BlackBerry Curve 9320 Philippines Officially Launched! Complete Specs, In the Flesh Photos, Demo Video, Live on TechPinas!

TechPinas Exclusive!

Last night, via an exclusive 'musical event' at Prive Luxury Club at the Fort in Taguig City, RIM and Globe Telecom officially launched two new affordable BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Curve 9220 (which we've already featured in an earlier TP post) and this, the BlackBerry Curve 9320:

blackberry curve 9320
BlackBerry Curve 9320, in the flesh, TP Friends!

blackberry curve 9320
This phone is ideal for budget conscious consumers who want to experience the wonders of a BlackBerry smartphone. Also, it's a great update to BlackBerry Curve 8520 or BlackBerry Curve 9300 - so if you own those, you might want to check out this new release.

What sets BlackBerry Curve 9320 and its look-alike 9220 apart from earlier borderline-entry-level BB smartphones is that - on top of the refreshed OS, which finally brings stereo FM radio to both handsets - they feature a new dedicated BBM button on the side. This key makes it easier to launch BBM and to share messages and experiences with friends faster and more conveniently.

blackberry curve 9320
On the right side of the microUSB port, thats' the dedicated BBM key.

Pocket-friendly BlackBerry Curve 9320 may not have the stellar multimedia capabilities and innards of the more expensive Bold models or the TP-Favorite Torch line but it nevertheless comes with key software features that will have any first-time BlackBerry user smiling. Of course, it supports applications that all BB fans have grown to love, including Facebook for BlackBerry, Twitter for BlackBerry, BlackBerry App World - housing thousands upon thousands of apps for free download - and a new Social Feeds app, which allows users to post updates to multiple social networking accounts in one go and even get updates from news sources via RSS.


Check out my quick hands-on video of the smartphone. This one's for the young BB fans!


Just like BlackBerry Curve 9220, 9320 flaunts a 2.44-inch TFT display, an optical trackpad, full QWERTY thumb-type keyboard, VGA video recorder, 800 MHz processor and 512 MB of RAM which runs the new BlackBerry 7 operating system, microSD card slot for expanding the 512 MB internal storage, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio on the go, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity support and a 1450 mAh Li-Ion battery, delivering up to 7 hours of talk time, 28 hours of playing music and up to 18 days of standby.

What makes 9320 different from the slightly more affordable 9220 though - aside from having a 3.2 MegaPixel fixed focus camera with LED flash versus the 2 Megapixel shooter on 9220 - is that the former supports 3G HSDPA connectivity and can even work as a mobile hotspot, allowing the user to share his or her mobile data connection with up to 5 Wifi enabled devices like the BlackBerry Playbook or even a laptop.

So how can you get this phone? BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now up for pre-order via Globe's corporate website. The smartphone is actually free via Globe Plan 999 BlackBerry UnliSurf Combo, which gives you unlimited surfing, BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter for BlackBerry, Facebook for BlackBerry, P400 consumable and a number of freebies. Nice, eh?

To wrap this up in true TechPinas fashion, let me share some photos I got from last night's event and of course, the complete technical specifications table of BlackBerry Curve 9320.

blackberry curve 9320

blackberry curve 9320
TP was there! Watch out for my interview with BlackBerry Pilipinas about the new smartphones of Research in Motion as well as my BB experience.

blackberry curve 9320

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name BlackBerry Curve 9320
Type Candybar with Full QWERTY Thumb-type Keypad
Price Category Lower Midrange, Borderline Entry Level
Dimensions109 x 60 x 12.7 mm
Weight 102 grams
Available Colors Black, Pure White, Teal Blue, Fuchsia Pink
Operating System BlackBerry OS 7.1
Display 2.44 inches (~164 ppi pixel density), 320 x 240 pixels, TFT, 65K colors, non-touchscreen
Processor 800 MHz
RAM/ROM 512 RAM, 512 ROM
Camera 3.2 MegaPixels, fixed focus, 1600x1200 pixels
Video Capture VGA, 640x480 pixels
Audio and Video Playback MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC/MP4/H.263/H.264 player
Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, Mobile Hotspot
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G
Internal Storage 512 MB eMMC
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Battery Li-Ion 1450 mAh (J-S1)
Uptime Stand-by time of up to 432 hours, Talk time of up to 7 hours, Music play of up to 28 hours
Value-Added Features BlackBerry 7.1 OS, BBM, Facebook for Blackberry, Twitter for BlackBerry, Social Feeds
Announcement In the Philippines: May 2012
Availability May 2012
Price TP Retail Price Guesstimate: Php 11,000 to Php 13,000 (not yet available at retail outlets)
Free at Globe Plan 999, BlackBerry UnliSurf Combo

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