CNET Editor's rating: 8.3 out of 10
Reviewed by
Bonnie Cha
Review date: 11/02/07
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 adds GPS capabilities to the already impressive and sleek messaging smartphone. You also get a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and good call quality.
The bad: The Curve 8310 doesn't offer Wi-Fi or 3G support. The Web browser isn't the sleekest, and the camera lacks video-recording capabilities. Also, unlike the T-Mobile version, you only get the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger IM client.
The bottom line: Still offering an attractive design and excellent messaging capabilities, the addition of GPS makes the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 an even more attractive choice for road warriors.
Editor's note: This review has been updated to include the results of our battery drain testing.
Back in May, we fell in love with the original RIM BlackBerry Curve, but a recent refresh of the smartphone has our hearts pitter pattering all over again. The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 keeps the same sleek design and robust messaging capabilities of its predecessor, but then adds GPS capabilities. The ability to use your smartphone as a navigation device is particularly useful for mobile professionals who are constantly on the road, running to meetings or traveling for business trips. And we found it to be quite the capable navigator during our road tests using the TeleNav GPS Navigator service. The tradeoff is that for the GPS, you give up integrated Wi-Fi, which is what T-Mobile opted for in the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 (we know--we want both, too) and there's no 3G support yet. For this review, we chose to concentrate on the features and performance of the device; for more details on the phone's design, please check our review of the original Curve. The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 is available now from AT&T for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates, in either red or titanium.
Features
The biggest difference between the original Curve and the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310 is the addition of GPS. With this feature, you can use Curve as a handheld navigation device with the addition of a location-based service (LBS) or navigation software, such as Google Maps for Mobile. AT&T offers its own LBS called TeleNav GPS Navigator, which includes color maps and text- and voice-guided driving directions, and local search. You can find out more about the add-on service in our full review of TeleNav, and be aware that the service costs $9.99 per month for unlimited trips or $5.99 for up to 10 trips. Check out the Performance section to see how the Curve fared as a navigator.
Other wireless radios on the Curve 8310 include Bluetooth and EDGE. Bluetooth allows you to connect to wireless headsets, Bluetooth stereo headsets, and hands-free kits. In addition, there's support for object exchange and dial-up networking so you can use the device as a wireless modem for your laptop. Unlike T-Mobile's Curve, however, this version doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi, so you'll have to surf the Web via AT&T's EDGE network. As we've said many times before, we know EDGE isn't that slow, but after using other 3G-enabled phones, the EDGE data transfer speeds tested our patience a bit.
As for voice features, the Curve is a quad-band world phone and offers a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, and speed dial. The phone features advanced audio technology that's supposed to cancel out background noise and echoes and will automatically increase the volume when you're in a noisy environment. In addition, the smartphone supports AT&T's push-to-talk service, allowing you to instantly see the availability of your contacts before calling them and make individual or group PTT calls. PTT plans start at $9.99 per month. The BlackBerry 8310's phonebook is limited only by the available memory--the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts--with room in each entry for eight phone numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well a group category--business or personal--or one of 45 polyphonic ringtones. The Curve also supports MP3 and MIDI ringtones.
With a spacious full QWERTY keyboard, the BlackBerry Curve is an awesome messaging machine.
And what's a BlackBerry without e-mail? Like other models, the Curve 8310 is compatible with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. In total, the device can support as many as 10 accounts, including POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts, and there is an e-mail wizard on the device to guide you through the setup process. The recently added spell-check feature will look for any spelling errors in your messages before they're sent and offer alternatives to misspelled words. And while it's available for e-mails and memos, unfortunately it's not available for text messages. An attachment viewer is also onboard to open popular file formats such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDFs, JPEG, GIF, and more, and we were able to receive and open all files. Other messaging options include text, multimedia, and instant messaging, although the latter is limited to the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger client.
One-upping the BlackBerry Pearl, the Curve boasts a 2-megapixel camera (vs. 1.3 megapixels) with a 5x zoom and a built-in flash, but unfortunately, still no video-recording capabilities. You do get three picture sizes (1,600x1,200; 1,024x768; and 640x480) and three quality options (superfine, fine, and normal). You can also tweak the white balance and add color effects. Picture quality was decent. Images were sharp, and though we wish the colors were a bit brighter, the quality was better than a number of other camera-equipped smartphones we've tested recently.
