[awtenterprise]

Hi fellow CrackBerry users,

Disclaimer: If you feel the need to respond at any point with the "My phone is bigger then your phone", please just hit the back button and move on. This is serious stuff.

An introduction to my current setup goes as follows. I have a Bold 9650 and use a Net Book for my in home internet. I mainly just surf the net and I have no "real" use for a full on computer. I have a PS3 that I use for games and internet, the wife has a full size notebook for burning cd's and such. I have Tether for the rare times on the road when I need to use the Net Book. I also do quite a bit of surfing on the 9650 and don't mind the smaller screen size. I came from a 9630, have used a Storm 1 and it is on standby as my backup berry. Honestly I didn't care much for the Storm 1, I preferred the form factor of the 9630 / 9650. For a last couple of bits of info, The 9650 is on Verizon and has been loaded with 6.0 since it was first leaked.

Now that you know my life story, I will skip the chit chat and get directly to the question that is burning a hole in my techie sole.

I am due for an upgrade in May. I am having a hard time deciding the path that will yield the best results for the next 2 years. Here are the options as I see them.

1. Keep the 9650, hold on to the upgrade until like Q3 to see what hits the market. I could buy a Playbook and use that for a new toy. After a hopeful LTE Berry by like Q3 or Q4 I would have a rockin setup, A Playbook and New Berry. Maybe even QNX, who knows.

2. Dump the BB and get a droid phone. I am leery for a couple of reasons and since I am the op I will tell you why,
First, I don't trust Google. Just an opinion, only conspiracy theory's to back it up.
Second, The droid thing really seems like a cult following, very similar to Apple. I use a Berry so I must think the earth is flat....
Third, I feel safe with the security of a Berry. By now everyone has heard of the virus in china on android that steals data. Now, you are safe here and don't download porn, But it is just a matter of time.

Now after checking out the stats on some of the new droid phones they are pretty impressive. I live in a LTE zone and am interested in being an early adopter. If you have checked out the Atrix and the nifty "laptop" dock, that is cool. The phone may not have desktop stats but with a good battery and monitor it may best my Net Book setup. Maybe not in storage but certainly in WOW factor. Being on Verizon, I would hope it would work with the Bionic as well.

I also like the idea of being able to load ROM's. I have enjoyed many of good hours loading leaks on my Berry over the years.

3. I will not consider a I phone. As stated earlier I believe the earth is flat.

Hopefully I can get some constructive ideas or alternative points of view. Like I stated, my upgrade is in May so I will probably wait until at the least BlackBerry world to make a final decision. The big problem is the Playbook coming out soon. If I buy the Playbook that would lead me down option 1. If I go the droid route I may just jump sooner then later with the LTE releases coming soon.

If you made it this far I thank you.

What would you do?

AdamT.

[Evan_O]

Well... Whether you stay with BB or go Android, I think if you can wait, then wait. Saying this because if you can wait until Q3 for the new BB's then Android is sure to have new devices as well. Technology is always moving forward, so keeping up is impossible, but if you hold out just a little longer, you may yield results from a phone you will be happy with longer.

I see your conspiracy logic, but one could say that about us BB lovers too I suppose. Its all about how you look at it.

If Q3 isn't impossible to wait for, then you can see some review and hands on time with these, then make the leap to Android if not happy.

Then again, I like to see myself as a more patient person than most, so waiting for new tech to make me happy is easy and in the long run, very worth it to me.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[FuzzyB]

I also think if you can be patient you should be. I've wrestled with the some of the same things you have recently but I have told myself to wait until Q3 to see what RIM devices come out. I don't think you can make a wrong move here as all the platforms, IMO, are very impressive.

I am a BB fan first and if RIM has some good devices up their sleeve by the time my NE2 is here in fall, there is no doubt I'm staying put.

Since you're considering waiting until May anyway, I would just continue to do homework on everything you are considering so when the time comes you can make the best decision for YOU.

