Continued...

On the features end, there's an added spell-check option that checks the spelling in your e-mail before it sends the message and prompts you accordingly to correct it. Spell-check is not available for text messages, but we suppose you won't need it much for informal messages. And finally, the onboard multimedia player is full screen without it taking half of the screen just to display a few minor controls. We never really understood RIM's reasoning behind letting go off such an obvious drawback. They appeared to have listened nonetheless and we appreciate that. That's the way companies should react to fix their clearly obvious drawbacks regardless of how minor they might be. And finally, you can't forget the 3.5mm headphones jack that is also available on the 8300 Curve. Listening to standard headphones was a pleasure even though the device could use more oomph with added bass and other audio quality enhancement functionalities.  

RIM BlackBerry 8800 Review

Again, we would like to direct you to our original 8800 review to checkout the benefits and drawbacks in greater detail. However, there are a couple of things that are interesting to note and different with the 8300 Curve. Unlike the 8800, the Curve has no support for built-in GPS. We were quite shocked when we realized it. Why would RIM disable such an amazingly useful option for no reason whatsoever? Appalling, to say the least! Also compared to the 8800, the audio quality has taken a hit with the updated version, though speakerphone quality remains stable across both models. We noticed echo and static disturbance with the 8300 Curve. On the other hand, what we really liked was the phone's automatic ability to increase/decrease the volume based on surroundings. For instance, if we were talking on a busy street corner with a lot of ambient noise, the phone would automatically increase (or vice versa) the volume to make it easier for us to listen. That was cool. It's a pity the audio quality couldn't be slightly better.

And of course, there's still no sign of 3G and WiFi support. With that said, RIM has just announced the 8830 that takes care of this problem. We scored a solid 9 hours of talk time (compared to RIM's specified 4.5 hours) with a single charge. All in all, if you have the 8800, you might want to wait for the 8830 to show up before jumping to grab the 8300. Even though RIM has made some solid improvements to the design, the keyboard is really the only must-have feature. Unless you are desperate for an onboard camera (despite it's poor quality) and a better keyboard, that's perhaps the only reason to opt for the 8300. Even then, the distinct lack of 3G and WiFi support will hopefully steer you clear off the Curve. For the price of $199.99 with a 2-year contract from AT&T/Cingular, it's not particularly a bad deal.

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