BlackBerry Curve 9300 CNET
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CNET Reviews Smartphones BlackBerry smartphones BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 (AT&T)
Review User Reviews Specifications Check Coverage Compare Shop CNET Editors Rating3. 5 stars
Overall score: 7. 3 (3. 5 stars) Very good Average User Rating3. 0 stars 13 reviews
Starting at: $0. 01
$0. 01 - AT&T Wireless
$365. 94 - RitzCamera. com
$0. 01 - Amazon. com
$199. 55 - eBay
All prices Scroll Left Scroll Right CNET Editors Review Want it ( ) Got it ( ) Had it ( ) CNET Editors Rating
3. 5 stars Very good
Overall score: 7. 3 (3. 5 stars)
Design: 7. 0
Features: 7. 0
Performance: 8. 0
Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
Reviewed on: 01 14 2011
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 is slim and compact, with a responsive optical touch pad, convenient external media keys, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, and a 2-megapixel camera.
The bad: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 is not too different from its predecessors, and remains a fairly basic smartphone.
The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 is a decent entry-level BlackBerry with a couple of modern features like 3G and GPS, but we wish it was more affordable.
Review:
RIM might be struggling against the big Android and iOS competition with higher-end handhelds, but there still remains a strong BlackBerry contingent who wants that familiar keyboard feel that the Curve 3G 9300 offers. The recent RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 for AT&T has all of the usual BlackBerry features like robust support for messaging and e-mail, as well as a few media niceties like external media keys, a 2-megapixel camera, a music player, and more. It s more on the entry-level side of the smartphone equation, but if you want an old-school BlackBerry with a modern edge, the . Expand full review
RIM might be struggling against the big Android and iOS competition with higher-end handhelds, but there still remains a strong BlackBerry contingent who wants that familiar keyboard feel that the Curve 3G 9300 offers. The recent RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 for AT&T has all of the usual BlackBerry features like robust support for messaging and e-mail, as well as a few media niceties like external media keys, a 2-megapixel camera, a music player, and more. It s more on the entry-level side of the smartphone equation, but if you want an old-school BlackBerry with a modern edge, the Curve 3G 9300 fits the bill.
The Curve 3G 9300 looks and feels a lot like the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 for T-Mobile--the hardware is identical in fact--so we ll point you to that review for the full design lowdown. For this review, we ll concentrate on features and performance. The AT&T version of the Curve 3G 9300 is $99. 99 after a two-year service agreement, which is a bit more expensive than the same model on other carriers.
Features
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 ships with BlackBerry OS 5 but it is upgradeable to the latest BlackBerry OS 6. The new OS has a revamped home screen, a new Webkit browser, universal search, a new notifications bar, and more.
The Curve 3G 9300 has the usual BlackBerry features you ve come to know and love. It has voice dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, a speakerphone, and a vibrate mode. As with most BlackBerry phones, it also has a healthy set of messaging features that include text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging with BlackBerry Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, and Windows Live, and of course, e-mail. You can use your own personal POP3 or IMAP accounts, and it s also compatible with most corporate e-mail systems like BlackBerry Enterprise, Microsoft Exchange, and IBM Lotus Domino.
Other features include GPS with AT&T Navigator support, Wi-Fi (802. 11 b g), and stereo Bluetooth. The GPS in the phone is useful with other location-based apps like Where and AllSport GPS, and when adding geotag information to photos. Productivity tools include a calendar, a memo pad, a task list, a calculator, and document viewers for Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and PDF documents. There s also a file viewer and the built-in BlackBerry Web browser.
The AT&T version of the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 comes with a few built-in apps as well. They include AT&T s own Mobile Web browser, YPMobile, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, AT&T Music (AT&T s music download service), AT&T Radio, MobiTV, Mobile Banking, MyCast Weather, Bloomberg, and City ID. There are also a few games like Tetris, Scrabble, Sudoku, Bejeweled, Texas Hold Em, Pac-Man, Brickbreaker, Word Mole, and Klondike. For more apps, you can either purchase them from AT&T s App Center, or the BlackBerry App World. If you re also an AT&T U-Verse subscriber, you can download the AT&T U-Verse app for the Curve 3G. The app will let you view your U-Verse schedule and you can set up your DVR recordings from the app as well.
While we don t normally think of a BlackBerry as a multimedia phone, the Curve 3G 9300 does have a music player with support for MP3, WMA, AAC, and MIDI file formats. The video player is compatible with MPEG4, WMV, H. 263 and H. 264 support. Like the other Curve 3G phones, it also has a 2-megapixel camera, with rather average photo quality.