The Curve's 2-megapixel camera produced some fair photos with sharp definition and decent color quality.
For more entertainment, there's also a media player onboard that supports MP3, AAC, MIDI, and WAV music files and AVI, MP4, MOV, and 3GP video formats. There's 64MB of flash memory, but you should store multimedia files on a microSD card since they tend to be memory hogs. The music player is pretty rudimentary, but it displays some track information such as title, artist, and album art, and you can create playlists as well as shuffle and repeat songs. You can have music play in the background as you use the device's other apps, and if there's an incoming call, the Curve will pause the music, then pick up where you left off after you hang up. One notable improvement to the video player is the support for full-screen mode, so you can take advantage of the entire screen's real estate. The 3.5mm headset jack is also a boost, since it gives you the ability to plug in a better set of headphones or earbuds.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) RIM BlackBerry Curve in San Francisco using AT&T service, and call quality was just OK. We had no problems hearing our callers or interacting with our bank's automated voice response system, but we did notice a slight background hiss. Speakerphone quality was good, and we were able to connect to the BlackBerry with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.
General performance was fairly responsive. Occasionally, we had to watch the hourglass twirl but we didn't run into too many delays when opening or working in various apps. Web-browsing definitely could have used a speed boost, and the BlackBerry Web browser isn't the sleekest, so the Curve isn't exactly a standout in this category. Music playback through the device's speakers was good for a cell phone, with plenty of volume and good balance. Video clips were smooth with synchronized audio and images, but as expected, there was some pixelation of the picture during action sequences.
As for the GPS capabilities, it took the Curve about 10 minutes to acquire the necessary satellites to get a fix on our position and we also noticed that it took a while for the maps images to fully load. However, once locked on, the Curve did a good job of tracking our location and providing us with directions. We entered a trip from the Marina district of San Francisco to CNET's downtown headquarters, and the TeleNav service quickly returned with accurate directions. We were also impressed that the app offers text-to-speech functionality, so it speaks actual street names, allowing you to pay more attention to the road rather than looking at the phone's screen. That said, maps looked sharp and vibrant on the Curve's display.
The BlackBerry Curve is rated for 4 hours of talk time and as long as 17 days of standby time. In our battery drain tests, we were able to beat the rated talk time by an hour with 5 hours on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry Curve 8310 has a digital SAR rating of 1.51 watts per kilogram.
I just got my first Blackberry. It's a red Curve 8310, and it's with the carrier AT&#...
Hey,
I just got my first Blackberry. It's a red Curve 8310, and it's with the carrier AT&T. It just arrived yesterday. It was delivered via FedEx (2-Day Free). I opened the box, and was surprised that AT&T allowed me to pay $200+ for a phone and accessories, and didn't even have the courtesy to place any type of padding in the box. Oh well, it's fine.
As I took the Blackberry out, I noticed it came with some great accessories. Other than a battery and wall/travel charger, this device also comes with a pair of Blackberry stereo earbuds (3.5mm jack and call/end button and two foam pieces for earbuds..part that goes in your ear). Also with this device was a Blackberry User Tools CD, which honestly, made the brightness on my Macbook dim all the way when I installed it. It installed over 3000 things, and asks if you want support for Lotus Notes. I seriously think this CD was intended for a PC (the images in the manual are not what I saw on my Mac). I'm not sure if I'll keep it installed, but among other things, PocketMac, as it's called, will allow me to charge the Curve 8310 from my laptop (via the included USB cable).
The QWERTY keyboard is a nice change from my Razr V3, and the call quality is clearer. I have always heard the whole "it's the network"...or something like that...from I think, Verizon. Anyway, apparently, it was that piece of crap Razr phone. I always liked Moto, but I am glad I switched.
The phone has bluetooth, which I will be using to transfer some 2MP pics from the camera on this device (also has a flash) to my Macbook. I am not a fan of bluetooth headsets, as my Moto HS850 never held a charge for all that long...but the included earbuds provide very clear and loud call quality....unlike my old Razr V3.
You can setup up to 10 e-mail accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, etc), and be notified when you have new messages. The signature notifying people you are sending from a Blackberry and from AT&T, cannot be removed (at least I couldn't do it yet. When I clicked delete next to the text, I was taken to the previous page, rather than the text just deleting...but I think you can add text...I'll have to play with this feature a bit more to see what is possible). Signature can be added to e-mails in the Setup Wizard. After setting up an e-mail account, go back in and click "edit". After setup, e-mail takes about 20 minutes before it will begin arriving.
