BlackBerry 7 OS at last
At long last, here comes Verizon's version of the BlackBerry Curve 9370, the third in RIM's wave of Curves outfitted with BlackBerry 7 OS.
Improvements
The OS brings with it a satchel full of improvements, including a much more vibrant display and support for NFC. The screen (not a touch screen!) and keyboard are a little cramped, but comfort navigating around comes down in part to the size of your hands.
Travel-ready
Although Verizon is a CDMA network, the Curve 9370 is ready to traverse GSM territory--outside the U.S.--thanks to a SIM card slot.
Look and feel
It's a compact, but fairly stylish, handset.
Some flaws
Unfortunately, RIM missed the mark with the thin, uncomfortable volume rocker and camera shutter button.
Photo prowess
(Note: I took all photos using automatic controls. While resized, the photos are otherwise unaltered.) The 5-megapixel camera took some pretty good shots. This close-up of the flower bed outside CNET's office had a wide area in focus, and colors were vibrant without being candied.
Not so much
The photo looked pretty good on the Curve 9370's 2.4-inch screen, but looked unfocused and grainy when blown up.
Play time
Peer closely at the toys on CNET copy editor Jeff Sparkman's desk and you'll see plenty of digital noise. Thankfully, the Curve 9370 maintains even focus throughout the shot, unlike many other smartphone cameras that trip up over this tableau.
S-s-s-studio
The camera phone did well in this typical studio shot, without washing the scene in blue, orange, or muddied hues.
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