[Rootbrian]

Get the chance to know the devices by using a few of the working display models until you get to know the look, feel and handedness of them, if you start to like something, give it a try. To each their own is the way to go.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[awtenterprise]

Thanks for the response so far. I am thinking by my May NE2 there should be some light shining on the rest of the years devices. Buying a phone now days is like my first flat screen. I waited and waited and finally spent like $2,000 on a Sony 42 inch lcd. Now days you gan get twice the TV for half as much.

I guess I could also get a Playbook on the release, and come upgrade time if RIM is still sleeping, get a droid phone. They all seem to offer a wireless hotspot anyhow.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mikeplus1]

Moto Droid Bionic will be out soon with 4G LTE, looks/sounds very impressive.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[elvin1983]

I know that with my upgrade coming in June, I'm waiting to see what RIM is going to launch at the BB World event. With all the leaked pictures and specs on the Storm3, Dakota, etc, I want to see what they have up their sleeve.

Last year's event highlighted the launch of two GSM devices, so I'm really hoping for a strong CDMA showing in this event. If I don't like what I see from the Storm 3, I'll probably go Bold 9650... But enough about me.

I would say go with whatever you feel is right. Run to the store and try out a couple of the Droid devices and see how you feel about them compared to your Bold. I personally found the Droid devices to be nice, and fun when you know what you want to do on them, but I got bored after a little while of playing on one. Remember, regardless of what you do you NO LONGER HAVE 30 DAYS on Verizon to test out the device before returning it, they have changed it to 14 days now.

Best of luck, we'll be interested in finding out what you decide to do!

[anon3396357]

Just get the PB and wait for Q3.

I first started out with a Curve, ended up with a Storm 2 6 months later, got a Samsung Galaxy Tab, an Android phone, iPod Touch... my next phone will definitely be a BlackBerry, and most likely one with the Bold form factor. There's nothing much in Android, imo. I use them for casual games, browsing the web and that's about it.

[the_sandman_454]

Hi fellow CrackBerry users,

Disclaimer: If you feel the need to respond at any point with the "My phone is bigger then your phone", please just hit the back button and move on. This is serious stuff.

An introduction to my current setup goes as follows. I have a Bold 9650 and use a Net Book for my in home internet. I mainly just surf the net and I have no "real" use for a full on computer. I have a PS3 that I use for games and internet, the wife has a full size notebook for burning cd's and such. I have Tether for the rare times on the road when I need to use the Net Book. I also do quite a bit of surfing on the 9650 and don't mind the smaller screen size. I came from a 9630, have used a Storm 1 and it is on standby as my backup berry. Honestly I didn't care much for the Storm 1, I preferred the form factor of the 9630 / 9650. For a last couple of bits of info, The 9650 is on Verizon and has been loaded with 6.0 since it was first leaked.

Now that you know my life story, I will skip the chit chat and get directly to the question that is burning a hole in my techie sole.

I am due for an upgrade in May. I am having a hard time deciding the path that will yield the best results for the next 2 years. Here are the options as I see them.

1. Keep the 9650, hold on to the upgrade until like Q3 to see what hits the market. I could buy a Playbook and use that for a new toy. After a hopeful LTE Berry by like Q3 or Q4 I would have a rockin setup, A Playbook and New Berry. Maybe even QNX, who knows.

If the 9650 does what you need to and you're satisfied with it, why switch until the next BB comes out? You seem to like BB devices, so you're probably a good candidate to wait and see.

2. Dump the BB and get a droid phone. I am leery for a couple of reasons and since I am the op I will tell you why,
First, I don't trust Google. Just an opinion, only conspiracy theory's to back it up.

That's sure your choice. If you don't trust Google, you'll never be happy on an Android device.

Second, The droid thing really seems like a cult following, very similar to Apple. I use a Berry so I must think the earth is flat....

That's just silly. Apple is the cult. Android owners on average are geeks and folks who want to be able to use Flash on websites, play games but still have a ton of productivity application options. We can even view PDF items from the memory card for free, not spending a dime, unlike with BB where you need the paid version of docs to go to do it.

Third, I feel safe with the security of a Berry. By now everyone has heard of the virus in china on android that steals data. Now, you are safe here and don't download porn, But it is just a matter of time.

