If you plan on taking advantage of the unique features of a BlackBerry device, you'll need a BlackBerry plan from your carrier. Although BlackBerry devices offer all the features of a smartphone, such as access to your personal e-mail and web browsing, they also boast other important capabilities.BlackBerry devices are designed to receive "push e-mail” and to synchronize via the wireless network with your desktop calendar and appointments. This means that instead of manually connecting to your PC to download new information, your "always-on" BlackBerry will reflexively receive your incoming e-mails and new appointments and synchronize them with your office desktop.
BlackBerry push e-mail and other real-time calendaring, appointment, and synchronization services rely on a special BlackBerry server system known as BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), which is generally installed and maintained by corporations and governments for their employees.
Carriers provide access to BlackBerry Enterprise Server or personal e-mail and data services for a flat fee on top of a voice plan. Some carriers also bundle the voice and data services together, offering a set number of anytime minutes along with personal e-mail or data transfers. You can even get BlackBerry service with a voice plan that is charged per minute of usage--an option recommended mostly for BlackBerry owners who plan on using their device for e-mail and data only.
Prices vary widely depending on your needs, from $29.99 for T-Mobile's BlackBerry Unlimited plan (data and e-mail only) to $49.99 for Sprint's mid-level plans (with pay-as-you-go voice minutes) and $99.99 for Verizon's bundled voice and data plans (includes 450 voice minutes and unlimited messaging).
