RIM recently announced two new entry-level BlackBerry devices, the Curve 9380 and the Bold 9790, to limited fanfare; they were, after all, just cheaper versions of the Torch 9850/60 and Bold 9900. Still, that’s just what some people are looking for, especially in places like Indonesia where the BlackBerry spirit is still strong, but device cost is a significant bottleneck.
After getting a quick tour of the new phones at RIM’s campus last week, they sent me home with the Curve 9380 to review. Having recently come off reviewing the new Torch, it didn’t feel like there was a lot new with this one, but there were a few small tweaks that give the Curve 9380 a distinctive spot in the BlackBerry lineup; whether that translates to any appeal in the smartphone market at large is another question altogether.