The latest Blackberry to get a full touchscreen makeover is the Curve 9380. RIM has been on a bit of a disappointing roll with its touchscreen-only releases, ranging from the original Storm to the latest Torch 9850, but does the Curve manage to stand out? The Curve is RIM’s entry level version of the Blackberry and going for a full touchscreen layout may help it stand out in the market.
The Curve 9380 is the first in its lineup to have a full touch-screen display and no keyboard. The front of the device is has the 3.2-inch touch-screen display. Underneath are four keyboard shortcuts for call, options, back and end call / power, very similar to Android’s 4 key layout. The difference is an optical trackpad in the center of the 4 keys, a staple of the Blackberry. The left has the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button while the right has the microUSB port. The back has a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash.
The Curve 9380 is has a 800 MHz processor, which is a bit on weaker side and is slowly falling out of favor, even for entry level devices. Blackberry OS7 runs fairly smooth on the processor, though there are hiccups when it comes to the web browser. Call quality was clear, like all other Blackberry smartphones, for both incoming and outgoing calls. The data speeds weren’t the greatest as the Curve 9380 is not a 4G smartphone. Battery power was also good, able to last more than a day with regular usage.
Blackberry OS7 feels new and fresh to older users of the Blackberry, but for iPhone and Android users, it still feels outdated. While it is smooth, it just doesn’t have the polish that iOS or Android display when using the smartphone. The 3.2-inch display is also a bit of a tight squeeze when it comes to trying to use two hands on the touchscreen. The lack of Blackberry’s staple physical keyboard also doesn’t help when it comes to the user interface.
The Curve 9380 comes with some decent features, starting with the 5 megapixel camera with LED flash. The pictures come out decently with lots of color, but it isn’t as sharp as other cameras. It also doesn’t have active focus, meaning macro shots cannot be done and focusing does become a slight pain. The video is also not the greatest, recording at 640 x 480, which accounts to grainy and choppy video. The Curve also comes with NFC capabilities, but Blackberry OS7 can’t fully utilize its capabilities, which is unfortunate.
Overall, the Curve 9380 is a bit of a disappointment. RIM has not been on the ball with their recent releases, and hopefully they can turn things around. If not, it may seem as though this generation of smartphones may be the last or close to it.
Scoring
Design – 3/5
Performance – 2/5
User Interface – 2/5
Features 2/5
Overall Score – 9/20 – Not Worth Picking Up