Oct/Nov 2007

Smartphone/Organiser

Research in Motion

Our impression

Research in Motion invented mobile email, and for many years if you wanted email on a handheld device, RIM's BlackBerry devices were the only way to get it.

 

Symbian and Microsoft are now competing for a slice of the mobile email market with the latest generation of smartphones such as the Nokia NG95 and Palm Treo, both of which have QWERTY keyboards and email functions. There is bound to be impact on BlackBerry's slice of the corporate mobile email market, and in response RIM has developed the BlackBerry 8300 series, which has more consumer-style features and screens, adding desirability in the same way as top-of-the-range smartphones do.

It is the smallest and lightest BlackBerry to have full QWERTY keyboard, which gives it much-needed user-acceptability for making voice calls. No more holding a mini-brick to your ear. The downside is that the keys are quite small and take a little getting used to, especially if you are accustomed to a mobile phone layout. However, once that hurdle is surmounted, it is difficult not to be impressed. Sending emails or even text messages is much faster than on a numeric-only keypad.

In addition to the core functionality typical of a BlackBerry - email and text messaging, instant messaging, Web browser and advanced phone functionality - the 8300 has various other features that are virtually standard on smartphone devices these days, including camera, a multimedia player, expandable memory, voice dialling, and BlackBerry Maps.

There are two models - the 8300, and the 8310, which has integrated GPS and navigation software. Earlier BlackBerry devices had a side-mounted scrolling system; this is replaced on the Curve with a central tracker ball which you use to navigate around the screen and menus. If you are left-handed like me, that makes life simpler. It has a numeric pad and Sure Type text entry system.

There's an impressive amount of functionality packed into a small device. It takes a while to familiarise yourself with the screen navigation, but it really could not be easier.

For single users, you can get your email forwarded to the Curve via the BlackBerry Internet service. For business uses there are protocols to forward emails to the device via the corporate network. As you'd expect, this device will also do desktop synchronisation of diary and so on. BlackBerry has been criticised for failing to provide a spellchecker in earlier models, but it has rectified this with the Curve.

The built-in camera has a 2 megapixel resolution, which is not high by some smartphone standards, but may be sufficient for typical business users. There's also a micro SD slot for memory expansion.

Vodafone was the first network provider to offer the 8310, and makes use of the GPS by incorporating the Vodafone Navigator application, which includes route planning, traffic information and even weather condition reports. Telmap provides this service, and maps are downloaded from a central server. Bear in mind that while this ensures up-to-date map information, you are paying for each download.

If you want to use the satnav, you'll have to set the route in advance. It didn't seem practical to us to use the device while on the move. It does, however, have a useful 'walk' setting as an option to its driving mode, so can be useful on foot. You can select the nearest bank, restaurant and so on, and the BlackBerry will guide you there.

The Navigator service is free for 12 months, and prices start at £25 per month, depending on the contract.

Our verdict

There's so much functionality built into the BlackBerry 8310 that initially the keyboard and key size seems frustratingly complex, especially if you are used to a standard mobile phone layout. However, we recommend persevering because the sheer flexibility of the device then becomes clear.

The 8310's good looks will help consolidate BlackBerry's position in the corporate email market, while the extra functions and applications will help it fend of competition from other smartphone devices.

Specification

BlackBerry Curve smartphone/organiser

Dimensions 107mm x 60mm wide x 15.5mm

Weight 111g

Display 320x240 LCD display with 65,000-colour support and light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment

Keyboard Trackball navigation; 35-key QWERTY keyboard with backlighting. User-definable keys

Input/output 3.5mm stereo headset; integrated earpiece/microphone; speakerphone; Bluetooth V2 headset; hands-free; USB port

Microprocessor 312MH processor

Memory 64MB Flash memory; Micro expandable SD card

Communications RIM wireless. Operates on 900MHz and 1900MHz GSM/GPRS networks; Edge networks; Bluetooth 1.1 standard; speaker; 32 polyphonic ringtones

Interfaces BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise; enterprise and personal email accounts.

Power 1100mAhr removable rechargeable lithium cell. 408 hours on standby; 240 minutes talk time

Security Password protection and keyboard lock. Support for AES or Triple DES encryption. Optional support for S/MIME

Applications Email; organiser, browser, phone, 2 megapixel camera; Telmap digital maps; multimedia player; SMS; MMS; GPS; corporate data access; Vodafone satnav powered by Telmap