Blackberry Bold or IPhone???

[bikerskier]

I need to replace my HTC 3125 smartphone with a shiny new communication device and want some of my peeps to chime in here. I'm on AT&T and will probably stay there and am trying to choose between the above 2 phones. Some folks have given me strong opinions already, however I have always been a slow, deliberate buyer of tech stuff, hence the question here.

My first need is to have a very good telephone, reliable, good clarity, easy to use, (even while driving).

Needs to play well with Outlook for synch'g with contacts and appointments. Then comes email use, some texting and some browsing. Would like a map program and some of the IPhone apps look like fun but... not critical.

Thanks for any input!

 

[Texan]

I've used both quite a bit. I've got the bold and my wife has the iphone. The iphone is definately much better for internet. And the bold is definately much better for email. Both are good phones. The Bold battery life is quite a bit better - I can do 2 days without charging. You must charge the iphone every night and sometimes during the day as well.

 

[Beamer Reamer]

Texan nailed it. Blackberry for email, iPhone for surfing. I went with the Blackberry.

 

[SockMonkey]

So you didn't believe me, huh..? Ralph, just get the Bold. I swear, you're worse than a woman shopping for shoes. I can just hear your next question: "does this phone go with my outfit..?"

 

[ultimateanswer]

Have you gotten a chance to fondle the HTC Fuze yet?? I have a Bold and like it but the lack of a touch screen kinda infuriates me sometimes. But the Fuze is the best of both worlds in my opinion. You get a passive multi touch screen like with the iPhone and excellent email interface like with the Blackberry, full internet like with the Apple, and it also doubles as a 3.5g modem if you ever need to hook up to your laptop while on the go. Also it is Windows Mobile 7 based so it is super stable and lightning quick. A buddy of mine at work has one and he has not shut up about it in the last two and a half months he has had one. I am thinking about getting one to try out.....

 

[bikerskier]

So you didn't believe me, huh..? Ralph, just get the Bold. I swear, you're worse than a woman shopping for shoes. I can just hear your next question: "does this phone go with my outfit..?"

I deserve this, I really do. Marty has patiently coached me on this question several times and I still seek more validation...?

Never heard of the HTC Fuze, but I had better google it. Right, Marty?

 

[FJR_pig]

You're not going to wait for the Palm Pre? That's the one that is supposed to make all other phones seem like paperweights.

 

[jmdaniel]

You're not going to wait for the Palm Pre? That's the one that is supposed to make all other phones seem like paperweights.

Supposed to be a great phone, but on the Sprint network? All things come into play...

I'm asking the same question myself, BB or iPhone. My hardware contract expired 2/14, at which point I could have gotten an iPhone. The problem was that AT&T were such pricks leading up to that date, about not budging an inch, that I really started thinking about telling them to take a hike. 2/14 came and went, and I wasn't about to buy the old version iPhone, with the next gen coming out in June. So, I cooled my heels. Last week, my company furnished me with a BB, (Curve), which is okay for emails when I need to use it. I still need a personal phone, but think I will switch to Verizon next month, when my overall contract with AT&T expires, getting a one year plan for a phone. Verizon and Apple are currently speaking, with the result probably a Verizon iPhone next year, at which time, I'll have a fun phone, and AT&T will be in the rear view...

 

[Texan]

I'm in the semiconductor business and get to work with all the cell phone manufacturers on their next generation phones. Later this year, many Android phones are coming to market with 4" capacitive touch screens (like the iphone), 3G internet access, and Android Market (their version of the appstore). You will want one of these more than the Bold or iphone.

Problem is, as soon as those come out, I will tell you about another phone due out 9 months later that you will want even more.

Here is the best strategy for electronics: buy a used device that was introduced 6 months ago. Keep it one year and ebay it for 25% of what you paid. Then buy another 6 month old device.

This strategy saves you money and gets you a great almost-new device. It also has the added benefit of selling more semiconductors which is good for our economy and my job

And I agree with SockMonkey - get the Bold.

 

[k7lvo]

Texan makes a great point. It costs to stay on the leading edge, and there's always something much better coming out in a few months.

My $0.02: After using a (mere) 2G iPhone, it will be a cold day in July before I pick up another Windows-based PPC/smartphone. The iPhone is the most intuitive device that I've had in my hands to date, plus it just does what it's supposed to with no BSoDs or lockups - including Bluetooth and Wifi. I've never used, nor had the desire to use, a Mac, but, after using the iPhone, a Mac may be in my future.

The Blackberry (although I haven't had a chance to try the Bold yet) is the least intuitive device that I've seen to date. I'm sure I could learn how to use it, but, so far, I've not had enough need to make the effort.

3G takes a lot more power than 2G. Some phones can be locked onto 2G except when you have the need for broadband. I don't know whether the iPhone is one of them.

 

[Shane]

Bold for me.

Shane

 

[ponyfool]

I'm waiting for the Palm Pre. I'll take the Sprint network with the roaming plan (Verizon network) any day over the AT&T network.

 

[FantasticJohnR]

I have the Bold 8830- just like president Obama- just not with the security software. I really wihs I had an iPhone for all those apps! The Bolds internet is also much more "klunk" and slow. I "raced" my friend with and iPhone several times getting to a particular website. My web browser is still opening when they have already arrived at the site and have clicked further within that page My email works fine on the Bold- but so doesn't my friends iPhone- so please define better.

