[TheYalier]

Well, the situation I now find myself in is a rather difficult one.
I have always been a huge BlackBerry fan, and the opposite of a fan when it came to Apple's iPhone. However, after a variety of my BlackBerry smartphones failed to perform and eventually all broke (three smartphones, ranging from the Curve to the Bold broke for different things, such as trackpad, screen, or just simply died), I became rather cross with BlackBerries, and began to ponder about having the competition's phone.

I still really like BlackBerries, I'm really a fan of BBM (most of my friends have BB, so it's just amazing to talk to 100s of them for free internationally), the fact that BBs have keyboards and how easy and functional they are (the red notification light for instance and the fact that you can sort out all of your messages in just one folder, while in the iPhone you don't have that kind of practically). But, after three phones broke over a one year period, I had to get everyone's PINs again and there was the dreaded blackout, my fondness for the brand has been decreasing, and I'd say about 50% of it already disappeared.

Enter the possibility to get an iPhone. Advantages? Camera, it's stylish, more app variety, different software (a fresh change is something I could use), better camera, and I hear it's more durable. Disadvantages? No red light, less practicality, no keyboard (I just need my keyboard!) but mostly N-O B-B-M.
BBM is the thing I use most on a smartphone and that is the main reason I am still not sure about what I should do...

... should I give my BlackBerry another chance, put every single thing back on it and give it a go while risking great disappointment, or, should I get the new and shiny iPhone??

I realize there's most likely a similar thread, but I just wanted to put all my ideas and thoughts out there so that you could perhaps help me out.

Anyways, what I'm hoping you can help me with is deciding which one is the best for me at the moment. Also, if you have one or the other, or both, why did you choose to have one and not the other? Which one do you like best? What do you think about BB's features compared to those of the iPhone? Also, on a more superficial note, what do you think when you see someone with a BB and someone with an iPhone?

[howarmat]

from what you say i think a BB is your only choice still.

[SnoozerBold]

Its really up to you. It sounds like you're unhappy with some things about your blackberry but there are a lot of features that it has that you'll miss.

I'd suggest getting an iphone and trying it for 14 days and seeing if you'll be happy with it. If you're not return it and get a new Blackberry.
Blackberry works great for me I have a new 9790 and I love it. I've had it for 2 months and couldn't be happier with the way it performs and the quality of the hardware.

[anthogag]

Give your BB another chance. Buy the playbook if you need something BB and different.

iPhones have issues too. Do some research on this and you'll see

[Darrweng]

weigh it out. do you need a communication tool or a toy? all the things that are listed in your "iphone advantages" are non-critical to communication tools. more durable? says who BGR? goodluck.
can you imagine yourself not seeing that blinking red light when a message comes in? the D and the R when you've sent a message? oh and finally, the tick tick sound of the full qwerty keyboard and don't forget voice navigation of bb traffic. buy a playbook and you'll double the fun! be bold...

[southlander]

You can back up all your BBM contacts to the cloud.

[Chrisy]

If you go iPhone try the app Live Profile. It's a great cross messaging app that uses data and is free. My iPhone friends and family use it to talk with me on my BlackBerry.

IPhone 4 and 4s are awesome devices. I'd say try one out. It will relieve your BlackBerry frustration.

[apengue1]

However you might want to think about it.. of course you have to ask yourself the questions of what you will miss from the blackberry. All you're getting with the iphone is apps, the rest not so good in my opinion but anyway.

The way I see it is this: If you choose to go Apple right now.. you'll be mad very soon once the iphone 5 comes out within half a year.. then again if you stick with blackberry, apparently it might fail on you.. So then again you in the end get an Iphone 5 (or 4ss) when it comes out and then after that your mad again because the wonderful QNX BB10 devices come out a couple months after!

It really is a hard decision.. I won't lie

be bold...

[13echo4]

If blackberrys have made you unhappy then it is time to move on. There is nothing more aggravating than a device that keeps going out. Think once you have a foot out tbe door its really time to at least try something else. You can always come back.
I'm lucky in that my wife has been w/ ios since the 2g and my daughter uses android so I get to see what's out there. Plus working on phones for a hobby also gives me that peek. I haven't come across anything tempting. To move on.

