Verizon Wireless customers may have been feeling a bit neglected by Research in Motion, since every other major carrier features one of the sleek, consumer-friendly BlackBerry 7100-series models in its lineup: the BlackBerry 7100g for Cingular, the BlackBerry 7100i for Nextel, and the BlackBerry 7100t for T-Mobile. But it turns out that RIM loves Verizon after all. The two companies recently announced the RIM BlackBerry 7130e ($299.99), which has many of the same highlights found on the rest of the 7100 family and adds EV-DO support.

Like the rest of the BlackBerry 7100 series, the RIM BlackBerry 7130e sports a design that's more cell phone than PDA. It resembles an oversize candy bar phone (4.6 by 2.2 by 0.9 inches), but it is relatively light (4.7 ounces) and feels good in the hand. The charcoal-gray and black casing is also quite attractive.

The real star of the RIM BlackBerry 7130e, however, is the display. Showing off 65,536 colors, the screen boasts a 240x260-pixel resolution that produces supersharp text and images, as well as vibrant colors. It's one of the better displays we've seen to date on a BlackBerry, alongside that of the RIM BlackBerry 8700c. You can change the font size, the style, and the type; turn antialiasing on and off; and change the backlight time. Below the display are the Talk and End keys, as well as a soft key, which you can customize to open an application of your choice.