Lots of questions about switching from iOS to Blackberry
- Hello! This is my first post here and it will be pretty long, yet I do have a lot of questions and this is a pretty big (possible) change for me. So, thank you all in advance for the help!
I am an iPhone user. I've been using iPhone from the very first day, yet right now my iPhone is the 4S. I keep delaying buying a new iPhone for ages, mostly because I'm losing faith in Apple. There are a lot of small things that bother me with Apple and iOS and I'm wondering if it's time for a change. There are a lot of reasons for me keeping using iPhone and iOS, yet I really don't know if I can do those same things with Blackberry.
I mostly use my iPhone for text messaging, email, reading news/PDFs/websites/forums, listening to music and taking lots of pictures. I also use it to control finances, taking loads of notes and do some social interaction. Later I will write down what apps I use the most.
1) My main concern is iCloud. I also have iPads and all my computers are Apple (iMac and MacPro). I use iCloud to sync all my Contacts, Calendars, Notes and Bookmarks synced. It's pretty handy and straightforward to use since I don't want to spend hundreds of hours setting up devices. Will I be able to still use iCloud for all this on a Blackberry device? Or at least be able to use Google/Gmail to do all this? I'm thinking about switching to Google Services anyway...
What about bookmarks? Any way to keep everything synced between Mac - iPads and Blackberry, or for this particular thing is too much to ask?
How about Contacts? Will I get a full sync (both ways) including contact images, notes, birthdays, etc? This is really important.
2) I take hundreds of photos every month. Being a designer I'm always taking photos, either of my own work, inspiration of simply my newborn kid. How is the Blackberry Passport compared to the iPhone 4S (or 6)? I know spec-wise it is superior, but reality usually is different. I know the iPhone 6 has a pretty nice camera, and even though it is unfair to compare devices with different approaches, it would be nice to have an idea. Also, how does Blackberry manages photographs and images? Does geotagging work perfectly? Is it fast to load the camera and mess around with the images? Trust me, all seconds count and this is one of the reasons I want to buy a new phone (4S is no longer fast enough).
How does BB deal with images? How are they presented to us? How are they organized inside BB?
3) Music. I listen to music all day long and I'm pretty picky with this. Can I still use iTunes to manage all my music, or Blackberry works out with folders and sub-folders copied from my computer? Blackberry manages to read all the info from my MP3 files, like album covers, album info, etc?
4) I use Skype on a daily basis for work and leisure. How does this app work in Blackberry and how will it affect the BB Passport battery? Can I just leave it open all day long and don't worry about it? Can I leave the phone in standby and receive calls and text messaging with no problems?
5) Dropbox. I also use it quite a lot for file exchange. I read that Dropbox works flawlessly in BB. Any comments on this?
6) Email. I never used BB before, but I'm pretty sure this is the best device for email on the market, yet I have some questions. How easy is it to setup multiple email account (iCloud, Gmail, etc) on this device? How is the sync between Gmail and BB when creating and changing folders? Is there anyway to make BB email client to act as a spam controller, or this is something that has always to be done by the email provider?
7) Social. I do use some social apps, like Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest or Instagram (almost never, this last one). Can I get the full experience with BB? Are there native apps for this? If yes - or no - how is the speed? I mean, opening Facebook on my iPhone 4S lately is been a drag. Way too slow and laggy...
8) Apps and Android. I know BB doesn't have one gazzillion apps like iOS, yet I just use a handful of them. Some social ones, like I've said before, and some specific ones that can be found in iOS and Android devices, like Wally, etc. Running Android apps in Blackberry is as fast as running them on a Android device, or I must expect some lag here?
9) Languages. Does BB Assistant have languages like PT-Portuguese?
10) BMW iDrive. Is Blackberry compatible with this? Will I be able to mess around with my music files/contacts/etc directly from my car?
11) Software updates. How does BB work here? Is it automatic like in iOS, or will it require crazy moves? I like to keep everything simple and I just don't see myself doing complicated stuff just to update the phone software.
12) Internet browsing. How would you compare BB browser to iOS Safari? Personally I'm a bit fed up with Safari. Getting too slow, with a lot of crashes and of course, no Flash. How fast is the browser? How safe is it? I heard that BB uses less data than other browsers. Is this true?
13) Alarms. Can BB manage multiple alarms? Also, does the Calendar allow me to create entries with multiple alarms? I'm always forgetting stuff and sometimes I need constant reminders. I also need multiple alarms to wake up in the morning, plus to check with my son's times to eat, etc. It is a big issue.
