BLACKBERRY CURVE 3G - Model 9300

August 14/2010

Currently only available in Canada the new Curve 3G now provides access to the third generation of mobile networking and telecommunications. A decision which will bring the most affordable smartphone in its class to a much larger demographic. Much needed growth likely to multiply by a factor of ten once it launches in the US is good news for RIM.

Already one of the most competent mobile devices on the market, RIM has given the backbone of their line-up a few more tricks. Even though you wouldn't know by glancing at it, the latest improvements are certainly worthy of taking notice.

FORM

Simple and elegant in style the Curve could steal Selma Hayek's thunder even if only while fully dressed. Although visible design changes are non-existant, the weight holding steady at a very slim 3.7oz was a smart decision. With a footprint slightly larger than a credit card, it's hard to believe they were ever able to squeeze a full QWERTY in. The display is still modest in size but considering the limited real estate available it's quite understandable.

Height: 4.29"/109mm

Width: 2.36"/60mm

Depth: 0.55"/13.9mm

Weight: 3.7oz/105g

FUNCTION

Like most "smart" phones, the list of Curve features significantly exceeds the reasons for including them. Most will never get used and some would require attending college to master. That said, one of the more intelligent features is the move RIM made to a trackpad with the 8500 Series which resolved the navigation issues caused by external moving parts. Contamination problems made the once innovative trackball an obsolete design. This one improvement alone was worth the cost to upgrade. The question is what will motivate consumers to trade up to the new 9300?

Based on past performance it is unlikely to be media related. This is an area where Rim has always fallen short of other, more consumer orientated, devices like the iPhone. This appears to be the most influential hurdle keeping Blackberry in the runner-up position. While other models, like the Storm are better suited for media, the truth is a phone really isn't a suitable device for a rich media consumption experience. Despite Motorola DROID claims to the contrary. Side note Droid...the last time "massive" and "3.5 inches" were used in the same sentence, was by a twelve year old in severe denial. Moving on, the basics like audio and photos are handled with ease. However, if your purchasing a phone as the center piece of an entertainment theatre your certainly going to be disappointed if you get my drift.

Display: High-resolution 320x240 pixel color display

Video formats: MPEG4, H.263, H264, WMV9

Audio formats: MP3, AMR-NB, AAC-LC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Flac, Ogg Vorbis

Notable improvements include improved Bluetooth technology, more battery power and the expansion of Wi-fi networking. Unfortunately, the 256 MB of on-board memory was not increased and is not sufficient storage on its own. However, expandable memory quickly solves this problem.

SUMMARY

Overall our opinion of the Blackbery Curve 3G is favorable. Priced at a reasonable $350CDN, it is, as it always has been, an impressive communication device. The 9300 is very durable, very cool and very capable of doing whatever is expected of it. As RIM likes to say "LOVE the possibilities".

RESOURCES

Killer Blackberry Applications:

Opera - World's best mobile browser

Viigo - News, RSS and Media

Google - Mobile Suite

Bloomberg - News and financial information

Benny Chow - Games

eVeek - Themes, Backgrounds and More

Review Your Options – A Singles Guide To Shopping

Shopping is a lot like dating…if you’re not careful you could end up disappointed, regretful and nursing a nasty rash.

Actually getting a good deal at the mall is much more complicated than finding Mr. Of course I’d rather stay home and cuddle than go to a hockey game. First, he generally doesn’t have a marketing department studying the “perceived risk of your demographical lifestyle segmentation and loyalty index”. It is also unlikely that he spends billions of dollars executing a “creative strategic advertising campaign” to “subliminally influence” your dating habits.

Nope, dating is definitely not that complicated.

The first thing any diligent mom will teach her daughter immediately after she comes home with a tongue ring is how to reliably sniff out a chronic slacker. The procedure is a simple 3-step process:

Step One) Check his credit (okay this one might be a problem for the rookies out there)

Step Two) Google him

Step Three) Make friends with his sister

…and bingo you’re up to speed. More often than not, buddy quickly goes from Prince Charming to one more frog that you thankfully did not have to swap spit with. No ugly first dates, no unbearable skinny jeans, no awkward silence and best of all, no artificial goodbyes - you know, “I really had a good time but…”.

Review your options, save money and never regret another decision...well, another PURCHASE decision anyways.

Happy Dating :-)