Ringtones took me the longest time to figure out (how to change them). It gets easier later on in the day, after you realize you are fired for being in what Seinfeld called (on Leno the other night) a Blackberry coma.
You can switch ringtones, have the phone ring when it's out of the optional case (I also purchased a Blackberry case...not that great of a design, but will have to do), and vibrate when it's in the case. If you choose a media package, you can view things like Yellowpages.com in Media Net, and search sites like Craigslist using the Browser.
The QWERTY keyboard is pretty cool. Some things take some getting use to though. For example, if you set the keypad to automatically lock when it's placed in the holster/case, you will need to unlock it when you remove the device. You need to press * and the green call button. However, in order to make the number a *, you first need to press the alt key. You also have to press alt when choosing any alternative to a key. Want "8" to be "x" (same key)....look forward to pressing the alt key.
You can press the red call end button to return to the home menu.
The trackball is the pearl to this device. From pictures, it looks like a piece of rubber that is flat. Looks can be deceiving. It's an actual ball, like on the video games from the 90s or whenever...only better. It's really smooth. This device is no laptop/desktop, mainly because there are more steps to most everything (media net/browswer) and you can't order from sites (ie: shoes from Zappos) or list on ebay, but for a mobile device, it's the new love of my life. Sorry, I seriously need to get some friends.
I seem to press two keys at once or the wrong key sometimes, and pressing "alt" and then wanting the number seven, sometimes gives me the letter (on the same key) instead of the seven. Hopefully it's me and not the device...which only comes with a year warranty, and according to AT&T, I cannot buy the equipment insurance for the device...which sucks. I do have 30 days to return it though, if I wanted to do so.
On the side of the phone, is a volume up and down key(s). They work when you are on a call. There is also a dedicated camera key. It's looks like the smart key that was on my Razr. There is a menu button, a previous (menu/page) button, CAPS lock, return, space, symbol, etc button(s). The screen is REALLY clear. Themes/wallpaper blows, but if you have the interest and/or the cash, you can download new ones. The ringtones are decent...again, you can download new ones.
Having never owned a Blackberry before, I must say that I truly feel that whoever wrote the manual was snorting something at the time. It tells you basic things, like how to start the Setup Wizard (set time/date/setup e-mail, etc). It says what's included in the box, tells you how to insert the battery, how to send an e-mail, how to use the phone (you must choose the phone option in the menu), how to setup voicemail, how to browse the web, how to manage appointments and contacts (may need certain media package...not sure though), how to use Push to Talk (subscription required), how to load music and drain your bank account if you so desire (optional...up to..2GB card sold seperately), how to play videos and shop online for music, etc, TeleNav (subscription required), bluetooth setup, synchronizing the device with a computer, some tips and tricks, icons and indicators, and functions and applications.
Going back a bit -- When took the device out of the box, I put in the battery. The device came on, and I started the setup wizard. You have to activate the thing though (around $35 or $36). With AT&T, I had to fully charge the battery, with the Curve 8310 off. I then used my home phone to call and activate. It said it was already done. Battery charging (according to the manual), can take an hour or more. A green light blinks on the front, and then stays green when fully charged. It finished charging around noon or 12:30 yesterday, and it's now 10:14a.m, and that green light is blinking red. Guess I need to recharge. Then again, I have been using my crackberry non-stop since then trying to learn how to set ringtones, and use the other features. The manual gives you a very basic idea. The rest is up to you. If you have never used a Blackberry before, I would recommend at least an hour or two to figure it out, and over a day to master it. I still haven't. I'm getting faster at typing, but it's kind of messing up my (computer) keyboard typing..as I am trying to now picture my Blackberry instead of my computer keyboard.
As far as the camera, I wish they would have added glass (or whatever clear material they use), of the battery cover....the part...the hole...that goes over the camera lens. It doesn't really matter because I have a case, but it would be a nice feature. It also has a self-portrait mirror. I'm not seeing how to turn off the flash, but I think I just need to use this device more. This device is like gambling. You cut out your friends, your loved ones, you stop working, you stop smiling, you stop eating. It's just you and this addiction.
