BlackBerry Curve 9360

The good : The RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 is slim and compact with a tactile physical keyboard. It supports NFC and the BlackBerry 7 OS, and can make calls over Wi-Fi.

The bad : The RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360's side buttons are a little too skinny for us, there's no HD video capture, and it doesn't support T-Mobile's high-speed HSPA+ network.

The bottom line : The RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 makes a great entry-level offering for those already in the BlackBerry camp.

RIM launched its next-generation BlackBerry 7 OS with a refreshed Bold 9900/9930, the Torch 9810, and the Torch 9850/9860. Conspicuously absent was the Curve, RIM's entry-level brand. That has changed, however, with the release of the RIM BlackBerry Curve 9360 (the Curve 9350 is the CDMA version). It doesn't have a touch screen or the sleek industrial design of a BlackBerry Bold, but it does offer a number of improvements under the hood like the introduction of NFC support. Furthermore, the Curve 9360 for T-Mobile offers UMA-based Wi-Fi calling, a feature that even the higher-end Bolds lack. At only $79.99 with a two-year contract, the Curve 9360 is a great buy for BlackBerry enthusiasts who want to save some money.

Design

At first glance, the Curve 9360 doesn't look dramatically different from its predecessor, the Curve 3G 9300. They are similar in shape and size, with curved corners and a compact design. If you take a closer look, however, the Curve 9360 is a little sleeker. The glossy black front surface now flows from the top all the way to the bottom, giving the Curve 9360 a much more streamlined appearance. At 4.3 inches long by 2.4 inches wide by 0.4 inch thick, the Curve 9360 is also noticeably slimmer and lighter. A minor complaint is that the smooth plastic feel goes all the way to the back as well, which makes it feel a little slipperier in the hand.

The BlackBerry Curve 9360 has a sharper 

display and more streamlined design than its predecessor.

Another change from the old Curve is that the Curve 9360 has a 2.5-inch, 480x360-pixel-resolution display. It's not the gorgeous VGA touch screen on the Bold 9900, but it's certainly better than the Curve 9300's 320x240-pixel display. BlackBerry 7 OS brings Liquid Graphics technology to the Curve 9360 as well, which boosts the vibrancy and responsiveness of the display. Indeed, graphics and text proved to be colorful, vibrant, and sharp. We did think the font size on the home screen was a little on the small side, which might not be great for those with poor eyesight. As for the Curve's lack of a touch screen, we're not disappointed by that. The display is small enough that it might have been frustrating to use, and we're fine with just using the optical touch pad for navigation.

The Curve 9360 has the same flat navigation array we saw on the previous Curve. It consists of the Send, Menu, Back, and End/Power keys with the aforementioned optical touch pad in the middle. The keys are not touch-sensitive, and they do require a bit of pressure to push them. The optical touch pad is the same as on the other QWERTY BlackBerrys--we found it easy to use, and we managed to navigate and select items with precision.

Beneath the array is the famous Curve keyboard, but slightly tweaked. The keys are a hair bigger and rounder than on previous models, but the overall keyboard is still quite small compared with the one on the Bold. Yet, because the keys are separated and raised, we had no problem typing out messages.

On the left spine is the Micro-USB port, while the right spine is home to a very skinny volume rocker along with a similarly slim customizable shortcut key. In fact, we think the right spine buttons are a little too skinny. Gone are the media keys at the top--now there are a 3.5mm headset jack and a screen lock key, which is very similar to the Bold. The camera lens and LED flash are on the back.

Features

A lot of what sets the Curve 9360 apart from its predecessors is BlackBerry 7 OS. The user interface hasn't changed much from BlackBerry 6 OS, with its directory-based home screens and collapsible notification trays. What has really improved are the graphics processor, a full Web browser with a just-in-time JavaScript compiler and full HTML 5 support, augmented-reality application support, and voice-activated universal search.

Another nice feature addition courtesy of BlackBerry 7 OS is that NFC (near-field communication) is now supported on the Curve. Theoretically, NFC allows you to purchase goods or services by swiping your phone over a compatible payment system, or to transfer files by touching phones thanks to apps like BlackBerry Tag. We weren't able to fully test NFC with our Curve, but we're happy to see RIM embrace newer technology like this. For more about BlackBerry 7 OS, read our review of the BlackBerry Torch 9810.

A key feature that sets the Curve 9360 apart from the recent BlackBerry releases is its support for T-Mobile's UMA-based Wi-Fi calling. Just hook up your phone to the local wireless network, and you can make and answer calls without them being deducted from your plan's monthly allotment of minutes. We were surprised at how well it worked--we were able to hand off calls between Wi-Fi and regular cellular airwaves seamlessly. The Curve 9360 also supports GPS and Bluetooth.

