The BlackBerry Curve 9220 is now available in India for under Rs. 11,000. This is an entry level phone with an affordable price tag and running the latest BlackBerry OS 7.1. BlackBerry lovers, who always wanted to own the BB handset but kept away because of the price, can now own one.
But before you fall in for the price tag let’s have a look at what the BlackBerry 9220 has got and if it’s worth the price. This handset sports the BB style QWERTY keypad with optical mouse and comes loaded with the 7.1 OS.
Display and Keypad
The screen is bright and big measuring 2.44 inches. The resolution supported is 320 by 240 pixels (qVGA) at 164 ppi. This is a TFT LCD screen not a touchscreen display. This handset comes with QWERTY keypad – the BlackBerry style with optical trackpad. The backlit keys are easy visible in the dark and over all it is easy to use.
Processor, RAM and Design
The 9220 comes with a modest 800 MHz Processor and 512 MB eMMC / 512 MB RAM. The BB handset weighs just 102 grams and is 12.7 mm thin. Not too slim and not too bulky, just right. This handset has got curvy edges just like the other BlackBerry models and the front side sports the LCD screen followed by control buttons and the QWERTY keypad. Hot swappable microSD card slot can house cards up to 32 GB.
Camera and Connectivity
This single SIM BlackBerry phone comes with a 2 MP rear facing camera with video recording supported. This is a fixed focus camera with 5x digital zoom. The resolution is decent enough for sharing on the net.
There is no GPS which I guess will be okay with many users; however the 9220 also does not support 3G. Now that is something which might not go well with most users. The handset supports EDGE and GPRS which I think is more than sufficient but still a 3G option could have made a difference. Other options are Wi-Fi, micro USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP.
Multimedia
There is a built in FM so you can enjoy live music on the go. The Media player can play MP4, MP3, WAV, FLAC, WMV, H.264 and H.263 audio / video files. MP3 can be used as ringtones. Output can be via the built in loudspeaker or using the headset via the 3.5 mm audio jack or using Bluetooth headsets.
Other features
Digital Compass, Proximity and Accelerometer sensors are built in. BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) comes loaded with dedicated BBM key. Twitter and Facebook apps are pre-installed with BBM built in. You can download more apps from BlackBerry App World via the storefront app.
Battery
The battery life is very impressive. The 1450 mAh Li-ion battery (J-S1) gives a standby time of up to 18 days and 7 hours of talktime. RIM claims that one a full charge the music playback time is up to 28 hours with headset.
Should you buy the BlackBerry Curve 9220?
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 is selling for Rs. 10,990. You can now own the BlackBerry running on the latest 7.1 OS and the pricing seems quite affordable. But all this without 3G and GPS features. Well you can ignore the GPS but a missing 3G will keep most users away.
For the price there are many options available especially the Samsung Galaxy handsets that are priced under Rs. 10,000 and come with 3G and GPS. But then BlackBerry has a style of it’s own. So if you are a die-hard fan of these handset and don’t mind the missing features, go for it.