The thought of using a clamshell smart phone doesn't exactly sound like the future, not when the big slabs such as the Evo 4G and Droid X are taking over. So when we first laid eyes on the BlackBerry Style 9670, a big flip phone with a full QWERTY keyboard hiding inside, we were skeptical. But lo and behold, this is a good smart phone, thanks to its BlackBerry 6 OS, above-average camera, updated web browser, and speedy performance. Although the display is on the small side, overall this is one of the better BlackBerrys we've tested.
Design
The Style looks like a flip phone that's been widened to include a large external screen, and it slightly resembles a makeup compact. The standard color is black with elegant dark chrome accents, but a Royal Purple version will be available soon. The hinge feels pretty sturdy on this flip, and we like the brushed metal look of the battery cover. However, we found that the glossy front picked up fingerprints quickly. Those with smaller hands may also find that it's difficult to close the clamshell with one hand.
When open, the Style measures 6.9 x 2.4 x .7 inches. When closed, it measures 3.8 x 2.4 x .7 inches. It weighs 4.6 ounces, which is heftier than most BlackBerrys, but it's reasonable considering the form factor.
When you flip the lid on the Style, it reveals a BlackBerry body underneath. There are typical BlackBerry buttons under the screen: Back, Call, End, and, Menu. In between the buttons is a responsive touchpad that provided smooth navigation and good accuracy. The left side of the phone has a micro USB/charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The right side has a volume rocker and a convenience key that is pre-programmed as a dedicated camera button.
Keyboard
The Style's QWERTY keyboard is fairly responsive, with terraced keys for a better grip. Because the keys are so close together, we couldn't type as quickly as we could on the Curve 3G, but we achieved fairly good accuracy with minimal practice. The Style's keyboard is similar to that of AT&T's BlackBerry Torch 9800, which works fine but is a little flat. We also noticed that the backlight isn't very bright.
Display
The Style's 2-inch 240 x 320 external display shows a clock and new messages as they appear. You can even scroll through previews of your new messages with the volume keys while the device is closed. Checking new messages without opening the phone came in handy often.
Inside, the Style has a 2.7-inch QVGA display with 400 x 360 resolution. We review lots of phones, and going from a 4.3- or 3.5-inch screen to a 2.7-inch screen is a big hit on screen real estate. With it, you get less room, but it suits the form factor. Normally, we'd complain about such a low resolution on a smart phone, but on a screen this small, the text and pictures aren't pixilated. While browsing the web, the Style's text looked clear and pictures had vibrant colors.
Interface
The Style runs BlackBerry 6 software, which includes several enhancements versus the previous version of the OS. For instance, you get multiple home screens that you can easily customize, universal search for finding everything from e-mails to apps, and a new notification window that makes it easy to see messages and calendar entries at a glance. There's also a nifty social feeds app that aggregates Facebook and Twitter updates.
The BlackBerry Torch was the first BB to run the OS, but that interface showed what you could do with a touch screen and a trackpad. Here it's all about the touchpad, and we're happy to report that it works really well. Using the trackpad to navigate through multiple home pages was smooth, and while we still think BlackBerry 6 looks a little aged with its many icons and menus, this is the best interface we've used on a non-touchscreen BlackBerry.
Design
The Style looks like a flip phone that's been widened to include a large external screen, and it slightly resembles a makeup compact. The standard color is black with elegant dark chrome accents, but a Royal Purple version will be available soon. The hinge feels pretty sturdy on this flip, and we like the brushed metal look of the battery cover. However, we found that the glossy front picked up fingerprints quickly. Those with smaller hands may also find that it's difficult to close the clamshell with one hand.
When open, the Style measures 6.9 x 2.4 x .7 inches. When closed, it measures 3.8 x 2.4 x .7 inches. It weighs 4.6 ounces, which is heftier than most BlackBerrys, but it's reasonable considering the form factor.
When you flip the lid on the Style, it reveals a BlackBerry body underneath. There are typical BlackBerry buttons under the screen: Back, Call, End, and, Menu. In between the buttons is a responsive touchpad that provided smooth navigation and good accuracy. The left side of the phone has a micro USB/charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The right side has a volume rocker and a convenience key that is pre-programmed as a dedicated camera button.
Keyboard
The Style's QWERTY keyboard is fairly responsive, with terraced keys for a better grip. Because the keys are so close together, we couldn't type as quickly as we could on the Curve 3G, but we achieved fairly good accuracy with minimal practice. The Style's keyboard is similar to that of AT&T's BlackBerry Torch 9800, which works fine but is a little flat. We also noticed that the backlight isn't very bright.
Display
The Style's 2-inch 240 x 320 external display shows a clock and new messages as they appear. You can even scroll through previews of your new messages with the volume keys while the device is closed. Checking new messages without opening the phone came in handy often.
Inside, the Style has a 2.7-inch QVGA display with 400 x 360 resolution. We review lots of phones, and going from a 4.3- or 3.5-inch screen to a 2.7-inch screen is a big hit on screen real estate. With it, you get less room, but it suits the form factor. Normally, we'd complain about such a low resolution on a smart phone, but on a screen this small, the text and pictures aren't pixilated. While browsing the web, the Style's text looked clear and pictures had vibrant colors.
Interface
The Style runs BlackBerry 6 software, which includes several enhancements versus the previous version of the OS. For instance, you get multiple home screens that you can easily customize, universal search for finding everything from e-mails to apps, and a new notification window that makes it easy to see messages and calendar entries at a glance. There's also a nifty social feeds app that aggregates Facebook and Twitter updates.
The BlackBerry Torch was the first BB to run the OS, but that interface showed what you could do with a touch screen and a trackpad. Here it's all about the touchpad, and we're happy to report that it works really well. Using the trackpad to navigate through multiple home pages was smooth, and while we still think BlackBerry 6 looks a little aged with its many icons and menus, this is the best interface we've used on a non-touchscreen BlackBerry.
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