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Nicole Lee
Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She s also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
Follow @nicoleleeCNET User ReviewsSee all user reviews Average User Rating3. 0 stars out of 13 user reviews
Rating Breakdown
5 star: 2
4 star: 4
3 star: 5
2 star: 1
1 star: 1
My Rating0 stars click stars to rate product
CNET CommunityThis product is on 24 user lists. Add to my list Most recent user reviews
Showing 3 of 13 reviews
2. 0 stars Gutted version of REAL BlackBerry. Only for lite user. Apr 20, 2011, 10:37 pm By robindustygraves Pros:
All BB security, years of research, SOLID design, BB keyboard, GPS Satellite, Bluetooth device wireless, Wi-Fi device to device, Loud speaker, better than average quality, standard camera, fairly predictable features.
Cons:
You immediately notice (if you use Blackberries ) that is a gutted version of previous models! Missing the flash, memory is only 1 4 Gig, and the BB OS (programming)is so bloated with junk that YOU can t use the phone- it CRASHES constantly!
Summary:
I put a FULL, Quick review on my website, kidbots. com that is 50,000+ characters, and, which has photos of the ERROR SCREENS. This review is at kidbots. com WEBADD BLACKBERRY_9300_REVIEW BB_9300_REVIEW. html This BB 9300 is with WIND Mobile in Vancouver, B. C. Canada, and between the totally . Expand full review
Summary:
I put a FULL, Quick review on my website, kidbots. com that is 50,000+ characters, and, which has photos of the ERROR SCREENS. This review is at kidbots. com WEBADD BLACKBERRY_9300_REVIEW BB_9300_REVIEW. html This BB 9300 is with WIND Mobile in Vancouver, B. C. Canada, and between the totally unnecessary junk in the BB Operating System, OS6, like 2 full-screen videos every time you turn it on ( memory hogs )and the dozens of start up technical problems and even worse, the dozens of MANAGEMENT problems with WIND, the BlackBerry experience is destroyed. I purchased the the 9300 CASH, (over $200 US )and then had to buy the cases, the SD memory cards, 2 spare batteries and 2 battery chargers, etc. etc. and after 2 months all I do is FIGHT with it! I welcome the New Kid On the BLOCK, WIND, and will continue with them and the BB 9300, since Wind s problems can be immediately FIXED, and the BB 9300 is completely flashable (like upgrading a computer from Windows 98 to Windows XP ) and with a new operating system that allows the USER to choose to delete ridiculous Menus, delete ridiculous Memory Hogs, delete ridiculous FEATURES ( like full screen videos you do not want every time it turns on ! )delete pages of words on lists the BB 9300 has permanently loaded in the OS that take up memory, delete, delete, and more delete, so that you, ( THE CUSTOMER ). can actually USE it! I have Pay AS you Go type of PRE paid, UNLIMITED everything including BB, and DATA, and TETHERING ( connecting to my computer to USB to the BB 9300 to give Internet to my computer - that is how I am typing this )Absolutely NO other Cell Phone Provider will give me this for $49 a month! If I had known that RIM was unleashing a gutted DOWN graded cell phone on the unsuspecting public, I would have gladly paid more for a better Blackberry. Too late, there is no upgrade path - when I asked a WIND rep what to do with the 9300 if I got a REAL Blackberry, they said to throw it out or Give it to a KID . However, any kid is 10 times MORE demanding than any adult, and would be completely disgusted in less than a day! I hope RIM upgrades the OS 6 so that the USER can choose what to delete, to free up memory - as it is, the 9300 continually pops up with hundreds of ERRORS, most of which relate to LOW MEMORY! DO NOT BUY THIS phone, or get it FREE on a plan, IF you are an experienced Cell Phone USER -- YOU WILL BE Severely Disappointed! If you have a wretched OLD phone with a PQRS7 keyboard, and want something a bit better, this might work. It will NOT do anything Modern like Full Online Internet Video Streaming, longer than a few seconds, and then kicks out into an ERROR MESSAGE! If you have a few more DOLLARS, get a REAL Blackberry - they are likely worth the extra money.
3. 0 stars Does what it s supposed to do, but not always very well Apr 20, 2011, 10:37 pm By mrmattsson Pros:
I like the size of the phone and the way it feels - this is why I chose it.
Cons:
buggy and sometimes does what it wants
camera quality is shameful
Internet browning is a pain due to the trackpad (that s the downside to no touch-screen)
Summary:
This is the third Blackberry that I have had in less than 3 years - They really don t last. With the number of issues that I have had and considering the fact that I am not a heavy user, I just don t think that these phones are very . Expand full review
Summary:
This is the third Blackberry that I have had in less than 3 years - They really don t last. With the number of issues that I have had and considering the fact that I am not a heavy user, I just don t think that these phones are very well made. I intend to switch to an iphone or android as soon as possible.
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