[BBskeptic]

Hello I am in the market for a dif phone as I have recently drowned my present cellular device on vacation. Just about everyone I know has some form of iPhone including my wife and I can't help but not want one until I know there isn't a halfway decent option outside of the iPhone platform. I have always been interested in blackberrys ever since some of my coworkers were packing pearls and curves.

I like the idea of a bb but when I read horror stories in these forums and nothing really positive it makes me wonder if bb is worth it at all. If I am only seeking the ugly and there really is something worth my time and money here please point me to the platform!

[Jashley73]

First of all, ask yourself how you'd like to use the phone. What would you like it to do most often? This should start to lead you toward one platform or another based on their strengths and weaknesses. (I wish I had done a better job of this.)

Second, which carrier do you have? Which phones are available on your carrier?

And third. I think as a whole, BlackBerry's are very solid devices. But, they're tailored toward serious communication (arguably the best e-mail service, BBM, contact management, e-mail integration.) But they are lacking on the fun side of things. Not as many flashy apps and games for BB's compared to the iPhone, so again, it comes down to how you want to use the phone...

[sleepngbear]

+1 what jashley said.

As for the horror stories, you're more likely to see posts about negative experiences than positive ones in any forum. And this board seems to be wrought with more than its share of BB detractors. BB's are generally very solid, probably more so than most of its competitors; although they have had one or two stinkers, the Storm 1 being at the top of that list. The other biggest complaint you'll see is the not-so-cutting-edge hardware currently available. If you go by the spec sheet alone, that's a fair criticism; but if you look at how the devices actually perform, especially those with OS6, they work just fine. I.e., my Torch with its obsolete technology browses as quickly as my wife's iPhone and has better signal reception; and what few videos I view are clear as I could possibly want on a hand-held screen. And no matter what I do, my battery lasts me all day without needing a charge.

I'd suggest taking an inventory of how you think you'll use your phone the most. Texting and messaging, browsing, work-related productivity, games & entertainment, video and media streaming, different devices have their different strengths and weaknesses. Give us an idea of what you plan to do with a phone, and you'll get more opinions on what will work best for you than you know what to do with.

[sedalia066]

Like the other two posters said already, BB is a very fine communication device. I use mine mostly for business purposes. E-mail, texting, calendar, and other PDA functions are excellent. The ready availability of communication is important to me. Video, music, and games are not part of my life for the most part. People who want a fun device may be disappointed with BB. People who want a high level communication device are likely to be very happy.

Try one in the store. Spend some time getting a real feel for the device. Every individual is different. I cannot imagine any OS but BB. The family teen is the same way. The wife likes the I and Androids better. Everyone is different.

[BBskeptic]

Well its good to hear that I have only seen the ugly! I live about 6000 miles from my last provider as of right now which was Verizon. So I just need a phone w/o contract to put a sim in and use for texting, calling etc. And I actually have a iPod touch that wonderfully covers any fun I would like to have in my spare time.

I actually just emailed a friend in the states who is going to give me his latest bb due to his future aquisition of an iphone 4. I am not sure what model though so as of early march I will be joining all of the crazies on this board! Haha. I do know it's not a pearl or storm.

[Xopher]

Hopefully it is from a GSM carrier (like AT&T), or is a Tour or Bold (if CDMA). Most CDMA phones don't use a SIM, so you wouldn't be able to pop one in and use it. The Bold 9650 and Tour 9630 are world phones, so they do have a SIM slot.

[Laura Knotek]

+1 what jashley said.

As for the horror stories, you're more likely to see posts about negative experiences than positive ones in any forum. And this board seems to be wrought with more than its share of BB detractors. BB's are generally very solid, probably more so than most of its competitors; although they have had one or two stinkers, the Storm 1 being at the top of that list. The other biggest complaint you'll see is the not-so-cutting-edge hardware currently available. If you go by the spec sheet alone, that's a fair criticism; but if you look at how the devices actually perform, especially those with OS6, they work just fine. I.e., my Torch with its obsolete technology browses as quickly as my wife's iPhone and has better signal reception; and what few videos I view are clear as I could possibly want on a hand-held screen. And no matter what I do, my battery lasts me all day without needing a charge.

I'd suggest taking an inventory of how you think you'll use your phone the most. Texting and messaging, browsing, work-related productivity, games & entertainment, video and media streaming, different devices have their different strengths and weaknesses. Give us an idea of what you plan to do with a phone, and you'll get more opinions on what will work best for you than you know what to do with.

