Okay folks......
So its pretty clear I tried the Iphone 3G...if you were viewing my device field of larrygump profile in the last week you probably had a stroke
That being said....I've been challenged by a couple of CB friends... uhhhum...(berryite/artemis) *under my breath* to provide an unbiased ...fair.....take it or leave it comparison on the Iphone 3g V Tmobile Branded Blackberry 8900 on the TMO GSM network.
So here goes....I've had this Iphone for a week total.....purchasing it Saturday for a resonable 200.00 from a fellow police officer and whom I know has taken care of it.
This model was purchased originally May 2009 and my 8900 was purchased in June 2009..... so I feel its a totally reasonable and objective comparison.
I purchased the Iphone simply because I was intrigued with the options and functionality of the device and didn't particularly feel the 3Gs had anything else to offer over the 3G....and since TMO doesn't support 3G on non branded devices the (S) was really no big difference.
9:30 PM Norfolk Virginia: From "unboxing" I was impressed with the feel ...the weight and the sex appeal of the device......alas the previous owner stole the phone away and "hard' reset the device to wipe away any trace of 'wrongdoing".....err information...Joke DH Sr......lol....so ...we completed the purchase and I happily skipped off with my new shiny white "wiped and re-locked" 16 Gb Iphone 3G. (Oh re-locked you ask?......yes CB'ers Iphones do not preserve the unlocking--- post wiping or post restting of the device.....BIG let down)
So fast forward 30 minutes....I get home sit down at my table at home and set to the task of learning this device and tackling what I fiugred would be a simple unlock process.
10:00 PM: I fired up the old Dell laptop and went searching for the how to's on unlocking an Iphone...people.......there is a varitable cornucopia of opinions...websites....forums....groups....blogs and reviews ....software,hardware,freeware,malware and tupperware available to the Iphone owner.....jeez my head is swimming now.....all i wanna know is how to unlock this thing!!
11:30PM EPIC FAILURE: I search and peruse....read,test and review...to no avail...finally what do I do.....I take 2 steps back in the Blackberry evolutionary chain....I get frustrated and PAY...yes I pay....a whopping $40.00 to a site ....to provide me with the "3 click" unlock........bzzzzzz.....anybody watch the price is right....remember the duh duh duh duuuuuhh....when someone loses.....this should be the .wav file attached to this site immediataly after purchase.
Confusing to say the least.....usleless is more fitting....turns out after 4 hours of failed attempts......this "purchased' software is very simply freeware...packaged up with a bow put on it for good measure....then sold for a profit.......sooooo.....now I'm ready to destroy the Iphone...WTF ...I thought this was the mighty Iphone......hackers and crackers delight.....phoooey.....put the sim in ...take the sim out.....in/out....in/out.....it wont recognize my sim ...it will recognize my sim.....arrrrgggghhhhh
Finally through my own determination I learn about a little program called redsn0w....I download it and get it going....and drum roll plaease..........it works....after say 30 minutes of looking at the instructions in english....I finally get it running ....you stupid little program...........pineapple you say...with a bite taken out of it at that?......never thought I'[de be so happy to see a cartoon figure telling me about my what.....NOR?....
So now I hold my breath.....success .......the almighty Iphone is jailbroken......wait I cant use it.......time to unlock?. ...WTF IS THIS JOKE ....A TEASE MAYBE..............WTF is jailbreak then.....more on this later. So I set my mind to understanding the process of cydia and icy.....and using these programs to unlock my little device................safe to say no suprises here......cydia decides it doesn't wanna launch....after 20 minutes of downloading cydia cache clear progs....smacking my laptop with a tack hammer...cursing...spitting smoking and swearing .....I switch to icy......anddddddd ......success!!!!!!......insert my TMO SIM and cross my legs.....we have liftoff ........yes fellow CB'ers....oh the joy....like watching a newborn baby cry for the first time..........ahhh..........and the first successfull test call......225AM.....TO VOICEMAIL......weeeeeeeeeeeeeee gonads and strife....
So now...... I've used this phone problem free now since well...sunday morning at 225.....and heres the low down......with my limited sentence contruction skills I will explain...please dont be to critical
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UI: to say the experience is exciting is an understatement......it's what berry owners have been asking for from RIM ever since....well ...ever......the transitions are smooth...the graphics are sleek and sexy....and the experience is generally pleasant and enjoyable...the device is comfortable in the palm and easy to toss in your pocket.......however......ONE HANDED USE IS VERY DIFFICULT.....HUGE LET DOWN
8900 V 3G: Winner 3G
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Messaging: I miss my BBM within minutes.....honestly I love the liitle bubbled threaded text messaging the Iphone offers.....cool looking and very easy on the eyes.....but folks by Monday after work I'm noticing my messaging frequency has dropped considerably.....getting into the SMS fields is a bit of a chore....I miss my QWERTY and its just not the same......I like the UI's involvement with the SMS however here ..I begin to notice the difference.....very simply put I just didnt feel like texting...its a pain.....wifey was NOT pleased....going from 200-300 SMS a day with friends ...co workers and wife to ..........40 SMS a DAY....big problem....BBM creates a comfortable enviroment that 3G has a hard time recreating.....really 3G has no venue for providing the functionality of BBM.....oh.........and I do not wanna hear about 3rd party apps here I can install people....were talking native.....