[JPMorgan_]

Have you ever heard of Blackberry Protect? If your BB broke down, you'll automatically move your BBmessenger contacts to your new phone. It's a great service.

[Tank1978]

Not sure why you would move on now, bb10 comin out soon..... i phones are jice, but are not more durable, they become the size of a brick once you out on a protective cover, as you have to as your glass will shatter, should you drop it.. i message has nothing on bbm.. Dont fool yourself, iphones have broken and people have gone through plenty of them, more then the phones you have had to replace.

[boldkeyboardholic]

Not sure why you would move on now, bb10 comin out soon..... i phones are jice, but are not more durable, they become the size of a brick once you out on a protective cover, as you have to as your glass will shatter, should you drop it.. i message has nothing on bbm.. Dont fool yourself, iphones have broken and people have gone through plenty of them, more then the phones you have had to replace.

you are funny. soon xD

[soo007]

if you don't mind not having a physical keyboard imessage is great, just as good as bbm. i have it on my ipod and works like a charm.

[FuzzyB]

Op...you say you have 100's of friends abroad that you communicate with via bbm. You willing to give that up? I'd say get your bb issues ironed out and stick to it. Nothing wrong with iOS or droid but it sounds like your needs are with bb.

[lotuslanderz]

Maybe you just need a newer BB than the 9780?

Switching to a new platform can be fun as you discover new things and the new OS. I found this out when I picked up a used 9800 the other day to bridge to my PlayBook. The 9800 had been so maligned on the tech blogs that I was expecting to have a frustrating experience. Far from it! It was fun re-discovering the BB platform (I used to have a Pearl). I dont plan on giving up my iPhone 4 just yet, but I'm very much interested to see what BB10 brings.

If you're curious about the iPhone, give it a try -- but stack it up against the new BBs (OS 7.1) for a better comparison.

[JR A]

Sounds like you should stay with BB, but pick up an ipod touch or ipad. That should satisfy your want for apple... But I would definitely upgrade to a 9900/9930 to try out OS7 touch and type...

[13echo4]

Maybe you just need a newer BB than the 9780?

Switching to a new platform can be fun as you discover new things and the new OS. I found this out when I picked up a used 9800 the other day to bridge to my PlayBook. The 9800 had been so maligned on the tech blogs that I was expecting to have a frustrating experience. Far from it! It was fun re-discovering the BB platform (I used to have a Pearl). I dont plan on giving up my iPhone 4 just yet, but I'm very much interested to see what BB10 brings.

If you're curious about the iPhone, give it a try -- but stack it up against the new BBs (OS 7.1) for a better comparison.

You think the 9800 is fun try the 9810 or 9860. I thought nothing could get my 9800 outta my hands. This 9860 did just that. Os7 is enough like os6 to keep learning curve down but changed in the areas that needed changing.
Since the os was so close I could keep my attention focused on not having a keyboard and its shortcuts to bail me out and find the natural shortcuts of the os. That helped me a lot.

[shemaree09]

get an iPod Touch and a Bold 9900.

Best of both worlds

[tack]

weigh it out. do you need a communication tool or a toy? all the things that are listed in your "iphone advantages" are non-critical to communication tools. more durable? says who BGR? goodluck.
can you imagine yourself not seeing that blinking red light when a message comes in? the D and the R when you've sent a message? oh and finally, the tick tick sound of the full qwerty keyboard and don't forget voice navigation of bb traffic. buy a playbook and you'll double the fun! be bold...

Please stop with the misplaced and childish "toy" comments.



To the OP, it sounds like BB is still your choice. If you use BBM and love and want/need a keyboard, you should stick with BB. To me the iPhone is a great device, but so is the BB. I like things about both, including liking some business or communication related features of the iPhone better than BB and vice versus. I would bet you might see more negatives based on what you said.

The newer BB's might be the way to go. They quality seems great and OS7 is very good in my view. I hope/think the apps will come. I would personally hold out for a BB10 device.

[The_Kills]

Sacraficing this keyboard and simple yet featured OS is not something I was able to go through myself after trying and iPhone 4S last month.