You have to be careful what apps you install and where you get them from. Get your apps from Android Market and you should be safe. Just like with BB, if someone wanted to, they could write a malicious app and if someone doesn't carefully think about what permissions they set, well, same results.

Just like your laptop really, be careful what you're downloading and what apps you get.

This sounds like you don't wish to leave BB either, and that's not a bad thing, it is your choice for sure.[/quote]

Now after checking out the stats on some of the new droid phones they are pretty impressive. I live in a LTE zone and am interested in being an early adopter. If you have checked out the Atrix and the nifty "laptop" dock, that is cool. The phone may not have desktop stats but with a good battery and monitor it may best my Net Book setup. Maybe not in storage but certainly in WOW factor. Being on Verizon, I would hope it would work with the Bionic as well.

That's one of the risks of becoming an early adopter, forging your way away from a device/OS you're already used to and are comfortable with. There's plenty of support around though, both here and sites like Android Central, among others.

I also like the idea of being able to load ROM's. I have enjoyed many of good hours loading leaks on my Berry over the years.

Some manufacturers have been doing things to limit this. A true and absolute shame really.

3. I will not consider a I phone. As stated earlier I believe the earth is flat.

Apart from many of their following being just as dedicated as hardcore BB users are to RIM, Apple does make a good product. I've been happy with my iPod Touch which is basically an iPhone minus the cell network transmitters, and I despise other Apple products like their computers.

Hopefully I can get some constructive ideas or alternative points of view. Like I stated, my upgrade is in May so I will probably wait until at the least BlackBerry world to make a final decision. The big problem is the Playbook coming out soon. If I buy the Playbook that would lead me down option 1. If I go the droid route I may just jump sooner then later with the LTE releases coming soon.

If you made it this far I thank you.

What would you do?

AdamT.

You don't sound like an Android candidate since you have a strong dislike/distrust of Google. I would think you're better off in your case to wait and see what, if anything, RIM/BB pulls out of their hat this year. Your current device is meeting your needs and you're ok with it. Besides, the longer you wait, the more the price of the new crop of devices should go down.

Has VZW even announced LTE rate plan pricing for phones yet?

Just for some insight into my perspective, in case you're wondering, my BB history was a year with each an 8330 and 9630 before I switched to my Droid 2.

[BayouBengal21]

Hey, I would definitely wait on what BB comes out with later in the year. I also use the 9650(Sprint) and love it. I tried the EVO,EPIC and HERO and none of them come close to the security,ease of use and productivity I get out of my BB. Again it is your decision and if you want to try Android you may love it. My friend loves his Droid X but it just wasnt for me. Good luck!

[Rootbrian]

Thanks for the response so far. I am thinking by my May NE2 there should be some light shining on the rest of the years devices. Buying a phone now days is like my first flat screen. I waited and waited and finally spent like $2,000 on a Sony 42 inch lcd. Now days you gan get twice the TV for half as much.

I guess I could also get a Playbook on the release, and come upgrade time if RIM is still sleeping, get a droid phone. They all seem to offer a wireless hotspot anyhow.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

That flat screen will last you 11 years. That CRT you had will outlast it by 40 yerars. Sony isn't abouit quality anymore, it's money money and price$$$. That $2000 could have been $1300 or $1000 elsewhere. Maybe a 32" Flat tube CRT would have been a good choice. I have a friend who has a 42" Wide screen CRT. It's heavy, but it did survive being knocked over and had things thrown at it during drunk parties, like screw drivers and DVD's. That LCD won't survive that treatment!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Xopher]

I would say look at getting the Playbook and wait. Although, from the sound of things, the BB devices coming out in Q3 will be OS 6.1, not QNX and not LTE. Hopefully I'm wrong about LTE. It might be a year before we actually see a BlackBerry with LTE.

[awtenterprise]

After pondering it for the day at work, I was thinking that the local CList may be flush with droid phones in a couple of weeks. (think I phone sales) Maybe the best bet will be to buy a used droid and give it a spin for a couple of weeks. I hate to use a upgrade on a phone and not be happy or have a next best thing come out in like 6 months.

