When the BlackBerry first was released, it immediately became the ultimate status symbol. Soon other companies jumped on the smartphone band wagon and created their own models, some of which look almost identical to the original. These phones are what I like to call WannaBerries when I feel like breaking out the puns. It’s not the Wannaberries faults that they didn’t come first, though. They still deserve some love and respect. So since we love underdogs (Hell yes, Mighty Ducks), here’s a guide to the Best Wannabe Blackberry Smartphones.

T-Mobile Dash

The T-Mobile Dash looks a lot like a matte Blackberry and has a color screen. It’s got integrated Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi, push e-mail, and a lamely confusing 1.3-megapixel camera. It also has a very strange volume control touchstrip which can be a pain in the ass to manipulate.

Palm Centro

The Palm Centro is the newest iteration of the Palm Treo and is a bit smaller than its ancestor. You can get a lot of bang for your buck with it since it includes features like Bluetooth, EV-DO support, push e-mail, and productivity applications. It kind of looks like what a toy BlackBerry would look like if PlaySkool started making one for kids and it doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but it’s still worth every penny since it offers so many great features.

Samsung Saga

The Samsung Saga is a great phone for globetrotters since it allows for world-roaming. It has a touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. It’s got a pretty solid 2-megapixel camera,  Windows Mobile 6.1, integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and EV-DO Rev. It’s slower than other smartphones, but is remarkable for its ability to function internationally and is a pretty good value.

Samsung Epix

The Samsung Epix also has touch screen, but the keyboard is difficult to use with accuracy.  It includes an optical mouse though, which is helpful for maneuvering through the system. It uses Windows Mobile 6.1 and has wireless capabilities. More importantly, it’s pretty easy to navigate.

Samsung BlackJack II

The Samsung BlackJack II uses Windows Mobile 6; GPS. With a 2-megapixel camera, lots of memory, a larger display, and full QWERTY keyboard, it’s got an amazing system. It also uses Bluetooth and has AT&T Video Share support. Strangely, it doesn’t have Wi-Fi, but the sleek design is quite appealing and it shows just how far the dollar can go, which is refreshing during this economic slump.