14) Is there a way to BB auto-backup itself on a regular basis wirelessly and with total safety?
15) Google Apps. Will I be able to use Google Maps and Google News?
Right now I have to decide between buying a new iPhone 6, or make the switch to Blackberry. The physical keyboard is a big plus for me, and the fact that it looks more sturdy than a full-screen smartphone is also a positive thing. I'm not sure it will fit my jeans pocket though... which might also be an issue. The problem is that this is not for sale in Portugal for me to try first. I will need to rely on internet reviews and feedback.
I really want to move to Blackberry, but Apple is almost forcing me to stay within it's ecosystem. I need some clarification in order to make a correct decision, always keeping my mind open. I just need something simple and beautiful that works. No slowdowns or bugs. I don't really care about crazy 3D graphics for gaming. I also don't need 10 apps to check the weather. I just need something that doesn't let me down and affect my work/leisure.
Sorry for so many questions, but this might be a big change for me. All the help counts! So thank you!
Cheers!11-20-14 09:39 AMLike 0 - 1) icloud no.. google calendar, contacts do sync. .
2) Blackberry Passport takes great pictures and its better at managing those files.
3) There are apps that will sync your itunes. However you can as well just drag and drop the files onto your blackberry using Blend for Mac. Album covers etc. are all displayed.
4) Skype is available not sure how good it is i don't use it.
5) Dropbox works good for me.
6) Syncs great with gmail.
7) Don't know.
8) Some of the android apps work better and faster than the native blackberry ones. The speed and quality has greatly improved with each update.
9) I don't think so.
10) Would have to download the android app ConnectedDrive and test it out.
11) Offical software updates are pushed by carriers.
12) The browser is the best.
13) Yes multiple alarms are easy to setup.
14) I backup using Blackberry Link to my Macbook.
15) I use a paid app called BeMaps Pro that uses google maps. Not sure about the news.11-20-14 10:50 AMLike 0 - I connect my BlackBerry passport to my mini countryman which is BMW. I can stream music, & podcasts, access phone contacts etc from the mini display screen. Answer calls hands-free etc. All via bluetooth.
Posted via CB10world traveler and former ceo likes this.11-20-14 11:28 AMLike 1 - Wow, you asked a lot of questions haha
I'm not going to attempt to answer them all. I will just say this:
Almost all of your concerns are handled as well (and usually better) on BlackBerry. Especially when it comes to messaging and file organization (cloud, transfer, on-device).
The only issue I could see you having is with your Apple ecosystem. Apple is a pretty tight environment, so it only works with Apple products. You can use an app called Device Switch to transfer all of your important stuff though (contacts, calendar, documents)
For the most part, there would be a couple hiccups to work out, but for your needs, it sounds like BlackBerry would be a great option.
Posted via CB1011-20-14 11:30 AMLike 0 - First kudos to the OP for giving us a detailed list of concerns... many other just drop vague questions.... The only fly in the ointment will be icloud... as the OP points out... Apple has done a great job of locking users into their ecosystem.... starting to change with the amount of lawsuits pending.... if the OP searches the site... you will find many apple users who converted to BB and the issues and solutions they were given.... In my humble opinion is if the OP could convert from Icloud to another cloud service... they may find that the Passport really out performs the Apple in productivity..... just be aware there is a more steep learning curve one the OS than you would have with Apple... and the Keyboard does take getting use to as as it is querty.,.,. not a convential one... check out some Youtube reviews... can be very informative....11-20-14 11:41 AMLike 0
- It is possible to sync with iCloud, I have my calendars and contacts synced to my Z30, this is two way, it will update as you make changes in your phone to your other devices. I have not set up bookmarks or notes and don't know if that is possible. There are other apps you can use for task managing that will allow you to sync notes to your computer and phone. Evernote is one of them I believe. You will get notes, images and birthdays. One gripe I have is that your contacts with birthdays will not automatically be added to your calendar on your phone. These will still appear on your mac devices (assuming you sync your iCloud calendar).
You can have multiple alarms on your phone and as far as I can tell is very similar to the Apple set up. I use about 5 alarms on the morning to make sure I get up (lol, heavy sleeper) and usually ad songs as the arms sound. It does everything I need.
Browser is very fast and works well, never had it crash on me.
Z30STA100-5/10.3.1.1016Last edited by dbaumgarten; 11-20-14 at 11:57 AM.
