Following in the footsteps of the BlackBerry Torch and Bold, the Curve 9380 is another attempt by RIM to compete, rather catchup, with Apple's iPhone and the onslaught of Android competitors.
In the BlackBerry Curve 9380, RIM's famous QWERTY keyboard has been replaced by a 3.2 inch touchscreen. Below the 3.2 inch screen are four keys - the call connect, call disconnect, return key and menu key. The 9380 resembles the Torch 9860 except that it weighs much less and is arguably more sleek. The chrome border in particular imparts a touch of elegance but the cover opens sideways which may prove challenging for anyone with long nails.
The phone weighs a mere 98 grams and measures 109 x 60 x 11.2 mm. There is an internal storage capacity of 512 MB alongside 512 MB of RAM. The phone offers a decent talk-time of about 5.5 hours on a 2G network and slightly better, surprisingly, on 3G networks. Either way, you'll likely be recharging this device daily.
Overall the 9380 is everything you have come to expect from a BB with a decent touchscreen and a decent price. Where things start to go south is at the core - with the operating system. BlackBerry OS is leaps, arguably bounds, behind its competitors and both the overall user experience and selection of Apps leaves a lot to be desired.
Need to know: BlackBerry Curve 9380
1. An affordable touchscreen phone. (The Good)
2. BBM - BlackBerry Messenger. (The Good)
3. You need a special BIS plan to enjoy all the features of the phone. (The Bad)
4. No front camera, hence no video calling. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- GSMArena Team, GSMArenaThe new Curve 9380 is not something we haven’t seen so far, it's a downgrade on an already familiar phone. But surprisingly, this actually works. While the Torch 9860 was big and not every RIM user's choice, the new Curve is smaller and lighter, but still equally capable and running the OS 7 a...
- Florence Legrand , Digital VersusOur biggest complaint about the new touchscreen BlackBerry Curve 9380 is, well, the fact it doesn't have a physical keyboard. A BlackBerry without a keyboard is just another touch-control smartphone, and in this case it has an interface that needs some work and an application store that's pretty qui...
- Daniel P., PhoneArenaThe BlackBerry Curve 9380 is an interesting foray in the touchscreen-only jungle by RIM, which probably meant to create a decent consumer-oriented budget device with its services staples. Yet when you get rid of one huge advantage for BlackBerry aficionados, which is the physical keyboard, and repla...
- What Mobile, What MobileDespite its flawed operating system, there’s a charm to the compact design of the Curve 9380 but it’s the keyboard skills that will disappoint BlackBerry fans. If you demand speed, the Curve 9380 is not your next phone.
- Jon Fingas, MacnnThe Curve 9380 is, without a doubt, the smallest BlackBerry ever.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the BlackBerry Curve 9380 user manual here.
BlackBerry backs up the Curve 9380 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Curve 9380 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact BlackBerry support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find BlackBerry's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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