If you’ve read any of my posts, you’ll know I’ve changed myself around a lot as I’ve matured. Needless to say, the needs of a college girl are much different than the tweenie. My ugly, out-of-style flip phones with limited mobile-to-mobile texting and no internet (the horror!) were just about the death of me my first year of college. So what does this ever-changing girl do when her two-year contract with Verizon expires?

Picks herself up a Crackberry, you say? No, indeed not.
Waits on pins and needles for the iPhone to arrive? I almost might have, and solidified my yuppie status forever (holla to my Macbook sisters!) but the day before Verizon’s big announcement that they might reallypossiblyalmostfrlz carry the iPhone within the next 6 months, I’d sold myself to Sprint and the EVO.

Yes, today I dish out on the hottest phone on the market (for maybe the next 14 days). Just so you know, I actually bought this phone and the contract that goes with it, so this is a completely unsolicited testimonial. Boo.

But not really, because this phone is so, so worth it.

Here’s my running list of pros and cons. We’ll start with bad news first.

Con: This phone is extremely hard to come by. It was released the first week of June. When I got in on June 25^th, stores were still lucky to get one or two in a week.

Pro: The screen! It seriously makes this phone. 4.3 inch screen with 800×480. I don’t know much, but I know this makes everything look pretty. And I know it beats the iPhone by a long shot. It’s also responsive to touch, but not too responsive. In other words, it’s totally functional.

Con: The beautiful screen likes to black out. It died on my phone. Luckily, I took the battery out, popped it back in, and it came back to life faster than Frosty the Snowman.  I hear, however, that sometimes screens never come back and phones have to be totally replaced — quite a pain when the phones are still so hard to come by!

Pro: The apps! Most are cheap, many are free. Messengers, task organizers, seemingly everything you can think of.

Con: Battery life! Checking email, writing an email, and surfing two or three sites will reduce your battery life to about half. The apps kill it, too. You definitely need to charge this whenever you can.

Pro: The camera. There’s an 8 megapixel camera built into the EVO, complete with zoom, rotate, crop, and all of that fun stuff! Instead of dragging my digital camera along when I’m in a hurry, the EVO’s works beautifully.

Con: The expense. The phone itself was about $199 on special. However, I was urged to get the $7-per-month insurance coverage on it because usually the phone goes for $650. (I love how all those companies do that.) I think this is a crock, because a phone that expensive can’t compete with the iPhone, but whatev. Basically, a service package isn’t mandatory, but it’s a good way to protect yourself.

Pro: The first 4G phone, hello! Can we say fast as lightning?

Con: The first 4G phone comes at quite a cost. Firstly, 4G is in very select locations right now, mostly in the Southwest. However, even though you are most likely in an area where 4G is unavailable, Sprint still charges you an extra $10 per month regardless. Until I get back to Boston in the fall, they are making their money on me!

Pro: The design. This phone is huge, but not bulky, and it has a kick-stand. It also can be used in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Con: It is exceptionally hard to sync up email accounts on the EVO, but then again I never had experience with Smart phones before this so who am I to judge?

Pro: The friendly Sprint staff set up my email for me. With a smile!

Basically, despite the few minor glitches, I am completely sold on the EVO. I highly recommend it for us girls on the go that like to be sleek and efficient and want a service provider that doesn’t totally suck (i.e. AT&T). Let it be known that I proudly own a cool phone. This can only mean one thing: in 6 months before flip phones will be back in style.

I visited my AT&T store, picked up the new Bold and immediately had issues. I was getting up to 150 text messages in a minute due to some virus. I went back, replaced it twice, only to keep having the same issue. I finally was so aggravated one of the employers was able to convince me to buy an iPhone. My whole world was turned upside down. No one even knew who I was anymore.

Now, three iPhones later (what? They break easily… especially after a few dirty martinis and my habit of throwing things in frustration) I’ve come to terms with the thing, if only for the apps. The service still bites (thanks again, AT&T) and I’m not the biggest Apple fan, but I do love my iPhone apps.

1.    SolFree Solitaire
I immediately have an addiction. Like, a serious problem. According to the app, I’ve spent a collective twenty three hours on solitaire. I’m slightly embarrassed.