11-20-14 11:46 AMLike 0 - Assistant does not have Portuguese as a voice option. You can add the language to your keyboard.
Calender I just tested cannot add multiple alarms. Unless I totally missed something.
You can continue to use iTunes to manage your music and use blend or link to add these to your phone. It will copy your album artwork and other info. I have noticed though in iTunes there is an option for album artist which I guess is not a standard tag type as this will not appear on your phone.
Photos are organized two folders, photos and camera. Photos taken with the camera appear in the camera folder, these are time stamped and can be geo tagged as well. Inside the pictures app, it pull all images on your device (one point that you may not know is the file management on BB10 is excellent, you can create folders and move things around to organize them) it will display folders and you can sort then by date, favorites, map, or albums.
Z30STA100-5/10.3.1.1016Last edited by dbaumgarten; 11-20-14 at 12:12 PM.
11-20-14 12:02 PMLike 0 - I have icloud calendar, contacts and mail set up. Seems to work pretty well
Posted via CB10world traveler and former ceo likes this.11-20-14 12:40 PMLike 1 - Hello! Thank you for the replies!
If iCloud syncs with BB both ways, now come I can't add multiple alarms to the events there? I have two alarms for each Calendar entry on my iPhone/iPad/Mac. Can someone please confirm this?
Some people tell me there is no problem syncing iCloud and BB, others tell me that I can do that using software and others just tell me iCloud is a no-no to BB. I'm so lost here.
I just want to be able to add/change/delete calendar events, contacts and notes on BB and be able to see the change immediately on iPad and Mac. The other way around too using iCloud if possible11-20-14 02:37 PMLike 0 - Hello! Thank you for the replies!
If iCloud syncs with BB both ways, now come I can't add multiple alarms to the events there? I have two alarms for each Calendar entry on my iPhone/iPad/Mac. Can someone please confirm this?
Some people tell me there is no problem syncing iCloud and BB, others tell me that I can do that using software and others just tell me iCloud is a no-no to BB. I'm so lost here.
I just want to be able to add/change/delete calendar events, contacts and notes on BB and be able to see the change immediately on iPad and Mac. The other way around too using iCloud if possible
Not sure who is saying you can't sync to iCloud as I am right now. As far as notes go I am not sure as I don't sync these. I believe they are connected to your @me email so it might be possible by syncing that email. I would have to make one (I don't use @me) and try it out.
Z30STA100-5/10.3.1.101611-20-14 03:27 PMLike 0 - I was able to get iCloud email, contacts and calendar setup on my Z10 with no issues.
Just follow all the instructions here How to setup iCloud email, calendar and contacts on BlackBerry 10 | CrackBerry.com11-20-14 09:33 PMLike 0 - You are in the applesphere! You can probably manage to get around most if not all of your concerns by switching brands but really, in your case it doesn't make sense. Everything you own is apple and to switch is going to be a big pain in the a**. I try to get people to switch or consider a BlackBerry device when it makes sense to do so and in your case it doesn't make sense. Good luck
Posted via CB10RoseBud68 likes this.11-20-14 09:39 PMLike 1 - You are in the applesphere! You can probably manage to get around most if not all of your concerns by switching brands but really, in your case it doesn't make sense. Everything you own is apple and to switch is going to be a big pain in the a**. I try to get people to switch or consider a BlackBerry device when it makes sense to do so and in your case it doesn't make sense. Good luck
Posted via CB10
I know that buying a new iPhone is clearly the easy way for me.11-21-14 03:42 AMLike 0 - I also a iMac user for my business and I use Gmail for my contacts, calendar and it's syncs pretty well to BlackBerry OS10. I prefer using Gmail because sometimes I do product test using Android devices.
All I do is log into my Gmail account and everything syncs up great. This gives me the ability to switch between multiple platforms without losing my personal data.
Sent from my lovely passport on T Mobile USA11-21-14 03:52 AMLike 0 - True, it doesn't make sense. But sometimes people need a change for some reason and thats what I'm trying to do, even though I must still be able to do what I need to do without flaws. Thats the reason why I created this topic. To be as informed as possible and try to figure out if I can make that change.
I know that buying a new iPhone is clearly the easy way for me.RoseBud68 likes this.11-21-14 06:21 AMLike 1 - Re Skype, others have commented that the Android and BlackBerry versions are a huge battery drain even on PP.
I use Skype, but I only open it when I want to make voice or video calls.
