RIM BlackBerry Curve vs. T-Mobile Dash (WM6)

• The Contenders
• Sexiness & navigation
• Messaging
• Connectivity
• Multimedia
• Call quality
• The winner is...

Round 1: Sexiness & navigation

Hot or not? And how do you use this gosh darn thing?

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Design and looks count for a lot when you're shopping for a smart phone, so here's where we examine the look, size, feel, and sex appeal of the devices. We also examine the menu navigation and the usability of the devices' controls and QWERTY keyboards. Our judges' ratings are based on a 0- to 5-point scale, which results in a final score of 0 to 15 per round.

Players	Nicole	Kent	Bonnie	Total
RIM BlackBerry Curve	4 The tiny pearl trackball on the BlackBerry Curve certainly wins it some navigation points, but it just doesn't stand up to the Dash in terms of style and ease of use.	5 The Curve is definitely the sexiest BlackBerry to date (and that's saying a lot) but I'm partial to the Dash for overall looks. On the other hand, the Curve's navigation trackball and its compact, yet user-friendly QWERTY keyboard beats anything the Dash has to offer. And I like the display better, too. It wins by a hair.	4 What can I say, I'm a sucker for pretty, shiny things. Even though the T-Mobile Dash is thinner than the BlackBerry Curve, I prefer the Curve's rounded edges. I also like the navigation trackball and found the Curve's keyboard easier to use.	13
T-Mobile Dash	5 The Dash is one of the sleekest smart phones we've seen, and I have to give it points for being really nice to hold and easy to navigate.	4 It's difficult to put my finger on it exactly, but there's something about the Dash I just like. Even though I'm not a thin phone lemming, I love the Dash's sleek profile and its attractive color scheme. As for navigation, I'm a fan of the Dash's touch strip but I much prefer the Curve's display, trackball, and keyboard.	3 There's no denying that the T-Mobile Dash is sleek and slim, and I like the soft-touch finish. And while Windows Mobile 6 brings some nice shortcuts for operating the device, it's still a bit too cumbersome for me.	12

Winner: RIM BlackBerry Curve