We still think the Pearl Flip is the ugliest phone to ever rear its head from Waterloo – but it’s a butt-dial-free BlackBerry, and that’s worth something, we suppose. When the CDMA variant made its way to the FCC’s testing dungeons, they were able to look past the Pearl Flip’s unsightly hinge and remember that it’s what’s inside that counts – and what’s inside passed their tests without a hitch.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Say hello to the worst list you’ll read all day. It’s Consumer Reports’ idea of the Top 5 Smartphones, and I think you’ll agree that it misses the mark. There’s the Samsung Blackjack II, the T-Mobile Wing, the Motorola Q9C, the T-Mobile Shadow and the BlackBerry Pearl Flip. I’m not lying when I say that I’ve heard of, at most, like two of those phones, and I do this stuff all day long.

Missing from the list, obviously, is the iPhone 3G, which is absurd. Peter and I may hate on the iPhone 3G from time to time, but you can’t seriously tell me that the Blackjack II is a superior device.? Nor is there any love for the G1! And fully 40 percent of those phones are T-Mo exclusives. Obviously the person(s) who put this together doesn’t live so much as 30 miles north of NYC, since T-Mo up here is equivalent to stringing two tin cans together in order to make a call. (We also don’t get T-Mo 3G on our property.)

Perhaps we should take into account that Consumer Reports is primarily read by older people who are inherently afraid of technology, but I’d say this list is, at best, a little off.

via jkOnTheRun

Even so, RIM remains optimistic believing that the BlackBerry Storm will continue to sell into the fourth quarter. Executives claim that the other new BlackBerry models, such as the Bold and Pearl/Pearl Flip, should also help spur growth. Although, I’m a little discouraged with my new Pearl Flip that replaced my original Pearl. The Pearl Flip can’t keep up with my typing; I find myself impatiently waiting for the letters to turn up on the screen while I type. I’m hearing similar complaints about the BlackBerry Storm. Stay positive, RIM.

I might not be a fan of the Storm but that doesn’t mean it won’t be flying off the shelves come tomorrow. You see, it’s not meant to be a gadget lover’s device. Just hear me out then flame away if you feel the need to. RIM felt the urgency to fill the gap between they’re entry level Pearl phones and their higher-end Bold. They obviously felt threatened by Apple and rightfully so. Hell, everyone else did and they began pumping out all sorts of touch-screen devices to combat Apple and everyone has failed. As I said in my review, the Storm is at the top of that pile but that means nothing at this point.

But I give RIM some credit for taking the touch-screen in a different direction. It is in no way, shape or form useful or efficient, but they certainly thought outside the box. For better or worse is not up for judgment here. They didn’t try to imitate, which I applaud them for. You simply cannot beat the iPhone’s overall UI and ease of use. Sure, I have my issues with the iPhone but it’s very user friendly.

The general consumer wants the iPhone or a device very similar to it. By general consumer I’m talking about your Average Joe. I’m not referring to readers of CrunchGear or other tech blogs. We’re a little more savvy than that and pick our devices based on minute details and don’t fall for the hype (for the most part). For example, look at how well the Samsung Instinct is selling for Sprint. People see a touch-screen device and think it’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. It doesn’t have to be an iPhone anymore. It was just the catalyst.

Getting back to the original question, what does the Storm mean for RIM and Verizon?

Well, RIM finally realizes that their lineup of devices appeal to a broader audience and that’s evident with the Curve and Pearl series (more so with the flip Pearl). And the Storm is the ultimate culmination of this even though it falls flat on its face from a tech lover’s perspective. It seems forced because RIM generally puts out very good hardware. On the flip side, this is their first foray into the touch-screen realm and I have no doubt that they will improve upon the Storm should they choose to release another touch-screen device.

What RIM really needs to focus on is the OS. They cannot rest on their laurels because Android and Apple are catching up and will soon overtake them. Think about the Application Stores, for example. The closest parity I can see is with the ringtone market. The ability to customize your own phone to give it a personality was uncanny at the time and the same goes for the ability to add applications. The BlackBerry is, however, a messaging device first and foremost. It’s meant for e-mail and the enterprise side of things, but Apple and Android have pushed them into the mainstream whether they like it or not. They must get up to speed in this area or they will lose even more market share as time goes by.