I'm sure I'm forgetting things, and will have info to add to this as I continue to use the device. Hopefully this has given first-time (and people who want to upgrade) Blackberry users some idea of how this sophisticated device works. Before I forget, on the Blackberry case....you cannot remove the clip from the case, so when you want to remove the case, you have to unclip it from your belt. The case/clip swivels when some force is applied, and the case doesn't cover the very top of the blackberry screen/device (left and right of magnetic closure). Thanks for reading this, and happy crackberrying.
Updated I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth, but liked the included stereo earbuds. The earbuds are corded, not bluetooth...if I made them sound (later in the review, after I talked about the 3.5mm jack) as if they were bluetooth. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused.
Updated I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth, but liked the included stereo earbuds. The earbuds are corded, not bluetooth...if I made them sound (later in the review, after I talked about the 3.5mm jack) as if they were bluetooth. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused.
Updated I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth, but liked the included stereo earbuds. The earbuds are corded, not bluetooth...if I made them sound (later in the review, after I talked about the 3.5mm jack) as if they were bluetooth. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused.
Updated I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth, but liked the included stereo earbuds. The earbuds are corded, not bluetooth...if I made them sound (later in the review, after I talked about the 3.5mm jack) as if they were bluetooth. I apologize for any confusion that may have caused.
Updated I had said previously that I didn't like bluetooth headsets, but I liked the included stereo earbuds. Just to clarify, the included stereo earbuds are corded, not bluetooth. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Updated When I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth headsets, but I liked the included stereo earbuds....the included earbuds are corded, not bluetooth, just to clarify. Also, I keep getting Gmail sent messages (when I send a message using Gmail), in my inbox. They are showing up as a new message. Apparently, this is common:
I am getting the hang of the camera/camera settings. It took forever to figure out bluetooth file transfers to my Macbook. I was pairing it like my old Razr V3, and it wasn't working. You have to go into your pics, click the menu button, and scroll down to the bluetooth link. Click on that, and you can transfer files. I ended up uninstalling PocketMac. It was okay, but not anything I really need. It had an easy Uninstall button I clicked on.
Updated When I said earlier that I didn't like bluetooth headsets, but I liked the included stereo earbuds....the included earbuds are corded, not bluetooth, just to clarify. Also, I keep getting Gmail sent messages (when I send a message using Gmail), in my inbox. They are showing up as a new message. Apparently, this is common:
I am getting the hang of the camera/camera settings. It took forever to figure out bluetooth file transfers to my Macbook. I was pairing it like my old Razr V3, and it wasn't working. You have to go into your pics, click the menu button, and scroll down to the bluetooth link. Click on that, and you can transfer files. I ended up uninstalling PocketMac. It was okay, but not anything I really need. It had an easy Uninstall button I clicked on.
Updated There sure are a TON of steps to go through. To change e-mail signature, filtersetc, you have to create a Blackberry account. Great, one more username and password to remember. www.att.com/blackberrystart
Updated You know, it's an amazing device...but with some flaws. It's not playing well with my Mac (managing music using User Tools CD), and there is no equipment insurance available for this device. The screen (when the camera is on) looks blurry until the picture is taken...the flash can be set to off, on, or automatic (battery life goes down when it's left on). I was using it so much and staring at the small screen, my eyes are a bit out of focus and I have a sick to my stomach feeling. Bluetooth file transfers worked well, and although I did figure out this device, it takes WAY to long to learn, as the owner's manual doesn't tell you everything. You have to sign up for a Blackberry account on the device, then login online (using a computer) to update filter preferences (if using Gmail), and then you have to create a seperate AT&T account to check your bill/minute usage/features/etc. Over all, it's just not the device for me. I had some time to uncancel my old Razr V3, so I did that. It has it's many problems, and I'll have to upgrade in a few months when my phone needs to be replaced, and it doesn't have the QWERTY keyboard, but it's easier to use....and my old phone number is easier to remember. I'm sure I could say a lot more, but this is enough. Oh yeah, AT&T will be refunding my money (for equipment, not usage), but still wants the activation fee. I'm to worn out from learning to run this device, but soon, I'll have to call to try to get that activation fee back. Even Verizon refunds that fee under the 30-Day Test Drive. We'll see. Thanks for reading this review.
