I've been crazy impressed with my new Verizon Palm Pre Plus. The Manager at my local Verizon store, made sure to tell me there is about a 2 week learning curve, but it's only taken me about three days to get used to the features and gestures on this phone.

Today, I want to let you guys in on my very, VERY, first impression of the Palm Pre Plus. You know that saying You can't judge a book by it's cover? I catch myself telling my children that every time they scoff at the new recipe I tried or when they hesitate to play with the new kid in class. As a Mom, I make sure my children realize that your eyes can be deceiving and what you see on the outside, might not necessarily be what's on the inside. I had to keep that in mind when I first laid my eyes on Verizon's Palm Pre Plus.

When Consuelo, one of the Verizon guys who set me up with the phone, pulled it out of the box, I was a bit overwhelmed. How on EARTH could my Mom Blogger brain actually convert Blackberry habits into Palm Pre habits? Will I still have some of the old Apps I've grown to love? How will incoming emails appear? When will I............... Whoa. Hold the phone! That. Is. A. Beauty!

Seriously. I took one glance at the phone and loved it's sleek, chic, almost "bullet like" appearance. I know, I know, my descriptive words aren't making sense. Who uses words like "bullet like?" Well, I do. It makes sense in my head. .. ANNNNNNNNNNNNYHOW, I caught myself judging a book by it's cover just by simply looking at the phone. Even more so, my brain started thinking of the BEST ways to show it off to my friends and family. As I picked out accessories for it, I gave the Verizon guys my puppy dog eyes and said, "Do you happen to have a cover in pink? Possibly? Maybe? In the back?" Grant, the manager, let me finish my plea, but had already pegged me for a "Pink Kinda Girl" as he handed me the pink cover to complete the ensemble. Check it out:


Okay. It's hot. It's smooth. It's good arm candy, but will it function like I need it to? Sticking to simply highlighting the outside features of the phone (all the good techy stuff will come later in the month), I've got the scoop on what  you  might expect when you place your eyes on this beauty:

• Opening & Closing the Phone: It's a little difficult to open and close the Palm Pre Plus one handed. It's so sleek, my tiny fingers slide right over the top instead of fully opening it like I intended to, however, it's not a problem when you have two hands free. 
• Side Controls: You can't see it very easily, but the volume button is on the left side, power & quick sound buttons are on the top right, and camouflaged charge insert lays on the right. Each serves as a convenience to me and I like that they don't stick out making the phone look bulky. OH, and there is a a headphone jack on the top for those times you feel like jamming out to music on your phone. 
• Back of the Phone: Again, it's very smooth, with no bulky openings where the battery lays. Instead, there is a tiny push button on the bottom that releases the entire backside when you need to access the battery, however, I found this was a little difficult to maneuver.
• Weight: This thing only weighs 4.89oz (without the extra pink cover) so it's easy to slip into your pocket without weighing you down. 
• Keyboard: This is a biggie in my opinion. I'm used to the QWERTY on my Blackberry Storm Touchscreen. So, ACTUAL buttons for me to feel and press was kind of different, but totally ok, then I tried to type. The typing area is just very small and my husband described it as a "Munchkin  Keyboard". Also, when you're typing, the phone becomes a little top heavy, makes it a little hard to text when you're .. say... laying in bed and flirting with your husband on the other side of the house. Just Sayin'.
• Phone Sleeve: My Palm Pre Plus came with a sweet little carrying case. When you slip your phone in it, the material on the INSIDE cleans your screen. Great thinking, because there are a little finger smudges on the screen from day to day use, however, that particular case does NOT work if you have a cover on your phone, like my "fashion pink". The phone becomes too large and will not fit. So, it's your choice. Be pink or Be Clean. I've been switching back and forth because I like protecting the screen while I have it in my purse. 
• Screen Graphics: I usually, ALWAYS, replace the background with a picture of my cute kids or hot husband, but the standard background is very crisp and, well.... rather beautiful. I still have it displayed on my phone. 

So, can you judge a book by its cover? You can, but you should probably wait to see if that book delivers your Twitter stream, Facebook Statuses, and Emails, while juggling your Google Calendar. You'll find out how it does during my Palm Pre Plus Mommy Blogger journey all month long! Stay tuned!

This post made possible by Verizon Wireless who provided me with the Palm Pre Plus and one month of service. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by products received or compensated in any other way.