The ONLY reason I went with the bold was for the MUCH better coverage that the Verizon network has over AT & T. If and when Verizon hosts the iPhone I am going to switch over.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lowcountry Joe]

Heres a video comparing the two:



Having used the HTC for a year and a half, I learned to hate the windows mobile operating environment. But I am hard to please. The HTC would never format documents or other attachments very well. Plus it was a touch screen, so it required two hands most of the time. Not good for driving down the road and terrible when trying to find a contact while driving.

My wife bought a Blackberry storm, but ultimately took it back and went for the Iphone. She loves it, but I would not want another touch screen device for my purposes. I didn't much like the storm either. I must admit the iphone is about as slick as ive seen lately.

Now I use a BlackBerry Curve and I am totally satisfied with its capabilities. It's a one handed device, and once you learn the unit, its a snap to find a contact and dial in any environment with one hand using the built-in trackball. Thats hard to do with touch screen devices. Touch screens are ok, but I am just saying that it's not my choice. Sure you can setup speed dialing, or voice dialing, but I have 1300 contacts on my phone, so the voice stuff never gets the correct contact. Pisser.

But I love the way the BB formats documents, pictures, and formats internet pages. So for the business user, the BB may be a better device for several tasks you repeat many times of the day. The BBs are also friendly with Outlook contact, calendar, and datebook data. I have to manually sync with a cable since my company does not use the expensive BB exchange servers. We use a windows exchange server that works great with a windows mobile device. But Im sick of the windows mobile op system, its quirks, lockups, and general aggravation. So the manual sync each day is not an issue with me....the BB desktop software works really slick.

But if you are in love with touch screens and apps out the ***, then there is no competition with the Iphone. The clones are trying, but they will never catch up to the Iphone. Just like Windows op systems on pc's will never catch Apple. They have tried for years and their latest, Vista, is a total failure...again.

Good luck with whichever you choose and have fun. LCJ

 

[Texan]

Touch screens are ok, but I am just saying that it's not my choice.

I've seen some end-user studies on touch screens. 50% of people love them. 50% of people want keyboards. The phone manufacturers I am working with are going to continue to make both versions.

 

[jmdaniel]

I've seen some end-user studies on touch screens. 50% of people love them. 50% of people want keyboards. The phone manufacturers I am working with are going to continue to make both versions.

My LG enV Touch has both....

 

[Leskid]

unless I missed it, no one has mentioned one thing I love about my blackberry pearl

Yes yes, the keyboard SUCKS until you're used to it but it's a fact that once you ARE used to it, it works well.

But... the pearl has a built-in GPS transponder. So that, in conjunction with blackberry maps means you always have a GPS in your pocket and get this: the maps stream-in in realtime so you're always looking at the current map, no subscriptions or updating internal memory. (bandwidth usage is not even negligible)

You can just scroll around and zoom in ANYWHERE, kind of like google earth or mapquest. although it is graphically weak in comparison, of course.

Just punch-in 'get direction' from "where I am" and punch in the destination (and it shows you the last 10 or so places you've entered so it's always just a few clicks to generate your turn-by-turn directions.

 

[wfooshee]

Google Maps Mobile on a Windows phone is the cat's meow. Street map view, Google Earth satellite imagery, GPS use if your phone is so equipped, and routing using Google Maps.

Web browsing is Internet Explorer, so your pages work. You can view them to fit, or view them full size and scroll around. Some work better one way, some the other.

I frankly hate Blackberry phones. All my customers have them mostly because their friends have them. Bandwagon marketing at its best. Setting them up for over-the-air sync with Exchange is a pain in the ***, and not possible without optional software at the server (although they've got the Blackberry Professional level now, much cheaper with the same function as previously found in Blackberry Enterprise Server.) Even with the software, if your phone wasn't provisioned as "Enterprise" by the phone company it won't sync wirelessly until they do that. Yes, with Blackberry Internet server or Desktop Redirector you get email wirelessly, but you still have to sync while connected to get calendar, notes, or tasks.

I've set up a few iPhones for Exchange sync, and there's nothing extra you have to buy for wireless sync, but it's not as easy as it could be.

Windows phones have it built in. Where's your server? What's your login? Here's your mail and calendar. You're welcome. Plus more apps than you can shake a stick at, many of them free. I agree with the point above that the touch screen is difficult to use if you're not just sitting at a desk somewhere, but voice dialing handles most of that for me. I've gotten pretty good at one-handed use with my thumbnail as a stylus, but in that situation the trackball on the Blackberry works well. Problem with both is that you have to be looking at the phone while all that is going on, not a good idea while driving.

And if you don't like the Windows shell as is, there are numerous addons for customizing the look. I use Spb Pocket Plus, which gives me a tabbed windo on the desktop to drop icons for comonly used apps, just like on a PC. There's even a shell someplace to simulate the iPhone's appearance.

 

[CRMH Eagle]

I've had a blackberry for a year now and I find the OS to be frustrating to use. The menus aren't user friendly - once again it's a device designed by computer nerds who don't work in the real world. At a conference I sat next to a friend who had an iPhone. We both were uploading info on facebook... he did it in less than a minute and took me 3x as long.

So if you're gonna be doing a lot of www surfing then I'd suggest the iphone. The blackberry does do email fairly fast.