're fairly flat, but spaced apart -- a big plus compared to other BlackBerrys like the 8800 and Pearl. It's very easy to type on, and I found myself typing much faster than my old Treo or BlackJack.
Something new for BlackBerrys is the trackball. This debuted on the Pearl, but was added to the 8800 and Curve too. The trackball makes moving around in webpages and menus a snap. The ball rolls very smoothly and easily, and can be adjusted for sensitivity. No more awkward 4-way directional pads...this trackball needs to be the new standard on phones.
The operating system and menus are standard RIM fare -- very functional, but rather plain. Everything is right where it needs to be, and is very easy to understand. There are no hidden options in the menus, and no confusing buttons or menu choices. Beginners can learn the interface very fast, and the advanced users will immediately feel right at home. The trackball makes navigation very easy, and you can also use the keyboard to help. My only complaint about the interface is that the home menu screen has too many icons (you can customize this though).
The featureset is pretty good, and is definitely consumer-oriented. Audio/video players are built-in, and can access multimedia content on a MicroSD memory card. They perform their functions adequately, though they're certainly nothing to write home about. The 2 megapixel camera is surprisingly good given the tiny lens, and you even get a built-in flash. Picture quality has proven to be much better than most other phones, though it still won't replace a standalone digital camera. The web browser is top-notch, offering speedy browsing. Even though the Curve only uses EDGE (300kbps or so), it feels faster. The combination of the Intel Xscale 312MHz processor and the optimized web browser really make surfing the web a pleasure. There are a variety of options for the browser too, so you can tailor it to your needs.
The phone comes with other typical features: calendar, alarm clock, calculator, cheesy games, etc. Like the rest of the OS, they are very simple to use.
Of course, the Curve is a phone first and foremost, so the question always comes to this: how good is the call quality? Like the older BlackBerrys, the Curve offers excellent call quality. Callers come in with very crisp audio, and the built-in microphone transmits a very clean sound to the person on the other end. There is no tinny echo, or "talking into a tin can" sound. RIM has solidified their position in the consumer market with a "phone that's good as a phone". The reception (signal strength) is not as good as some other PDAs, but I rarely find myself with "no service". I think that RIM could stand to improve the RF performance so that it's up there with the Nokia and Palm devices.
Battery life is very good given the Curve's small size. Standby time, even with push e-mail enabled, is several days. I make a few phone calls, send a few e-mails, and surf the Internet for a few minutes each day. This necessitates charging it every few days. My old Treo had to be charged every night.
RIM focused heavily on making the BlackBerry more user friendly, and they have succeeded. Non-business users will find the device easy to use and very pleasant as a smartphone. Call quality is good, as is battery life. Business users will appreciate the familiar BlackBerry interface and slew of organization features.
In short, the Curve has something for everyone.
The BlackBerry Curve aims to change that. Along with the Pearl, the Curve is part of the "consumer-oriented" BlackBerry product portfolio. I'm happy to report that Research In Motion (RIM) hit the nail right on the head, and has a winner on their hands.
The Curve is a very user-friendly device. The form factor is small enough to be unobtrusive in a pocket, but large enough to easily hold and use. Whereas some PDAs are chubby and awkward to slide into your pants, the Curve fits in there nicely. You're no longer forced to buy a goofy case or belt clip.
The casing itself is rubberized on the edges, with a smooth painted plastic elsewhere. Build quality is top-notch, with the plastics feeling very nice and sturdy. Pressing on the casing doesn't give any squeaks, and all the seams fit very tightly. When you pick it up, you can feel the quality and durability.
Obviously a great device with a poor keyboard isn't very appealing, but RIM built an amazing keyboard into the Curve. The full QWERTY keyboard has a logical layout with the one exception of the period being an "alternate" function for a key. Most other PDAs/smartphones have the period on a dedicated key. A minor gripe. The keys themselves are very responsive and have a nice click when pressed. They're fairly flat, but spaced apart -- a big plus compared to other BlackBerrys like the 8800 and Pearl. It's very easy to type on, and I found myself typing much faster than my old Treo or BlackJack.
Something new for BlackBerrys is the trackball. This debuted on the Pearl, but was added to the 8800 and Curve too. The trackball makes moving around in webpages and menus a snap. The ball rolls very smoothly and easily, and can be adjusted for sensitivity. No more awkward 4-way directional pads...this trackball needs to be the new standard on phones.
The operating system and menus are standard RIM fare -- very functional, but rather plain. Everything is right where it needs to be, and is very easy to understand. There are no hidden options in the menus, and no confusing buttons or menu choices. Beginners can learn the interface very fast, and the advanced users will immediately feel right at home. The trackball makes navigation very easy, and you can also use the keyboard to help. My only complaint about the interface is that the home menu screen has too many icons (you can customize this though).
The featureset is pretty good, and is definitely consumer-oriented. Audio/video players are built-in, and can access multimedia content on a MicroSD memory card. They perform their functions adequately, though they're certainly nothing to write home about. The 2 megapixel camera is surprisingly good given the tiny lens, and you even get a built-in flash. Picture quality has proven to be much better than most other phones, though it still won't replace a standalone digital camera. The web browser is top-notch, offering speedy browsing. Even though the Curve only uses EDGE (300kbps or so), it feels faster. The combination of the Intel Xscale 312MHz processor and the optimized web browser really make surfing the web a pleasure. There are a variety of options for the browser too, so you can tailor it to your needs.
The phone comes with other typical features: calendar, alarm clock, calculator, cheesy games, etc. Like the rest of the OS, they are very simple to use.
Of course, the Curve is a phone first and foremost, so the question always comes to this: how good is the call quality? Like the older BlackBerrys, the Curve offers excellent call quality. Callers come in with very crisp audio, and the built-in microphone transmits a very clean sound to the person on the other end. There is no tinny echo, or "talking into a tin can" sound. RIM has solidified their position in the consumer market with a "phone that's good as a phone". The reception (signal strength) is not as good as some other PDAs, but I rarely find myself with "no service". I think that RIM could stand to improve the RF performance so that it's up there with the Nokia and Palm devices.
Battery life is very good given the Curve's small size. Standby time, even with push e-mail enabled, is several days. I make a few phone calls, send a few e-mails, and surf the Internet for a few minutes each day. This necessitates charging it every few days. My old Treo had to be charged every night.
RIM focused heavily on making the BlackBerry more user friendly, and they have succeeded. Non-business users will find the device easy to use and very pleasant as a smartphone. Call quality is good, as is battery life. Business users will appreciate the familiar BlackBerry interface and slew of organization features.
In short, the Curve has something for everyone.
