[usanicekid]

okay..i'm now a college student and seriously considering to buy a new smartphone...and i'm kinda struggling between iphone4 and blackberry torch

I don't really play mobile games..I need a phone which allows me to check my schuedule/email/powerpoint easily...also I would like to record my lecture (but i've heard i can't do audio recording on BB; instead I could use video recording? how was the audio quality then?

And I'm actually an international student..and I have never owned a BB before. How hard is it to jailbreak AT&T bc I need to use it when I go back to my home country?

So, would blackberry be better a choice for me?

[Chrisd534]

Jailbreak? Isn't that iPhone?
If thats what your talking about I'm pretty sure there's a website you go on from your iPhone and it jailbreaks it automatically. JailbreakMe

Or are you talking about unlocking? Unlocking for the torch is simple. You just put in a SIM card thats not AT&T and it will ask you if you would like to unlock the phone. Click yes and type the code which you can get from any unlock website.

Or just check here.. forums.crackberry.com/f209/unlocked-9800-everything-works-instructions-513408/

[maxiang]

Well, this is a BlackBerry forum so I should tell you to go for the Berry. To be honest though, I can't tell you which one to get. However, I have found my Berry to be a great aid in my recent return to school
First, the notification system is top notch in my opinion. I use the calendar/contacts/notes/tasks to keep me on time and in communication with my professors and class mates. Outlook sync for those four items is great for when I'm at my PC. DocsToGo, great keyboards and system wide spell check and autotext help me get my homework done efficiently wherever I am. The voicenotes recorder (yes, BlackBerry has it built in ) let's me record lectures, though it helps to aim the mic at the professor.
There is no "jailbreak" for BlackBerry. You either get the code from AT&T, or you buy one from a good unlocking service.
Good luck with whichever you chose!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[fireice22]

I have an itouch (basically iphone without the phone) and i use it to play games/music while my Blackberry is for texting,setting reminders and writing essays on the go. I hate typing alot using virtual onscreen keyboards so the BB is perfect.

[stillmoi]

Get the BB Torch... and you have the options to do whatever you want to do with it!

- x 10 email accts
- touch vs keypad
- great apps for work, school and pleasure
- customizable

...plus so much more

[rjkolo]

also I would like to record my lecture (but i've heard i can't do audio recording on BB; instead I could use video recording? how was the audio quality then?

Actually you can voice record on a Blackberry. It is a built in app on the phone, and unlocking it to use anywhere in the world would cost you less than $20.00 to do after you leave our wonderful country. Also, the BB Torch has built in PowerPoint into the Docs to Go. Pretty sweet feature as well.

[usanicekid]

Jailbreak? Isn't that iPhone?
If thats what your talking about I'm pretty sure there's a website you go on from your iPhone and it jailbreaks it automatically. JailbreakMe

Or are you talking about unlocking? Unlocking for the torch is simple. You just put in a SIM card thats not AT&T and it will ask you if you would like to unlock the phone. Click yes and type the code which you can get from any unlock website.

Or just check here.. forums.crackberry.com/f209/unlocked-9800-everything-works-instructions-513408/

I'm sorry..i don't know "Jailbreak" is a term for iPhone.
Thanks! I read your link.. but it says I need another BB to unlock my unlocked 9800?
Btw, I read another thread saying if I'm currently an ATT customer, I can be an unlocked one with $499? Is that true? Would you guys suggest me doing this? Or just buy it with $299 with the data plan? Most of my time..i will be in the campus..and i can use wifi like everywhere.

[usanicekid]

[HTML][/HTML]

Well, this is a BlackBerry forum so I should tell you to go for the Berry. To be honest though, I can't tell you which one to get. However, I have found my Berry to be a great aid in my recent return to school
First, the notification system is top notch in my opinion. I use the calendar/contacts/notes/tasks to keep me on time and in communication with my professors and class mates. Outlook sync for those four items is great for when I'm at my PC. DocsToGo, great keyboards and system wide spell check and autotext help me get my homework done efficiently wherever I am. The voicenotes recorder (yes, BlackBerry has it built in ) let's me record lectures, though it helps to aim the mic at the professor.
There is no "jailbreak" for BlackBerry. You either get the code from AT&T, or you buy one from a good unlocking service.
Good luck with whichever you chose!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

This will be first BB..so I'm actually pretty excited about it!
How's the quality of the built-in recorder? Does it have a built-in program for audio recording? And whats the max time I can record? (I heard the max time is only like 10 mins...)