Verizon has always had a stable of less than stellar devices but they’ve picked up the pace since they lost the iPhone. They can tout the largest network in America, but that means nothing when you have a sub-par selection of devices. Verizon did a good job of not messing with the Storm as they generally do on other devices. Of course, there is no Wi-Fi and the GPS is locked into VZ Navigator. That was to be expected so it comes as no shock to me, but Verizon chose not to include their music app, which comes as a shock. How much time and money have they spent in the last year to build their music store? I hope it’s coming to the Application Center very soon.

At $200 most consumers will see that it’s the same price as an 8GB iPhone 3G and assume it does the same thing because it has a touch-screen. Those who are strapped to Verizon will surely upgrade and be done with it. The Storm will sell and it’s going to sell very well.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Blackberries? Well, I do.

The Pearl series will never have a place in my pocket, but 70 percent of the population in the US who own a mobile phone carry a clamshell. To bridge the gap between the consumer sector and business sector, RIM introduced the Pearl and Curve models. The Pearl Flip 8220 is the device RIM hopes will saturate the market even further.

This won’t be a traditional review in the sense that I asked a current Pearl owner whether or not he would switch and what he thought about the Flip version.

Breken, a friend with a Pearl, pointed out what he did and didn’t like about it compared to his Pearl 8120.

Pros

Bigger screen
Bigger keypad
Spellcheck
Call quality was on par with his current Pearl

Cons
Feels cheap
The sunken trackball is awkward to use
It seems a lot bigger compared to the older Pearl because of its form factor
The font on the keyboard itself seems off

Me: Would you trade your Pearl 8120 for the Flip?
Breken: No.

Product Page

It seems as if the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 would never hit the market, but after leak after leak after leak after leak, the damn phone is finally available from T-Mobile for $149.99.

There are some sweet mobile phones coming out over the next few months and a BGR crony turned up release dates for Best Buy’s hotest upcoming phones. The info comes off of a PowerPoint slide and reveals quite a bit.

 

Coming October 26th:

• Sprint – Samsung M540 “Rant”, available in black, purple and red
• Sprint – HTC Touch Pro
• Verizon – Blitz
• AT&T – BlackBerry Bold 9000 (date obscured on image)
• T-Mobile – BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220

Coming November 16th:

• Verizon – BlackBerry Storm

 

Granted, wireless carries and manufacturers alike tend to push release dates around a bit, but this should give you a general idea when you can use your Best Buy Reward Zone points on one of these new phones.

Another lazy Sunday? I sure hope so, now that you can spend part of it looking at pics of the latest unboxing to hit/bore the Internet, that of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220.

As for the phone itself, BGR hates on it pretty thoroughly, going so far as to call the display the “worst [one] we’ve seen on a BlackBerry since… well, a long time.”

Is this what it sounds like when doves cry?

It’s all rumor at this point, but the Pearl 8220 is said to be hitting T-Mobile stores on the 15th and the pricing is as follows:

T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl 8220 Pricing
* New Activation 2 Year Contract $149.99 (after $50 MIR)
* New Activation 1 Year Contract $199.99 (after $50 MIR)
* Full Upgrade 2 Year Contract $167.99 (after $50 MIR)
* Full Upgrade 1 Year Contract $217.99 (after $50 MIR)
* Partial Upgrade: TBD
* Retail Price: $349.99

via BlackBerry Cool

Been too busy to keep up with our CTIA 08 coverage over at MobileCrunch? Don’t worry – we feel your pain. Here’s a quick and easy run-down of what’s happening out here in the land of Saint Francis:

• Hands on galleries of Velocity Mobile’s new handsets (103, 83, 301)
• Putting Slacker to work
• Hands on with RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220
• Sprint HTC Touch Diamond deboxes and hands-on’d
• Yahoo oneConnect connects all
• We’re at CTIA 08!

320×240 Internal and external displays
OS 4.6
Large SureType keyboard
Built-in Wi-Fi
2-megapixel camera
Enhanced media player
3.5mm headphone jack
external microSD/SDHC card
HTML browser
Available in Red and Black

Now all of you corporate types who carry around a BlackBerry and flip phone can have the best of both worlds. I know you’re out there because I see you on the streets of Manhattan every single day.

