BlackBerry Bold vs BlackBerry Curve: General Comparison
Introduction to BlackBerry Bold vs BlackBerry Curve
The BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve smartphones can be deemed as very similar or very different depending which models you choose to compare. In this article I will choose not to select any particular models for direct comparison, but rather to provide a general overview of each series. On occasion, some models will be singled out in an attempt to highlight certain features and specifications .
Design
Most BlackBerry phones are similar in outward appearance and the BlackBerry Bold and Curve smartphones are probably the closest in design for certain models. However, the BlackBerry Curves and the Bolds do have their own unique points. For starters, the BlackBerry Curve smartphones tend to have raised keys for the QWERTY keypad, while the Bold phones tend to be manufactured with flatter, more inline QWERTY keys.
The BlackBerry Curve 8500 series along with the Curve 3G are made with easily accessible multimedia keys on top of the device, so that playing, forwarding and rewinding audio media can be done without actually visiting the media centre. I have not yet seen these buttons on any BlackBerry Bold series.
The BlackBerry Bold and Curve smartphones generally have similar height and width, but the Curve phones often weigh a bit less than the Bold phones and the Curve phones tend to have more carriers.
User Interface
All BlackBerry smartphones have an agreeable user interface and they pretty much share the same user accessibility. The BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve smartphones are even more similar in this regard. In essence, the user interface is based on the features in the particular model and the access to shortcut keys that are generally located on the sides of the BlackBerry phones. The icons are easily accessible with a press of the menu button and while some icons may look slightly different or be located in different spots, they are usually the same icons that serve the same functions. BlackBerry pretty much has a set standard for their user interface.
Features
When comparing BlackBerry Bold vs BlackBerry Curve features, the Bold phones tend to come out on top depending on which phones you compare. But the fact is that more of the Bold phones have more features. The Bold phones generally have a higher megapixel camera than the Curve phones as with the case of the Bold 9780, which now has a 5.0 MP camera and the highest I have seen in a Curve is 3.2 MP as in the Curve 8900. Most BlackBerry Curve smartphones are only equipped with a 2.0 MP camera which takes slightly foggy pictures.
Additionally, the memory for the BlackBerry Bold smartphones is usually higher than what you get in Curve smartphones, for example, the new Bold phones are equipped with 512MB onboard memory and the Curves generally have 256MB. This may not be of much importance because you cannot save anything on the phone itself. The onboard memory is pretty much there to accommodate the phone’s OS, software and applications. You will have to include your own micro SD card in order to save media files and documents.
The Bold once again comes out on top in regards to 3G, whereas most of the BlackBerry Bold models are 3G compliant, you would need to purchase a phone from the BlackBerry Curve 3G series which is a BlackBerry 9330 or 9300. You could also opt for a Curve 8530.
The Curve smartphones take the lead in minor features such as the aforementioned media keys and the number of carriers that support them.
Conclusion
I am only going to provide my personal opinion with regard to the better BlackBerry models because I am a biased party in this conclusion. While I did provide an unbiased report, I must say that I prefer BlackBerry Curves over BlackBerry Bold smartphones any day. The truth is that I started out with a BlackBerry Curve and while I have used BlackBerry Bolds on occasion, I would never give up my Curve for anything except maybe an ugraded one. I like the rounded shape of the Curve phones, the light weight and media keys. I hate that my Curve only has a 2.0 MP camera, but I currently have a digital camera to take care of my photographing needs, and I may also soon upgrade to another Curve with a higher megapixel camera.
BlackBerry smartphones on the whole are great devices and if you are planning to purchase one, visit the BlackBerry website and compare up to 5 different model phones and make your selection based on the features and design that inspires you.
References and Images
BlackBerry, https://www.blackberry.com
