[the_sleuth]

Storm is a 3 yr old device. After 5.0.0.419 BB OS, it's quite a functional BB. It's only limitation is app memory. It's well built. I have dropped it numerous times, and no issues. You can't say that about today's superphones. Without Otterbox, the precious superphones are like delicate chinaware.

You're probably right, the Storm stunk, so maybe I'm not the most qualified to compare. However, I will say that I know a few people with Bolds and Curves who were sick of the hourglass, not being able to browse the net, etc.
I will say the new BB's look great, and the new OS7 looks pretty sweet. From all I've read, browsing is fantastic.

Also agree that having hard keys is easier to use while busy, I can speak from experience there, not on a BB, but say even the LG envy. Was awesome to text on. For me though, being able to type a bit faster isn't imperative. I can do just fine on virtual. (either BB or iPhone)

My preference is the larger screen though. I was tempted to try the bigger HTC phones via Android, but the battery life there and crashes turned me off. Have a few friends that tried the Thunderbolt, and all returned it.

[bitemarx]

Do blackberry's still 'truncate' the messages??I was happy with my 9780 till I discovered that I cannot read longer emails!

As far as Ive heard, iPhones dont do that. Neither do Androids.

[garrett]

Do blackberry's still 'truncate' the messages??I was happy with my 9780 till I discovered that I cannot read longer emails!

As far as Ive heard, iPhones dont do that. Neither do Androids.

yeah they do..... this isnt the phones fault its all done server side so whenever RIM decides to change their ****ass server software it will never go away.

and dont hold your breath because rim is all busy re-releasing the same phones over and over so they don't bother with making any improvements to BIS or BES. They will be out of business before they ever get around to it.

[protomaxxx]

call sound great on a bold 9930. i can make out what people are saying and they can hear me. woot!

[protomaxxx]

i can speed dial on a blackberry

[protomaxxx]

i have yet to experience a drop call on my 9930

[Accidental Post]

Nice way to bump post count protofa......

[tacocaliente]

i have. i want the views of others.

RIM added only one new feature in "OS7".... panel management....

Wow.. somebody needs to do their research. My 9930 is BY FAR the best smartphone I have ever owned. And yes personally I think it is better than the iPhone.

Why you ask? Well why don't you tell me why a Beamer is better than Mercedes? Or why is an Audi better than a Beamer? Or why is a Mercedes better than an Audi?

See the point? These are all subjective and not necessarily the reality. Some people will think one thing is better than the other and vice versa... you want the truth? Here it is:

Most smartphones are pretty similar up front. They have differences but its like distinguishing the 3 German luxury cars. Ultimately they all do the same thing pretty damn well but it mostly just comes down to personal preference.

Why don't you get on the internet and do some research to find YOUR OWN personal preference... ONLY YOU can decide what's most important in a phone that you would want. Don't ask Crackberry to make that decision for you...

[tacocaliente]

my only quest was to find why they are better and the same tasks iphone or any other phone does.... but it seems you are the one saying stuff off the top of your head with no actual proof or logic.

How is this not trolling? You are asking a question that is unanswerable... one is not better than the other

[Tre Lawrence]

^^^^ thank you... lest we go down the well-worn, troublesome path of "this phone is best."

Much easier to say why a particular feature works well for you. Well said, tacocaliente.

[dalton4L]

My opinion on the matter:

Keyboard. If you want a more tactile response and 'fulfilling' (to some) experience, then most BlackBerry phones are a little better when it comes to text input - although the auto-correct on iPhones is absolutely sensational.

If data is an issue for you then the data compression might be an upside to things on the BlackBerry as well. From my understanding though, this is part of the reason that BlackBerry phones aren't quite as 'fast' as competitors: because everything goes through RIMs servers first. So this comes with benefits and hinderances.

BBM. iMessage is coming to the iPhone (3GS and beyond (although you can probably assume the 3GS may have a little trouble running it)), which will render BBM a little more irrelevant in this argument. However, as it stands right now, BBM comes with encryption, quite a few other features and is already installed on pretty much every BlackBerry. BBM Music is coming too, although I think $5 for 50 songs has the makings of a future-failure gimmick.

Email. If you need to be able to read and respond to an email as soon as it's sent to you, let me first start off by saying I am sorry for you. With that out of the way, if you really need this, then push email has your back on BlackBerry. If it's not a big issue, but you still want push notification, iPhones have them too even though it might be 5 minutes 'late'.

