On August 2010, Research In Motion (RIM) released the BlackBerry Curve 9300 as the direct successor of the Curve 8520 (Gemini). The phone also known as the Curve 3G since it runs on tri-band HSDPA networks. It brings a faster access to internet for the web browsing or social networking needs.
The design of BlackBerry Curve 9300 is pretty identical with Gemini. The phone has chrome colored edges that looks more fashionable and elegant. It has a typical QWERTY keypad and the touch-sensitive optical track pad for its navigation system. The phone still uses 2.46 inches TFT screen with the resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The 3G model is a bit lighter than Gemini with only 104 grams in weight.
To capture photos or record videos, BlackBerry Curve 9300 has been equipped with 2 megapixels rear-camera with the maximum resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. The audio player is capable of playing MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC formats and the video player supports for MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV formats. The phone supports for up to 29 hours of music playback and there are also standard 3.5 mm headset jack and dedicated music keys.
In terms of operating system, BlackBerry Curve 3G was preloaded with BlackBerry OS v.5.0 and it is upgradable to OS 6 version. The phone also boasts 256 MB of RAM, 256 MB of ROM and expandable memory of micro SD card up to 32 GB.
For the connectivity, BlackBerry Curve 9300 is capable of running the quad band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and 3G HSDPA (850/1900/2100). For wireless connection, the device supports for Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n. For local connectivity, the device provides the Bluetooth 2.1 version and micro USB 2.0 port.
The value-added features of BlackBerry Curve 9300 are the push mail service, personal e-mail with up to ten accounts, BB messenger, full HTML web browser, BB App Store, preinstalled with social networking applications (Facebook and Twitter), built-in GPS receiver that can be operated with BB maps for a full navigation. The device is powered by standard battery of Lithium-ion 1150 mAh. It provides standby time for up to 456 hours in 2G mode or up to 348 hours in 3G mode, the talk time for up to 4.5 hours (2G) or up to 5.5 hours (3G).
Overall, the BlackBerry Curve 9300 is an excellent entry-level smartphone for the beginners who seek for rich-featured phones at a lower price. It has a good layout of keypad that delivers pleasant e-mailing and messaging experience. Other plus points of this smartphone are the 3G network, Wi-Fi and upgradable operating system. However, there are disadvantages in this phone like the low-resolution and the small size of the screen, the minimum camera resolution and the deficiency of camera flash. [IS]