+1. Whether one is visiting an online message board or talking to his family/friends face to face, negative experiences tend to be shared more than positive experiences. I have not had issues with my BlackBerry devices, nor have I had any replaced due to defects.

[hondateg91]

First of all, ask yourself how you'd like to use the phone. What would you like it to do most often?

Thats crazy cause I read this just as I thought it. This is the first thing you need to think about and will help you know which phone is for you.

[mark_rivers19]

Hello I am in the market for a dif phone as I have recently drowned my present cellular device on vacation. Just about everyone I know has some form of iPhone including my wife and I can't help but not want one until I know there isn't a halfway decent option outside of the iPhone platform. I have always been interested in blackberrys ever since some of my coworkers were packing pearls and curves.

I like the idea of a bb but when I read horror stories in these forums and nothing really positive it makes me wonder if bb is worth it at all. If I am only seeking the ugly and there really is something worth my time and money here please point me to the platform!

uhm..how important are you? the President of the United States sports a Blackberry, even before he got elected..
on the serious side..base on the other posts that you made... if you're planning to just put in a SIM card... and not subscribe to a data plan, then i wouldn't recommend it at all.
YOU won't be able to enjoy the "essence" of having a blackberry such as the push emails, Blackberry messenger etc.
and reading from what you wrote.. i got the impression that it's more of a WANT rather than a NEED meaning any platform.. iOS4, Android, Windows can satisfy that WANT.
it's not like you use a Blackberry Presenter... which obviously NEEDS a blackberry.
so.. please give us more info on how you use a phone.. and we can tailor the answers better.

[Blacklatino]

Hello I am in the market for a did phone as I have recently drowned my present cellular device on vacation. Just about everyone I know has some form of iPhone including my wife and I can't help but not want one until I know there isn't a halfway decent option outside of the iPhone platform. I have always been interested in blackberrys ever since some of my coworkers were packing pearls and curves.

I like the idea of a bb but when I read horror stories in these forums and nothing really positive it makes me wonder if bb is worth it at all. If I am only seeking the ugly and there really is something worth my time and money here please point me to the platform!

I have enjoyed all 7 of my 8 Blackberries listed along with my iPhone 3GS. But, for now, my preference is still Blackberries. There are members with legitimate issues regarding their devices. Some based on user errors and others on manufacturing issues. The legitimate issues(as well as others) are well documented on just about any worthy Blackberry forum- especially Crackberry which is #1 forum for Blackberries. I'm not going to try to convince anyone to buy a Blackberry that is having doubts, buys it anyway, comes back to start a thread to complain(32nd day), and gets flamed by some of the same ppl telling you to get one. Everyone is not going to like Blackberries and Blackberries are not for everyone. But, if you want a good device and can read past the endless day-to-day "cyberp*ssing contest" (Blackberry vs whatever) on here, you'll see that Blackberries are a solid device. But, it is your money and it's good to make an informed choice. Good luck.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[13echo4]

i got the impression that it's more of a WANT rather than a NEED meaning any platform.. iOS4, Android, Windows can satisfy that WANT.

That is so far from the truth. I want a physcial qwerty keyboard. What windows, android, iphone satisfy that want. I want a file system that I can explore move around and delete without haveing to interface with a computer.
Its not like you have to use BlackBerry presenter to justify a blackberry.
Try to get a 9700, 9800, or a 8520. All 3 are great devices. Only draw back on the 8520 is its not 3g.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jamesd98ca]

I'd say the BlackBerry, at the very least, will be able to help you post forum posts with correct spelling. You can't lose!

Agreed, btw, that there are some weaknesses with BB - but, honestly, if you have a brain at all, don't go iphone -- it really is an ***** device. Iphone is like typical unrefined ****e morning radio. It makes ya smile, but it's otherwise useless. Droid'll make ya giggle a little longer, but it's still like bangin your head on a wall.

[iN8ter]

That is so far from the truth. I want a physcial qwerty keyboard. What windows, android, iphone satisfy that want. I want a file system that I can explore move around and delete without haveing to interface with a computer.
Its not like you have to use BlackBerry presenter to justify a blackberry.
Try to get a 9700, 9800, or a 8520. All 3 are great devices. Only draw back on the 8520 is its not 3g.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Dell Venue Pro for WP7 has a ridiculously good landscape QWERTY keyboard. LG has a Landscape QWERTY (on AT&T? or is it some other manufacturer?) WP7 device. Droid Pro, Droid 2, Epic 4G and a ton of other Android Phones have QWERTY keybaords.

Android has Filesystem Access.