Updated I like that this device can be setup to notify me when I get a new e-mail (media/data package required)....and a ton of things don't play well with my Macbook...so, because I had 59 days to re-activate my account, I went ahead and called AT&T to re-activate it....and my Macbook, well, I have had it for exactly 30 days...Apple will not make a return exception, so it's going on ebay. I am a fan of Apple, but I think they should come back out with the Powerbooks again, and then maybe in the future, I'll become a customer again. I'm sad to see the computer go, but I'm moving forward, to a new device called a Blackberry.
Updated I just went through a miserable experience returning this phone. The feature that forwards/alerts me when I get new e-mails has stopped working. I hate paying a lot of money (for the device and for the service plan), and then having a feature not work. If you're a fan of the show Seinfeld, than you will know what I mean when I say a Costanza line from being so angry right now -- TWIIIIIXXXX! I am done with AT&T. Verizon wasn't much better, but I'm to afraid to try Sprint or T-Mobile. I may just try a Razr2 or something else. I'm about at the point where I don't even want a phone, but I may just try Verizon again....even after I had around 4 Razr maxx Ve phones, with the feature broken that would have allowed me to e-mail video.
Updated The memory card, if you choose to purchase one of those micro sd cards (takes up to a 2GB card), has to be placed under the battery. Guess what? For whatever reason, the makers of this device decided that when you remove the battery, the device is reset. I'm not sure if you have a bit of time for it not to be reset, but just inserting the memory card, at least for me, reset the device. Look forward to setting the time, and a few other things, in the Setup Wizard on this device. If you should choose to delete e-mail accounts that you have setup because they stop deliving/pushing e-mail to your device (ie: Gmail that needs filters setup), look forward to logging back into your Blackberry account (on a computer) to setup filters again...if you happen to want them setup. AT&T allowed me to cancel without early termination because it's within the first 30 days. On my other device (also with AT&T, the contract was out. Luckily, because once when I called, they said if I didn't like the service, I should feel free to take my number to another carrier. I left the number behind ($18 transfer fee to even get your current number to a new device, according to the person I spoke with). Now that the contract ran out on that device, I'm leaving the number, but I am going to a different carrier. However, I still have to pay for usage, and I don't get my activation fee back. I'm going to try Verizon once again. This time with a Razr2. They offer a 30-Day Test Drive, so hopefully this time around it will go smoothly. If not, I think I could write a book called...
9 out of 10 - Spectacular World of difference....
I use my phone for business and a dependable smart phone is a must. My company supplied me with a ...
I use my phone for business and a dependable smart phone is a must. My company supplied me with a new Treo 650. My boss used a Treo 600 for years and said this should work even better. Everything was fine until I start receiving text messages about new software updates. One update would fix a problem but cause 2 more. The phone would reboot 2-3 times a day and would not open attachments to emails. I would drop calls everytime I was on the phone. I finally had enough after 2 1/2 years and told my boss I would pay for my next phone. I read the reviews here on Cnet and decided my next phone would be the Blackberry Curve or iPhone. When I saw the 2 phones in person I worried the iPhone could not take the abuse that I tended to dish out on cell phones. The one piece front looked neat and seemed to work fine but what if I dropped it? So I decided on the Blackberry and Wow what a difference!!! The phone worked straight out of the box without upgrades. I can make calls and not drop calls (I stayed with the same network), I get my emails and it opens attachments without any problem. The best part is I have not had to download software updates. Setting up my email was very easy and downloading my customer contacts was simple. My old Treo would not link directly to Outlook without problems but my Blackberry will. I would recommend this phone to anyone. I have heard that Blackberry was the phone to have if you were a saleman and lived on your phone. Now I am a true believer. Shop around for the best price. I ended up getting a $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate from AT&T. After I sell my Treo on the net I should have around $100 to $150 in this phone. Well worth the price.
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by jsburdge (see profile) -
December 10, 2007
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Almost Perfect - Has everything except Wi-Fi
Bottom line, this blackberry rocks. I added a 2Gb Micro SD card and now carry only this when I travel ...
Bottom line, this blackberry rocks. I added a 2Gb Micro SD card and now carry only this when I travel for business (since it has a great MP3 player built in). E-mail is fast and easy to use, web browsing is pretty good, phone quality is superb.
The only drawback is no wi-fi support. If it had that, it would then get a 10.
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by psbjames69 (see profile) -
November 11, 2007
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Blackberry from now on.
