1. tyler_JC's Avatar
    Hi guys,

    I am currently an iPhone user, but as of late I have been really bored with iOS. It hasnt changed much in my time using iPhones and I'm ready for somthing new.

    I have really been looking deeply into getting an BlackBerry Bold 9900 but still am not 100% sold on the phone. I have a few questions, hopefully you have a few answers haha.

    One key feature on a phone for me is Facebook - I love my social networking! On the iPhone Facebook is a clean and crisp application that is pretty to look at and well functioning. How is Facebook on the BB? Also I tend to put a lot of my Facebook events into my iPhones Calander app (default). I have been told BB's will automatically put Facebook events in the BB calander? Is this true? It would be a great seller for me haha.

    I also hear BlackBerrys are noticably better in terms of call quality and general reception. I know it is also dependant on the network, but does anyone agree with this?

    I hear BB's have an integrated 'Messages' app in which all messages from texting, email and social networks are displayed? Does this work well for people? Is it not confusing?


    For those wondering why I want the switch, aside from the whole 'bored of iOS' argument, that QWERTY keyboard is a real big benifit for me as I have noticed that after such a long time on touch screens, my typing is becoming awful haha. It's almost like I'm losing speed and accuracy!

    I would love to hear some general opinions on the device as well, I once tried to make the big switch with the 9780 but found it too sluggish for my tastes!

    Thanks in advance guys,

    Tyler
    12-05-11 05:14 AM
  2. Barbyclerk's Avatar
    Hi, and welcome to the BlackBerry curiosity department.


    Yes, messages can be neatly integrated together, but only if you want them to be
    That's one thing you'll notice if you move to a BlackBerry: ultimately there's a lot of choice and tons of options.

    As far as Facebook goes, Research In Motion seem to update it every once in a while and it gets better and better. You're correct, calendar events can be synced, and there are lots of the usual features, uploading of video/pics on new posts, Facebook chat is native on the application etc, etc.

    As for reception, I've owned a lot of phones in the past and none of them come close to the reception I benefit from with my BB.

    At first, the switch to a keyboard may feel laboured. I noticed that switching from a Touch Screen. But after perhaps a week you wonder how you lived without one.

    Take care!
    12-05-11 05:20 AM
  3. tyler_JC's Avatar
    Thanks for the quick reply!

    Over these past years it has seemed like the iPhone has told me how I want my phone to behave, so it will be nice to have some choice! haha.

    In regards to syncing calanders with Facebook, is this an 'out of the box' feature? Or do I require the Google Calander app?
    12-05-11 05:25 AM
  4. Barbyclerk's Avatar
    As far as I'm aware, you can sync the calendar events from Facebook with the native BlackBerry calendar application out of the box. There's an option when you first set up the Facebook application on your BlackBerry. I've recently uninstalled the application because I'm trying to pull myself away from social networking, as It's horribly addictive. So I haven't checked it for a while.
    Last edited by Barbyclerk; 12-05-11 at 05:33 AM.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 05:31 AM
  5. FlashFlare11's Avatar
    Hi and welcome to CrackBerry (and BlackBerry too, hopefully)!

    Facebook on BlackBerry is very similar to the iOS version. I'm sure there are a few differences which may make the iOS version seem better, but as far as functionality goes, they're about the same. You can sync your Facebook and native calendar on the BlackBerry. And, yes, this is an out-of-the-box function.

    I've personally never owned an iOS device, but the other three members of my family do, as well as numerous others I know, and I can say with a lot of confidence that my BlackBerry holds a signal better. I'm on AT&T (the supposed "worst" network when it comes to reception), yet I've barely dropped any calls whereas my family complains quite a bit over missed calls.

    On a BlackBerry, the native messages app will store messages from every email account associated with the device, BBM messages, missed calls, Facebook notifications, Twitter notifications, etc. However, for every email account you sync, a new folder is created for messages from that account only. BBM has its own app, as do FB and Twitter, and missed calls can also be listed in the Phone app with more detailed information. SMS/Text Messaging has its own app and is kept separately from every other type of message.

    You will love the keyboard! It's one of the most defining features of a BlackBerry, and you'll see why. I will say, though, that it may take a bit of learning, and that going back to virtual will take some time too.

    I hope I was able to answer any doubts you had about getting a BlackBerry! Be sure to take advantage of CrackBerry. It's a great resource and the forums are amonst the best and most helpful of any online community I've ever seen!

    Again, welcome to BlackBerry and CrackBerry!
    Last edited by FlashFlare11; 12-05-11 at 08:49 AM.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 05:54 AM
  6. moiselles's Avatar
    I'm a former BlackBerry user who moved back to iOS for the 4S.

    As others have states, you can integrate everything into the messages app but I found it very confusing and cluttered so I chose not to do that and only let my email accounts filter into the messages app, nothing else.

