[mommabird]

Hi! I am a long time lurker here and I know this is a worn out subject, but here goes.

I am due an upgrade and am torn between staying with BB and getting the Torch or plunging into the Iphone4. I have been with AT&T for years and have always been satisfied with their service. Very few dropped calls with the BB.

I have had BB's for years and have always been pleased with them (for the most part, except viewing web pages) but I must admit that some things about the iphone4 are tempting such as web browsing, app capabilties, large screen, etc. But, I am apprehensive about reports of sketchy call reception on the iphone4, which is a biggy for me. I am also very attached to how I can handle my email accounts, messaging, twitter, facebook, google maps, etc., with my BB Bold.

I guess that I just need a little bit of a push and some more convincing to go ahead with the torch. Also, is it very hard to get used to the smaller keyboard? And, the touch screen? I have never had a touch screen before.

Thanks tons and again, I know this is kindof an old subject:-)

Rachel

[mark_rivers19]

You need to experience BOTH devices before you commit to a 2 yr plan with AT&T.
i suggest you try the iphone 4.. you have 30 days to play with the device..then if you're not happy go with the blackberry.
you can also visit a retail store and spend a handful hour getting to know the device.
the problem with " convince me" thread is that you well get a lot of biased reviews both from BB lovers and Iphone fanatics..
seldom will you get a very objective comment regarding the subject..
at the end of the day.. it's you will pay and "suFFer" incase you end up not liking the device after all..

So again.. make use of the grace period for the device..

Now..personally, i tried the iphone 4 for 5 days... my wife has the iphone 4 since launch... it didn't work for me hence i ended up with the Torch..and from Aug 12 up to now i m still happy with my purchase..
for full disclosure.. ,y previous phone was an iphone 3GS and i currently have an ipod touch 4G and an iPad... so an iphone 4 is simply Redundant.

[sedalia066]

What Mark says is good advice. Spend as much time as need be before making a final commitment. IP does not fit my needs. The Torch does just what I need and does a very fine job.

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[fass]

Some of my friends use their Blackberry for business, emails, texting, etc. and also have a ipad touch loaded with games and use it for web browsing. I have both and I can tell you that if you are doing a lot of web browsing the iphone is better.

[hectorjr]

I moved from a Blackberry to an iPhone 3G and I'm now back with the Blackberry Torch.
I loved the keyboard on my old Blackberry and I didn't really have much problem getting used to this smaller keyboard. I've only had the phone for a couple of days but I'm loving it.
Disclaimer: My opinion is very biased as even when I had my iPhone I still wanted my Blackberry's keyboard back.

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[caemin]

My parents have had both iPhone 3G and the newer iPhone 4 and I still prefer the physical keyboard of the BlackBerry as well as the interface. The Torch is a great mix of both though. The touch actions is almost nearly as smooth as the iPhone's (the only large difference was when zooming in a on a photo- slightly laggy) and manages to still have a BlackBerry feel.

The iPhone is great for fooling around but I own an iPod Touch and have an iPhone is simply not neccesary. The Torch provides a pretty darn close experience with a physical keyboard. I'm happy with it.

[steeZ03]

I was in the same dilemma as the OP. I ended up picking up the iPhone 4 last Tuesday. Played around with the phone for the day and at the end of the night, I knew this phone wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong, it's a great phone. Web browsing on the iPhone is really quick and responsive, a big change from my 8900. The amount of apps I downloaded that day was ridiculous. But after playing with the apps a few times, I never really opened them again. There are only a few apps on the iPhone that I found actually useful. The iPhone is a very powerful phone, but in my opinion it's overkill.

So 4 days later, I returned the iPhone and picked up the Torch and I honestly couldn't be happier. The Torch just brings together the best of both worlds. The web browsing is not as fast as the iPhone, but it's nothing I can't live with. Like it's still fast, but just not as fast as the iPhone. The battery life (well for atleast my torch) so far has been wayyyy better than my iPhone 4.