The first of the month I purchased a Samsung Blackjack II. After 4 days I just could not take anymore ...
The first of the month I purchased a Samsung Blackjack II. After 4 days I just could not take anymore of the things I could not get it to do and the poor battery life and turned it in for a BB Curve. This is one COOL phone. The screen is bright, clear and large. I can easily customize this phone in oder to get it to do exactly what I expect out of it. I needed a phone like this mainly for the calender functions and comprehensive contacts lists. Unlike the Samsung Blackjack II, this phone will show me upcoming appointments for the day. All the appointments. I use the cell phone as my alarm clock. I can turn this phone off at night and it will still wake me up in the morning. If I wish to use speed dialing or voice dialing, I do not first have to check to see if the applications are loaded into my task manager. I just don't have to think 2 steps ahead for the phone to perform a simple function. After getting it home, I downloaded the Opera browser. It is so much nicer to use and view web pages. This phone is not 3G but downloading times are really pretty quick and you do not have to sit there and watch the battery power go down almost instantaneously as with the Samsung. Battery power is excellent. I am not a heavy talker or texter or internet user. I use this phone as any parent would, the occasional 1 hour conversation, scheduling of mine and the kids lives and the retrieval of my email. ( which by the way is amazingly easy to set up. ) Recharging is required about every 2 to 3 days. Call quality is very good. Not quite as good as the Samsung Blackjack II but I do not have to recharge this phone before the end of the day, like the Samsung. It is just sooo easy to use and live with. I cannot imagine having to do without this phone in my life. The only shortcoming this phone has is the size of the keyboard. If I was a heavy texter, I'm not so sure I would choose this phone. But that is the only shortcoming as far as I'm aware. Other than that, its the Swiss Army knife of cell phones.
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by picky123 (see profile) -
March 2, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Awesome phone.....!
Switched from Verizon (was there 6 years and was great service) on a family plan so my son could get ...
Switched from Verizon (was there 6 years and was great service) on a family plan so my son could get an iPhone. I had the BB 8703e so I upgraded to the Curve and all I can say is wow. The functionality is waaaay better than the offering from Verizon. Verizon crippled the phone. It didn't have GPS, MMS and could only write 160 character SMS messages. Curve has MMS, let's you do multi-part SMS, has GPS, camera, etc. So far I have zero complaints. When the next gen BB comes out if it has everything this has but with 3G support, I will change. Have played with my son's iphone (which I like) but I would still use this over it for now. iPhone is missing a lot of features the Curve from AT&T has. So far am also happy with the AT&T network. Even their EDGE network sometimes seems faster than the EVDO I was on with Verizon. Thanks AT&T and RIM for a great combination....!
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by John_M (see profile) -
February 7, 2008
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 out of 10 - Perfect Awsome phone
This was my first blackberry and it was awsome, I had it for a couple weeks while I was waiting ...
This was my first blackberry and it was awsome, I had it for a couple weeks while I was waiting for the 8820 to come in. But it is a truly great phone and I didn't have a single problem with it. Telenav works great on it and Google maps works as well if you want a free version. E-mail was quick and easy to set up and I had it running in minutes. This phone did averything I wanted it to do plus more!
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by cjwoll (see profile) -
December 31, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular VERY IMPRESSED!!!!
I purchased this model after returning my ATT 8525. The Curve is everything Ive wanted in a phone and more. ...
I purchased this model after returning my ATT 8525. The Curve is everything Ive wanted in a phone and more. The GPS is great and can be used for free by downloading 3rd party software such as Google maps. The phone is simple to use and operate and is smal and sleek. The blackberry operating system is much more stable than the buggy Windows Mobile. Unfortunately you cant use AIM with this model, but I rarely chat anyway. Emails are sent to your phone within minutes of receiving them to your email account. No logging into the net several times a day like Microsoft's push feature. The camera takes very sharp pictures, but unfortunately there is no video camera. There is no WIFI, but who needs it with unlimited data. There is a full size 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use virtually any headphones with this phone. Something most other phones dont have. I highly recommend this phone.
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by z28man24 (see profile) -
November 9, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Excellent smart phone
My Razr finally died on me, so I went to the AT&T corporate store expecting to get the ...
My Razr finally died on me, so I went to the AT&T corporate store expecting to get the shaft because I was 4 months until my contract expires. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the staff offered me any phone in the store for the price of a new contract. I picked up the Red Blackberry 8310 for $185.
