BlackBerry Curve 9320 review

With all of this talk about BlackBerry 10 and the internal politics at RIM, it's easy to forget that the manufacturer is still churning out phones in the hope that punters will buy one.
And until BB10 arrives, we have BB7 smartphones to enjoy - especially on this latest little handset, the BlackBerry Curve 9320, which is pocket friendly in terms of both price and physical size.

While BlackBerry has been busy pumping out impressive touchscreen handsets such as the BlackBerry Bold 9780 and BlackBerry Bold 9900, it's keen to make sure it doesn't alienate those who would be drawn in by its cheaper - yet just as cheerful - Curve range.
And the BlackBerry Curve 9320 - just like the BlackBerry Curve 9360 - fits that mould well.

The BlackBerry Curve 9320 looks like a Curve of old. It's sleek, with both black and brushed metal tones and has a curved back, which really fits in the hand well - almost as though it's been moulded with that in mind. It was one of the first things we noticed when we took it out of its packaging.

At 109 x 60 x 12.7mm and 103g, it's a bit thicker than the Curve 9360, and 4g heavier, and certainly feels rounder and more chunky. The precise edges are gone.
It's more Playskool to the Curve 9360's Prada - but that will suit some down to the ground: namely, the younger generation this is clearly aimed at and those who are coming to a smartphone for the first time with little regard for aesthetics.

The front holds the screen, which is a fairly basic 320 x 240 pixel job measuring 2.44 inches. The 164 ppi density won't blind you with its greatness, but it does the job reasonably well. We used to view this as amazing on devices of old. Now, we feel more hard done by.

Also, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 isn't touchscreen but you do get RIM's signature optical trackpad beneath it to navigate. This is surrounded by the four standard BlackBerry buttons (call, menu, back, hang up), and they're all mechanical rather than touch-sensitive.
The actual keyboard is typical Curve fare, with small keys that give a satisfying, tinny click when pushed in.

Round the back, you'll find little of interest other than the 3.2MP camera and LED light. The actual rear of the phone is made of shiny black plastic. We couldn't help feeling it looked a bit cheap, and thankful that the shape of this phone fits the hands so well. If not, this shiny rear would be taking you straight to slipsville.
Up top, you'll find the 3.5mm headphone jack and an unlock button. There are no dedicated media buttons but there is a dedicated BBM button on the left, which is something we're not used to seeing. That's accompanied by the charge/sync port.

The right-hand side has the volume buttons and convenience key, which is set by default to fire up the camera. Both can be easily changed to open your app of choice.

BlackBerry Curve 9320 review: Camera

 

The BlackBerry Curve 9320's camera does what it says on the tin. It's cheap and cheerful at 3.2MP - which was a great resolution to have back in 2007, but is not the best on the market these days by any stretch of the imagination.
There's only one snapper, and that's round the back. And while we're all too aware that it's not always about the number of megapixels but so much other stuff too, there's no way of disguising that the camera on the BlackBerry Curve 9320 is average, at best.
We are pleased to report at least that that it also comes with an LED flash, which is something all too often left off cheaper phones. Thanks RIM.

Pictures taken come out just as you would expect. If you're going to take the odd snap of the dog chasing its ball or the kids at school sports day then you'll be fine. If you're looking for something that will replace your DSLR, you'll be disappointed, but we don't imagine you'll be considering the BlackBerry Curve 9320 if that's the case.
For the shaky handed among you: the good news is that the BlackBerry Curve 9320 comes with image stabilisation in the options (turned off by default.) The bad news is that it's pretty hopeless, and you're best ignoring it.
Basically, what you are getting here is the same camera software that you got on the BlackBerry Curve 9360, but with an inferior lens. There is absolutely nothing here to boast about, unless you're an occasional snapper.

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The flash illuminates photos well, but pictures can end up looking very washed out.

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Due to the lack of autofocus, getting a lock on any form of text is impossible.

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Using the beach scene mode, colours can appear vibrant in good light, but you can still see jagged lines around some edges.

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Fast moving objects such as cars demonstrate a slight blur on photos, but it's passable. Unfortunately, in cloudy conditions, even in daylight, images can look very grey and dull.
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