You just purchased your new BlackBerry smartphone or you were given one by your work or by a really nice family member as a great gift!  Excellent!  But now what do you need to do to make your experience the best one possible?  The following includes a list of things to consider with your new BlackBerry (or other) smartphone.

(While much of what I’m about to discuss is specific to BlackBerry smartphones, this info pertains to all smartphones.)

1. Learn how to use it. Why spend all the money on this nice, new and powerful smartphone if you don’t learn how to use it correctly.  If you take a little time at the beginning and explore your new phone, you’ll be able to maximize its utility.

  • Learn where the Convenience Keys are and learn what they are used for.  On most BlackBerry smartphones, there are two convenience keys (one on the left and one on the right) and they are typically set up to open up the camera and the voice activated dialling applications.  But if you go to Options > Screen/Keyboard, you can change the function of these keys to open essentially any application you want.
  • Check out the applications that come with your BlackBerry.  There are some really useful ones like Documents to Go (a mini version of Microsoft Office), Password Keeper (a great place to manage all your passwords and keep them safe), a voice notes recorder, calculator and more, on top of the standard memo pad, tasks application, address book, calendar, etc.
  • Learn about BlackBerry Messenger.  If you have other friends/coworkers with a BlackBerry, trust me, BlackBerry Messenger is the best instant messaging application!
  • Find out your username and password for access to the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) if you are using your BlackBerry for personal use.  This is useful info to have in the event that you ever need to resend your service books or if you want to make changes to the list of email addresses linked to your BlackBerry, and so on.
  • Check out other things and play with it.  If your BlackBerry came with a little quick start guide, you can get some great tips and tricks there to help along the way.

2. Protect it. No one wants to see their nice new BlackBerry get all scratched up the first time it falls out of their hand.  And yes, these phones do fall (darn slippery hands ).  Invest in a good protective case and/or a protective scratch resistant skin.  These will help your BlackBerry looking good until the end of your contract.

3. Take a look at the available accessories. As more and more provinces are banning cell phone use while driving, I’d strongly suggest looking at Bluetooth headsets or a Bluetooth speakerphone for your car.   And while you’re at home, how cool would it be to be able to stream your music from your BlackBerry to your home theatre using the BlackBerry Music Gateway?  BlackBerry has a variety of accessories you can check out, and there are many other devices that will work just fine as well.

4. Fill up your media card. Most new BlackBerry smartphones come with microSD cards that you can load up with your favourite music, movies, and any other file you want.  Take advantage of it.  Like that, you’ll have media on hand for when you’re riding on the bus, waiting in a line, etc.

5. Check out other applications and themes. You can customize your BlackBerry with no problem by adding themes, you can increase productivity by using various apps, or how about playing a game to pass the time?  You can download applications using BlackBerry App World, or by checking out other app stores like Mobihand (and their affiliates).

6. Learn the limitations. A smartphone is not a computer, so don’t expect to be able to do all of the same things as you can on a computer, even if it does allow you to do other things that a computer can't do.  If you learn the limitations of your new BlackBerry smartphone, you’ll learn how to work within those limitations.  And just like a computer, if things start to slow down or act up, don’t be afraid to reboot the phone.  On a BlackBerry, you can do this by removing the battery for 15-30 seconds and then reinsert it.  A couple of minutes later, you’ll be back up and running.

7. Finally, make sure your BlackBerry smartphone software is up to date. Official upgrades to the BlackBerry operating system often improve stability, add new functionality, and/or more.  Check your carrier’s website for more info or look under the Support & Services tab at http://www.blackberry.com .

I could expand a lot further on each of these topics, but if you’d like any more information, don’t hesitate to ask.  And if you have a specific question about what to do with your new smartphone, feel free to post it on the forums.  We’re more than happy to help!

Stay tuned for my other blogs.  I’ll go further into a couple of these points I mentioned above, as well as tackle a variety of other subjects!  I hope you’ve all enjoyed this inaugural blog.

EDIT: Fixed some formatting issues.

Message Edited by Krypto on 12-04-2009 07:40 PM