I may just go to Verizon tomorrow and check out what they have now.

[elvin1983]

Picking up a used Droid phone actually doesn't sound like a bad idea... Give it a shot and if you don't like it then you can just re-sell it.

If you like your BB, take a look at the Droid Pro. It has a similar layout to a BB, **** the keys on the keyboard are shaped almost exactly like the ones on the Bold 9650/Tour 9630.

Of course, as similar as the layout may be, it's not the same as a BB

[awtenterprise]

If you like your BB, take a look at the Droid Pro. It has a similar layout to a BB, **** the keys on the keyboard are shaped almost exactly like the ones on the Bold 9650/Tour 9630.

Of course, as similar as the layout may be, it's not the same as a BB

Funny, i got a email from Vzw on Wednesday asking me if i wanted to upgrade to a droid pro for $179 with a early 2 year. I checked it out in the store and actually thought it was pretty neat looking. The keyboard looks like a dead ringer for the Bold / Your.

Having hard keys is a big plus for me. I feel like I have club fingers when I use touch screens to type.

I am going to try to sweet talk my mom out of her original moto droid phone the weekend. She upgraded to a droid X. That's how I managed to snag my Storm 1.

[the_sandman_454]

Funny, i got a email from Vzw on Wednesday asking me if i wanted to upgrade to a droid pro for $179 with a early 2 year. I checked it out in the store and actually thought it was pretty neat looking. The keyboard looks like a dead ringer for the Bold / Your.

Having hard keys is a big plus for me. I feel like I have club fingers when I use touch screens to type.

I am going to try to sweet talk my mom out of her original moto droid phone the weekend. She upgraded to a droid X. That's how I managed to snag my Storm 1.

The original Droid is a good device. For the best experience, make sure it has Android OS2.2 "Froyo" installed on it. Then you can use Flash 10.1 if you want.

The keyboard on the Droid 2 is better though.

[13echo4]

I like your thought process on this. My opinion is to wait untell the new crop and see what comes out. The leaks I've read shows inpressive specs on the new blackberrys. Whatever you do have fun and get what you want. I buy used phone and test them all the time. Its what ny wife calls my down time.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[awtenterprise]

Latest update.

Well, I have taken a peek into the Android platform.

I scored an original Motorola droid. My mom upgraded to a droid X so it was free. After about 1 day of use I was Rooted and running a custom ROM. After a week of tinkering and really putting the platform to the test, I am impressed. I understand that I am using one of the early platforms but it still runs good. I don't think it is the huge revolutionary jump that some portray however it does have it's pluses.

With my Tour / Bold I was never an app guy. I find it the same on this phone. I like system type apps that allow you to do things like edit options (in the case of the droid, overclock the processor), or re-arrange the feel of the os to best suit my needs. After loading my BB up with like 20 different apps i never used, i finally slimmed it down to like 5 or 10. I mostly just used things like Poynt and Maps. I was always after apps that actually made my life easier.

Now on to my plans at this time. I am sure that anyone reading will have noted the latest batch of BB phones. The successor to the (verizon) bold has caught my eye. After checking them out with my wife, she will probably upgrade to that. Her tour will surly be dead by then..... I however am not totally convinced. New processor speed and a couple of neat other things, eg. magnetometer, accelerometer aside, I am probable going to wait for a QNX phone. Hopefully by 1Q or 2Q 2012. Blackberry 6.1 just does not seem to be any kind of revolutionary leap. Like I stated earlier, I have had 6.0 on by 9650 for a while. Verizon just released an official 6.0 and I just don't see being happy with it for much longer.

I see a PlayBook in my future. I also see a... Gasp... Thunderbolt....

I figure that a LTE Android phone that holds top of the line specs for now may prove to be a viable option. If I can WIFI tether a playbook at LTE speeds I am sure that it will have faster internet then if tethered to a BB. In all honesty it may be faster then if pulling WIFI from my high speed at home.

With the Thunderbolt releasing in Feb, along with LTE pricing I will make up my mind by then.

AdamT.

