Curve9370
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LG Spectrum, BlackBerry Curve 9370 available now on Verizon
These two Big Red bedfellows couldn't be further apart on the smartphone range. LG's 4G-capable Spectrum (a Nitro HD in smooth, plastic coating) and the budget-friendly BlackBerry Curve 9370 are hitting retail shelves in tandem today, bringing users across Verizon's sub base the option to aim Android high or swing their wallets low. LG's repackaged, dual-core beast offers the same stunning 4.5-inch 720p HD display available on its AT&T counterpart and ships with Gingerbread 2.3.5 out of the box, although an upgrade to ICS is on deck. If you've been toying with the idea of an LTE phone, this might be the one for you, as its $199 pricing (with two-year contract) comes in well below other similarly equipped, high-end handsets. And lest we forget RIM's QWERTY for the masses, the Curve 9370 blends NFC, a 5 megapixel camera and handy GSM radios for the globe-hopping set. At $99 on contract, this device is poised to ding your bank account the least, but that's what you get with mid-range specs. Feel free to peruse the PR after break while you contemplate your place on the mobile spectrum.
Verizon launches BlackBerry Curve 9370
If all the Windows Phone and Android news isn't really striking your fancy and iPhones hold no appeal then, perhaps, your interest will be piqued by the BlackBerry Curve 9370 which was just announced. Verizon unveiled the latest budget-friendly RIM device for CES and it doesn't depart too much from the QWERTY, candybar mold. In addition to CDMA radios it's also got GSM for globetrotters and NFC for those that want to hop on the next wave of mobile payment tech. Around the back is a 5-megapixel camera, probably not capable of shooting 1080p. The 9370 will run you $99 with a two year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate. And, most importantly, it'll be upgradeable to BlackBerry OS 7.1 -- the most advanced in 20th century smartphone technology.
Blackberry Curve 9360 hands-on
So, the trickle of BlackBerry juice is now a flood. Just weeks after RIM launched its high-end Torch 9810, 9850 and Bold 9900 handsets, it's revealed the refreshed mid-range Curve 9360 (aka the 9350 or 9370, depending on the carrier and region). When compared to the Bold 9900, which can be seen as a richer cousin with a similar form factor, the new Curve clearly comes with key hardware sacrifices in order to meet a lower (but still to-be-confirmed) price point, including an 800MHz processor (instead of 1.2GHz), no touchscreen and a 480 x 360 HVGA+ display rather than the Bold's full VGA panel. Compared to previous Curves, however, the 9360 is a significant upgrade. It sports the new BB 7, a 5MP camera and a physical design that RIM hopes will entice the "youth demographic" as well as the millions of international users who have helped to turn the Curve into RIM's globally bestselling range. The question is, is this device enough of an upgrade, considering it's been a year since the last refresh in the Curve series? Read on for our initial hands-on impressions... %Gallery-131410%
RIM launches new BlackBerry Curve (video)
Want to get your BBM on in style without spending a fortune on RIM's latest trio? Say hello to the new 11mm (0.43 inch) thin BlackBerry Curve, now official in 3 variants -- the dual-mode GSM / CDMA 9370, the GSM / UMTS 9360 and the CDMA-only 9350. These long rumored handsets feature an 800MHz CPU, 512MB RAM, a tiny 2.44-inch HVGA+ (480×360 pixel) display, a five megapixel EDoF camera (with LED flash and VGA video recording), Bluetooth, WiFi b/g/n with UMA, GPS / aGPS and NFC. While there's no sign of that new-fangled touch screen technology, you'll find BlackBerry 7 under the hood, along with a 1000mAh battery to keep it ticking all day long, 512MB of built-in storage (1GB on the 9370) and microSD card support (up to 32GB). RIM is still mum on pricing, but the new BlackBerry Curve is "expected to be available from carriers in Canada this month and from other carriers around the world beginning in September" -- including Vodafone, based on the video (and PR) after the break. We'll have a hands-on later today so stay tuned for more. Update: It's official, the BlackBerry Curve 9350 will be coming to Sprint on September 9th for a perfectly reasonable $80 -- provided you're willing to sign a two year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. We've tacked on the PR after the break. %Gallery-131397%
BlackBerry Curve 'Apollo' gets featured in tutorial clips, BB 7 OS struts its stuff (video)
If you've been yearning to meet the upcoming BlackBerry Curve 'Apollo' on a more personal level, we think its leaked training videos will serve a fine ocular opportunity. While they're certainly no replacement for hands-on experience, these clips were discovered within a leaked copy of BlackBerry 7 OS and provide a concise overview of user interaction with the device. It's no touchscreen experience, that's for sure. Judging from the hovering orb that represents both your finger and wait times, we're not expecting this creation to be overly speedy, although these tutorials (hopefully) don't represent actual usage. On the plus side, there's some nice music accompanying the tour, which makes waiting for menus to appear feel downright enjoyable. Jump the break for an unsanctioned peek.