BBM, which is cross-platform, is great for IM and you can do group chats. For BlackBerry devices, you can also do BBM voice or video calls without a subscription. I don't think this functionality is cross-platform yet though.
If I were trying to do what you do, I would maybe find a different phone app that could be left open for voice. And use BBM for texts. My non-BB friends downloaded BBM and love it.
Whatsapp is an option too.
This is an example of how you could get comparable functionality but not exactly the same.11-21-14 07:04 AMLike 0 - Also, you might try out the new BlackBerry Meetings for online multi person video, voice and screen sharing. There is a monthly subscription fee of $12 just for the meeting host person...invitees join for free and system is cross platform, pc & mac compatible.
Posted via CB1011-21-14 02:41 PMLike 0 - Should you change......a simple yes! True you will have some pain for a bit, but well worth it. Passport being my first BlackBerry choice and z30 as a second choice.....why? Simply shed your ecosystem dependence. My Passport is my total mobile solution now. I rarely even want to touch a computer. Cloud services are not required. My phone syncs automatically with my computer over wifi via link as soon as I step into the office or home. The best part is Blend now. I forgot my phone at home the other day while visiting a friend. He recently left his iphone for the z10. I downloaded Blend onto his computer and accessed my phones content, emails, texts, bbm messages etc from his laptop. His jaw dropped. That is the future. My information, files, photos anywhere in the world my way and a secure way. PS....nothing like having unlimited storage on a device especially without the cost. I could go on about OTG, file management etc.
Posted via CB1011-21-14 03:49 PMLike 0 - I would also like to note that BlackBerry has or is releasing software to transfer all information on an iphone to a bb10 device along with resolving the sms text issue with imessage.
Posted via CB1011-21-14 04:00 PMLike 0 - Thank you for the replies. I'm going to be honest, I'm still a bit unsure, but I think I will do the change. I just need to find a store that sells BB in Europe and ships to Portugal, since I can't find the Passport for sale anywhere here. Any ideas?
Another thing: Passport or Classic? What are the PROs and CONs of each one, excluding of course the natural differences screen and keyboard wise. Will the Classic be fast enough and will the camera be good enough for pictures? Like I said before, camera quality is a big issue for me.
What about battery life? Comparable to each other?
Thanks!11-22-14 08:26 AMLike 0 - Thank you for the replies. I'm going to be honest, I'm still a bit unsure, but I think I will do the change. I just need to find a store that sells BB in Europe and ships to Portugal, since I can't find the Passport for sale anywhere here. Any ideas?
Another thing: Passport or Classic? What are the PROs and CONs of each one, excluding of course the natural differences screen and keyboard wise. Will the Classic be fast enough and will the camera be good enough for pictures? Like I said before, camera quality is a big issue for me.
What about battery life? Comparable to each other?
Thanks!
For me, Passport is a better option. They are pretty much the same if excluding the screen, form factor, and keyboard. The differentiators are toolbelt and hardware specs. Specs does not equal experience but it is a fair evaluation of the hardware capabilities. Passport is more capable in that regard. On the other hand if you hate the man-device interface of Passport, i.e. the keyboard, no toolbelt, size, and screen, it doesn't matter how powerful the hardware is, the experience is not going to be pleasing.
Posted via CB10 with PassportSQW100-1/10.3.1.115111-22-14 10:06 AMLike 0 - I would think that for you, the Passport would be a better option.
I think that the Classic tends to be for long-time BlackBerry users who have become accustomed to the toolbelt. It's more about minimising the learning curve then it is about innovation.
If you are new coming to BlackBerry, the Passport is the one with all the gadgets and power. It's a more impressive device but with a steeper learning curve. However, you will have a learning curve regardless, since you are coming from iPhone.
Posted via CB1011-22-14 12:11 PMLike 0 - I'm sure you've already had a million answers to these questions, and I won't bother reading through what others said; treat this like another vote of confidence among the many. Here are my answers to your questions:
My main concern is iCloud. I also have iPads and all my computers are Apple (iMac and MacPro). I use iCloud to sync all my Contacts, Calendars, Notes and Bookmarks synced. It's pretty handy and straightforward to use since I don't want to spend hundreds of hours setting up devices. Will I be able to still use iCloud for all this on a Blackberry device? Or at least be able to use Google/Gmail to do all this? I'm thinking about switching to Google Services anyway...
What about bookmarks? Any way to keep everything synced between Mac - iPads and Blackberry, or for this particular thing is too much to ask?