    For me, call quality and volume are 10x better than on BlackBerry. My 9800 was so quiet and turning it up all the way didn't help. Reception is about the same for me on AT&T.

    Best of luck in your decision. BlackBerry devices are very customizable and for some people, (like my mom) it can be very confusing with all the menu options. I'm sure you're fairly tech savvy so that probably won't be an issue but it's a big difference between iOS and BlackBerry OS -- iOS is simple and clean and yes, maybe a bit boring. BlackBerry, while good once you learn your way around, can be overwhelming for your first time.



    Sent from my iPhone4S using Tapatalk
    Last edited by moiselles; 12-05-11 at 06:26 AM.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 06:21 AM
  7. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    One thing you will love about the Facebook app on BB is the ability to share o post from within to anywhere, email, sms, IMclient, BBM, Twitter etc and vive versa, basically you have a post you would like to share, press menu, select share, easy.

    One other advantage of social networking on BB is Social Feeds that pulls every social network and IMclients updates as well as RSS feeds but also let's you update your status to all of them at the same time, Facebook, Twitter, Gtalk, Yahoo Messenger, BBM, all in one simple move.

    The Facebook app also has lots fo usefull shortcuts, C-facebook chat, F-Friends, N-nottifications, M-Messages etc
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 06:46 AM
  8. moiselles's Avatar
    Also, if you're particularly attached to certain apps, make sure to do some research to see if they are available to you on BlackBerry. Some of my favorite iOS apps weren't not in BlackBerry's App World.


    Sent from my iPhone4S using Tapatalk
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 06:46 AM
  9. SRR500's Avatar
    The universal messages app is one of my favorite features.

    I have all my messages dumped in there. Any time a new message comes in, I can quickly switch over by holding the menu button and see what is there. If I want to read it right away I can. If I want to read it later I can easilly find it via the message's specific app.

    Another one of my favorite features is how the BB os gives you multiple ways to acomplish the same task.

    For example: Let's say that you are at the home screen and want to launch an app. Some of the options to acomplish your goal are (1) open the app tray, scroll to the icon, and launch the app. (2) type the first few letters of the app's name into Universal Search, and launch from there. (3) type the corresponding shortcut key on the keyboard.

    You will find that there is almost always more than one way to get the job done. Sometimes using the menu is easiest, sometimes a keyboard shortcut will be just what you need.

    The best advice I can offer is to get one and try it out for yourself. Don't be afraid to take advantage of your carrier's return policy if you need to.

    Good luck and hopefully, welcome to BlackBerry.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 06:46 AM
  10. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    Regarding the universal messages folder, it can get a little crowded in there but all you have to do is press S and start typing what you're looking for. For example you're looking to see anything related to facebook, open Messages, type S, type Facebook, that will filter everything else and show you only facebook messages and notifications. Same goes for everything else.

    One other very important feature of BB is it let's you search for a keyword in all your messages, if the word is in an email, it will filter it.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 06:54 AM
  11. qingyuank's Avatar
    my favourite is the LED notification. call, text or email; i don't have to remove my phone from the pouch to check it once in awhile because the LED will notify me. also, I like to turn off vibrate and sound when i'm out having coffee with a friend or something and i can just glance at the LED to see if there's a text or email waiting. there are apps which let you customize different LED lights based on contact so you need not be distracted unnecessarily if it's not important.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 07:11 AM
  12. sjsplaty's Avatar
    You MIGHT just want to consider the Toch 9810 over the Bold 9900. Its personal preference whether you like a slider or not, but coming from an iPhone, you mihgt really appreciate the bigger touch screen. IMHO, this is the BEST phone RIM makes,since it allows for the best of both worlds. As far as the functionality and customizability vs iOS, you will find the BB infinitely more customizable. You can choose what messages go into the unified folder, which don't. App integration, especially FB is done as the most basic level, and as others have mentioned, you can send a message from just about anywhere. FB or Twitter is not as polished as the iOS version, but one feature I actually like better is that instead of that new annoying way FB sorts your messages ("most important" first, or whatever) the BB still displys incoming FB messages as they come in. Also, one thing iOS still doesn't have, albeit ridiculously inconceivable, is the ability to mark all messages as read with 1 or 2 clicks.

    FWIW, you will definitely have a learning curve, and at times, you will think the BB seems primitive compared to iOS, but once you get used to the new interface and all the power that is in the OS fro customization, you will never look back. Welcome to Crackberry Forums. Feel free to ask questions at will. You will never be at a loss for answers.
    tyler_JC likes this.
    12-05-11 07:27 AM
  13. tyler_JC's Avatar
    Thanks for all the help guys! Its looking like a more attractive prospect. Most of the Apps I use on my iPhone I also have for my iPad so I wont be missing too many, I also intend to either keep my iPhone and use it as an iPod, or trade it in for an iPod.