Final words:

I personally only ever plan on using iOS or BlackBerry in my life, I am one of those users with an unexplained disdain for Android (maybe as a statement to my identity?). I currently use iOS and don't plan on switching in the foreseeable future, although I am debating whether or not to possess two phones: one iPhone (currently with the iPhone 4) and one BlackBerry (probably iP5 and 9900 or iP5 and QNX device within the next year or so). I believe my past self has some sort of nostalgic attachment to BlackBerry that resides within my conscience - and/or perhaps my sub-conscience - as I don't understand why I care to even associate with the BlackBerry world at all, let alone possibly purchase one, because I believe Apple and their products are superior. With that said, I offer my opinions above bias-free (although you could argue against that). For my own self, I believe that iPhone does just about everything better than even the newest BlackBerry phones. You, and everybody else, are not me, and vice versa, so I hope you can find some of what I said useful in some way.

[snowindec9]

Exactly @trojanscott so i dont understand how @Chetan can say its contradictory.

@trojanscott do you think emailing on the BB is better?

i said it is contradictory because there will always be apple fanboys and bb users have different viewpoints.its a never ending saga.for people,there will never be one clear winner ever. for a company, a #1 rank can be achieved.but as i said before,for me my needs take priority when considering a platform.

[scootnyinzer]

This iP4/BB comparison is pointless. If Car and Driver did a review of the Ford F150 pickup truck and said it was UNACCEPTABLE that it did not have 4 wheel independent suspension, therefore the only intelligent choice was to buy the Corvette, you'd know it was an idiotic review. If your primary use is communication and if you are more comfortable with a keyboard, get a BB. If you place a higher value on multimedia/games/apps and prefer a full screen, get an iPhone. When I read these little pissing matches, I wonder if anyone on these threads is over the age of 12!

I am OLD (50) and still think of a "phone" as a communication device, and I learned to type on a MANUAL TYPEWRITER so I'd rather have a keyboarded phone with tactile response that does email and text exceptionally well rather than an iPod that makes phone calls.

If you use an iPhone, the ideal of having a choice of several devices or personal preference of how your phone works for YOU may seem like a curious thing, but choice is why restaurants have menus. Apple has done an amazing job of making a "one size fits most" device --- but it doesn't fit all. If you have a task app on your device, open it and type in "get a life." Really, this iP4/BB comparison stuff is tedious and knowing that I got roped into it requires that I now go take a Silkwood shower.

[anon(749368)]

a BB works best for me.Why?
1. I need a keyboard (can't type fast/accurately on touch screen).
2. 9930 is fast. keyboard/touchscreen combination is lightning fast getting the info I need instantly
3. data compression (and yes, this is a quality of BB OS and should be a major decision point when buying a new smartphone)
4. push email (no one does it like BB)
5. customizable UI
6. battery life

these are some of the reasons I stick w/ BB

[lssanjose]

a BB works best for me.Why?
1. I need a keyboard (can't type fast/accurately on touch screen).
2. 9930 is fast. keyboard/touchscreen combination is lightning fast getting the info I need instantly
3. data compression (and yes, this is a quality of BB OS and should be a major decision point when buying a new smartphone)
4. push email (no one does it like BB)
5. customizable UI
6. battery life

these are some of the reasons I stick w/ BB

Same reasons I'd stay with BB, except for #5.. Can't beat Android, rooted or not

Sent via Gingerbread Deck Incredible

[Sun777]

So Far in my country, The blackberry workbest, emailing is smooth, 4 account can do, BB messenger is awesome, can send picture for work/survey places, the keyboardis sweet, but after 6 months the device is slowing down maybe the file hierarchy is not architecthed to good.

And finally for the data servicesand the internet, I only have to spend 10 bucks a month.

[BigD00d]

iPhone is good because everything's kinda limited in what you can do, so it's 'easier' to use(much like the iOS system. I'm not insulting it, it's made to be more simplified, and less customizable, on purpose). Blackberry has a bit of a learning curve, but you're able to change the layout, Blackberry themes, etc. etc.

If you had to lay out a chart between 'proprietary' and 'open-source' it would be:

Apple(closed-source, Apple controls everything except illegal cracks/jailbreaks) - > Blackberry(proprietary OS, but you can customize pretty much everything a normal and power use would want too) -> Android(Android is Linux. So you get all the inherent strengths/weaknesses of it[Buggy, lack of updates for certain versions/phones, OS diaspora as people futz around with the OS])


Things iPhone are good at:

It looks shiny - Apple is really good at making you want their products. They have the whole 'you're part of a community' thing going on.
Apps - Apple has a lot of ap developers because, much like Android(Linux), there's a rabid, core base of supporters that program for it

Things iPhone is bad at(compared to Android or BB)

Messaging: BB has the best e-mail, hands down. It's their strength, and when I use BB my emails are quite literally on my phone the moment they drop into my inbox, whereas ANdroid/iOS they pop up anywhere from 5-15 minutes later. It's also easier to text/reply to emails/forward emails/etc. with a BB. Anyone that tells you differently either hasn't used a BB or is trying real hard to make APple sound better:P Remember until about the second or third iPhone you couldn't send picture messages, but BB could.