How about Contacts? Will I get a full sync (both ways) including contact images, notes, birthdays, etc? This is really important.
Strangely, I've never even tried to sync notes. So I have no answer there. And bookmarks, sadly, will not sync at all. Though, there are some apps out there designed to do just that. I've never tried them.
I take hundreds of photos every month. Being a designer I'm always taking photos, either of my own work, inspiration of simply my newborn kid. How is the Blackberry Passport compared to the iPhone 4S (or 6)? I know spec-wise it is superior, but reality usually is different. I know the iPhone 6 has a pretty nice camera, and even though it is unfair to compare devices with different approaches, it would be nice to have an idea. Also, how does Blackberry manages photographs and images? Does geotagging work perfectly? Is it fast to load the camera and mess around with the images? Trust me, all seconds count and this is one of the reasons I want to buy a new phone (4S is no longer fast enough).
How does BB deal with images? How are they presented to us? How are they organized inside BB?
In terms of management of photos: THIS IS WHERE YOU"LL BE MOST HAPPY. Unlike iOS which has one of the least flexible photo management apps on the planet earth today, you have FULL control over the folders here. Remembering that BB allows you access to the file structures and provides a phenomenal file manager app, you can move around the files, zip them, unzip them, move them between your storage and the SD card, DropBox, whatever! FULL CONTROL is the word here.
As well, the photo editing suite is very robust: edit contrast, brightness, white balance, add filters, frames, the whole thing. So, even if you don't like the way a picture turned out, there are LOTS of ways to make it look just right. In this respect it is FAR superior than even iOS8.1 on an iPhone 6.
Music. I listen to music all day long and I'm pretty picky with this. Can I still use iTunes to manage all my music, or Blackberry works out with folders and sub-folders copied from my computer? Blackberry manages to read all the info from my MP3 files, like album covers, album info, etc?
I use Skype on a daily basis for work and leisure. How does this app work in Blackberry and how will it affect the BB Passport battery? Can I just leave it open all day long and don't worry about it? Can I leave the phone in standby and receive calls and text messaging with no problems?
Email. I never used BB before, but I'm pretty sure this is the best device for email on the market, yet I have some questions. How easy is it to setup multiple email account (iCloud, Gmail, etc) on this device? How is the sync between Gmail and BB when creating and changing folders? Is there anyway to make BB email client to act as a spam controller, or this is something that has always to be done by the email provider?
Social. I do use some social apps, like Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest or Instagram (almost never, this last one). Can I get the full experience with BB? Are there native apps for this? If yes - or no - how is the speed? I mean, opening Facebook on my iPhone 4S lately is been a drag. Way too slow and laggy...
I'll say right away, APPS will be your ONLY barrier to getting a BB. The OS is the best, most productive OS out there without a doubt. But the app selection is hindering for some people. Doesn't bother me, but it may bother you.
Apps and Android. I know BB doesn't have one gazzillion apps like iOS, yet I just use a handful of them. Some social ones, like I've said before, and some specific ones that can be found in iOS and Android devices, like Wally, etc. Running Android apps in Blackberry is as fast as running them on a Android device, or I must expect some lag here?
Yo hablo espanol con mi BB Assistant diario! Portuguese is indeed an option.
I'm not well paid enough to have a BMW But I'm confident it would work just fine. It works with my 3rd party media controller in my car.
Internet browsing. How would you compare BB browser to iOS Safari? Personally I'm a bit fed up with Safari. Getting too slow, with a lot of crashes and of course, no Flash. How fast is the browser? How safe is it? I heard that BB uses less data than other browsers. Is this true?
Alarms. Can BB manage multiple alarms? Also, does the Calendar allow me to create entries with multiple alarms? I'm always forgetting stuff and sometimes I need constant reminders. I also need multiple alarms to wake up in the morning, plus to check with my son's times to eat, etc. It is a big issue.
However, they have a wireless sync option. So, when I get home and connect to my Wifi, but phone syncs any photos, documents, and music that I have altered on my device to my computer. Essentially serving as a wireless backup for media and documents. This can be set up VERY easily in BB Link.
You will not be able to use any apps that rely on Google Services. Google Maps is a bit of an anomaly: it'll function and run, but you can't sign in.
And that's it! I've got more if you want more. But, hopefully this helped!Last edited by campbecw; 11-22-14 at 01:59 PM.
11-22-14 01:13 PMLike 0
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