    I do have another question regarding OS versions. When I go to my carriers mainpage there is a little link to the 'latest BBOS Update'. Doing some reading around (I like to research most products I buy) it seems that each carrier offers its own updates to the OS, unlike iOS which can be updated universally via iTunes? Does this mean if a new version of the OS is out, I will have to wait for Vodafone to adopt it to begin using it? Or is it downloadable via a desktop client? The reason this is of concern to me is because the 'latest version of BBOS' for Vodafone AU is still noted as being OS 6.
    12-05-11 07:35 AM
  14. tyler_JC's Avatar
    You MIGHT just want to consider the Toch 9810 over the Bold 9900. Its personal preference whether you like a slider or not, but coming from an iPhone, you mihgt really appreciate the bigger touch screen. IMHO, this is the BEST phone RIM makes,since it allows for the best of both worlds. As far as the functionality and customizability vs iOS, you will find the BB infinitely more customizable. You can choose what messages go into the unified folder, which don't. App integration, especially FB is done as the most basic level, and as others have mentioned, you can send a message from just about anywhere. FB or Twitter is not as polished as the iOS version, but one feature I actually like better is that instead of that new annoying way FB sorts your messages ("most important" first, or whatever) the BB still displys incoming FB messages as they come in. Also, one thing iOS still doesn't have, albeit ridiculously inconceivable, is the ability to mark all messages as read with 1 or 2 clicks.

    FWIW, you will definitely have a learning curve, and at times, you will think the BB seems primitive compared to iOS, but once you get used to the new interface and all the power that is in the OS fro customization, you will never look back. Welcome to Crackberry Forums. Feel free to ask questions at will. You will never be at a loss for answers.
    Actually I have seriously considered the Torch, however I have always loved the formfactor of the Bold. I have been chasing around to play with one but I havent been able to find a demo of either phone. I am unsure if my rather..large..thumbs will adapt to the smaller keys of the torch haha.
    12-05-11 07:46 AM
  15. kill_9's Avatar
    I do have another question regarding OS versions. When I go to my carriers mainpage there is a little link to the 'latest BBOS Update'. Doing some reading around (I like to research most products I buy) it seems that each carrier offers its own updates to the OS, unlike iOS which can be updated universally via iTunes? Does this mean if a new version of the OS is out, I will have to wait for Vodafone to adopt it to begin using it
    Yes, you must wait for Vodafone to release any update for the BBOS of your particular BlackBerry smartphone.
    12-05-11 08:12 AM
  16. Xopher's Avatar
    Just a little side note onthe calendar sync. One of the things you'll notice on the BlackBerry is that every email address has its own calendar. Facebook will also have a separate calendar as well (so will BBM Groups). They all show up in the calendar collectively. You can also select to see just one calendar if you prefer.

    The point being that Facebook will sync event entries, but they will be in their own database. You'll just see everything together on the calendar.
    12-05-11 08:12 AM
  17. 13echo4's Avatar
    To answer your question about os updates. Yes you can download them then install them even if put out by another carrier. Theirs a tuturial for that on the board.
    Another plus for the keyboard form factor is the shortcuts. Makes the device so powerful and quick. I haven't played around w/ a 9900 yet but what I've seen its very fast. As is the Torch 9810.
    Another thing I like about BlackBerrys is your not stuck w/ the storage capasity of the device. You can add 16gbs for as little as $30 and 32gbs for $50. I use mutiple cards as I store different kinds of media. Whatever you choose good luck and will be looking forward to reading your post.
    12-05-11 08:26 AM
  18. tyler_JC's Avatar
    Well guys I made my final decision - you sold me! I am typing this response from my new 9900 and must say its an amazing device, feels even quicker than my iPhone.

    The general call quality and reception is amazingN and surprisingly the screen is larger than expected. Judging by my use of this phone I'm starting to see why they call these things Crackberry's haha.
    ThePoisonBerry and msmara like this.
    12-08-11 09:16 PM
  19. llllBULLSEYE's Avatar
    you made a good decision.
    I could never give up my keyboard in favor of touch.
    heck we got the best of both worlds touch and keyboard.
    12-08-11 10:17 PM
  20. anthogag's Avatar
    Now we have to convince you to lose the iPad and get the playbook
    12-08-11 10:29 PM
  21. tyler_JC's Avatar
    Haha. Baby steps, baby steps
    12-08-11 10:41 PM
  22. SRR500's Avatar
    Welcome to the world of BlackBerry, tyler_JC.

    Enjoy your new device and don't be afraid to ask any questions that you might have.

    There's a lot of good helpful folkes around here that will be glad to help.
    12-09-11 04:17 AM
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