Why I Love My BlackBerry

I've been a BlackBerry user for almost a year now. I bought my first Blackberry Curve 9300 around the end of December last year and since then, I have loved and I guess will always be a BB babe. I have tried different mobile phones in the past--from the ancient Nokia 5110 to Sony Ericsson and even the touch screen Samsung Corby mobile phones. But why am I so sold at my BlackBerry that I might have convinced a few friends--and my iPhone fan fiance--to switch to a BB?

BlackBerry Messenger

This is the ultimate application that beats texting, provided your whole set of friends and family are on BBM too! Of course I have to be subscribed to BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) but it only costs roughly Php300 a month for unlimited BBM and social apps, or Php600 if I also want to use email services. I know a lot of friends who significantly reduced their monthly phone bills when they started using their BBMs! Plus, I can BBM anyone even if they are abroad, perfect for families and friends who are away. Oh and there is no need to be connected to WiFi in order to use it.

Social Apps

Being a Twitter and Facebook junkie, I love how I can also check my friend's updates in the absence of WiFi connection or a laptop. It also gives me freedom to post photos and updates in real time. These apps also allow me to contact my friends who are not on BBM (but who are always on Facebook and Twitter). Nice, huh? Again, this is another load-saving benefit, decreasing the need for me to visit the nearby sari-sari stores (variety stores) to buy load.

Yahoo Messenger and GTalk

Because my fiance's iPhone was stolen a few months back (and he refuses to use any other mediocre phone), it is very hard for me to get in touch with him. However, since I have YM on my BB because of the BIS, I can message him anytime while he is at work, informing him about my whereabouts. A freelancer like me never stays at one place in a single day so it is very useful. In addition, I can also go online on GTalk so my clients can send me messages even when I am not online on GMail. Isn't that cool?

Email

I can also receive and send emails using my phone without having to install a new app. When I send emails, you will see that cool message at the bottom that says "Sent from my BlackBerry Mobile Device." It makes my emails look cool-er-rer. Yeah. 

More Features

BlackBerry Protect app automatically backs up my messages, contacts and apps so I can still install the same information on a new device. My first BB was broken and I had everything restored on my new BB, without the need for me to sync it with iTunes, etc. My Facebook and Google calendar syncs with my phone's so I would never have to forget a birthday because my phone would remind me with an alarm. I can also purchase paid apps using my Paypal account, unlike iPhone Appworld that only accepts credit cards.

Most of all, I have to say that the QWERTY keyboard makes the BlackBerry very attractive to my eyes. I am not an iPhone hater, in fact, I enjoyed tinkering with my fiance's iPhone before it was stolen and I even plan to purchase an iPad 2 so i could still enjoy the Apple apps (I am a MacBook user too). Still, BlackBerry will be my top choice when it comes to mobile phones. The phone is far from perfect--I could use a better battery life or fewer instances of the phone freezing--but it's something I could certainly live with. What about you? Why do you love your BlackBerry? (And what's your BBM? Haha!)