Project PDA

Beauty, brains and the right curves…..a proportionate combination of the three can sweep you off your feet! Well, we are talking about the new BlackBerry Curve 8300 Smartphone. Besides flaunting its gorgeous curves, the handheld device has proclaimed itself to be the smallest and the lightest full QWERTY BlackBerry Smartphone.

Following in the footsteps of the Pearl that appeared in the market last year, aiming primary at the gizmo-savvy business users, the Curve has toned up its features for the mainstream consumers. This introduction has been studied as a move to target both the high as well as the low ends of the market.

Compared to the Pearl , the Curve is just as slim (4.2 x 2.4 x 036 inches) and weighs approximately 3.9 ounce. A liquid Silver finish made plush with chrome highlights caressing the smooth edges and the soft curves; the Smartphone is a unique blend of communication, multimedia and web features to match with the striking exterior.

Significantly, the Smartphone displays a whole platter of expedient phone features ranging from Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) facilitating the Voice Activated Dialing; Bluetooth 2.0 support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits and Bluetooth peripherals; quad-band operation for global roaming that dissolves geographical barriers for you; dedicated 'send', 'end' and 'mute' keys for faster commanding; smart dialing, speed dialing, conference calling and call forwarding competence that multiplies the usage of your handset; the noise cancellation technology is carefully developed to offset background noise; a low-distortion speakerphone for hands-free conversation ; and support for polyphonic, MP3 and MIDI ring tones.

The ultra-bright 320 x 240 display includes RIM's light sensing technology with provisions for automatically adjustable backlighting levels for indoors, outdoors and dark surroundings. To complement the display, RIM has squeezed in a full-sized backlit keyboard that makes the phone look wider and the typing job simpler yet swifter. The intuitive trackball navigation system complements this well-spaced layout, spelling comfort for the users. This 2.5 inch display renders a whole lot from Web pages and maps to photos and videos.

An otherwise simplistic design of the Smartphone is composed of a standard 3.5 mm stereo jack, a USB port and a push-to-talk key along the left edge of the curve and the volume buttons and the camera launch key flanking the right side. The top of the device holds the Mute button. However, the microSD card slot located beneath the battery might make inserting and removing the card a little hassled.

The powerful, new Roxio desktop media manager that has been included in this new BlackBerry is based on the software developed by Sonic Solutions Inc. Its supreme efficiency helps users to organize their media files on their personal computers and subsequently convert photos, music and videos for playback on the BlackBerry Curve. And the split-screen interface makes this dragging and dropping of files to the Curve (and from the curve to your desktop) effortless and certain. In case you have some selected videos, the program will attempt to convert all sorts of files to MPEG-4, including AVI, DivX, WMV and Xvid as long as your own computer has been loaded with the correct codes. The media manager can also be employed in active monitoring of certain folders for new media files, creation of music play-list and editing photos.

A crisp and clear audio system tunes in perfectly with this new gadget. The media playback is generally smooth as the device supports a whole tempting range of audio (AAC, MP3, WMA) and video (MPEG-4, H.263, WMV) files natively. The speaker though delivers a decent output, it is recommended to pair the phone with a Bluetooth stereo headset for the ultimate listening pleasure. This stereo Bluetooth also bestows you with ability of skipping tracks by simply pressing the fast-forward button as opposed to the two step process of hitting the Menu key and then selecting the Next Track as a default setting on the Curve. The phone simultaneously offers to support AT&T Music services streaming XM radio at a subscription fee of $9.99 per month.

BlackBaerry's revered email and messaging potential are added to this new curvy handset, without compromise. Support for instant messaging with BlackBerry® Messenger, Google® Talk and Yahoo!® Messenger are pre-loaded in the machine

The setup wizard works like a sprinter in setting up email accounts, as composing is made powerful and flawless with the new spell-checker function complete with customizable dictionary. It is definitely a move ahead as BlackBerry® Internet Service support that allows access to 10 personal and corporate email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts.

The 2MP camera that this BlackBerry exhibits is robust and immaculate enough to take pictures that can produce crisp 4x6-inch prints. The pictures are unmistakably loaded with perfect details and rich saturation. The photos can also be set as unique Caller IDs or Home Screen Images.

The call quality on the new Curve has been commendable on AT&Ts network. However, more volume on the earpiece could definitely give the phone more mileage.

Pros:

• The curve is designed with a microSD expansion slot for added storage space for music, videos and pictures and supports upto 2GB card available in the market.
• The fast shutter speed and a built in flash allows the Curve to take decent close-ups in dimply lit rooms.
• Curve offers a better email experience and a much longer battery life compared to its close contender the Samsung BlackJack.

Cons:

• The inability to record video is definitely a negative aspect.
• The Curve's web browsing performance is pretty snappy over its EDGE connection
• The Media manager is reported to have given slight trouble in delivering five minutes long MPEG-4 clip as the audio failed to be in synchronization with the video when played back on the device.

The new BlackBerry phone offers flexibility and convenience in both personal and professional lives. For the users based entirely on information technology, the BlackBerry is a power-packed instrument that ensures unflinching connectivity.