BlackBerry Curve 9360 review: Up and about

Introduction

This QWERTY messenger is compact and to the point, with clean and grown up design. The Curve 9360 is sure it can deliver, its confidence unshaken by unknowns and uncertainties. RIM must've enjoyed the safety and comfort of doing what they're best at.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 official pictures

The new Bold flagship and the next Torch generation did the Curve 9360 a favor by taking the pressure of high expectations off it. All it needs to do is focus on the important stuff: giving business users and heavy texters the quality service they deserve. And by the way, it should be the best Curve experience they ever had.

The higher-res screen, robust processor and the new BlackBerry OS 7.0 with NFC support propel the 9360 into an entirely different dimension. Well out of reach for the Curve as we knew it - stuck at QVGA screens and 2 or 3 MP cameras. In fact, it's an option that Bold 9700 and 9780 users would do well to consider. Blasphemy - upgrading from a Bold to a Curve! Well, no more. Just take a closer look at the specs.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
• 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 2 Mbps HSUPA
• 2.46" 16M-color TFT landscape display of HVGA+ resolution (480x360)
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Optical trackpad
• 800MHz processor
• 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity
• NFC support
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity
• Bluetooth v2.1
• 5 megapixel fixed focus, VGA video recording
• BlackBerry OS 7
• Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 4GB card in the box
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• Decent audio quality
• Office document editor
• Smart dialing
• DivX and XviD video support

Main disadvantages

• BlackBerry Internet Service account is a must to enjoy all phone features
• Poor still camera quality
• Bland text-only submenus
• Rigid call and navigation keys
• Fixed focus camera
• No HD video
• Glossy back panel prevents good grip, easily greased up

With the Bold stepping across into touchscreen, the Curve has new found space for growth. And the popular line of BlackBerries didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. The Curve 9360 is a robust upgrade of its predecessor and a huge step forward for the entire lineup.

BlackBerry Curve 9360 live shots

Respectful of rank and tradition, but not constrained by them, the new Curve 9360 is unafraid to push into new territories. And it doesn't need to push too hard to impress a new crowd. There will be plenty of returning customers to attend to. The Curve 9360 does well to make them feel at home.

This is in small part due to the design and feel of the handset, which we're about to explore. Interested? See you right after the break.