It is no surprise that BlackBerrys are often the modus operandi of the working life of many businessmen and women, bringing the office straight to the worker. The intuitive ease of use of these devices as being close as possible to a desktop or laptop is exactly makes a BlackBerry mobile phone so fundamental to both businesses and personal consumers alike.

BlackBerry devices cater to the needs of the business sector, and as such, the models tend to be more functional than other smartphones, often equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard.  However, there is a full touch screen smartphone available in the form of the BlackBerry Torch 9860, and also a combination of both touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard in the BlackBerry models Torch 9810 and 9800.

BlackBerrys are popular amongst business users as most of the phones come with a proper QWERTY keyboard, and they pioneered the email phone and push-email on mobiles.  They have branched out into the mainstream smartphone market with cheaper mobile phones, including the Curve brand.

The BlackBerry Curve 9300 appears very business-like, including the large keyboard that BlackBerry has become synonymous with.  It has all the features users expect from a smartphone, including GPS, 3G and Wi-Fi.  Its well-designed keyboard is not very large, but still comfortable to do extensive typing with.  The keys are raised so it is harder to make typing mistakes.  Although the apps are not as extensive as the iPhone or Android market, there is still a reasonable range from which to download.

Owned by Google, the Android platform is compatible with a number of new, highly rated smartphones. These include the Samsung Omnia 7, made by Samsung mobile phones, the LG Optimus 2X, and the HTC Desire S, which scores highly in all departments. Sony Ericsson mobile phones have recently brought to the marketplace their Sony Ericsson Arc model, powered by Android 2.3, an extremely stylish handset showcasing a superb touch screen enhanced by Sony BRAVIA technology, giving a fabulously bright appearance. Similarly, the HTC Desire S, incorporating HTC Sense, is another extremely well received model that has a superb 5-megapixel camera and high quality HD video recording. What is HTC Sense exactly? It is an innovative, user-friendly experience that allows your HTC handset to anticipate all kinds of activities and aims to give the phone user the fastest and best possible experience.

Competing with Android smartphones are the latest models from BlackBerry. What is BlackBerry? It is the premier choice of business users throughout the UK, combining traditional and classic aspects such as the QWERTY keyboard with excellent hardware, sharp text and high resolution.

Although BlackBerry smartphones were originally marketed for the use of business people, due to their focus on email communication, their appeal is now apparent in different social strata and BlackBerry is now the fifth most popular device manufacturer, behind Nokia, Samsung, LG and Apple, with a 14.8% market share.

What is BlackBerry BBM? 

The BlackBerry Messenger system, more commonly known as BBM, is a unique selling point of the BlackBerry brand, enabling a free instant-messaging application between BlackBerry owners via a unique PIN.  As well as the instant-messaging feature, BlackBerry owners can share photos, videos and music files all through BBM.

In an age where most smartphones look identical (take the LG Optimus Black and the iPhone 4 as an example), it is refreshing to see that BlackBerry has not followed the same minimalistic route that many of its competitors have gone down.  Instead the chassis often looks busy, a feature accentuated by the often visible QWERTY keyboard on most models.

There is no doubt that BlackBerry devices are made for communication.  While some devices may lack the aesthetic simplicity of the iPhone or the processing power of LG, there is no denying that the BlackBerry brand is universally accessible and provides ease of service.

Combined Functions

Blackberry phones are unique because they combine the functions of a mobile phone with those of a PDA.  This is why they are especially popular with business professionals.  In addition to making calls, users can store documents, lists of contacts and calendars.  If you need to have access to important documents when you are away from your computer or office, this is a good way to have them on hand.  The Blackberry can be easily synched with other devices.

Easy Email and Chat Access

Blackberry phones offer support for a variety of popular email providers, including Gmail, Hotmail and AOL.  IMAP and POP3 email protocols are supported for the user’s convenience.  Several instant messaging clients are also supported by Blackberry.  They include Windows Live, Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger.  These phones are ideal for people who want to stay connected at all times.

Sharing Options

Many Blackberry models feature cameras, with a lot of these having video capabilities.  Once photos or videos are taken, they can easily be shared with your contacts via email or instant message.  You can also store many of your favourite photos for more easy mobile access.

The touchscreen is much more responsive and this is an important issue when you compare mobile phones.  There is no delay when you are using the touchscreen and this particular screen is a ‘clickable’ one.  

Emailing is one of the features for which Blackberry mobile phones are noted and this particular model is no exception.  Users are able to scroll through their emails using the touchscreen and the screen can be used in portrait or landscape mode to make it easier.  Copy and paste can be carried out with just two fingers and there is an internal memory on the phone of 256MB, although extra can be added with a microSD card. 