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today unveiled the BlackBerry® PearlTM Flip 8220 smartphone, the first BlackBerry® phone to come in the popular flip form factor.

The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip provides flip phone fans with all the power of a BlackBerry smartphone in a fun and familiar design. One quick flip of the handset opens up a world of possibilities with the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution and a wide range of impressive Internet and multimedia capabilities, all in one powerful yet approachable smartphone. You can send a message to your friends or family, make a call, browse the web, snap a picture, watch a video or listen to your favorite song. It’s all in your control with a simple flip.

The quad-band EDGE based BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone presents a sophisticated look with a sleek design and a chrome-finished frame surrounding its smooth, luminescent face. Packed with an abundance of powerful features, it weighs only 3.6 ounces and measures approximately 3.9″ x 1.9″ x 0.7″. Featuring two high-resolution, light-sensing color displays, the external LCD makes it easy to preview incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without opening the handset, while the large, 240 x 320 internal LCD displays messages, videos and web pages with impressive detail and contrast.

“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk.”

FIRST CLASS PHONE

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone is a top of the line mobile phone that flips open and cradles the face naturally and comfortably during phone calls. It delivers exceptional voice quality and includes many premium phone features, including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), support for mp3 ring tones, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, voicemail attachment playback and enhanced background noise cancellation. It also features a speakerphone and Bluetooth® 2.0 for use with hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals such as a GPS receiver. The removable/rechargeable 900 mAhr battery provides four hours of talk time and over 14 days of standby time.

MESSAGING POWERHOUSE

Featuring a large SureType® QWERTY(i) keyboard that makes typing messages and dialing numbers fast and easy, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, like all BlackBerry smartphones, provides integrated access to the industry leading BlackBerry wireless services. Users are able to easily access up to 10 supported personal and work email accounts, send and receive text and instant messages, and connect on popular social networking sites with friends, family and co-workers. The DataViz® Documents to Go® software suite is also preloaded, allowing users to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is supported on BlackBerry® Internet Service, BlackBerry® Unite!, BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, which provides tight integration with corporate email systems and the security and IT policy controls that enterprise customers require to confidently allow smartphones in their organization.

MULTIMEDIA TO GO

With an advanced media player for displaying pictures, listening to music and watching videos, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip is the perfect on-the-go entertainment center. Videos play smoothly on the large internal display, playlists can be managed directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters – including “Lounge”, “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” – for customizing audio ranges when using headphones or external speakers. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip works with the new BlackBerry® Media Sync application that makes it easy to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone(iii) and it also features a conveniently accessible microSD/SDHC memory card slot that supports up to 16GB(ii) for plenty of storage. High Speed USB 2.0 support allows files to be quickly transferred between a desktop computer and the smartphone and the BlackBerry® Desktop Manager software includes Roxio® Media Manager for BlackBerry® to help users easily manage their music and video files. Roxio Photosuite® 9 LE is also included for creating photo albums and editing pictures.

FULL FEATURED FLIP

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip packs an impressive range of features into its compact design, including phone, email, messaging, organizer, browser and multimedia applications, and it can also support thousands of other mobile lifestyle and business applications. It features a 2 megapixel camera with flash, zoom and video recording(iv) to capture memories while on the move, and includes BlackBerry Maps to deliver maps and step-by-step driving directions quickly and easily. An enhanced HTML browser displays web pages beautifully in either “Column View” or “Page View” and different emulation settings allow users to choose between desktop-style HTML content and the mobile version of web pages. The browser also supports RTSP for watching online streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com. In addition, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone features built-in Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g) with support for UMA (unlicensed mobile access), extending wireless email and data coverage and supporting carrier enabled voice calls over home Wi-Fi networks, enterprise wireless deployments and Wi-Fi hotspots.

ACCESSORIES

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip comes with a variety of accessories including a stereo headset, travel charger and USB cable. Additional accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, including holsters and totes, charging pods, premium earphones, Bluetooth headsets and the BlackBerry® Remote Stereo Gateway are available through retail outlets or online at www.shopblackberry.com.

AVAILABILITY

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone will be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this fall. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be available in the United States exclusively from T-Mobile beginning this fall. Specific availability and pricing details will be announced at a later date.

