BlackBerry Curve 3G vs. Bold 9700
Key Differences
- Power: All things considered, the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 and Bold 9700 are among the most powerful BlackBerrys available. Both devices are equipped with relatively speedy 624MHz processors (these days, many of the highest-powered smartphones have 1GHz processors, though). The BlackBerry Curve 3G, however, has 512MB of RAM while the Bold 9700 only offers 256MB of RAM. While this difference in RAM won’t make a dramatic difference in most day-to-day activities such as checking email, the difference will become apparent for power users running multiple applications simultaneously.
- Display: The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers a crisp 2.4-inch display with 480 by 360 pixel resolution. The Curve 3G also has a 2.4-inch display, but at 320 by 240 pixels, the Curve 3G’s display is significantly lower resolution than that of the Curve 3G. The difference in resolution will be particularly noticeable when viewing photos or video.
- Camera: The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and an LED flash for improved photos in low lighting. The Curve 3G is equipped with a 2-megapixel camera without autofocus capabilities or LED flash. Certainly, megapixels are not the measure of a camera’s quality, but the Bold 9700 shoots better images than the Curve 3G.
- Keyboard: Both devices tout a comfortable physical QWERTY keyboard. Some users, however, may prefer the Bold 9700′s keyboard over that of the Curve 3G. The Bold’s keys are better defined and slightly larger than the Curve 3G’s keys.
- Wirefly’s cost: At the time of this comparison, the BlackBerry 9700 is $79.99 with a new AT&T account and the same price for existing upgrade-eligible subscribers. The BlackBerry Curve 3G is FREE with a new Verizon Wireless ad FREE for upgrading Verizon customers.
Side-By-Side Comparison
|
 |
 |
|
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 |
BlackBerry Bold 9700 |
|
 |
|
| Wirefly’s Price (as of publish date) |
FREE |
$79.99 |
| Carrier |
Verizon Wireless |
AT&T |
| Operating System |
BlackBerry OS 5 (expected to be upgradeable to OS 6) |
BlackBerry OS 5 (expected to be upgradeable to OS 6) |
| Interface |
|
|
| Display |
2.4-inch LCD, 320 x 240 Pixels |
2.4-inch LCD, 480 x 360 Pixels |
| Data Speed |
3G |
3G |
| Global Roaming |
No |
Yes |
| WiFi |
802.11 b/g |
802.11 b/g |
| Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 2.1 |
Bluetooth 2.1 |
| GPS |
GPS |
aGPS |
| Mobile Hotspot |
No |
No |
| Camera |
2-megapixel |
3.2-megapixel, LED flash, autofocus |
Front-facing Camera for video chat
|
No |
No |
| Video Capture |
Yes |
Yes |
| HD Output |
No |
No |
| Apps |
BlackBerry App World |
BlackBerry App World |
| Adobe Flash Support |
No |
No |
| Storage Space |
Support for up to 32GB microSD |
2 GB microSD card pre-installed (support for up to 32GB microSD card) |
| Keyboard |
Physical QWERTY |
Physical QWERTY |
| Battery |
Up to 4.5 hours talk time; up to 252 hours standby |
Up to 6 hours talk time; up to 456 hours standby |
| Processor |
624 MHz |
624 MHz |
| Memory |
RAM: 512MB; ROM: 512MB |
RAM: 256MB; ROM: 256MB |
| Microsoft Outlook Support |
Yes |
Yes |
| View Word Docs |
Yes |
Yes |
| Weight |
3.7 oz |
4.3 oz |
| Dimensions |
2.36″ x 4.29″ x 0.55″ |
2.36″ x 4.29″ x 0.56″ |
Shop Now for Phones from AT&T Wirelesss, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless.
| Up to 450 min. usage; 500 hr. standby |
Related posts:
- BlackBerry Bold 9700 (AT&T) Unboxing & Hands-on
- BlackBerry Bold 9700 vs. Tour 9630
- BlackBerry Tour vs. BlackBerry Bold 9700
- BlackBerry Torch vs. BlackBerry Bold
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October 4, 2011
Which is better,bb curve 3g or da bb bold 9700…?
October 4, 2011
Aki, I prefer the Bold 9700 for it’s larger, higher-resolution display. However, the Bold it also physically bigger than the Curve, and it’s reasonable to prefer the smaller device if that is your taste.
Bob at Wirefly
November 14, 2011
Bob,
If you will, can you answer which keys on the keyboard are bigger? Bold 9700 or the Curve 9330?
Also, can you save documents (PDF’s Word or otherwise) on the Bold like you can on the Curve?
I have a Curve 9330 and the keys on the keypad are too sensitive and get accidently pushed too many times. I have the ability to “upgrade” to a Bold 9700 and I am struggling what to do?
November 14, 2011
Jeff, yes, you can save the same sort of documents on a Bold as you can on a Curve. You should probably stop at a store and make sure the buttons on the Bold will work for you. I like the larger keyboard and you probably will, too.
Bob at Wirefly
April 13, 2011
i have got a blackberry curve 9300 and it works perfectly but the one thing they could improve is the camera because it is crap but the internet is good and you aspect that from a phone as cheap as the curve but there is quite a price different.