There are some apps that are available to users but the range is not as wide as those available on the Android or iPhone.  The camera on the phone is a respectable 3.2-megapixels but it does not have the features of some other phones with higher specs. 

When compared to other mobile phones, the Blackberry Torch is equipped with a very nice 5- megapixel camera.  Camera features include a flash, auto focus, face detection, and a 640 x 480 VGA video resolution.

The sound quality on regular calls, or via the speakerphone, and the speed of calling are all excellent.

Usability is easier than prior models due to better icon arrangement, improved menus, and extended help options.  Reviewers liked the pinch-to-zoom availability as well.  Using Blackberry’s new powerful processor, the Blackberry 6, the phone has faster browsing speed.  For Gmail users, accessing your email on this Blackberry is only surpassed by Android.

The music player is of high quality, with 6-hour playback time if you have a full battery.

Deals:

Vodaphone offers 30 pounds per month for 300 premium minutes, unlimited texting, and 500 MB internet browsing with a 24-month contract and free phone.  Three.co.uk was offering 2000 minutes, 5000 texts, and 1 GB internet at 40 pounds per month with a 24-month contract.

The Curve is noticeably wider than other models, but that is because RIM has added a full-sized backlit QWERTY keyboard with a well-spaced layout and trackball for easy menu navigation.  The famous long battery life for email addicts also remains a plus with this phone.

Some of the quality features found in this 3G smartphone are HSDPA and Wi-Fi for more efficient internet access.  It is also equipped with Bluetooth, a fully integrated stereo, a 2-megapixel camera with built-in flash and a greatly improved multimedia package are included, so listening to your favourite songs, watching video or viewing photos is more enjoyable.  Blackberry’s 5 OS software is included on this phone but it can be upgraded to the Blackberry 6 OS once it is released.  Memory can also be extended to a whopping 32 GB with a microSD card.

When comparing mobile phones, the beautiful 2.5-inch touch-screen displays 320 x 240 pixels and provides great views for web pages, photos, maps and videos.  The split screen allows for ease when using the drop and drag feature to transfer files from the Curve to your desktop.  For taking videos on the run, the Blackberry software will convert all sorts of files to a more readable MPEG-4.  It is able to convert from AVI, WMV, Xvid and DivX.  There is also the ability to automatically monitor folders to create music playlists, edit photos and keep track of new media files.  Excellent Blackberry Curve deals are available from a number of providers.

Pros

The BlackBerry Curve 8310 takes aim at the consumer market, and the design reflects that goal.  It has a slim, elegant handset yet there’s plenty of space for a full QWERTY keyboard, and a pleasantly large screen.

For basic email applications, new users will find the system very easy to use.  The QWERTY keyboard and trackball navigation shave loads of time off checking and composing messages, too.

The Curve 8310, unlike most other BlackBerry mobile phones, has a 2 megapixel camera and bright LED light capable of taking decent photos.  Resolution is not the greatest, but the colours are strong and vibrant.

Cons

Connectivity is very limited, as there are no Wi-Fi or 3G capabilities on the Curve 8310.  This makes web browsing painfully slow.

Satellite navigation is restricted to Telmap, a programme that works by downloading maps straight to the phone’s memory, no need for a signal.  However, downloads are very slow, and its range of features isn’t as broad as most other GPS systems.

Conclusion

Several basic smartphone features are missing from the Curve 8310, such as GPS and Wi-Fi connection, and hardcore users will likely balk at the omissions.  As a basic messaging device, however, the Curve 8310 performs as well or better than many other BlackBerry mobile phones.

Pros
At just 89g, the Pearl 8100 is significantly lighter and more compact than the latest mobile phones with smartphone technology.  The SureType keyboard combines QWERTY word function with a numeric keypad, making messaging and emailing fast and easy.

BlackBerry’s reputation is built on mobile email functionality, and like other BlackBerry mobile phones the Pearl 8100 shines in this capacity.  Connectivity is reliable, there’s support for as many as 10 different email accounts, automatic updating for every mailbox, and an application that lets users open email attachments.

Other key benefits include a decent supply of useful apps, good web navigation, social networking capability, smooth syncing with other devices, good call sound quality, a music player, and a digital camera.

Cons

BlackBerry claims their new mobile phones can help users, “do everything.”  This is a bit of an overstatement.

For one, the Pearl 8100 has a very short battery life when compared to other BlackBerry models.

The compact body also means that concessions have had to be made in accommodating both form and function.  The keyboard is not a true, complete QWERTY layout, and the screen is a low resolution.  This makes web browsing difficult.

At just 1.3 megapixels, the camera is disappointing, and there are no video recording capabilities.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 is well-suited to the user who wants email on the go without the heft of other new mobile phones.