2.   TwitterFon
Twitter. On your phone. Enough said.

3.   Facebook
As if I wasn’t addicted enough, now I can get my news feed whenever and wherever I want it. Not to mention, I can quickly detag humiliating pictures of me from my weekend escapades. I don’t even remember doing that keg stand at the hockey party and, luckily, I don’t have to wait 6 hours until I’m back from work to find out it’s there.

4.    Word Warp
If you love Text Twist, you’ll adore Word Warp. Fantastic and it teaches you new words, so, educational…?

5.   FML
I love reading FML because it makes me feel better about my messy mess of a life. Get it on your iPhone for a pick me up any time of the day!

6.    Urbanspoon
Constantly wondering where to eat? Want to eat on the cheap and only want breakfast food? Yeah, there’s an app for that. It rules.

7.   Brick FREE
A tribute to my Blackberry, the iPhone’s version of BrickBreaker. Thank you!

8.    Copter
Anyone remember this addictive online game from circa 1999?

9.    Last.fm
I like this better than Pandora! It’s a personalized radio station right in your phone. Very nice.

10.    VoiceNotes
Great for recording lectures, interviews and your friends’ drunken rants. Especially that last one.

Not exactly the most efficient apps, but definitely a lot of fun. What are some of your favorites? And has anyone found the app that deletes embarrassing drunk texts right before you send them? Anyone? Bueller??

Melanie currently interning in NYC, taking full advantage of all margarita specials and those blonde summer boys. Stalk her on Twitter: @tinkermellie

You miss Obama’s speech last night? Well here you go…

Top 10 ways to ensure you won’t get a job…

Another plane crash? WTF? I’m never flying again!

Octomom was offered $1 million to do a porno…would you watch? Ew.

Solving the accidental butt-crack show when you bend over in your fav jeans…

Beware AT&T users: Do NOT answer calls from area code 809!

Dying 9-year-old’s last wish is to get married…so she did. Kinda.

I don’t know how I feel about these new Vera Wang shades. What do you think?

Mmm…pancakes.

Evan Rachel Wood is back with Manson. Why?

Looks like Valentine’s Day in the 21st century looks a lot different than it used to. Whereas candy and cards used to be the only way to go, now we can email, IM, video chat, or text the people we love. But even with all those new avenues of communication, what you say and how you say it are still very important.

Since so many people will be sending texts this V-Day, you are going to need 2 things to get by:

1. An understanding of appropriate textiquette.

2. A phone that makes sending and receiving texts a whole lot easier.

Well, lookie here; we got em both for ya.

CollegeCandy teamed up with AT&T again to give one lucky reader a brand new Samsung Propel. This phone is pretty sweet, if we must say so ourselves. It is small and handy, but slides open to reveal a full keyboard! No more T-9 mishaps for you!

All you have to do is tell us your biggest texting do or don’t. Ever texted the wrong person? Ever sent a naughty picture that got around? Ever been asked on a date by the boy you love via text? Tell us everything. We’ll vote on them and announce the winner on Saturday, February 14th. Then you’ll have yourself a brand new cell to text all those important people in your life.

But, you must make sure to know what is OK and what is not OK to send. So, watch this little video courtesy of AT&T explaining the ins and outs of textiquette. Trust me; you can learn a lot!

Then this contest is for you, my friend.

Our friends over at AT&T gave us a brand new Palm Centro to give away to one lucky CollegeCandy winner. This phone is awesome. It’s small enough to fit in your clutch, but with a full QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth® capability, and infrared connectivity. You can email, Instant Messenger and Push-To-Talk with your friends, listen to AT&T Music and XM Radio, take pictures and record video, and stay up to date on all those important assignments.

Yeah, it’s the bomb.com. And it’s also easy to win. Here’s what you have to do:

Are you a member of CollegeCandy’s Facebook group? Well, you might want to be because the person who gets the most people to join the group will take home this great new phone. Just send your friends to join the group. When they join, have them leave a message on the wall that says “(Your name) sent me.” (So, if you are Brad Pitt, we want to marry you your friends would say “Brad Pitt sent me.”)

