I was tired of my old touch screen phone and thought it was time to upgrade to a blackberry. The 8520 is a fairly old model but has all the functions I need from a blackberry.

The phone itself is a nice size with a good size screen which is very bright and easy to see what you are doing. It fits nicely in your hand and is fairly light. There are various cases available for the phone ranging in price and style. The cheapest cases you can pick up for 99p but there are also some available for around £20.

The keyboard is decent with responsive keys. The main problem I find it that often when txting I will press several keys at once (and I have slender fingers so would be very difficult to use if you have fatter fingers). The scroll pad takes some time to get use to but once you have cracked it, it works well and makes it easy to navigate internet sites and the menu.

The phone has all the features you would expect from a blackberry including internet, blackberry messenger (which is like msn but on your phone and is free of charge) and has the capability of loading many apps (both free and ones which charge). The apps are not as plentiful as the iphone but they are very good.

The price of the phone varies. I bought mine pay as you go from carphone warehouse for £169.99. The phone is also available on contract but the prices of contracts vary from different networks and different tariffs.

The major downside of this phone is the battery life. As with all battery operated products it really depends on how much you use it. I use mine regularly (making lots of calls) and the battery will last around 4 days. I also have many apps running from it and use the internet on a regular basis. However hearing from other people this is quite good. Many friends who own iphones say that the battery on that is far worse.

I would defiantly recommend this phone to anyone who is looking to buy their first blackberry. It's a decent price and one of the only models that is sold on pay as you go. However there are newer models on the market, including the touch screen storm which I am thinking of upgrading to.