For more information please visit www.BlackBerryPearl.com

T-Mobile USA customers can check out more details about this new flip phone and register to be notified when the BlackBerry Pearl Flip is available at www.BlackBerry.com/T-MobileBlackBerryPearlFlip

Research in Motion will officially unveil the BlackBerry 8220 at a CTIA trade show, which starts tomorrow.

Did you know that this new BlackBerry is a flip phone? That’s sorta unexpected from prim and proper RIM.

CrackBerry already has a pre-release model, and this video gives a brief overview of some of the smartphone’s key features. What’s unknown, though, are pesky things like price and release date.

The BlackBerry 8220, something of a Pearl successor (in spirit?), will first be on T-Mobile in the U.S., according to previous rumblings in this space.

Lest you think this device is all business, there’s a unique (and perhaps a bit gimmicky) “switch mode” that allows you to basically keep all of your work-related stuff in one profile on the phone throughout the day and then switch to a more lifestyle-centric profile at night, complete with a darker theme, friendlier icons, and that kind of stuff. Picture an employee for a large company getting in the elevator at the end of the day, loosening the tie and switching phone modes before getting into a cab to go wait in line for some new overpriced, dark, loud, small-portions restaurant.

Overview and Features

The phone’s build quality is excellent. It feels solid – perhaps a little heavy, but it’s a reassuring type of weight, not a big, fat phone weight. As far as size, it’s about the same as a BlackBerry Pearl, but maybe 25% heavier. The Pearl, if you’ve held one, is really light, though. Here’s a shot of the E66 next to the BB Pearl, the HTC Touch Diamond, and the Motorola Q9C for comparison. They’re all about the same thickness.

The phone’s keypad and illuminated function buttons are very sturdy and the metallic frame adds a cool look and provides some protection as well.

Turning the device over, it looks like an actual camera. Under the hood, there’s a 3.2-megapixel autofocusing camera.

Here are some more specs (full specs here):

• 2.4-inch display, QVGA resolution (240×320), 16.7 million colors
• Quad-band GSM (GSM 850/900/1800/1900)
• GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA, 802.11b/g, phone-as-modem connections
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• Speakerphone, voice dialing, voice recorder
• IMAP4, Exchange, POP3 e-mail
• Integrated A-GPS and Nokia Maps application
• Video playback: MPEG-4, 3gp, RealVideo, H.263, H.264
• Audio playback: AAC, AAC+, MP3, AMR-NB, AMR-WB

Pros

As mentioned before, the solid build quality is a strong selling point for the phone. As for what’s inside the phone, the Symbian OS takes a little getting used to if you haven’t used it before, but wasn’t difficult to master at all. I’ve used Nokia’s internet tablets somewhat extensively and the leap from those to this phone was pretty easy.

Where the Symbian OS really shines is in the application department. This phone had a bunch of cool software on it: an app for downloading audio and video podcasts, Nokia’s music store (depending on the service provider), WMP11 sync, online video and photo sharing, voice recorder, Flash player (yes, Flash!), FM radio, RSS reader, data tethering, instant messaging, video conferencing, VOIP calling, push-to-talk (depends on provider), GPS and maps with landmarking (geotagging) functions, Zip file manager, PDF reader, printing to networked printers, data backup, remote file access, VPN, a barcode reader, and a bunch of other stuff. So yes, it costs $500, but there’s a lot of extra “stuff” that comes with it.

The phone also has a rotation sensor and will flip everything from portrait to landscape when you tilt the phone. You can also silence the ringer by placing the phone face down when a call comes in. These aren’t new features in the cell phone world, but they’re nice touches. All in all, there are a lot of the little things that Nokia does well with this phone, each cropping up the more and more I used the phone. I’m sure I didn’t discover everything, but all the nuances and intangibles were quite nice.

Cons

Battery life was a little short when using a 3G network – around three hours of talk time. When not using data services, though, the battery fares better. I was able to listen to music on the phone for an entire workday with about a half-battery left.

Also, people new to the Symbian OS might find it a bit bland, visually. It’s a relatively pedestrian-looking interface but what it trades in looks, it makes up for in stability and application availability, so it’s kind of a wash.

Finally, there’s the price. It’s gonna be too steep for most average consumers without some sort of carrier subsidy. Businesses would likely do well by this phone, though.