Keyboard: iPhone does not have a good keyboard. It's not horrendous, but it's nothing compared to a BB. This isn't even a matter of touchscreen/physical. The touchscreen keyboard on my Storm2 was easier to type on than an iPhone of the same approximate release(remember, storm1 and 2 are getting close to 2 years old, thats about 3 iPhones worth:P Try comparing the PlayBook keyboard to the iOS(it's better IMO), or the new touch-0screen keyboard on the all-touch blackberry and compare

Productivity: Apple iOS is not designed for business. it's designed for play. That's why everything is sort of all bundled up on one screen. Blackberry allows you to find everything quickly, and organizes it in a way that helps you work faster and better.


Upgrades: The iPhone gets little to no software updates IMO when it stacks against blackberry. I enjoy the fact that they continued to update my Blackberry even when newer, shinier models were coming out. Blackberry's get updates quite literally up to the point where their hardware limits them to further advancement, and they'll even continue to push updates for older phones to boot. Apple has a notorious reputation for making you 'buy up' to get the newest OS, whether it's an iPad or a Macbook or an iPhone or an iPod.


As to 'why is a blackberry better than n iPhone?' (it's an, not n by the way:P). I don't think either is 'better'. I personally hate Apple's ecosystem, and their general tight-fisted, money-grubbing policy towards apps and their software in general(see, Kindle cloud-player, since apple wants 30% of in-app purchases), and I find their phones tend to be more a sign of being 'in' than being productive/useful. Blackberry in general is far more low-key. People don't go 'Oh wow look he's got a Blackberry, he's so cool', they go 'Oh that guys on his Blackberry. He must do something important/be a hard worker/in communication with a job', because Blackberry is a business/productivity phone first and an entertainment phone second.


My opinion would be buy a Blackberry for use as a phone, and an iPod Touch if you can't live without apps:P

[NursingNinja]

can anyone answer this question?

Please i ask, leave the fanboy-ism/fangirl-ism out of this.

when you answer, think logically and tell me WHY?!!!

Here is the reason why it is better for me. I can have the same phone/tablet/gadget experience for half the cost in monthly fees. I will conceede that it doesnt do things with the same flair, but it does do the same things. And I would much rather pay 150 a month than 300 for the same services.

[southflguy]

I've had many Blackberrys and several iPhones - most currently an iPhone 4 and my new 9930 so here are just MY thoughts:

1. Instant Messaging - Blackberry (BBM) - It's fast and well designed. And who doesn't LOVE seeing that little red star appear on your BBM?
2. E-Mail - Draw - Blackberry is faster and more secure / iPhone supports IMAP and Folders outside BES. iPhone HTML email renders better, Blackberry allows you to customize organization of your mail like no other.
3. Keyboard - Draw - Blackberry has the best physical keyboard but iPhone has the best default autocorrect. My speed tests on both are almost equal with a slight speed edge to the iPhone.
4. Screen - Draw - The new screen on my 9930 is freaking gorgeous - almost the same density as the iPhone 4, but the iPhone has more real estate
5. Phone Calls - Blackberry wins. They are both on Verizon which is great but the BB is just a little clearer and holds onto a signal like no other.
6. App Store - iPhone - well, of course there is no competition here.
7. Hardware Build Quality - Draw - I call a draw on this one because my Bold 9930 is the best built Blackberry in recent memory. The iPhone is amazing as well.
8. Camera - iPhone - the iPhone's camera is pretty fantastic. Even in low light it captures great images. Just a little better than my Bold.
9. Battery Life - Blackberry - All my previous BB had outstanding battery life (although I think I got a bad one this time around - still checking) but my previous experience with battery life has proven the BB can last a few days before charging. The iPhone is no slouch either. Next to a BB it's the longest lasting smartphone on the market - by far mores than any Android handset.
10. Multitasking - Draw - Right now iOS does do multitasking in its own way and switching between apps is similar on the BB. Before iOS 4 BB would have won this.
11. Web Browsing - iPhone - There's no doubt that the iPhone is fast, very fast with browsing. But the Bold is no slouch either. I give the slight edge to the iPhone.

