If you answer 'yes' to the following two questions, then you probably own a BlackBerry. Are you Jamaican? Do you have a smartphone? I can say, unequivocally, Jamaica is BlackBerry country.

From the relatively low-cost Curve to the newest Torch, Jamaicans flock the three local telecoms for both BlackBerry handsets and BlackBerry service. And sure, the BB has its benefits, but (and I hope you are sitting down) it is not the best smartphone available.

With my 'sticks and stones' shield firmly in place, and as a BB owner myself; I can tell you that BlackBerry is actually not an 'A' student in the smartphone class. Sure, the OS/handset allows you to browse the Internet, take pictures and video, share files online, read email and send text messages. But each of these features is limited in its practicality compared to, say, the iPhone.

iOS, the operating system for iPhone is fast losing ground to Android devices. By the end of 2010, sales of Android devices outstripped sales of BlackBerry, iOS and Symbian devices around the world. But tech-forward Jamaica clung dearly to BlackBerry.

Want to know why? Three letters. Say it with me. B-B-M. BlackBerry Messenger has emerged unrivalled as the leading mobile instant-messenger service locally. Non-BB users have lots of options - Google Talk, MSN Live Messenger, Yahoo! Chat, WhatsAp - but none are as elegant as BlackBerry Messenger.

Five years ago when I first tried BBM, I thought it was lame! At the time, AOL IM made my Sidekick rock! Now, both AOL IM and Sidekick are forgotten expressions of the past. Talk, Live and Chat work great on a computer, but when migrated to a mobile device, they use a completely different technology than BBM, which is uniquely limited to BlackBerry handsets.

And herein lies both its greatest strength and most remarkable weakness - instant, handset-to-handset text messaging for free; well, not quite free, you do need to subscribe to BlackBerry service for a 'small' monthly fee. But once that subscription is in place - wow! BBM offers unlimited text messaging, multi-user messaging, file sharing, profile customisation and more; seamlessly integrated into your 'comm centre' (my new expression for phone).

better media management

But, without this key feature, BlackBerry devices just can't compare to handsets from iPhone, Samsung, HTC and Motorola. Feature for feature, iOS and Android phones have better processors, better memory, better cameras, better screens, better browsers, better apps and better media management. And that is just to start!

Then, we can take a look at some truly mind-blowing features like hot-spot tethering, 4G compatibility and HDMI out on a phone!

Really now, is BBM that important? Is it likely that Jamaica will release its grasp on the beloved BlackBerry and embrace a refreshing OS? What about you? Are you prepared to put down your BB and open your mind, and wallet, to a new world of possibilities? BlackBerry, beware. The World is coming for you.

Got a tech glitch? Get your tech fix at: techiteasy@carlettedeleon.com. Listen to Tech Time on FAME FM each Tuesday morning at 8:15 a.m.

>> Tech Glitch:

Peter asks, "Isn't my iPhone 4 a 4G phone?"

>> Tech Fix:

In short, no. iPhone 4 is the fourth generation of that particular handset, utilising third-generation 3G mobile phone technology. Perhaps the new iPhone 5, expected to be announced later this year, will be a 4G handset.