Conclusion

The Nokia E66 is a pretty impressive phone if you’re looking for something solid, stable, and geared for a nice balance of data and phone features. The high price and somewhat unfamiliar operating system might turn American consumers off, but large businesses and world travelers could very well find what they’re looking for in the E66.

E66 Product Page [Nokia.com]

It seems pretty basic and doesn’t appear that you’ll be missing out on the BlackBerry experience with the new flip variation. In fact, it’s pretty much the same thing. Except for the fact that you’d have to dial on a SureType pad and flip open the phone, but you can see the incoming messages on the external display. I don’t see the point of this device given the fact that the wildly popular Pearl is essentially the same thing. Whatevs.

I’d much rather carry around a backpack, truth be told. Messenger/laptop bags put too much strain on one side of my body. But I don’t want just any backpack because most of them look dorky as far as traditional laptop/gear bags go. I want something that I can pack around the city or on a three month backpacking trip through South America. So I present to you Rip Curl’s Ultimate Searchpack. I’m drooling all over my keyboard as I write this.

The Ultimate features a Tech Safe pouch for for your camera, phone, iPod, headphones or just about anything that needs a little extra padding. Your precious laptop has an ‘ultra secure pocket’ that’s theft proof and has extra padding. Not sure how it’s theft proof, but I’ll take your word for it, Rip Curl. There’s even a fleece lined pocket for your shades and a wax stash pocket that’s meant for fins and wax, but I’m sure you can find an alternative use for the insulated and removable pockets. But the fun doesn’t stop there.

There’s a removable wetsack that’s meant for a wetsuit, but, again, I’m sure you can find an alternative use for the waterproof pouch. You may encounter a rain storm so you can probably throw your gadgets inside. I’m keen on the board caddy attachment strap but hang whatever you want from it. There’s a slew of loops to attach extra gear and the stretch neo gusset ensure you’ll have enough room for all your crap while keeping it nice and dry. The Ultimate has so much room that if it doesn’t fit then you probably don’t need it.

You needn’t fret about getting sweaty or having a stank backpack, either, because the shoulder straps are ventilated and there’s a full air channel back system. What gear bag would be complete without a pocket for your cell phone on the shoulder strap, an integrated mp3 player pocket and headphone storage system? Yeah, the Ultimate Searchpack has everything covered.

Speaking of cell phones, here are a few picks from each major that I think will cover the basics, like making calls and getting e-mails. If you’re looking for the basic necessities such as a camera, stereo Bluetooth and an music player then grab the Nokia 6263 for T-Mobile, that mysterious 3G network they’re working on should roll out at some point, and this handset is set for it. You might as well be prepared.

Let’s say you need something with a few more features then check out the BlackBerry Curve or HTC Shadow. They should get the job done, and if they don’t, then may the tech lords help you and you’re even more jaded than we are.

I can’t in good conscience recommend the iPhone so I won’t. You have Biggs doing that every other day. For AT&T customers, I’ll throw down and say you should pick up the Sony Ericsson W580i or a BlackJack II. The BlackBerry Pearl isn’t a bad choice either.

If you’re with Verizon then leave now! Just kidding. Heh. The Samsung FlipShot is well packed with features and comes with a 180-degree rotating display. That’s a pretty unique feature if you ask me. The BlackBerry 8830 can go anywhere you want it to on Earth. Almost anywhere so long as you have reception. The LG Venus, despite its feminine moniker, is a great device and features a fancy touch screen UI.

And bringing up the rear is Sprint. I like Sprint’s lineup at the moment and they’ve certainly come a long ways in the last couple of years. The Palm Centro is a smartphone that’s small and is full of possibilities thanks to all the third party apps available for Palm OS devices. The Samsung M510 is your basic flip, but its reverse hinge and soft touch casing make it stand out among the basic flip phones on the market today. And last but not least is the Motorazr V9M. It’s shiny, has touch-sensitive external controls and it’s GPS enabled.

Now for something a little more fun. I feel it in my heart that we’re all gamers in some form or another. I rock the PS2, PSP, DS, 360, Wii and on occasion find myself playing someone else’s PS3. But not everyone is privy to such things so let me make a few suggestions if I may. Let’s begin with portables. The PSP is the ultimate mobile entertainment device for games and its recent redesign was much needed and greatly appreciated. The selection of games is vast and the variety of UMD movies make this the ultimate time waster. I personally dig the white Darth Vader edition.