So all this proves is that in the end it's up to you - and what's important to you. What is really exciting is what is coming next - here we come QNX super phones! 2012 should be exciting for us BB users and iPhone users alike with iOS 5 coming very soon.

[MartyMcfly]

iPhone is good because everything's kinda limited in what you can do, so it's 'easier' to use(much like the iOS system. I'm not insulting it, it's made to be more simplified, and less customizable, on purpose). Blackberry has a bit of a learning curve, but you're able to change the layout, Blackberry themes, etc. etc.

If you had to lay out a chart between 'proprietary' and 'open-source' it would be:

Apple(closed-source, Apple controls everything except illegal cracks/jailbreaks) - > Blackberry(proprietary OS, but you can customize pretty much everything a normal and power use would want too) -> Android(Android is Linux. So you get all the inherent strengths/weaknesses of it[Buggy, lack of updates for certain versions/phones, OS diaspora as people futz around with the OS])


Things iPhone are good at:

It looks shiny - Apple is really good at making you want their products. They have the whole 'you're part of a community' thing going on. Isn't that the goal of every company that sells products?
Apps - Apple has a lot of ap developers because, much like Android(Linux), there's a rabid, core base of supporters that program for it

Things iPhone is bad at(compared to Android or BB)

Messaging: BB has the best e-mail, hands down. It's their strength, and when I use BB my emails are quite literally on my phone the moment they drop into my inbox, whereas ANdroid/iOS they pop up anywhere from 5-15 minutes later. It's also easier to text/reply to emails/forward emails/etc. with a BB. Anyone that tells you differently either hasn't used a BB or is trying real hard to make APple sound better:P Remember until about the second or third iPhone you couldn't send picture messages, but BB could. I'm not sure if you know how to setup email on an iphone, but i'm able to get push email for my gmail/hotmail accounts. They also render better on the iphone (no truncated messages)

Keyboard: iPhone does not have a good keyboard. It's not horrendous, but it's nothing compared to a BB. This isn't even a matter of touchscreen/physical. The touchscreen keyboard on my Storm2 was easier to type on than an iPhone of the same approximate release(remember, storm1 and 2 are getting close to 2 years old, thats about 3 iPhones worth:P Try comparing the PlayBook keyboard to the iOS(it's better IMO), or the new touch-0screen keyboard on the all-touch blackberry and compare Personally i liked typing on my s2 (hated the clicking noise)

Productivity: Apple iOS is not designed for business. it's designed for play. That's why everything is sort of all bundled up on one screen. Blackberry allows you to find everything quickly, and organizes it in a way that helps you work faster and better. *chuckles* It's funny you say that i see a ton of bankers/lawyers using ios devices on the daily bases. Not to mention ios/android is killing bb when it comes to productive/business apps


Upgrades: The iPhone gets little to no software updates IMO when it stacks against blackberry. I enjoy the fact that they continued to update my Blackberry even when newer, shinier models were coming out. Blackberry's get updates quite literally up to the point where their hardware limits them to further advancement, and they'll even continue to push updates for older phones to boot. Apple has a notorious reputation for making you 'buy up' to get the newest OS, whether it's an iPad or a Macbook or an iPhone or an iPod. Ios receive far better support software wise than bb, it's not even close. Rimm just released os7 devices non which will be able to upgrade to qnx. Say what you want about apple at least ip4 owners will be able to upgrade their device to ios5


As to 'why is a blackberry better than n iPhone?' (it's an, not n by the way:P). I don't think either is 'better'. I personally hate Apple's ecosystem, and their general tight-fisted, money-grubbing policy towards apps and their software in general(see, Kindle cloud-player, since apple wants 30% of in-app purchases), and I find their phones tend to be more a sign of being 'in' than being productive/useful. Blackberry in general is far more low-key. People don't go 'Oh wow look he's got a Blackberry, he's so cool', they go 'Oh that guys on his Blackberry. He must do something important/be a hard worker/in communication with a job', because Blackberry is a business/productivity phone first and an entertainment phone second. There are a ton of over priced apps in appworld. You will find a lot of free apps in itunes/marketplace that gives more functionality than some of blackberry's top paid apps. Whenever i see someone with a blackberry i assume that they wanted a blackberry nothing more nothing less. Lol @ the thought of placing how important someone is by what device they use.


My opinion would be buy a Blackberry for use as a phone, and an iPod Touch if you can't live without apps:P

Do you have any idea of what you're talking about?

[Accidental Post]

iPhone is good because everything's kinda limited in what you can do, so it's 'easier' to use(much like the iOS system. I'm not insulting it, it's made to be more simplified, and less customizable, on purpose). Blackberry has a bit of a learning curve, but you're able to change the layout, Blackberry themes, etc. etc.