The person who sends the most will have themselves a brand spanking new phone courtesy of AT&T. You have until 5pm EST on Christmas day (December 25th, if you don’t know) to round up all your friends. We will announce the winner on CollegeCandy and send your phone on over.

(And just in case you don’t win this phone, AT&T has tons of other great phones you can take home for the holidays. Like the Samsung Propel or the Pantech Matrix, both only $79.99 with a a two-year agreement and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Put that on the wish list this year!)

It is all cheesy movie marathons, holiday jams, catching up on magazines, and heavy carbs for the next few weeks. No more frozen ears walking to class, IM fighting with the roommate who never does her dishes, or long nights in the freaking library. (Although, I really can’t complain that much; at least I’m not this girl.)

And maybe I can finally get over that dude who is so not into me and have me a little holiday fling. That would be nice.

I do have one thing to worry about, though, and that is what the hell to get my parents. Maybe my dad will want the new Burger King cologne? And maybe some makeup brushes for mom? Definitely not the female condom. Ew.

I could just win that sweet new AT&T Palm Centro and give it to one of them. Wait, I want that one for myself. After all, after a week like mine, I deserve it.

Needless to say, it’s not a happy day out there. Not that you have it any better; you are probably holed up in a library somewhere cramming for a crappy final that doesn’t matter anyway now that there are no jobs to be had. Awesome.

Well, how about a little laughter? It is the best medicine (besides Valium, Pot and Vodka), right? This video always makes us laugh, so we thought we’d share it. So watch it and perk up, kids. At least the Big 3 Auto Makers are still doin’ alright.

Oh. Wait…

Well, at least it’s National Cookie Day. Go buy yourself a package of Oreos and “celebrate.”

Elizabeth Hasselbeck had to eat her McCain/Palin words.

Pretty soon, AT&T will own damn near everything, including your soul.

Military uniforms make great women’s fashion for the fall.

Ever thought Barack, Michelle, Sarah, and John would appear on TV together? Well, South Park got them together in a jewelry heist.

Boy bands are all the rage and ‘NSYNC’s Lance Bass wants in on the action.

Having lots of sex? You may need this.

California has disappointed most, especially Ellen.

Want to sing in the rain? This umbrella has you rockin’.

Sexy Scarlett Johansson to wed? Perhaps!

I, on the other hand, don’t even know what the hell an iPhone is and still use my dinky little Sprint cell phone from college – it doesn’t even take video images! If it was still out there, I’d be still be using the “Zack Morris“.

These “iPhone Worshippers” were waiting in line for ridiculous amounts of time last week, just to be the first ones to snag the hot new gadget. They were sitting outside Apple stores for days, braved 90 degree heat, huddled in the rain, slept on pavement, enduring mass amounts of boredom, starvation, discomfort…damn. Do these people work/go to school/have anything, like, important going on? Apparently, not.

PCWorld.com reports the craziness that was the New York City line that formed outside of the Apple Store on Fifth Ave, as New Yorkers began camping out waaaaaay, way in advance.

But none were so determined as Greg Packer, a 43-year-old wacko who made himself comfortable in a lawn chair out front of the NY location on MONDAY AT 5 A.M. Yea, you know what time the iPhone officially goes on sale? FRIDAY AT 6 P.M. Holy hell.

This guy is what you’d call a “professional line-waiter” (and highway maintenance worker on the side) who has been doing this for years. Waiting in lines for stuff. Just because. He’s not necessarily interested in the iPhone itself – it’s just the novelty of being the first one there that gets him off. Eww, sorry.

On Greg’s website, he actually had the balls to give people the opportunity to make money “donations” to him, so he could be more comfortable while he waited. Anyone who obliged to giving this guy money is an a**hole.

Valleywag has compiled, what I think, is an accurate list of all the kinds of people who will probably buy an iPhone. I certainly am not in any of these groups, and I doubt many college kids will be, considering how expensive this thing is and that ramen noodles and tap water make up most meals of the day. But rockstars, executives and snotty b*tches with daddy’s credit card will be sure to have an iPhone by the end of the month, if they haven’t bought one already.

Oh yea, and Greg Packer, 43-year-old maintenance guy and professional line-waiter.