Having owned a Blackberry 8520 for almost two years I decided to renew my contract and chose a Blackberry Curve 9360 as an upgrade. Retailing at around the £250 mark for a Sim-free Blackberry 9360 I got my Smartphone for free as I am on contract with Orange. In comparison to the 8520 the only aesthetic differences are that the 9360 is slimmer and it has a dark grey band of colour around the top edge to contrast well with the entirely black body.

Some of the main selling points for me are the 5 Megapixel camera which is built-in and has a flash. As you can see from the image there is a full QWERTY keypad. If you aren't used to this then it will take a little while to get used to, I now find it much quicker to text with this keypad than the tradional style keypad. The Blackberry Curve 9360 also carries the latest RIM (Research In Motion) technology with the Blackberry OS 7 operating system. One thing I instantly noticed about this phone is that it turns on instantly compared to previous phones I have owned where they take a while to load up. The menu is very simple to navigate using the trackpad in the centre of the Smartphone.

The technology within the Blackberry Curve 9360 has really blown me away and emails and social alerts are real-time and I am alerted to anything new immediately. Accessing such feeds are also extremely effortless and the whole navigation and layout of the menu is as simple as I can imagine it could be. Facebook can be accessed through either the Browser function or through the simplified application. Facebook Chat is also available to enable (and disable if you so wish) so you can keep in touch in an instant.

The improved technology doesn't end there, with Liquid Graphics Technology for impressive and powerful gameplay. Whether you are playing games, videos via youtube or visiting your favourite website the latest technology will make light work of such tasks. A 4GB SD Card allows you to save all your favourite things and having the ability to connect directly to your laptop or home PC opens up an endless list of possibilities.

My life with Blackberry is set to continue. I chose the Blackberry Curve 9360 after the recent glitch which just goes to show how much I trust the technology and wish to be part of the Blackberry movement. The cherry on the top of the cake has got to be Blackberry Messenger. Each Blackberry has a unique BB Pin which allows you to chat to other Blackberry owners without the need to give them your phone number. The chat works similar to MSN Instant Messenger. Ultimately Blackberry have pushed the boundaries further with the latest in their technology bank and the Curve 9360 just goes to show they are determined to loosen Apple's grip at the head of the Smartphone market.