If you had to lay out a chart between 'proprietary' and 'open-source' it would be:

Apple(closed-source, Apple controls everything except illegal cracks/jailbreaks) - > Blackberry(proprietary OS, but you can customize pretty much everything a normal and power use would want too) -> Android(Android is Linux. So you get all the inherent strengths/weaknesses of it[Buggy, lack of updates for certain versions/phones, OS diaspora as people futz around with the OS])

Apple has a closed ECO system not a closed source OS please do your homework.


Things iPhone are good at:

It looks shiny - Apple is really good at making you want their products. They have the whole 'you're part of a community' thing going on.
Apps - Apple has a lot of ap developers because, much like Android(Linux), there's a rabid, core base of supporters that program for it

Things iPhone is bad at(compared to Android or BB)

Messaging: BB has the best e-mail, hands down. It's their strength, and when I use BB my emails are quite literally on my phone the moment they drop into my inbox, whereas ANdroid/iOS they pop up anywhere from 5-15 minutes later. It's also easier to text/reply to emails/forward emails/etc. with a BB. Anyone that tells you differently either hasn't used a BB or is trying real hard to make APple sound better:P Remember until about the second or third iPhone you couldn't send picture messages, but BB could. Hows that truncated email working for ya?

Keyboard: iPhone does not have a good keyboard. It's not horrendous, but it's nothing compared to a BB. This isn't even a matter of touchscreen/physical. The touchscreen keyboard on my Storm2 was easier to type on than an iPhone of the same approximate release(remember, storm1 and 2 are getting close to 2 years old, thats about 3 iPhones worth:P Try comparing the PlayBook keyboard to the iOS(it's better IMO), or the new touch-0screen keyboard on the all-touch blackberry and compare Personal preference no winner no loser.

Productivity: Apple iOS is not designed for business. it's designed for play. That's why everything is sort of all bundled up on one screen. Blackberry allows you to find everything quickly, and organizes it in a way that helps you work faster and better. Wrong let me know how working on a server works for you on a micro screen. My iPhone let's me use the WHOLE screen so I can see whats going on.


Upgrades: The iPhone gets little to no software updates IMO when it stacks against blackberry. I enjoy the fact that they continued to update my Blackberry even when newer, shinier models were coming out. Blackberry's get updates quite literally up to the point where their hardware limits them to further advancement, and they'll even continue to push updates for older phones to boot. Apple has a notorious reputation for making you 'buy up' to get the newest OS, whether it's an iPad or a Macbook or an iPhone or an iPod. iOS updates when they need to or launch a news OS. P.S. iOS5 will go back to the 3gs. How far back does BBOS 7 go or even better I will give you BBOS6 not very far. Your facts are so incredibly wrong it's laughable......


As to 'why is a blackberry better than n iPhone?' (it's an, not n by the way:P). I don't think either is 'better'. I personally hate Apple's ecosystem, and their general tight-fisted, money-grubbing policy towards apps and their software in general(see, Kindle cloud-player, since apple wants 30% of in-app purchases), and I find their phones tend to be more a sign of being 'in' than being productive/useful. Blackberry in general is far more low-key. People don't go 'Oh wow look he's got a Blackberry, he's so cool', they go 'Oh that guys on his Blackberry. He must do something important/be a hard worker/in communication with a job', because Blackberry is a business/productivity phone first and an entertainment phone second.


My opinion would be buy a Blackberry for use as a phone, and an iPod Touch if you can't live without apps:P

Ultimately as a Systems Analyst I could not do half of what I need to be productive on a small BB screen.

[Chrisy]

BlackBerry has the best LED notifications.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Accidental Post]

BlackBerry has the best LED notifications.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

That made me laugh Chrisy........thanks

[Chrisy]

Welcome. It's true too. But I'm over the LED thing. It was controlling my life!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Gabriel619]

I'd say it's all a matter of preference. For me, I consider BB the better overall communication device, mainly because of the excellent keyboard and email system. Battery life is awesome as well, meaning I can communicate longer than with other phones, at least from my experience. And then there's the added bonus of pairing my BB with my PB! Free internet on my tablet via BB Bridge really ended whatever argument is left.

And what I find really interesting is that I know quite a few Apple "fanboys" who talk so much smack about BB's yet they carry a BB around as a "secondary" phone for emailing and texting/chatting, but I do not know even one BB "fanboy" who carries an iPhone around as a back-up phone.

But ya, it's really a matter of preference.