I think the DS is better for educational purposes. Sure the games that utilize the dual touch screens are fun, but a teacher once told me that learning is fun. Take My Word Coach for example, what better way to expand your or your child’s vocabulary with fun interactive games? If you’re looking for a game then try out Death Jr.. Game play isn’t anything extraordinary, but you do get yourself a sweet sickle stylus. That in and of itself is worth it.

I made my recommendation for the 360 with Assassin’s Creed, but I’d be foolish not to include BioShock. It’s an exciting and thrilling FPS that takes full advantage of the 360 platform. I still have nightmares from the opening sequence. Forza 2 rocks if you’re looking for a Gran Turismo fix. I’m told Mass Effect is good so let’s throw that in there too.

As far as the PS3 is concerned, you should just get one. It has more features than the Xbox 360 and if it’s shelf life is anything like the PS2 then it’s capable of great things down the road. With time, it may just triumph but until then watch your Blu-ray discs and play the best PS3 game according to the VGAs, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.

The best game for 360 is BioShock and the best game for PS3 is Ratchet and Clank? Yikes. But hey, at least you have Gran Turismo and Street Fighter to look forward to and those two titles kickass. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare should also be snatched up though, the Wii is left out of this party, but you can play Medal of Honor 2 instead.

Does it really matter what game you get for the Wii? It all seems to be the same, flailing your arms around like a fool. My suggestion would be to stick with classic NES titles like Metroid and Mario. Of course, My Word Coach is great, too.

And to wrap things up, I’ll throw out a few suggestions for DLSRs. You already know which one I use, Pentax K100D Super and I think it’s a great entry-level camera because of its UI. I’ve tried Nikon and Canon’s entry-level DLSRs and they’re not as easy to use. For something a little more advanced may I suggest the Canon EOS 40D or Nikon D40X though, the Pentax K10D is on par with these. I wasn’t going to include any point and shoots, but the Fuji FinePix F40fd or F31fd are great choices. The F31fd is bigger while the F40fd is slimmer and sexier. The 31 has superb battery life and and ISO up to 3200 while the 40 is average and only musters up 2000. The 40 does more megapixels and is just better looking.

Well, that just about wraps it up, folks. I, along with the rest of the CG staff, will continue to make recommendations throughout the coming weeks until the holiday shopping is over, but you should keep all of them in mind regardless because you have birthdays, anniversaries and all that to worry about, too.

The New York Times rightly recognizes that not everyone wants to look like a zero, whipping out a BlackBerry every 27 seconds to check their e-mail. That said, who wouldn’t want to periodically read some e-mail, so long as it doesn’t become obtrusive? Mr. Pogue looks at a few services and apps that lets ordinary cellphones, in one way or another, check e-mail. Woo~!

Gmail for Mobile is a small Java app (hence, no Verizon users need apply) that faithfully reproduces the popular Web-based e-mail client on the small screen. The only problem here is that you need to manually check your e-mail—no wild beeps or vibrations when an e-mail arrives in your inbox. That might not be so bad, though, since all that network activity required to automatically check e-mail really eats up the battery.

Google’s rival Yahoo has a mobile app of its own called Yahoo Go 2.0. Really terrible name aside, this one can be configured to check your Yahoo e-mail automatically. You can also check in on various Yahoo-owned services, too, like Flickr and maps. Since it tries to be a jack of all trades, it runs a little slower than Gmail for Mobile and works on even fewer cellphones.

Lastly, there’s Teleflip, a service that converts any and all e-mails into a text message that any cellphone should be able to receive. You have to make a whitelist of e-mail address that you want Teleflip to textify to your cellphone. You should also recognize that text messages can only contain a limited number of characters, so larger e-mails will need to be split up.

So that’s it. A couple of ways for the average cellphone user to check their e-mail while on-the-go. Of course, you could also just fire up your cellphone’s Web browser, but that’s a little less sexy. (Yes, as if checking your e-mail is something to get all hot and bothered by.)

How to Make Your Cellphone Act Like a BlackBerry [New York Times]