Adding
a fashionable touch to Research in Motion's formidable arsenal of
telephonic, PIM, and media tools, the BlackBerry 8300 Curve is also the
smallest, lightest BlackBerry phone that includes a full QWERTY
keyboard. This amalgam of the svelte BlackBerry Pearl and the more
business-oriented 8800 combines RIM's long-valued corporate email and
messaging platform with a host of advanced multimedia features,
including a 2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth (for listening to
music via wireless headphones). Available in the U.S. exclusively from
AT&T, it communicates over GSM/GPRS and EDGE networks and offers
global voice and data roaming in over 130 countries. Key features at a glance:

The
svelte, liquid silver BlackBerry Curve has a QWERTY keyboard and
2.5-inch screen on the front, and a 2-megapixel camera on the back
(with flash and 5x digital zoom). |

The
full keyboard and the innovative trackball navigation system (placed
above the keyboard) makes accessing your data and writing email a
breeze. |
 |
- Automatic delivery of enterprise or personal email
- Easy-to-use intuitive trackball navigation; integrated spell checker with user-customizable dictionary
- Full PIM organization capabilities, including calendar, tasks, address book, and memo pad
- Connect to instant messaging networks using a variety of applications
- Speakerphone, conference calling, and voice dialing
- Noise-cancellation technology to offset background noise
- 2.5-inch TFT display with 320 x 240-pixel resolution
- 2.0 Megapixel camera with flash and 5x digital zoom
- Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo headset support; USB 2.0 connectivity
- Micro SD memory card slot
The Curve is fashioned in a liquid silver finish with chrome highlights
and subtly curving corners. Measuring 4.2 x 2.4 inches, the Curve is
just as slim as the Pearl (0.6 inches) and weighs in at 3.9
ounces--just 0.7 ounces heavier than its predecessor. It features a
bright 2.5-inch color TFT screen that provides 65,000 colors and a 320
x 240-pixel resolution, and it includes a light-sensing feature that
automatically adjusts backlighting for indoor, outdoor and dark
environments. Like the BlackBerry 8800, the Curve includes a trackball
navigation system located on the top of the QWERTY keypad, and it also
features an integrated spell checker with a customizable dictionary to
help maintain accuracy while on the go. It has 64 MB of internal ROM
memory, and is expandable using MicroSD memory cards. The battery
provides up to 4 hours (240 minutes) of talk time and up to 17 days
(408 hours) of standby time. You can snap vivid photos (though no
video) using the 2-megapixel camera on the back of the Curve, which
also features a 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror
and full screen viewfinder. It can capture images in up to three
picture quality and size resolutions that can be shared instantly by
email, MMS or BlackBerry Messenger, or even uploaded to your Flickr
account with the Yahoo! Go service. Photos can also be immediately set
as a unique caller ID or Home Screen image. You can edit photos and
create albums within the Curve using the PhotoSuite application.
Pictures can be cropped, rotated and straightened, and flaws can be
fixed by removing redeye or changing the brightness, contrast, and
saturation levels.
Listen to your favorite music and watch
downloaded videos using the included stereo headset, or use an optional
wireless headphone thanks to the Curve's support for the Bluetooth
stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP). The Curve is compatible with a wide
variety of file formats, including MP3, WMA and AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ audio
and WMV, MPEG4 and H.263 video. Dedicated volume controls are
conveniently located on the side of the handset. You can also subscribe
to the AT&T Music service, which includes access to online
subscription music content from eMusic, XM Satellite Radio and more.
With
the Voice-Activated Dialing (VAD) feature, you can initiate a call just
by telling the Curve who to call from your contact list--either via the
integrated speakerphone or using an optional Bluetooth wireless
headset. Other advanced phone features include advanced sound
technology that cancels out background noise and echo, dedicated volume
and mute keys, and the ability to customize the Curve with polyphonic
and MP3 ringtones.
Though it doesn't come with an integrated
GPS receiver, you can add an optional Bluetooth-enabled receiver to
take advantage of the BlackBerry Maps application. Check maps for fast
turn-by-turn directions virtually anywhere--simply click on an address
in your address book, type it or paste one in.
Staying Connected
With BlackBerry's push email technology, your email will find you
without having to initiate a connection. BlackBerry devices are
designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless
network, notifying you as new email arrives. In addition to the text,
you can also receive and view attachments in a wide range of popular
file formats, including Microsoft Office, Corel WordPerfect, and Adobe
PDF.
Browse the web with the integrated, full-featured
browser, which quickly and efficiently displays HTML pages as well as
enables you to set up RSS feeds to stay connected to up-to-the-minute
news and blog posts. And keep up with your contacts using a variety of
instant message (IM) networks, including the integrated Blackberry
Messenger as well as downloadable clients for Google Talk, Yahoo!
Messenger, and Lotus Sametime.
This quadband phone operates on
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data
connectivity via AT&T's EDGE network, with availability in more
than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. It
also offers AT&T's Push to Talk (PTT) feature, which enables walkie
talkie-style instant voice communication with other AT&T
users--either one-on-one or with groups--and it allows you to convert
the PTT call to a regular voice call if you need to have a longer
discussion.
The Curve delivers all the corporate email and
messaging capabilities you've come to expect. It's supported on
BlackBerry Internet Service, giving you access to up to 10 work or
personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts), as
well as BlackBerry Enterprise Server, enabling advanced security and IT
administration within IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell
GroupWise environments.