BlackBerry phones have until recent years nearly always been found in the pockets of businessmen and entrepreneurs. Nowadays however more and more people are adopting the smartphones thanks to their clever social networking and instant messaging capabilities. The operating system used has gotten easier to understand and now requires a lot less to setup but still retains some of the best bits of BlackBerry’s business days. There has never been a better time to adopt a BlackBerry as your first foray into the smartphone world. But what exactly makes them so special?
Well a BlackBerry can do several things very very well. They are essentially an internet connected mobile phone designed to receive emails and browse websites. Many other smartphones have long surpassed the BlackBerry in terms of web-surfing, but they still retain the crown of best email functionality.
BlackBerry’s use their own special email service which is extremely secure and rapid at sending and receiving information. Thus you will find that emails come straight through to your handset without problem. They also have something called BlackBerry Messenger. Better known as BBM, this is essentially an instant messaging client, or means to communicate directly between BlackBerry devices.
Included in more recent BlackBerry handsets is App World which allows you to download and use applications on the phone. For those who are slightly more tech savvy, their is a great Twitter and Facebook app that allow you to update your social networks from the phone.
Given that BlackBerry handsets all look so similar (except for the recently released Torch 9800), it is often difficult to tell which is the best or latest to be released. Many recent handsets manufactured by RIM (BlackBerry’s producer) feature high quality cameras, touch screens and powerful processors. For those unsure which one to choose, here is a quick top three to give you a low-down on RIM’s handsets.
BlackBerry Torch 9800
The BlackBerry Torch is currently RIM’s flagship handset and includes all latest bells and whistles the manufacturer has released. A capacitive touch screen is combined with a slideout Qwerty keyboard for rapid email and text input. Included in the package is Blackberry OS 6.0 which is by far the best iteration of the mobile operating system yet. The phone also has a large 4GB internal memory for storing applications and images. If you can afford it go for the Torch, it is just about BlackBerry’s best smartphone yet.
BlackBerry Bold 9780
Not lagging far behind the Torch is the Bold which apart from the larger internal memory, is essentially the same. For those who want a slightly bigger Qwerty keyboard then the Bold is probably the go to handset. It also includes a good 5-megapixel camera and runs on BlackBerry OS 6.0.
Blackberry Curve 9300
With the Curve you still get all the usual email access and web browsing capabilities, as well as access to BlackBerry Maps, but things just are quite as speedy. The lack of the latest BlackBerry OS slows the phone down slightly and the build quality isn’t quite as good as some of the other more expensive smartphones. But the Curve still makes a pretty solid choice as a first foray into the smartphone world.