I don't know if the sound quality is the best out there, but it is much better than my Razr, so I'm very happy. I also got a Motorola H700 headset, which was easy to connect and seems to have nearly equal sound quality.
My two favorite features so far are the GPS and the email integration. First the TeleNav GPS: My wife was a Garmin GPS in her car, which I've been borrowing for the past few weeks. I was almost ready to buy my own, but after using the TeleNav, there is no need for a Garmin. TeleNav does everything the top-of-the-line Garmin does, has a better user interface, and only costs $10/month, which is about the same price as Garmin's traffic monitoring service.
The email integration is great too. Of course connecting with corporate email is easy, but I was surprised how well it integrated with my @yahoo.com email. If I delete the email on my Blackberry, it will delete from my Yahoo account, so I don't have any already-read emails. If I download my email from Yahoo's website to my Outlook, it will automatically remove them from my Blackberry. It's great!
So far I am very happy with my 8310. It's the same thickness as my Razr, but just a little wider. I don't notice it in my shirt pocket, so I couldn't be happier.
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by whissend (see profile) -
November 6, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Very good but no WI-FI !
Very nice phone. I played with it in the ATT store for an hour. The major drawback is that, despite ...
Very nice phone. I played with it in the ATT store for an hour. The major drawback is that, despite what CNET review says, only the T-Mobile model (8320) has WI-FI. Both 8310 and 8320 do not support 3g.
The calendar felt a little bit rough ( I was comparing it to the Samsung's blackjack) but functional nonetheless.
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by Bragabondio (see profile) -
October 23, 2007
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 out of 10 - Excellent Wonderful PDA!!!
I love this phone. Finally a sleek design for a PDA. Sound is clear and picture quality for a phone ...
I love this phone. Finally a sleek design for a PDA. Sound is clear and picture quality for a phone is good. Plenty of ringtones to choose from. Seems like the calendar only offers a 9-5 option. Realistically meetings do occur after 5:00pm. My only disappointments were minimal. I wish it was Wi-Fi like T-Moble offers. The AT&T/Edge is not the fastest but not the slowest either. Also wish it would have a case which T-Moblie offers. Seems only right after spending almost $200.00 for it. I had to buy one through E-Bay which is cool because it has a bulit in energy saver to perserve battery life. (Which so far I have noticed battery life to be 2 days provided you do not listen to MP3's or surf the net all day.) The user manual is useless. If you would like the actual Blackberry user manual which you can get on the AT&T website under tools or support tab. (Can't actually remember which one it is.) It's a 270 page manual which I am not sure if it's not included because we are being eco-friendly now a days or because AT&T/Blackberry are too cheap to included in the package. I can't understand what the software included is for but once I get through the manual, I am sure I will get it's functionality. Also in the address book the setting/look of the book is very generic looking. Perhaps basic. I feel like my old LG CU500 phone had a better looking address book. I also noticed that this phone does not offer a tip calculator like my LG did. Not that you can not use the regular calculator to figure out the tip but it was a nice function that would've been good to have. Oh well, can't have it all! And last but not least why won't AT&T offer insurance on any of their PDA's? This is a big investment and should be the 1st thing offered. Of course rumor has it that they will offer insurance on all their phones by the end of the year. (Probably because they caught on to customers switching to T-Moblie who offers insurance on their PDA's) Let's not forget that T-Moblie offers a competative BlackBerry plan. I believe it goes for $19.99 vs AT&T's $29.99 a month for the basic plan. I choose to stay with AT&T because of their rollover plan which I have accumalated over 2000 daytime minutes. This is a big plus. As for their "Few dropped calls policy" not sure I can agree with that 100%. To conclude, overall I am very happy with my Blackberry Curve. Not sure how I feel about AT&T though. Aren't they the biggest cell phone company? (Maybe Verizon is...not sure) Nevertheless AT&T is up there but I do not feel like they are in the best interest of the customer. If they can offer phone insurance, I'd give them an extra 10 points. Hopefully they can work on getting with the 3G system instead of the slower Edge system. I have given AT&T one more chance but if I do not see customer satifaction by the end of my 2 year contract, I will try T-Moblie. I have heard good things from many.
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by moni8976 (see profile) -
November 13, 2007
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