I'm overdue for an upgrade on my mobile phone, and I'd really like one which I can use the internet from (I can use some mobile websites on my current Samsung, but it's not formatted for general internet use, so I can't write Bloop entries on it, for example). I can't afford an iphone, but my free upgrade options include several Blackberries. Has anyone on here ever owned a Blackberry? If so, can you answer these questions for me?

Are they any good?
Can you use them to access and use any website?
How easy is the keyboard to use?
Are they easy to use as phones (I've always owned Nokias or Samsungs which are very easy to use)?
Will I need to change my phone contract if I want to use the internet access?

Blackberry Storm is amazing, it's the one I'm thinking of getting.
You know, the touch screen one? Yeah.
My dad has one, and I play with it all the time.
The internet is amazing, and its so easy to push the touch-screen buttons, although you can't push them with your nails at all, which kinda sucks, seeing as i have nails. My guess is its head activated? or something.

My dad showed it to his friend who has an iPhone, and he (his friend) said that he thought the blackberry was better ;D

omg. *HEAT activated.

Not head...
could you imagine? someone headbutting a phone? ;D haha.

Yeah I totally want a Storm. But, I'd have to have Verizon first!!!

Yeah, my SIL has the Storm and she said the screen is heat activated as to eliminate some butt/purse dialing xD.

Get the blackberry curve. I have had it for almost a year and love it love it love it

my friend has blackberry and he's on about it all the time. the only site he can't use is youtube, because blackberry don't have the flashplayer you need. i talk to him on msn on it, and he types on it just as fast as when he did on msn on his laptop.

his is pay as you go so he buys internet bundles, not sure how it works on contracts.

just noticed cancerous can watch youtubes, you probably can download an app to set it up.

I'm not sure how I got youtube to work on it.
I know that sometimes it doesnt work, and sometimes it does.

I think it might have to do with your connection.

ive got the curve from verizon and i LOOVE it. it's annoying to get used to but once you get used to it; it's fun! :D

i have a blackberry pearl 8130 and i love my phone

I just got my Blackberry Curve 2 months ago.
And I love it.

The keyboard is kind of small, so some of my guy friends have a problem pushing the buttons, since they dont have nails.
It definitly helps if you have some nails.

I just wrote a Bloop entry, and published it with no problem yesterday.
You can watch Youtube videos on it, and connect your phone up to your computer so you can put your music right onto the phone with no problem, and than use your songs as ringtones.

The camera on the phone is awesome! And when you take a picture using your phone, or a video, you can very easily send it straight to your Myspace or Facebook and it shows up right on your account.

The screen is really big also.
So when someone calls, you dont have to squint to see who it is.

Its basically like a small computer.
You also can get a bunch of different instant messengers on it, and chat with people when you are away from your computer.
And it has navigation on it, that is amazing to work with.

The one thing that someone pointed out to me was, that if the scrolly ball (which I think is your only way of getting to any icon on the phone) breaks, you're basically screwed.

I love it. But others may have different opinions.

haha the scrolly ball on mine broke! and you really can't do anything, and the downfall for me was, with at&t, the insurance was 150 instead of 50! but it was well worth it, the curve is an amazing phone!

Ive got a blackberry curve and a pearl, and i much much prefer the pearl. It uses Sure type (like predictive text on other phones, but better), and i find that a lot easier than typing on the curve (it's got a full Qwerty keyboard).
I can use all websites on both phones though, so any blackberry is good for using the internet.
And i dont know which network you're on, but im on o2 and i pay an extra £10 a month for unlimited data (includes internet use, Instant messaging programmes, email), but my sister is on Orange and gets unlimite data for £2.50, so shop around if you can!

I'm on Orange, so I'll phone them and see what they can offer me. I thought about changing networks before, but it's just such a big hassle to keep the same number, that I'd rather stay with Orange, unless it's going to be ridiculously expensive.

It looks like my options for upgrade are a Curve 8900, Pearl Flip 8220, Pearl 8120 or Bold.

Yeah give them a ring. I just looked on the website and the data package has gone up to £4.89 per month, but still a lot better than £10! So You'll pay your monthly bill, and then the extra £4.89 and you're good to go!

I have a blackberry pearl and I'm with ATT. Here to really get the use out a blackberry (email, unlimited data, etc) you have to add a Blackberry Plan to your current wireless features. Mine is $50 a month and that's for unlimited everything. (As in it's 50/mo for the Blackberry plan, that's on top of my monthly minute plan charge. Does that make sense?)

yeah I got the blackberry curve 8900 about a month ago and I love it! It is amazing! I can go on bloop on it, infact I do all the time. ;D I think it's a problem with bloop coding or the coding I have for my entry layout because I cannot get the entry to go into the box. Also it keeps going on the boxes. Like if I type it doesn't go down once I read the end, it just keeps going haha. Which is kind of annoying, but it works. I don't really update from bloop, but I read my faves and comment them on bloop. ;D Also youtube has a mobile version and so you can watch youtube, but it sucks on the curve cause ti doesn't have 3G so that sucks. If you can I would get the bold, cause it is pretty much the same as the curve except it has 3G.

I have taken everyone's advice, and ordered a Blackberry Pearl 8120 (turns out it was only either that or Pearl 8220, which looked rather ugly). I've also managed to get my monthy contract rate reduced by £10 at the same time, and get the Blackberry internet bundle for free!

YEEHAR!

I have a Curve and I love it! It took me a little while to get used to it but now it's great!

I must be the only blackberry hater here lol. My boyfriend just had to get a new Storm because the old one's clicky thing broke.....Verizon said he was the first person to have this problem, but I still think blackberries suck.....eh, to each there own I guess.