On the right side you find the 3 .5mm head phone jack, volume control, right side convenience button (defaulted to camera), and the micro-USB connector
Before I got my BlackBerry Bold I was a BlackBerry Curve user. I had a T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8320. The 8320 has Wi-Fi and supports Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA). The other Curve models were 8300, and 8310. The 8310 has GPS but no Wi-Fi. The 8300 has neither GPS nor Wi-Fi. I chose the 8320 so I could make use of the free calling on UMA.
The original Curve is a great BlackBerry. It fits in your hand well, it is light, the keyboard is great, and the screen is beautiful. When you made the choice on which Curve to buy however, you had to decide whether you wanted Wi-Fi or GPS. Wi-Fi allows for UMA (translation free calling) and super fast Wi-Fi browsing if you associate with a HotSpot. GPS allows for location based services (LBS). Sometimes it became a tough choice because after all, wouldn't we all rather have it all?
Well when RIM sent me the new BlackBerry Curve 8900 to review I was excited. This new Curve doesn't make you have to choose. On top of that, it is a jump forward in technology and features that are very welcomed indeed.
Physical Attributes
To get a better idea how the old Curve 8320 stacks up against the new Curve 8900, let us compare some of the physical attributes. These will cover the size and weight, but also screen resolution, camera, and memory.
Curve 8900
BlackBerry Curve 8320 vs. BlackBerry Curve 8900
BlackBerry Curve 8320
BlackBerry Curve 8900
Size (length, width, depth) 4 .21"/107mm x 2 .36"/60mm x 0 .61"/ 15 .5mm 4 .29"/109mm x 2 .36"/60 mm x 0 .53"/13.5 mm
Weight (including battery) 3 .91 oz/111g 3 .88 oz/110g
Screen resolution 320x240 pixels 480x360 pixels
Camera 2.0 Megapixel with flash 3.2 Megapixel with mechanical auto focus and flash
CPU Speed
312 MHz 512 MHz
On-board memory
64 Megabytes 256 Megabytes
Radios GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900, Wi-Fi GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900, GPS, Wi-Fi
From a size standpoint this new Curve 8900 is 2mm longer than its predecessor, but in your hand it feels exactly the same. Incredibly this Curve 8900 is actually 2mm thinner than its predecessor even though it is packing more radios and features. This new Curve 8900 is also a little lighter weighing in at 110g with its battery installed. When you hold it, you can actually feel that it is lighter.
While this new Curve is almost the same size as its predecessor, it looks a lot better. The new lines on the Curve 8900 look more modern with a hint of those BlackBerry Bold design cues.
The build quality of the Curve 8900 feels better than the older 8320. Although it is still all plastic, the new Curve feels solid. The old Curve would creek slightly if you squeezed it too hard. The new one does not. The back cover looks like it is brushed aluminum but it is really plastic. Even though it is plastic, it fits on nicely and has a new clip which is an improvement over the old Curve.