14 DAY TRIAL // RIM recently announced that the first BlackBerry 10 devices would arrive in January 2013. The official statement came as a disappointment for BlackBerry fans, especially given the fact that RIM promised it would bring the first 10 OS smartphones in Q3 2012.
However, in order to sweeten the wait for US customers who still feel attached by RIM’s products, the Canadian company decided to launch a new budget-friendly smartphone, the Curve 9310.
BlackBerry Curve 9310 will be available online starting July 12 and is set to arrive in Verizon’s brick and mortar stores in the following weeks for only $49.99 USD after a $50 USD mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement.
According to Verizon, customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card, so upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
Although the Curve 9310 will be shipped with BlackBerry 7.1 operating system onboard, the smartphone’s hardware is far from being impressive.
The handset comes equipped with low-performance processor and 512MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM and microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB).
It also comes with a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, a 2.44-inch standard display and a dedicated BBM key for instant access to RIM’s highly-praised mobile social network.
Software-wise, the Curve 9310 comes with full social networking integration, including Facebook, Twitter and the new Social Feeds 2.0 application that allows users to post updates to multiple social network accounts at the same time.
The device also comes with VZ Navigator capabilities for those who wish to receive audible turn-by-turn directions to points of interest.
Last but not least, the Curve 9310 features on-device parental controls, allowing users to grant as little or as much access to the Internet, social networking and messaging as they see appropriate.