[TargetIT]

I'm starting to wonder what the point is. Why? At least here, the difference is $50 for a contract term. For that extra $50, you get a better camera (both in resolution and auto-focus), better screen, a flash for your camera, a dedicated power supply and usb cable (the 9300 has a combo, much like the iPhone's adaptor), and a swivel case.

Now for most corporate customers, a lot of that is unnecessary, but the case isn't. Toss in a case, lets say $20-$30 depending on where you buy it, and you're only looking at a difference of $20-$30 - not even one month's phone bill. I'm at the point now where I don't even think I'll bother with ordering any more of these phones based strictly on price-point.

One thing it does have going for it, is the curve's keyboard, I still prefer it over the Bold's.

[avelasqu]

Agreed. I guess for us Bold users that love the Curve's keyboard, the 9300 is the way to go?

[Trimix]

I was really hoping that the 9300 was a 9700 with a Curve keyboard (which I prefer). But it seems odd to dumb down its feature set (camera, lack of autofocus, no flash/flashlight, and poorer screen resolution than even the 8900).

[AppleBerryDroid]

Originally Posted by avelasqu

Agreed. I guess for us Bold users that love the Curve's keyboard, the 9300 is the way to go?

Precisely! The keyboard on my 9700 is far worse (at least for me) than the one I enjoyed on the 83xx Curves' I've had.

When I saw the 9300 with the 83xx style keyboard I was elated. Now I can't wait to dump my 9700 for the 9300, it's just a matter of waiting for my carrier to bring the 9300 into their lineup.

[jerryng]

I have no prior experience with any BB device before this. But the factor why I chose the 9300 from the 9700 was because the 9700 is out of stock... And I need to wait at least a week for the new shipment to arrive. I think it is ridiculous and the queue was as long as the iP4!

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by Trimix

I was really hoping that the 9300 was a 9700 with a Curve keyboard (which I prefer). But it seems odd to dumb down its feature set (camera, lack of autofocus, no flash/flashlight, and poorer screen resolution than even the 8900).

I think it should be viewed as an 8520 with 3G and GPS (according to the features list I saw).

[UNC BB Fan]

I am glad I found a post about the curve keyboard! I also think it is much better than the 9700 - why did they make the 9700 keys so smooth with not much feel? I hate to not get the better camera and the better resolution screen, but I think I will go for the 9300 too.

[DJBoozy]

Im currently in the process of moving all our phones from O2 UK to Vodafone, - having been a BlackBerry user myself for many years, i've had pretty much all the blackberry models at some time or another. - i've got a 9300 on trial at the momment, and apart from some of the exec's wanting a flash for the camera, i have no quarms in recomendeding the 9300 over the 9700.

[Matrix Leader]

The 9300 is a big failure. I owned it for a day then returned it. It has the worst trackpad that is very glitchy, and gets stuck at times.

This happens due to the trackpad being a vit elevated rather than being flat like the 9700 or the 8520 which produce a very smooth and precise motion.

Then comes the camera with no flash and no auto focus. How can they even get away with this shit? Producing a newer phone with a camera worse than the older 8900. Heh. I feel sorry for anyone who wasted his money on a 9300 rather than 9700.
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[Losedge]

Originally Posted by avelasqu

Agreed. I guess for us Bold users that love the Curve's keyboard, the 9300 is the way to go?

Curve keybaord ftw

[MyPearl]

The 9300 is a big failure. I owned it for a day then returned it. It has the worst trackpad that is very glitchy, and gets stuck at times.

This happens due to the trackpad being a vit elevated rather than being flat like the 9700 or the 8520 which produce a very smooth and precise motion.

Then comes the camera with no flash and no auto focus. How can they even get away with this shit? Producing a newer phone with a camera worse than the older 8900. Heh. I feel sorry for anyone who wasted his money on a 9300 rather than 9700.
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

I agree 100%. I own a 9700 for 1 year now and i love it. I just got a 9300 from my work and it sucks. The screen resolution is a joke and it makes it useless to do any work email on it. It is 240 x something which is even lower than the 3 year old BB i had from work.

and the other problem is the elevated trackpad. it makes the movement jittery and it is very annoying. i find myself wanting to throw away this thing after 2 mins of use. whereas i can go hours on my 9700 with no issues.

what a shame.

[TruBloo]

How bad is the bold's keyboard for someone who is used to the curve?

I pulled out my old 8900 after getting sick of my MyTouch, and fell in love with BB all over again, so decided to look for a newer one that supported 3G.

I was disappointed to see how much the "newer" curves have been dumbed down. Seems like the 9700 is a better upgrade from the 8900, but I'm wondering how bad the adjustment will be with the keyboard.

[Nico57]

I really don't get where all that love for the Curve keyboard comes from...

I've tried out (almost) every BlackBerry which came out over the last 4 years, and for me the Bold keyboards beat all the other ones hands down!
The Bold 9000 keyboard was actually a tad more comfortable, but that's the trade-off for the Bold 9700's compactness.

The Curve keyboard (8310, 8900) on the other hand is very clunky (the whole keyboard moves when you move your finger around over it !), and feels harder when you type on it.

I have to admit I never got my hands on a 9300, by lack of interest.
But a new device with such a bad screen, brought back from the last decade, does not deserve any.
There was already a poor man's BlackBerry with the 8520.
Why bring in another one ?

[brovig]

Originally Posted by TruBloo

How bad is the bold's keyboard for someone who is used to the curve?

I pulled out my old 8900 after getting sick of my MyTouch, and fell in love with BB all over again, so decided to look for a newer one that supported 3G.

I was disappointed to see how much the "newer" curves have been dumbed down. Seems like the 9700 is a better upgrade from the 8900, but I'm wondering how bad the adjustment will be with the keyboard.

On the Bold keyboard each key is slightly contoured whereas on the Curve they're not - they're flat. And which one is best really depends on how you type - on how you place your fingers on the keyboard. I tend to type with the ends of my thumbs rather than the underside, and the Curve feels much more comfortable to me. I swapped out a 9700 and got a 9300 for this reason!