[theasianberryy]

There are soooooo many smartphones out there right now.

With the HTC Evo coming out in a few days backed by the new 4G network coming out...is it really worth it to get a BB?

I feel like BB are OVERRATED and that there are A LOT better smartphones out there.

Right now I'm with TMobile, but could really careless about my provider....as well as money.

I also don't want the iPhone because it's too cliche. Not my thing.

Are BB really worth it or is there other smartphones that surpass the BB?

Thanks.

[Jared DiPane]

It will all depend on your needs. Each smartphone is geared towards a similar, yet different group of people and such.

BlackBerry will give you the most instant communication (push email and BBM)

Android will give you lots of up coming development, new features, intruiging OS.

iPhone will be geared towards apps/games, downfalls on email and instant communication and alerts.

It would depend what you are looking for in terms of email, messaging, gaming, battery life, screen size, etc to decide which device would be best for you.

[Kellina]

Ummm, I have a feeling you will not be getting many unbiased opinions.

If you feel like blackberries are overrated then perhaps you'd be best to get something else.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[EnergyPlus]

As Kelllina, stated, you can forget about anything you receive here (though both Kellina's response and drm2blv's responses were correct). In other words, people will come in here saying things like "Droid > BB" and "BB > Droid" etc. etc.

You need to do your own homework, not ask for group opinions that are more often than not, biased, ridiculous, unsubstantiated and irrelevant (many simply post things to stir up trouble). Read device reviews in professional columns, go to the carrier's stores and play with the devices, do feature comparisons and see what best meets your needs and then, and only then, make your decision. That way, it's your decision, not influenced by children and is based on reasonable research and evaluation, coupled with some personal, hands-on experience. It appears you're already forming your own opinion, you're dismissing BB and iPhone, so that leaves you with Droid, Palm or Windows 7.

[Branta]

Review coverage from different networks in areas you expect to make most use of your phone. Make your own 3-column specification - Must, Don't_Care, Must_Not - and use this to make a shortlist of phones available from your preferred carriers. Finally, go to the phone stores and get hands on with some demo phones to see which one feels right for you, and check the features you need really work.

[theasianberryy]

Alright thanks everyone.

Well I'm only 16 and going to college in the fall for business, so I need a reliable business/personal all in one phone.

It seems like there is just too many smartphones out there...it's so hard to even start comparing.

But I like the three columns idea, I'll give that a try.

[EnergyPlus]

Congrats on college. The three column idea was a good one, a variation of the old, tried and true, Ben Franklin list (he only had two columns, one for "Pro's" and one for "Con's") but yields the same results.

Obviously, many here are biased towards BB but I know that many college aged kids are biased towards all things Droid (or iPhone, but you've already dismissed that and honestly, I think that's a good decision for no other reason than it's AT&T). You should also look at carrier coverage for the area you'll be going to school in. Consumer Reports had a great review of both the carriers and the various phones, in their January, 2010 issue, you might want to check that out.

For no other reason than I'm here, right now, I'm gonna say this. I am stuck in a hotel in Dallas GodForsaken Texas at the moment. I'm a photographer and I've been here to cover a convention and tomorrow, I'm off to do some aerial photography. While at the convention, I saw what had to be, virtually every phone in the world out there, lol. I was paying pretty close attention to this and asked lots of folks about their opinions on their phones and got to look at several of them. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I am simply NOT impressed with the displays on the Droid devices. Weird, but they simply look blah!

Alright thanks everyone.

Well I'm only 16 and going to college in the fall for business, so I need a reliable business/personal all in one phone.

It seems like there is just too many smartphones out there...it's so hard to even start comparing.

But I like the three columns idea, I'll give that a try.

[Branta]

Congrats on college. The three column idea was a good one, a variation of the old, tried and true, Ben Franklin list (he only had two columns, one for "Pro's" and one for "Con's") but yields the same results.

I like the extra column, because it helps distract attention away from a specification filled with features I will never want - or even can't use because they don't have carrier support.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. I am simply NOT impressed with the displays on the Droid devices. Weird, but they simply look blah!

It that the design of the UI (the theme in BB terminology) or the quality and ability of the hardware?

[Radius]

Don't be foolish and make any decisions based on 4G, it's not what you think it is.

Otherwise, just choose the phone that does what you need. want apps and web stuff? Probably iPhone.

Want the power and usefulness of a BB? Get one.

[petaf]

Er, she doesn't want an iphone!
BlackBerry: dependable (usually), instant communication, outdated OS (hopefully better with OS 6).
Android: Wow! factor. Everything fast and bright, somehow. (Be aware, however, that gmail is the only mail that actually gets pushed to the devices.)
I currently have both a 9700 Bold and a Nexus One. So far the Nexus is working flawlessly, why do I feel slightly uneasy going out without my 9700???

[paintdrinkingpete]

This isn't going to fully answer the OP's question, but here's one thing I always tell people:

If email functionality (and not *just* a GMail account) is high priority for you, then Blackberry has to top your list of devices to consider. If web access and/or apps are your highest priority, then I'd put Blackberry a little lower on that list.

[EnergyPlus]

While the UI seems awkward, I will grant that this is partially due to unfamiliarity on my part. It's more about the display quality. The displays, in terms of contrast, saturation and depth, simply lack the snap, crackle and pop that I like, both on my Storm and (shhhhh, don't tell anyone) the iPhone. I saw a preview of the new, Samsung, which is using their proprietary SOLMED that looked pretty good in the video, but I have not seen it in person.

I like the extra column, because it helps distract attention away from a specification filled with features I will never want - or even can't use because they don't have carrier support.
It that the design of the UI (the theme in BB terminology) or the quality and ability of the hardware?

[MrObvious]

Actually you can get push e-mail if you know an AS server with any mail service using K9 on Android. I'll throw that in there. Really it depends on what you use the phone for. A Blackberry isn't a bad starter smartphone but playing with Android for a good long while gives you an idea if you will like it or not. The thing that keeps me on BB is battery life. You just don't get that with other platforms, except like the Touch Pro 2 on Windows Mobile.

[ipodtouch1234]

I am very much considering jumping ship when my contract is up to an Android phone. I love the blackberry keyboard and form, but the OS is just too antiquated.