BIS is unreliable and lack rubustness, as displayed by the latest wave of RIM outages. I wonder how long it will take them to get rid of that... The detriments outweight the benefits, IMO.

[mark_rivers19]

That is so far from the truth. I want a physcial qwerty keyboard. What windows, android, iphone satisfy that want. I want a file system that I can explore move around and delete without haveing to interface with a computer.
Its not like you have to use BlackBerry presenter to justify a blackberry.
Try to get a 9700, 9800, or a 8520. All 3 are great devices. Only draw back on the 8520 is its not 3g.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

i wasn't directing the response to you or anyone else.
you responded to my post which was directed to the OP. BBSkeptic.

[middbrew]

Well its good to hear that I have only seen the ugly! I live about 6000 miles from my last provider as of right now which was Verizon. So I just need a phone w/o contract to put a sim in and use for texting, calling etc. And I actually have a iPod touch that wonderfully covers any fun I would like to have in my spare time.

You will need a contract with a data plan no matter which smartphone you get, whether that is a BB or an iPhone.

I actually just emailed a friend in the states who is going to give me his latest bb due to his future aquisition of an iphone 4. I am not sure what model though so as of early march I will be joining all of the crazies on this board! Haha. I do know it's not a pearl or storm.

Post which phone it is and how you like it.

[Rootbrian]

my blackberry was totally worth my money.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[13echo4]

Dell Venue Pro for WP7 has a ridiculously good landscape QWERTY keyboard. LG has a Landscape QWERTY (on AT&T? or is it some other manufacturer?) WP7 device. Droid Pro, Droid 2, Epic 4G and a ton of other Android Phones have QWERTY keybaords.

Android has Filesystem Access.

BIS is unreliable and lack rubustness, as displayed by the latest wave of RIM outages. I wonder how long it will take them to get rid of that... The detriments outweight the benefits, IMO.

You just made my point. All those phones follow the BB. None of those phones do anything that a blackberry can't. So if you wanted a BB with a phyiscal keyboard and you have a droid 2 then how is your want met?
How is BIS unreliable? I live 30 miles out of town. I get every E-mail, txt, call, and post on crackberry. We don't have any DSL, wifi, or cable service in our area. If we want it the only way its getting here is by satalite. So really where is the unreliablity. If it got any more reliable it would bug me. My nephews and neices androids and iphones along with my wifes has shadey signal around here. Hmmmm.
Mark if you want to respond just to the op there is pm. You posted in the public. You talk as if you don't use BB presenter there's no need in a BB. You tk like its wrong to want a BB. Well friend your posting in a BlackBerry forum where a lot of us want and love our BBs. I doubt many of us us a presenter.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[red777]

I was really hesitant before I got my BB (8520) but it was completely worth it and this is coming from a former iphone user. The keyboard was a major reason why I switched. The only thing I kinda missed was the apps and the browsing but when I got my Torch I got the whole browsing experience back. And I am not going anywhere else anytime soon. But this is my opinion and my advice to you is to do your homework and don't settle.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[13echo4]

my advice to you is to do your homework and don't settle.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I agree with this. You'll be happier and get more out of your device.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

uhm..how important are you? the President of the United States sports a Blackberry, even before he got elected..
on the serious side..base on the other posts that you made... if you're planning to just put in a SIM card... and not subscribe to a data plan, then i wouldn't recommend it at all.
YOU won't be able to enjoy the "essence" of having a blackberry such as the push emails, Blackberry messenger etc.
and reading from what you wrote.. i got the impression that it's more of a WANT rather than a NEED meaning any platform.. iOS4, Android, Windows can satisfy that WANT.
it's not like you use a Blackberry Presenter... which obviously NEEDS a blackberry.
so.. please give us more info on how you use a phone.. and we can tailor the answers better.

There is a definite reference to me there, I DO use a BlackBerry Presenter.

Dell Venue Pro for WP7 has a ridiculously good landscape QWERTY keyboard. LG has a Landscape QWERTY (on AT&T? or is it some other manufacturer?) WP7 device. Droid Pro, Droid 2, Epic 4G and a ton of other Android Phones have QWERTY keybaords.

Android has Filesystem Access.

BIS is unreliable and lack rubustness, as displayed by the latest wave of RIM outages. I wonder how long it will take them to get rid of that... The detriments outweight the benefits, IMO.

Haha, outages affect the whole internet for me, and they're almost always due to lack of connectivity due to having a non-3G phone. BIS and GPRS don't mix very well in the UK. Also, you in particular forgot the HTC 7 Pro and HTC Desire Z.

