PDAStreet: Hardware Reviews: Review: BlackBerry

First thing I want to say is I LOVE my Purple BlackBerry 8320.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way there are two big considerations to point out before you run to the ColorWare site and order yours: Time and expense.

A ColorWare custom paint job is expensive to send your BlackBerry away to get painted, the cheapest for the Curve was $99, not including shipping there and shipping back. At first I was going to stick with the cheapest option, but I decided it was the kind of thing I would only do once, so I might as well go all out.

$99 gets you the main body of the phone painted, think most of the front and the back battery cover. For an extra $15 each you can paint the bottom panel (where the 8320 has T-Mobile), the sides, and the back.

I had my main body (front and back) painted a metallic purple. I selected a shade of blue for the bottom panel and a different shade of blue for the sides. You have to pay shipping to ColorWare.

ColorWare recommend insured shipping, which makes sense as you are mailing away your beloved BlackBerry. I used USPS Priority Mail with insurance. Mine left me on a Saturday and they notified me on Tuesday they received it. You also have to pay for the shipping back. ColorWare uses FedEx and has a couple of different pricing options, including Overnight.

The other issue you have to face if you are sending your BlackBerry in, which is only available in the USA, is how long it takes. Once ColorWare receives the BlackBerry it takes three weeks for them to work their magic on it before sending it back. For my Curve it was exactly three weeks.

I received an e-mail on a Tuesday they have my BlackBerry, and three weeks later I had my Fed Ex Tracking Number for my BlackBerrys return. I had it in my hands on Thursday.

In my case I had another Curve handy that I was able to use for a month while mine was being customized. It wasn't my normal Curve, so all the PIN locked applications did not work. With the device switch wizard in the BlackBerry Desktop Manager all my messages were moved over, so it was almost seamless.

I would not have been able to do this if I did not have another BlackBerry available to use. If you have your previous BlackBerry it might be an option as well, although I am not sure I would have done it if I had to go back to a Pearl or my 8700.

ColorWare does have another option if you can't live without your BlackBerry or you are outside the USA. You can buy a brand new BlackBerry and tell them how you want it painted. These are not cheap BlackBerrys, but if you want a one of a kind device, this may be the way for you to go.

Overall, I am very pleased with my paint job and recommend it to anyone interested in adding a little pizazz to their RIM smartphone. Its smooth to the touch and looks great.

I have seen some pictures of at home paint jobs that didn't look all that great. This looks like it came from the BlackBerry factory this way. Everyone is jealous of it, and I don't have to worry about anyone confusing their BlackBerry with mine.

When it comes to customizing your BlackBerry, there is not much that can compare. It blows decals, cases, and stickers out of the water. I am currently using my clear Seidio case to protect it.