BlackBerry Curve 9320 is the latest device RIM has to add to its Curve line of devices. In terms on the 93xx line, we already have 2, the BlackBerry 9300 and 9360. The 9320 is indeed a step up from its 9300 cousin, but yet still mantaining a step away from 9360.
Size:
Clearly, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 has shed off some of its thickness and bulk seen on the Curve 9300, but not to the extent of the Curve 9360.
Hardware placing:
Unique to the Curve series, it does not come with a docking station or a charging pod connector pin, unlike that of the Bold Series.
The left and right buttons are still there, at where it should be, but the volume control seemed to be in line with that of the OS7 device’s; there is a small little tiny square like button in the middle of the volume control for pausing and playing of music.
The top, is similar to the 9360, with a lock button and the headphone port. Unlike the traditional location; on the left or right of the device. For those using straight 3.5mm connecting cables or earphones, this is good news, especially leaving it in the pocket or pouch for listening to music. For those with right-angled 3.5mm cables or earphones, you might find this a slight hassle though.
Now, on the left, the highly discussed BBM quick shortcut button can be found there. This is set by default and it cant be changed though. However, with additional 3rd party applications such as SixTools or QuickLaunch, more functions can be added.
Also, speakers are now found at the bottom of the device, rather than at the top. The Microphone can also be found at the bottom.
Now, for the camera wise, it comes equipped with a EDOF camera, similar to that on the Bold 9900, which means, no, there is no auto focus. However, a feature we had in the older Curve series such as the 8320 and the hot favourite Curve 8900, and similar to 9360, the Flash bulb has been brought back, which went notably missing in the 85xx and 9300 devices.
One new function that was seen on OS7 devices was NFC. NFC is, however, notably missing in this device. As seen above, the battery door doesn’t have any NFC antenna.
In terms of design functionality, I think its awesome. The button on the 9360 is a single piece of plastic that spans the screen and buttons, pressing it requires a bit of finesse. Same as plenty of other devices (such as Curve 8520, 9300). Where as on the curve 9320, the button is just a plain old button, just like the one on the 9900. The individual button for call, end call, menu, and back button doesn’t look as nice as the single piece of plastic on the 9360 or 9900, but it is very nice to press (it is similar to that on the Bold 9790). It also ties in with the keyboard design of the curve, which is a plus point. The shape of the phone is nicely curved, and with it being slightly thicker helps as well, fitting the palm of your hands nicely and comfortably.
The entire phone was built to be extremely functional and easy to use. I’m not a fan of the design of the back of the phone, but I would just cover it with a case.
In terms of the battery life, the 9320 has a big name to live up to, seeing that it has the largest battery capacity among all OS 7 devices. On this device, running the latest OS, with media files blaring (AAC, 256kbps), it lasts about slightly over a day. FM radio play wise, didn’t have much of an opportunity to play with it. However, using it with 3G on messaging, the battery seems to last only 1 day which is quite puzzling. Perhaps I do have a slight problem here.
My experience from my usage of BlackBerry devices is that the battery optimisation gets better with each OS, and considering the power and battery capacity of OS 7 devices, OS 7.1 is frankly brilliant. The BlackBerry Bold 9700/9780 was famously known for its long battery life, but i think that its all down to that huge battery capacity of 1550mAh. If the BlackBerry Curve 9360 or Bold 9790/9900 had that same battery, I think it would last longer.
On the other thought, the BlackBerry J-M1 (from the other OS 7 devices such as BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9790) and J-S1 (this device) has a similar build size. So it got me wondering, will the battery be interchangeable? So I tried the batteries vice-versa on the Curve 9320 and Torch 9860. Unfortunately the answer is, no. 🙁
Well, the processor (806MHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM) is the slowest of the lot. However, in all honesty, everything still runs very smoothly. Smoother than RIM’s previous generation’s flagship device, the BlackBerry Bold 9780.
The screen is not the best that we have handled, with the resolution lower than that of the 9360. Text can get a bit choppy, and images don’t look that as awesome, but still, its a reasonably acceptable screen. However, that said, its still a step up over 9300, in its colour and contrast as seen above.
Keyboard is very nice to type on as well. The keys has excellent tactile feel to it, making a solid clicking sound when pressed. Some love it, some hate it. In comparison the Bold 9900 has a more cushy feeling to it while keeping the tactile feel, more discreet as well. This really reminds me of my favourite Curve 8900 device.
The interesting thing is some apps don’t work and some apps does. Tumblr app doesn’t work for any other OS 7 device but it does for the 9320, which i guess is down to the resolution the app supports. DBS banking app doesn’t work as of now too. Also, ShowNearby doesn’t work as well. Wikitude was also not available nor usable until the recent update. Hopefully developers take a closer look at this device. On the bright side, our application do support this device!
In summary, lacking of the auto-focus camera together with a glossy back, it makes this device a little unappealing for many users. However, considering this as a low end device, targeted primarily at budget conscious users, this could just be the right device especially for users who want to try out a solid keyboard and amazing communications and integration of the BlackBerry World.
