What does your cell phone say about you?

I was raised to avoid getting attached to material things. Buddhists have this thing about attachment. Everything is ephemeral and all that.

But I am irrevocably linked to my smartphone — and my car, my HDTV, my TiVo, my “X-Files” DVD series (you get the idea; I don’t think I’ve been a very good Buddhist).

I’ve started to notice that others are similarly joined at the hip to their smartphones.

Whether it’s a BlackBerry, Treo, Sidekick or an iPhone (or one of many other varieties of smartphone), a device might give off some clues about the personalities that gravitate to it.

None of this is set in stone, but it does seem like certain phones fit certain professions and types. By drawing some very broad — and very unscientific — conclusions, the personality match-ups break down like so:

BlackBerry
The wide, but lean, shape turns off some. But the full keyboard and e-mail capability of the traditional BlackBerry caught fire years ago with financial professionals, event planners, government and law enforcement, salespeople and journalists, and has never let go of its hold.

In the last 18 months, Research In Motion, which makes BlackBerry, has expanded to a consumer range, thanks to models of its sleek Pearl, with its QWERTY keyboard and plethora of software applications, said Mark Guibert, RIM’s vice president of corporate marketing.

Now, he said, the BlackBerry is better able to merge the personal chores of life with the professional, so that the soccer mom at home is as apt to have one as the doctor next door.

“There’s a lot more you can do with your BlackBerry,” Guibert said. “It used to be function or fashion, but we’re at this interesting stage where we can deliver both.”

Adding software applications like Facebook and real estate databases, and cameras and multimedia players, have made the BlackBerry much more appealing to a wider spectrum of people, Guibert said.

But, there is a reason people who have the devices call them CrackBerries.

“They are still the best solution for staying constantly connected to corporate e-mail systems,” said Avi Greengart, New Jersey-based research director of mobile devices for Current Analysis.

“Sure, the go-go-go, white-collar executive who gets BlackBerry withdrawal when the thing doesn't buzz for a few minutes is just a stereotype. But there's some truth to the stereotype.

“BlackBerry users tend to quickly become addicts, and a range of named afflictions have followed, from ‘BlackBerry thumb’ (a repetitive stress problem) to ‘phantom BlackBerry syndrome,’ ” when a user isn't carrying the device, but feels the hip buzz anyway.

Treo
Slightly bulkier than the BlackBerry, this multi-tasking device is a favorite among publicists and artsy self-starters. But it’s harder to peg by type because of its versatility. Sometimes, for those choosing between the Treo and BlackBerry, it’s more about whether users prefer the keyboard layout of the BlackBerry or the compact power of the Treo. The creative set seems to favor the Treo over the corporate image that BlackBerry projects.

Educators, financiers, government and healthcare workers, lawyers and realtors also vie for the device, which gets a plus from Palm’s solid background as a PDA.

The transition was easy for many professionals who were already used to Palms. The Treo added the phone and other features, and — bam! The result was familiarity and function — with a little fashion thrown in.

“There's no single Treo user, but Treo users tend to be more organization-minded than, say, iPhone or Sidekick buyers,” said Greengart.

“Many Treo owners upgraded from Palm's excellent PDAs, which could be expanded with any number of software applications, but always started with a solid collection of personal information management applications.”

Palm spokeswoman Dolleen Casey added, “Generally, Treo buyers tend to be mobile professionals around ages 35-54, across a variety of industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to banking and law.”

Palm’s newer smartphone, Centro, is “targeted at a younger audience with the smaller size, multimedia and messaging options,” she said.

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