So how can I get the code from AT&T? Can I only get it after my contract ends? or what?

[usanicekid]

I have an itouch (basically iphone without the phone) and i use it to play games/music while my Blackberry is for texting,setting reminders and writing essays on the go. I hate typing alot using virtual onscreen keyboards so the BB is perfect.

So what's your feeling about the the web-browsing experience? Is it more or like the same on iphone and bb?

[usanicekid]

Get the BB Torch... and you have the options to do whatever you want to do with it!

- x 10 email accts
- touch vs keypad
- great apps for work, school and pleasure
- customizable

...plus so much more

any good websites for free games? (except the officiaal ones)

[Last Resort]

I have owned a Blackberry for 3 years...I have owned the 8310, 8900, 9800 and now I have a 9700....I am a business owner and a realtor...I would never change from Blackberry...I can pretty much work on the road 24/7 if I have to....if I were in school I would definately want to be on the road to be a professional so I would go with BB...just my 2 cents

[maxiang]

[HTML][/HTML]

This will be first BB..so I'm actually pretty excited about it!
How's the quality of the built-in recorder? Does it have a built-in program for audio recording? And whats the max time I can record? (I heard the max time is only like 10 mins...)

So how can I get the code from AT&T? Can I only get it after my contract ends? or what?

Quality is decent, but nothing you'd want to record a music demo on. The longest voice note I have so far is 37min long. I just call AT&T and tell them I'm traveling out of the country. I've never had a problem getting unlock codes for my Berry's in the midst of my contract, but I've been a customer for 4 years and I'm in the premier program through work. Any phone you buy from AT&T will be locked to their network, full retail or not.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[usanicekid]

Quality is decent, but nothing you'd want to record a music demo on. The longest voice note I have so far is 37min long. I just call AT&T and tell them I'm traveling out of the country. I've never had a problem getting unlock codes for my Berry's in the midst of my contract, but I've been a customer for 4 years and I'm in the premier program through work. Any phone you buy from AT&T will be locked to their network, full retail or not.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Thanks! But for the non-commitment package (which cost $499)..my BB will be unlocked right?

[maxiang]

Thanks! But for the non-commitment package (which cost $499)..my BB will be unlocked right?

Negative. No USA carriers sell unlocked phones, even if you pay full retail. If AT&T won't give you the code, you can buy it from a third party. There are a couple of reputable unlocking companies on the CB forums, and I know some of them have giveaways on here pretty often
If you decide to go for a contract, I'd look around online for better prices. The lowest price I've heard of so far is $99 w/2 year agreement.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[usanicekid]

Negative. No USA carriers sell unlocked phones, even if you pay full retail. If AT&T won't give you the code, you can buy it from a third party. There are a couple of reputable unlocking companies on the CB forums, and I know some of them have giveaways on here pretty often
If you decide to go for a contract, I'd look around online for better prices. The lowest price I've heard of so far is $99 w/2 year agreement.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Have you heard from anyone that whats the maximum time I can do for audio recording because lecture usually lasts for at least an hour..so 37mins..may not be sufficient tbh

[jcp007]

So what's your feeling about the the web-browsing experience? Is it more or like the same on iphone and bb?

The web browsing is as good as my wife's i3Gs but not the i4. It is an improvement over previous BB having owned the 9700, 9000 and 8310. The pinch to zoom, double tap, swipe to scroll and tabbed browsing are great. Having a physical keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen make the web interface much more precise and enjoyable than the iPhone.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jcp007]

Either buy the Torch or ask AT&T tech support for the maximum voice recording time. This should not be a deal-breaker in your decision. Go into an AT&T store and spend at least half an hour and test it thoroughly. Nothing can replace first-hand experience. Being on my Torch, I can't see you current carrier but you should be able to get a good roaming package from AT&T. I did that when I had to travel to work in the UK this year. You should also be able to purchase a SIM card in the country where you are going and use the Torch there.

Don't get lost in technical specs and find out for yourself if the Torch is a good fit. It has great functionailty and pretty decent battery life as compared to the warp speed, high def devices. What good is all that speed and high def if you can't hold a charge for 30 - 35 hours like my Torch. My wife's i3Gs can't make through an entire day.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[ibcop]

......You just put in a SIM card thats not AT&T....

Just to clarify - you do not need another carrier's SIM card to unlock the phone.

http://forums.crackberry.com/f157/unlock-codes-512960/