In the past years, Research In Motion (RIM) have been in the limelight due to its struggle in coming up with phones. Though the company lacks interesting devices in the high-end segment, Its Curve series have been excelling well in developing markets such as in India and South East Asia. While the legendary BlackBerry Curve 8520 has still been selling well in some countries due to an update, RIM will be releasing the BlackBerry Curve 9220 that is faster and provides a better built. The phone also offers several new features. The strategy of the company dwells on the improvement of the 8520 while maintaining its market segment.
In addition to the 9220, RIM has also announced that it will also be releasing the BlackBerry Curve 9320 which shares much of the design and specifications of the Curve 9220. The Curve 9320 is the 3G variant of the Curve 9220 and even offers few other improvements over the non-3G version. Let us examine the similarities and differences of the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and the BlackBerry Curve 9220.
Design
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 took much of its design concepts from its predecessor, the BlackBerry Curve 8520. Below the screen display, a row of shortcut keys can be seen with the optical trackpad at placed at the middle of the four keys. A three row QWERTY keyboard and another row of short keys below it comprise the front of the phone. The casing of the phone is made entirely with plastic, though it feels really solid. On the right edge of the phone, the dedicated volume keys and camera key can be seen. The left edge includes the microUSB slot and a dedicated BBM key which is very interesting. The dedicated BBM key launches the BlackBerry Messenger directly and the quick access key can also be configured to launch other apps that the user wishes to set it up with.
A rubberized material also runs along the edges of the phone which adds improves the grip on the phone. Among the few things that Curve 8520 users will miss is the quick access media keys since the top of the Curve 9220 has only the power or lock key and the 3.5 mm audio jack. Similarly, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 shares similar design concepts as the 9220. On the outside, the metallic edges of the Curve 9320 provide the distinction between the two. Conversely, the BlackBerry Curve 9220 also comes in different colors such as Black, Fuchsia Pink, Pure White, and Teal Blue. The BlackBerry Curve 9320 wins this round with its more premium look than the Curve 9220. However, the younger generations may be more interested with the vibrant colors that are available for the BlackBerry Curve 9220.
Display
BlackBerry Curve 9220 and BlackBerry Curve 9320 houses the same display, a 2.44 inch TFT screen that has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and a pixel density of 164 PPI. Since both devices is equipped with the same screen, this round is clearly a draw.
Processor
Both phones are powered by an 800 MHz processor with 512 MB of installed RAM. This allows both devices to run apps smoothly. The devices also features three sensors for the phone namely, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass. We call this round also a draw.
Camera
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 has a camera with 2 megapixel sensor and can take photos at 1600 x 1200 pixels. On the other hand, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 offers an upgraded camera with a 3.2 megapixel sensor. The camera also features geo-tagging options and image stabilization. Both cameras can also record videos. The BlackBerry Curve 9320 wins this round with its higher sensor than the Curve 9220.
Software
Both devices will run the latest BlackBerry OS 7.1. The latest OS provides key features that would let its users enjoy an FM Radio and an auto suggest feature via universal search. The auto suggest feature functions by filtering local search results and suggested BING! Web search with a every keystroke. This round is also considered a draw. Apart from the propriety BBM features of the devices, the phones are also pre-equipped with Twitter and Facebook applications that includes Social Feeds for updating various social apps as well as accessing RSS feeds, news, and a lot more in a single platform.
Data Connectivity
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 supports GPRS and EDGE connectivity. It can also connect to Wi-Fi hotspot locations and has a Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP. The device also uses a microUSB for data transfer and for charging the device.
On the other hand, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 offers support for HSDPA and HSUPA data networks that can have speeds of up to 7.2 mbps and 5.76, respectively. Similar to the Curve 9220, the Curve 9320 also has Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, and a microUSB. The winner for this round is the BlackBerry Curve 9320 since it can offer 3G capabilities.
Memory
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 and the BlackBerry Curve 9320 has an internal storage of 512 MB which a bit low for a mobile device. However, it can easily be expanded with the availability of a microSD slot. The devices are capable of supporting SD cards of up to 32 GB. This round is again a tie.
Battery
Both devices are equipped with a 1450 mAh standard battery. The manufacturer of the latest HTC handset claims that the battery of the BlackBerry Curve 9220 and the BlackBerry Curve 9220 can last for 7 hours for talktime and 28 hours for music playback.
Price
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 is considered as the most affordable BlackBerry 7 smartphone in the market today. It has been released last month in India and had a selling price of Rs 10,990 or about £130. On the other hand, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 was officially announced yesterday in the UK and the price tag of the phone is around £139.99 on pay as you go basis and can also be availed as a free handset on a £15 per month contract from any telecomm providers. The BlackBerry Curve 9320 offers the best deal when it comes to price since the prices of both devices do deviate that much with only less than £10 difference.
Conclusion
The BlackBerry Curve 9320 and the BlackBerry Curve 9220 will surely dominate the lower market sector with the latest addition of these products. RIM offers its consumers with affordable phones that can function well and at the same time offer the premium features of BlackBerry devices such as BBM and other key features. Though the specifications of the devices do not look pretty enough on paper, the latest BlackBerry phones are still expected to be a big hit on its target consumers which are among the developing markets of India and other South East Asian countries.
Though both devices share several common features and hardware, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 offers greater value on its price since it is 3G enabled and it has a better camera with only a £10 addition. We are still hoping for more powerful devices from RIM as the higher-market are mostly dominated by Android smartphones.