You just made my point. All those phones follow the BB. None of those phones do anything that a blackberry can't. So if you wanted a BB with a phyiscal keyboard and you have a droid 2 then how is your want met?
How is BIS unreliable? I live 30 miles out of town. I get every E-mail, txt, call, and post on crackberry. We don't have any DSL, wifi, or cable service in our area. If we want it the only way its getting here is by satalite. So really where is the unreliablity. If it got any more reliable it would bug me. My nephews and neices androids and iphones along with my wifes has shadey signal around here. Hmmmm.
Mark if you want to respond just to the op there is pm. You posted in the public. You talk as if you don't use BB presenter there's no need in a BB. You tk like its wrong to want a BB. Well friend your posting in a BlackBerry forum where a lot of us want and love our BBs. I doubt many of us us a presenter.

Don't try and reason with them. They'll only fight back and back and back. Only way to have a chance at avoiding their superlative Anti-RIM agenda is to ignore them. However, my BlackBerry does everything I need it to, and more. And Android/iPhone don't interest me. Only phone that HAD any chance at me defecting from BB is WP7, but now after securing my future with RIM using BlackBerry Presenter and BlackBerry Stereo Gateway, and also having 97 BBM contacts, I've kinda secured my future with RIM. There is no way I could convert all 97 of those BBM contacts to PingChat!

[pr1nce]

It depends how you're going to use it. A Blackberry is the best communication device. That's what made BB so popular to begin with and is still true today. IMO my opinion nothing beats it for email, texting, BBM. Go to the store try it and see what you think. Good luck.

[13echo4]

Don't try and reason with them. They'll only fight back and back and back. Only way to have a chance at avoiding their superlative Anti-RIM agenda is to ignore them. However, my BlackBerry does everything I need it to, and more. And Android/iPhone don't interest me. Only phone that HAD any chance at me defecting from BB is WP7, but now after securing my future with RIM using BlackBerry Presenter and BlackBerry Stereo Gateway, and also having 97 BBM contacts, I've kinda secured my future with RIM. There is no way I could convert all 97 of those BBM contacts to PingChat!

I gotcha. I just have to say something when something pointless and untrue has been said. I'd forgotten about the backflip and other androids that has keyboards. Which wasn't really the point. The point was there's a lot to want and like with the BB. I've looked over some of the androids past couple yrs. If I found one I think I'd like it would have something about it I didn't like or my BB did the same thing and I like BB more. I'm going to remind them everytime they forget that Rim isn't falling behind the rest is just catching up. I don't see anything on the horizon to sway me from BB.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BerryBlack15]

I'd say the BlackBerry, at the very least, will be able to help you post forum posts with correct spelling. You can't lose!

Agreed, btw, that there are some weaknesses with BB - but, honestly, if you have a brain at all, don't go iphone -- it really is an ***** device. Iphone is like typical unrefined ****e morning radio. It makes ya smile, but it's otherwise useless. Droid'll make ya giggle a little longer, but it's still like bangin your head on a wall.

The iphone is not for me and it might not be your thing either, but to call it that makes me think you have not spent much time using the iphone 3gs or 4 or you just have a bone to pick with iphone fans. You might not like it but it the screen is amazing and it is super slick and fast. You probably would have been better just saying you don't like the iphone instead of this nonsense.

[13echo4]

The iphone is not for me and it might not be your thing either, but to call it that makes me think you have not spent much time using the iphone 3gs or 4 or you just have a bone to pick with iphone fans. You might not like it but it the screen is amazing and it is super slick and fast. You probably would have been better just saying you don't like the iphone instead of this nonsense.

Really? Is it that far fetched that someone might actually consider the iphone junk? So ironic that you praise the 3gs. Are you aware that the 3gs had just brought to the iphone simple commucation skills like mms, and custom ringtone for example? That was in 09'. moto 3xx, 4xx, 5xx, razr, slvr; and blackberrys where all doing that in 04' at least. 5 yrs before Apple figured it out. Yea you could use apps and log into websites but it wasnt in the os. The only thing that Apple has brought to this market is the UI. Folks that have followed the iphone thru its many stages might not hold it up on a pedistal.

[K Bear]

It depends how you're going to use it. A Blackberry is the best communication device. That's what made BB so popular to begin with and is still true today. IMO my opinion nothing beats it for email, texting, BBM. Go to the store try it and see what you think. Good luck.

A Blackberry is only as good as the network it's on and if BIS isn't down.