My first mobile phone was a blue BlackBerry 7250 (commonly referred to as the BlueBerry). It cost me $300 in 2006, and I purchased it with a unique one year T Mobile contract that came with unlimited data and 300 text messages for only $30 a month. (Voice calls were 25 cents a minute.) As you might expect I didn’t purchase my BlackBerry to talk on the phone. I was jealous of the always on internet connection all of my friends were getting with their free BlackBerries from work. The interface, which might be considered kludgy by today’s standards, was simple and easy to use. Navigation was conducted through a scroll wheel on the right of the device, press down once for the menu, press again to make a selection. Email and text messages were pushed to my BlackBerry instantaneously. My calendar, and contacts were synced with my computer over the air. As reliable as a pager, and more integrated than a separate PDA and phone, my BlackBerry allowed me to instantly connect with anyone no matter where I was.

The introduction of the iPhone in June of 2007 changed my expectations for mobile phones. I was no longer content communicating with just voice, email, and text. I now had to have the whole internet in my pocket, and a full quality multimedia experiences wherever I went. Messaging became secondary to applications, games and capturing motion video on my mobile phone. Mobile phone became less of a communication device, and more of an entertainment system.

I consider the iPhone to be the greatest innovation of the decade. It put the world’s information in my pocket with its desktop strength browser. The iPhone’s unique applications have only strengthened its revolutionary versatility. Many have tried to copy it, and although competing solutions have their individual strengths nothing has come close to the polish and potential of the iPhone platform. If I wanted an iPhone today I could have one, but last month I went back to the BlackBerry and haven’t back switched yet.

My BlackBerry Style returns reliable messaging to my mobile experience. Running the latest release of BlackBerry OS version 6 I know it can do more, but more is not what I am looking for. I am back on the Blackberry because of what it can do well. When I receive an email my Blackberry informs me instantly. When I get mentioned on Twitter a little red notification light on the front of my BlackBerry starts flashing. Voice calls are crystal clear, the speakerphone is loud and vibrant. All of my email, text messages, twitter updates, and RSS feeds get sorted into one common inbox with no waiting. When I pull my BlackBerry out of my pocket I know before I turn it on if I have something new waiting for me. My BlackBerry might be able to play music, or video, make movies, or download apps, but I’m not looking for that. When you are surrounded by as many computers as I am a reliable mobile phone that communicates before it entertains is exactly what I need.