Could this be the attractive smartphone Sprint needs to turn things around? Find out in our in-depth Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 review.
Review summary of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Sprint):
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_it00.jpg) The Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 is a slight but significant improvement over the Verizon Wireless version of the same phone, thanks to the additional apps that Sprint has thrown in. On Sprint's Curve, we found plenty of instant messaging options, including GTalk, our favorite, as well as the Facebook app for BlackBerry. We also liked Handmark's Pocket Express, which didn't quite excuse the poor Web browser, but did make information gathering more pleasant. Best of all, the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 retains the excellent battery life and improved scheduling capabilities we've come to appreciate on this device. Right now, this is probably the best BlackBerry on the market, as well as the best multimedia smartphone Sprint has to offer. Release: May 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: Comes with more useful apps than competitor. Best-in-class battery life. Loads of messaging options. Comes with more useful apps than competitor. Best-in-class battery life. Loads of messaging options.
Cons: Web browser is subpar. Call quality could sound better. Media transfer software would be nice. Web browser is subpar. Call quality could sound better. Media transfer software would be nice.
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Full RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Sprint) Review:
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Design - Very good
The Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 differs little from the recent Verizon Wireless version of the same device, but that's not necessarily a bad thing (compare Curve smartphones). The same soft touch paint accents are there, though they stand out less against the phone's drab grey exterior. The interface bears many of the same features, but the darker colors of Sprint's default screens make the icons a little harder to read than on Verizon's device, which had a bright, white backdrop. Still, the differences are minimal, and an intrepid user will have no problem finding the right theme available for download if the Sprint and default BlackBerry themes aren't your thing. Overall, we like the design of this phone very much, and found it comfortable to hold during long calls. The full-QWERTY keyboard was large enough, without forcing the phone into gigantic proportions.
Calling - Very good
Call quality on the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 was about the same as on the Verizon Wireless version. In fact, we had both of them in our labs this week, and we couldn't hear any quantifiable difference between the two. They both could sound better, and the Sprint version seemed to have the same deep, bassy quality we found on the competitor device. Thankfully, it also gets all of the great calling features, including a fine speakerphone, Bluetooth for handsfree calling, conference calling and speaker-independent voice dialing. Most importantly, though, the Sprint BlackBerry Curve maintains RIM's impressive track record for battery life, easily topping eight hours of talking. It died a few minutes before the Verizon Wireless version, but it also got consistently better reception, so we consider this an even trade.
Messaging - Very good
In messaging, we begin to see some of the advantages of the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330. Sprint throws in loads of useful software, starting with some great instant messaging support for AOL, Yahoo and Google. Not to nitpick, but in addition to Gtalk we also use MSN in our offices, so we would have liked to see just one more client, but we were happy to find a good selection on board. In addition, Sprint also packages a Facebook app for BlackBerry, so Facebook users can keep in touch with their online friends and update their profiles from the Curve. Otherwise, RIM's standard BlackBerry messaging suite remains impressive, with support for up to 10 personal e-mail addresses, configurable from the phone. SMS and MMS are also present, and work as effortlessly as we'd expect.
Scheduling - Very good
The calendar on the Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 is improved over the original Curve. It's still fairly basic, but it looks smoother than before, with some nice color accents that make it easier to read. In classic rival carrier fashion, the only difference between this version and the Verizon calendar is the color choice: yellow on Sprint, red for VZW. Though the phone packs support for Outlook's calendar and RIM's own BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, it still isn't as feature-rich as a Windows Mobile phone paired with an Exchange ActiveSync solution. We're constantly inviting attendees to appointments and meetings, and that's one feature we haven't seen matched on another breed of smartphone, even RIM's BlackBerry. Still, the menus have been pared down a bit for this iteration of the Curve, and the entire scheduling app is friendlier overall, thanks to the clean design improvements.
Web browsing - Mediocre
A year ago, we might have been more forgiving of the messy, jumbled layouts we got from the BlackBerry Web browser, but we've seen much better mobile browsers in the past year, so we expect more. The browser didn't choke on complicated pages, but layout was very messy. This made Sprint's Pocket Express app even more valuable. Handmark has been bundling this sort of software on Sprint phones for a while now, and we liked the easy access to movie times, weather and news. The interface was clean and colorful, with plenty of categories for browsing. Unfortunately, it doesn't update automatically, and the updates can be slow, but once the new movie schedules are in place, it works like a charm.
Music - Good
Sprint's version of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 includes the updated RIM BlackBerry media menu, as well as Sprint's over-the-air music store. The music store looks nice and polished on this phone, one of the better interface designs we've seen for the store, and it remains as competitive as ever. Tracks cost $0.99, and for every track you buy on the phone you also get to download a file to your PC. We loved the deep selection of songs, and we definitely think this gives the phone an advantage over the Verizon Wireless version. With the 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo Bluetooth support, this BlackBerry is definitely made for music listening, so the more options the better. As an added bonus, Sprint has bundled a 1GB microSD memory card.
Navigation - Very good
The Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 uses the carrier's own Sprint Navigator for driving directions, and we liked the TeleNav-based app even better than VZ Navigator. It did a slightly better job of tracking us when we went off course, and the maps and turn screens looked better, as well. For some reason, the GPS sensor on our Sprint review unit wasn't quite as sensitive as the sensor on our Verizon Wireless unit. It had trouble finding us in the canyons of New York City, but once we were under a larger patch of sky, it found us quickly.
Camera - Mediocre
The camera lens on the Sprint version of the Curve seems similar to the lens on the Verizon Wireless version. There was a time when RIM didn't include a camera on their BlackBerry devices, and perhaps that was for the best. Image quality on the 2-megapixel camera was dismal. In our test photos, there was hardly an edge left unfeathered or blurred. Details were almost non-existent, and colors looked washed-out. The video recorder was no better, with a watery quality to videos and compression artifacts that marred the recording.
Price and availability
The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is available from Sprint for $200 with a contract. A mail-in rebate of $100 is available, when signing up for a qualifying data and voice plan.
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