Originally Posted by
EnergyPlus Hey, and welcome to Crackberry. I'm going to offer you some advice that may not be quite what you'll hear from others. Your post is very typical of new users, simply seeking input from others to assist them with their purchase decision. Unfortunately, so much of the advice is unreliable or completely biased. Nobody, and I do mean, NOBODY, can tell you what's best for you. Personally, I think the very best route is to take a look at the models your carrier offers, then do research on professional reviews of these devices to look at features, comparisons, performance results, etc. Once you've done that bit of homework, go to your local carrier's store and play around with each of the devices to see what feels comfortable for you to use. I'd make it mandatory that you leave and peruse the threads here and then return again to play with them. Until then, do not commit yourself to anything.
There are fans (I'll resist using the term "fanboi" of all devices, both BB, iPhone and Droid. Speaking of those other brands, you're sure to get some of them visiting here, saying "BB sucks, get a Droid/iPhone" or something similar. Keep in mind, that nobody offers the perfect device and what works for one person may not work for another.
Consider options such as screen size, touch screen or physical keyboard, age of phone (no point in buying a phone you know is going to be replaced soon), known issues, memory, etc. Also, do a little research to see what new devices are planned for your carrier (i.e., the Storm 3 is planned for the end of this year, there's huge rumors about iPhone coming to Verizon, the new Tour, etc.). There are some good threads that ask people to post lists of what features are most important for them. They're worth looking at as they may provoke a thought of something you had not considered previously.
Above all else, always be aware that opinions vary, some are valid some are totally off the wall and there are many inaccuracies posted here, so if something is brought up, research it a bit more before taking it at face value.
It would help if you stated your carrier as not all carriers offer the same phones. Do you need GSM or CDMA (or both)? Does your carrier have flat rate plans or tiered plans? You say you "travel around a bit" but is that within the same country or international?
Personally, I love the Storm 2. It does everything I want it to do, while realizing it's not perfect nor without its own set of flaws. Still, I'd buy it again if I was in the market for a new phone. It will give you the option to do spreadsheets (you can view them with standard, existing software but you'll probably have to upgrade the software to be able to edit spreadsheets). Speaking of that, personally, I'd hate to have to be editing spreadsheets on a small screen, but that's just me! It plays music, offers games (many of which won't play on older BBs or those with lower memory. The Storm 2 is, to the best of my knowledge, the only BB that supports Open GL for games. Again though, this may not float your boat, so check around and take what you hear here, with a huge grain of salt.