8900 V 3G: Winner 8900
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Applications.....ok so theres really no battle here...apple apps are just awesome....fantasmic selection.....you could literally spend days wading through them and almost every one has some new feature or event that entices you to install it.......there really is an "app for that".....I gotta say I'm impressed....RIM has got to address this ASAP.....this point alone could just eat marketshare of RIM.....it truly is remearkable.....even if you HATE apple and are die hard RIM....go look....you will be impressed.
8900 V 3G: Winner.......no fight....3G all day all night
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Call quality.....was unremarkable.....I make plenty O calls every day NO REAL NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE.
However......UMA.......I MISS MY UMA....when I see UMA my mouth waters...its like packing little magical dollar bills in my pocket while riding on the back of a unicorn. Here I beging to notice a disturbing trend.....I keep wanting to toss my 3G on the bed and just use my 8900.
8900 V 3G: Draw.....speaker quality goes to 8900
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Camera.....easy to use....ok...nothing special.....not much to speak on here EXCEPT......TA DAH.....no flash......wtf apple....phhhlllpppttt
8900 V 3G: 3G
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ease of use/simplicity: 8900
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email: 8900
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fun factor : 3G
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accessory selection: 3G
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Wi Fi: 8900....more reliable ..not nearly as much battery draw on wifi use with the 8900 as with the 3G.......
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ease of unlocking: 8900....8900...8900...but....you CAN unlock the 3G for free.....come on RIM.....winner 3G just because it's free
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signal quality: 3G.....the 3G has a remarkably good signal reception ability....I put my 8900 up to the 3G and 8900 has 2 bars.....3G has 4 bars.....I'll leave this for comment since I know its coming from some of you....
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Browser: 3G!!!!!!!!!....safari and the web experience is just jaw dropping on the Iphone....God please let the torch purchase by RIM make a real change!!!!
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Overall Media: 3G
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Native Apps: suprisingly Im givin this to 8900.....RIM or TMO depending on who you wanna give credit for specs....have done a dang good job of loading a usefull and wide variety of apps onto the 8900.....
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Secure Enviroment: 8900
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In closing.....this was a bit more drawn out than I expected......
I certainly went in to this with an open mind.....ready to be an apple fanboi or to be a RIM fanboi.....or even a TMO fanboi.......
After 3 days of trial and error...interaction on other sites with both 3G users and developers... and with 8900/BB users ........after many many calls...texts.......app downloads and deletions.....20+ hours browsing.....and generally comparing the phones side by side I've got your comparison IMHO:
The 3G is a superior product in regards to build quality and thought put into its use and UI......browsing and fun factor...sleek and sexy appeal/look and marketing....
This is no surprise....apple has deviated very little from original Iphone to todays version with regards to look.....but apple has to be given credit for a quality build and durable product.
That being said......the battery consumption in both urban and suburban setting is atrocious......with WiFi and GPS off....with backlight turned down and with 40-50 texts and 20-30 miuntes talk time with 80% of my time spent outdoors with 3-4 bars of service...I can count on losing my battery to the point of forced shutdown in 5 hours.....pathetic.....it is a battery HOG people.....make sure you take a 120 outlet with you wherever you go....I honestly would be scared to take it to Busch Gardens here in Williamsburg for even a day..I'de be very worried about losing communication....
personally I dont like time it takes to get to where I wanna go on the 3G.....Im no Iphone stranger and even with repeated exposure to the device and it's OS....I felt I was wasting precious time trying to compose emails and SMS/MMS....
I dont like that the screen Isn't smudge proof......this thing attracts dirts...oils...makeup and really anything..and its a pain.....and god knows I'm OCD about a clean phone
At the end of the day....I'm going back to my 8900 .....simplicity and quick functionality reign supreme here....my trusty friend Blackberry.....who I know will hold a charge and be there ....It'll be there when my kids are sick and the schools callling to come save the day....or when my wife needs milk from the store.....when she wants to send me a little pick me up or when I want to send her a mid day love letter to thank her ....
Bottom line folks......RIM can learn alot from apple...and RIM has to!!!!....RIM ALSO HAS TO better address the consumer portion not the business portion of the customer base...I feel comfortable saying the business side is pretty well locked in so let's focus on where sales are coming from folks and develop the fun side too....at the end of the day folks RIM is #1 and apple is still chasing the dream..........8900 Reigns Supreme
Hope you liked my comparison and remeber this is just IMHO.........Thanks for reading
8900 V. Iphone 3G ON TMOBILE 
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