THIS IS THE BLACKBERRY I WAS WAITING FOR!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Functionality, speakerphone, bluetooth, email, Internet, graphics, clarity. Great size for a Blackberry.

Cons: Costly. Data plans offered are too high, which will dissuade potential customers. Battery.

The Bottom Line: 
If you're thinking about Blackberry - go for it! The features are great and it sure beats those older, bulkier models!

Author's Review
Verizon Wireless finally came out with a cool looking Blackberry! I was debating on whether to switch to Cingular or back to T-Mobile - because both of those companies offered the "slimmer" Blackberry.

I checked out Verizon's Web site and noticed that they came out with the 7130e. I wasn't eligle for an upgrade, but the difference in price was just over $100.00, so I decided to buy it. The total amount through an actual Verizon Wireless store was about $420.00 (full retail price) before tax. With a new contract or if you're eligible for an upgrade, the cost is $299.99 (with a two-year committment).

There are two data plans offered that must accompany the 7130e. One, is a limited plan (10 MB of data usage + $0.005 per addition MB) for $29.99 and the other is an unlimited for $49.99. The data plans are completely separate from any voice plan you already have or will choose.

For some reason, when I went to the store, they told me that the unlimited plan was $44.99. I didn't complain and didn't ask questions. It may have been a promotion - not sure. Or, it may be because I already have the $4.99 unlimited text messaging plan.

I was totally new to Blackberry and didn't know what to expect. I never even messed around with one before. I was drawn to the wireless email and Web.

So far, I am happy with my purchase. The 7130e is so functionable and the size is great for a Blackberry. I am glad that I didn't switch out of the Verizon network and waited for this!

The battery life is not great (not horrible though). The battery goes quicker than other phones I've had in the past. It is mainly from browsing the Web and checking email as I do not really use the phone a lot. A car charger or an additional charger to keep at the office is probably a safe way to deal with the battery life.

There are so many features offered that have been well thought out by Blackberry. You can set the ring tones and volumes differently if the phone is out of the holster verses when it is in the holster. The phone comes with a soft holster.

The speaker phone is real clear. In fact, it is so clear, no one knows I am using the speaker phone. The Interent is great. Real fast and the graphics are second to none. You can download attachments, save, copy/paste, etc. I even found free games (Texas Hold 'EM, Poker, Blackjack, etc.) online. Once they are saved to your PC, you can use the data cable that comes with the Blackberry along with the provided software to synch the games to the Blackberry.

Addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. can be sent back and forth from your PC to your Blackberry. You can use programs like Microsoft Outlook. You can update/edit contact info. either using Outlook directly or from the handheld. When you synch, both sides update.

This is my first phone with Bluetooth. The only feature that I use is the Bluetooth headset. I hope that more consumer accessible products for Bluetooth come out soon!

If you're thinking about Blackberry and have Verizon Wireless as your carrier, this is a great choice. It's still big for a cell phone, but not big for a Blackberry.