[mommabird]

Thanks everyone! I am going to go in one day this week and play around with them both but the more that I research, the more that I'm leaning towards sticking with BB. It's been good and reliable for me for several years and I know pretty much what to expect and what is the most important for me in a smartphone. At my age, figuring out something completely new isn't really all that exciting;-) And, I have the 30 trial period which good.

[SWFLFFPM]

I wrestled with this exact decision and wound up with the Torch on a black Friday $50 special at BestBuy. The wife upgraded from her iphone3 to 4 at the same time.

Prior to the Torch I had a 8350i Curve that was a work phone with tons of restrictions. I only had that one a few months and couldn't use it for music, videos, download stuff etc. My comments are based on my limited experience with the Curve and the few days I've had with the Torch and playing with the wife's iPhone 4. I'm in the 30 day trial period right now.

Keyboards:
-The Curve has the best, IMO. Keys nicely spaced, feel good to press etc.
-The Torch physical kb is slightly smaller but perfectly functional.
-The Torch touch screen is fine. I've been using both and sometimes just find it easier to switch around depending on what I'm doing. I've had to use the physical kb on some apps which apparently haven't been modified for the Torch.
-The iPhone has the better touch one. It is just smoother all around.

There is no comparison between the old BB browser and the one on the Torch.

Seen this?

Apple iPhone 4 vs Blackberry Torch 9800

[biggietoms]

I went from a BB Bold to an Iphone 4 in september and liked the browsing and the screen but hated the call quality, the email, the messaging and the keyboard. Last week I went out and got me the Torch and im loving it, it has everything the iphone lacked. These to me are the essentials of a smart phone and I can live without the flashy screen and browsing the torch does everything I need perfect.
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[mikeyg164]

Ok so here is my 2 cents. I have the torch. The torch is the best BB I've ever owned. My previous BB devices were the 9700 Bold ( I didn't think I would ever stop using it since I loved it so, but the 9700 with os5 didn't browse the internet very well, I also had a curve 8310 before the bold. I've had a htc tilt 2 and iphone. In my opinion, the torch has a better browser then iphone. The torch also scores higher on the html5test. The iphone does have a larger screen then the torch but that isn't a issue for me. Os6 and the webkit browser puts the torch over the top for me. Not to mention that you have to use itunes for everything for a iphone, you don't have that with BB im not one to play "games" on a phone, but Bb app world has plenty of apps

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[Lyls]

I bought my Torch less than 30 days ago, upgrading from the 9700. I absolutely love it! I think the touch responsiveness is great, the web browser & os6 fantastic! My husband & daughter both have iphones (3g & 4 respectively) and they love them but I don't like them. Way too many unnecessary apps. I love the simplicity the BB brings, yet you can still add whatever apps you need. If you use your phone primarily for texting, email, facebook, etc., stick with BB. They've never done me wrong, and even when I install leaked os's, they work flawlessly, just as the Torch has with the leaked .337. When my husband had to upgrade his os on his 3g, it slowed the phone down like crazy and took forever to do the simplest task. To top it off, just before his 1 year warranty expired, the touchscreen malfunctioned and had to be replaced. Thank God it didn't cost anything to fix, but I'm convinced Iphones are built to last for 2 years and they take a dump.

Good luck on your decision. Keep in mind the Torch units at the stores are messed with all day long, so they may not be the best way to judge its capabilities, but I'm totally sold.

[mark_rivers19]

the strongest marketing pitch of Apple is its 200,000 apps in the APP store..
but if you look closely, most of the apps are quite redundant and will have no use for you anyway..
there's so many fart application and other party tricks that..maybe fun in the first 3 days but not in the long run..
and some apps are just shortcuts for the website of a company..

so list down all the apps that you will be using ..
most of the times, they are available in all platforms.. meaning apple, blackberry, android etc.