BlackBerry continues to beat the corporate e-mail drum with support for all sorts of systems and services, including BlackBerry Enterprise Server, Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise. You can also use a free but limited version of BES with which you can sync your Exchange calendar, contacts, and tasks. For consumers not tied to the corporate network, you can sync up to 10 different POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts via BlackBerry Internet Service. Popular Web services like Gmail and Yahoo should already have those settings preloaded. However, the default setting for Gmail and Yahoo is not IMAP, so deleted e-mails are not synced, and you'll have to do it manually.

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HTC Evo Design 4G (Sprint)

HTC Evo Design 4G (Sprint) | Android Best Phone

The good : The HTC Evo Design 4G has an understated black-on-black design, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, two cameras, and is a world phone. It comes with 8GB of memory preinstalled.

The bad : The stubborn back cover is hard to remove and the speakerphone could be better. A dedicated hardware shutter button wouldn't go amiss.

The bottom line : The HTC Evo Design 4G gives you a lot of smartphone for an excellent value--fast 4G speeds, a good camera, a strong processor, and a sophisticated design. It's an excellent choice for Sprint customers, except those who are specifically looking for a dual-core phone.

The fifth to join the Evo family, the HTC Evo Design 4G is a slightly smaller, more budget-conscious version of the classic Evo 4G and more recent Evo 3D, complete with the family's typical Sprint WiMax 4G speeds. It also has the distinction of being the first globe-trotting Evo, with a GSM-friendly SIM card slot hidden beneath the battery cover (and yes, it will only work overseas.)

HTC might have scaled back with the Design 4G, but that doesn't make it a mediocre phone by any means. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread device has a 1.2GHz processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and comes with an 8GB microSD card right out of the box. It also has HTC's usual premium finishes and a price point that's hard to beat for all the goodies--just $99.99 with a two-year contract, after a $50 mail-in rebate. Yep, HTC's runtiest Evo is also its best value.

Design

HTC has an eye for design, and from the boxy to the curved, this cell phone maker knows how to make a pretty phone. The answer is yes, the Design 4G has earned its name. The Evo Design 4G pays homage to a lot of other HTC phones, with its boxy edges and wide metallic band across the back. There's also a soft-touch material above and below the band to create a black-on-black tuxedoed look. In fact, it's much more sharp and stylish than the Evo 3D. The Design 4G measures 4.8 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.47-inch thick and weighs 5.2 ounces (in contrast, the slightly larger Evo 3D stands 5 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.48-inch thick and weighs 6 ounces.) The size is very manageable and it feels great in the hand and fine on the ear.

The HTC Evo Design 4G is a smidge smaller than 

other members of the Evo family, but don't mistake it for a runt.

With the smaller stature comes a smaller screen, a 4-inch rather than a 4.3-inch display. It has a WVGA (960x540-pixel) touch-screen resolution, which isn't the most glorious out there, but it isn't at all bad either. In fact, it looks bright, sharp, and colorful--as it should with support for 16 million hues.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread is running the show backstage on the Evo Design 4G, but HTC's Sense 3.0 is all you see up front. I personally think HTC hit a home run with Sense, everything from its lush graphics to its carousel animation that quickly spins when you swipe your finger fast across the seven customizable home screens. 

On to the externals! Below the display are four touch-sensitive navigation buttons to go home, pull up the menu, go back, and search. Above the screen is the 1.3 megapixel camera lens. The right spine is bare; too bad, this would be a great spot for a physical camera shutter button. On the left you'll find the volume rocker and Micro-USB charging port. Up top are the 3.5 millimeter headset jack and the power button. On the back you get the 5-megapixel camera lens and the LED flash.

If you can pry off the back cover, you'll find a microSD card 

slot and the GSM SIM slot. Even the internals look chic.

One of the phone's most interesting hardware embellishments is beneath the battery cover, which was tough to wrench off. HTC has even managed to make the guts of the Design 4G look stylish, thanks to a partially transparent hinged ledge that snaps into place below the battery (it's also a structural element that keeps the battery in place. Flip it open, though, and you'll see the SIM slot where you can slide in a GSM SIM card if you take the phone overseas. It bears repeating that the Evo Design 4G will not work with a U.S. GSM SIM.

The microSD card slot is also here below the cover. The phone comes with an 8GB card pre-installed.

Features

Since phones are first and foremost about communications, let's start there. Android on the back end means that the Evo Design 4G lets you access your Google accounts; HTC also hooks in to Facebook contacts if you'd like. The phone supports groups and a host of details per contact. Plus, your available memory is the only limit to the breadth of contacts you can have.

Some extra finishing touches make the square, 

black Evo Design 4G more than just a black box.

It's a smartphone, so there's texting, multimedia messaging, e-mail, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS on board. HTC Sense lets you access your contact list and messages directly from the lock screen. The Swype virtual keyboard is available, but not by default.

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