[1812dave]

OP: you don't sound like the type of person who takes kindly to other's opinions (despite ASKING for them), so I'm going to skip saying,"get an Android". it would be pointless, and will probably **** you off.

[awtenterprise]

OP: you don't sound like the type of person who takes kindly to other's opinions (despite ASKING for them), so I'm going to skip saying,"get an Android". it would be pointless, and will probably **** you off.

Even though in the modern world of the interwebs most emotion and meaning of words are lost, I find it very hard to get **** off.

All I hope to gain from others dialogue is THERE opinions that are not just "this phone is better then That phone because it has this or that"

Dave1812, I see you are listed as having a storm. What do you plan on upgrading to next?

you can see from last weeks post to this weeks post that my opinion has tilted from a BB to an android phone based on a weeks worth of real world testing. I have by no means given up on BB as I plan on getting a Playbook. For a phone however, I think a LTE android may be better suited for me both feature wise and future wise.

AdamT.

[1812dave]

Even though in the modern world of the interwebs most emotion and meaning of words are lost, I find it very hard to get **** off.

All I hope to gain from others dialogue is THERE opinions that are not just "this phone is better then That phone because it has this or that"

Dave1812, I see you are listed as having a storm. What do you plan on upgrading to next?

you can see from last weeks post to this weeks post that my opinion has tilted from a BB to an android phone based on a weeks worth of real world testing. I have by no means given up on BB as I plan on getting a Playbook. For a phone however, I think a LTE android may be better suited for me both feature wise and future wise.

AdamT.

A Bionic. while I like the SurePress screen technology, the phone has outlived it's welcome, now that there are superior (specs, and OS) phones already out and more soon on the way. I expect to be buying a Bionic. It will have 4G, which I am eager to get (I live in a city with 4G), and having a larger screen, it will easier to type on, and browsing and other networked features will be FAR faster than my Storm. I wish I could wake up tomorrow morning and learn that the Bionic has been released ahead of schedule!

Having so many issues with BIS servers also has soured me on the BB experience. One reason I got a BB was for BBM. It's not totally dependable.

[13echo4]

Adam how awkward was it using the android at first? What rom are you running and what are you running it for. {Wanting to get out of it}. This is a cool way of making up ones mind. Its nice to be contract free and can play around enjoy your freedom while it last and have fun. I'm waiting on the playbook myself.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[awtenterprise]

The phone I was given from my mom (read stole) was the original droid. It was pre loaded with 2.2. It was a fairly easy transition to learn the OS. I like to think I am pretty intuitive.

In order to try to better learn the nuances of the deeper operation of the phone I started reading various android sites. I used a verizon / motorola program, RSD light to flash the phone back to factory 2.0.1, Rooted, and from there I installed a app called rom manager and installed CyanogenMod 6.1.2.

The CyanogenMod contains much of the features of 2.2. The nice thing for me is that is isn't a "droid" phone in the sense that it no longer has the droid boot animation and it doesn't say "droid" every time I do something. From there it is flashing a new kernel and overclocking it.

Overall it has been a learning process. On a system level, the android platform has proved to be more involved and more customizable as compared to loading up hybrids on a BB.

As a side note, the original droid is in my opinion a good test bed for the android platform. They can be had for a hundred or so dollars and still have good community support. They are one of the few phones that are not locked in any fashion.


AdamT.

[13echo4]

Adam my daughter has a captive and I don't get any time with it cause you cant pry it from her it has os 2.1. I thinknits a cool phone. I like the Torch better. That doesn't mean it does anything better. Soundsnlike your haveing fun. Lol

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BoldtotheMax]

Must be pretty advanced to root an Android only after a week...I don't even think I am that daring, lol! And I love to customize stuff.

I guess it is all about reading up.

Glad you like it. Sister-in-law and a couple BB friends that have moved to a D1 or D2 have them and love em!

I hated my older mytouch3G and Cliq...and what is crazy is I just updated my wife's mytouch3G to 2.2 and besides icons and stuff and camera, don't see a big difference in speed if at all.

Have fun and check into some of the new Berries that will be coming up in 11'. Can't wait for the Dakota myself, touch Bold they are calling it now.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com