[johncihak]

After using a keyboard for years, I found the touch kb on the iPhone much faster and more responsive. The error correction is great. However, much of the time, you can just dictate with Siri instead of typing. Looking back at my BB I can't believe how slow and primitive it is.
Once you switch and see the countless apps that work great, look great and cost a fraction of their BB counterparts; once you see all your html emails instantly; when you realize how easy it is to stay in sync without ever plugging into a computer (including MS exchange) you just can't go back.
We use BBs and iPhones at work and the only people who still have BBs are the ones who have not yet upgraded - having a BB is a sign of disgrace and they are usually kept hidden.

[Lead_Express]

OP,
It sounds like you have enough reason to upgrade to an OS7 device. I won't insult iPhone by calling it a "toy" like some will but it just doesn't seem to be the right device you're looking for. If you, like me, want a good physical keypad and a premium feeling, high performance phone, then 9900/30 is your ticket. If you can't stand to stay on BB due to your frustration, there are some nice Android phones with sliding keypads you could look at.

[paris.williams]

Well, the situation I now find myself in is a rather difficult one.
I have always been a huge BlackBerry fan, and the opposite of a fan when it came to Apple's iPhone. However, after a variety of my BlackBerry smartphones failed to perform and eventually all broke (three smartphones, ranging from the Curve to the Bold broke for different things, such as trackpad, screen, or just simply died), I became rather cross with BlackBerries, and began to ponder about having the competition's phone.

I still really like BlackBerries, I'm really a fan of BBM (most of my friends have BB, so it's just amazing to talk to 100s of them for free internationally), the fact that BBs have keyboards and how easy and functional they are (the red notification light for instance and the fact that you can sort out all of your messages in just one folder, while in the iPhone you don't have that kind of practically). But, after three phones broke over a one year period, I had to get everyone's PINs again and there was the dreaded blackout, my fondness for the brand has been decreasing, and I'd say about 50% of it already disappeared.

Enter the possibility to get an iPhone. Advantages? Camera, it's stylish, more app variety, different software (a fresh change is something I could use), better camera, and I hear it's more durable. Disadvantages? No red light, less practicality, no keyboard (I just need my keyboard!) but mostly N-O B-B-M.
BBM is the thing I use most on a smartphone and that is the main reason I am still not sure about what I should do...

... should I give my BlackBerry another chance, put every single thing back on it and give it a go while risking great disappointment, or, should I get the new and shiny iPhone??

I realize there's most likely a similar thread, but I just wanted to put all my ideas and thoughts out there so that you could perhaps help me out.

Anyways, what I'm hoping you can help me with is deciding which one is the best for me at the moment. Also, if you have one or the other, or both, why did you choose to have one and not the other? Which one do you like best? What do you think about BB's features compared to those of the iPhone? Also, on a more superficial note, what do you think when you see someone with a BB and someone with an iPhone?

Apple actually has great after sales service. they have a good tech support hotline and if that doesn't work, you can visit one of those genius bars and someone will help you out. my friends and family all have iPhone4 and iPhone4s. None of them have had problems, hardware or software.

Blackberries used to be better at e-mail but the truth is the iPhone mail app actually handles e-mail better. If you can live with a phone with no LED, you'll do fine. I understand the fear of letting go of BBM but trust me, you will live

Plus, there is an app for almost every need you have so you have a more functional phone. Blackberries have little app development.

Now isn't the time to stick with Blackberry, though we will see what happens when they release those OS10 devices.

[mjs416]

We use BBs and iPhones at work and the only people who still have BBs are the ones who have not yet upgraded - having a BB is a sign of disgrace and they are usually kept hidden.

What kind of nimrods do you work with that feel disgraced by the type of phone they have? Where do you work? Abercrombie and Fitch?

[mjs416]

Plus, there is an app for almost every need you have so you have a more functional phone. Blackberries have little app development.

More functional phone? Like a gaming platform? I took my wife's iphone and ipad 2 and searched for hours one night to try and find app's that would provide the utility to help me in my job (since that seems to be the main argument for getting an iphone - apps). Know what I found? 15 versions of angry birds, 2 cut the rope and a new one called where's my water.