Why I Chose A Blackberry Over An iPhone
I’ve just ordered a new business mobile phone. I needed this to be really great for e-mail on the move and there were only two choices on my short-list: an iPhone; and a Blackberry. I chose a Blackberry, but it wasn’t a clear-cut decision between the two. The iPhone has lots going for it: a promising SDK; and promising corporate e-mail support. Also, the web browser on the iPhone really is the best browser available on any mobile phone.
So, why did I choose the Blackberry (an 8320 Curve)? In the end, it came down to two “reasons why”. Firstly, in the UK, the O2 tariffs available for iPhone, even after being revised to be better value, simply don’t work for me. Specifically, I send a lot of SMS text messages. Apple and O2 don’t offer a tariff that’s suitable for big users of SMS. That was a deal breaker for me. Secondly, the keyboard on the Curve works better than the keyboard on the iPhone. I need this phone to be good at e-mail, so having a great keyboard built in is important to me.
What I thought was interesting about this, though, is that among business users, I suspect I’m relatively unusual in sending lots of SMS messages. That means that, if, in the forthcoming software release, iPhone corporate e-mail support works as well as the Blackberry, and a good developer community gets behind the iPhone SDK (which I think it will), then the major barriers to iPhone adoption amongst business users will have been removed for many, many people. The truth is, if there’d been a tariff available that worked for me, I’d probably have bought an iPhone, and lived with the sub-optimal keyboard.
smayton wrote:
I don’t get all the iPhone keyboard criticisms. I have very large hands and I find it extremely easy to use.
And I find that what this device has to offer (and will offer) makes it a nobrainer in terms of choice over the Blackberry.
Posted 19 Mar 2008 at 11:39 pm ¶
Savage wrote:
So, was it windows mobile that you choosed over Os X??!!! Wich one is a car between a Lada and a Lexus? Aye…
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 6:14 am ¶
simon wrote:
@smayton
I find good Blackberry keyboards (of which the keyboard on the Curve is an example) much faster for typing on than an iPhone keyboard. Everyone person I know that has an iPhone, and who has used Blackberries a lot, says the same thing.
Taking everything into account, though, you’re right that from a technical perspective, the iPhone has more to offer than do Blackberries. However, given that, in the UK, Apple and O2 don’t offer any tariffs that work for me, I chose the Blackberry which was available with a great tariff i.e. unlimitted SMS texts. The Blackberry does what I need this device to do (e-mail, SMS and phone calls), and it does it pretty well.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 7:05 am ¶
Saeed Khan wrote:
I am one of the all time biggest fan of BlackBerry 8300, its has an incredible features, including a camera, BlackBerry Maps, a media player, expandable memory, Voice-Activated Dialing, tethered modem and trackball navigation. Plus you get all the core functionality you’ve come to expect in a BlackBerry smartphone, email and text messaging, instant messaging. What else one can think of. Complete professional pack!!
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 12:10 pm ¶
Asam Bashir wrote:
Yep, go for a crackberry, will keep the discussion here entertaining as you learn to regret.
SMS excuse is lame, lots of places on web to get free SMS, and you could ask O2 for an additional text bundle for iPhone.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 6:26 pm ¶
simon wrote:
Actually, Asam, you’re right, O2 do seem to offer bolt-on unlimitted SMS package at a reasonable cost.
O2 should really make that clearer. When I was researching iPhone tariffs, it wasn’t obvious they could be customised like that; and in the end, that’s what swayed me towards getting the Blackberry.
Still, I’m happy to wait for the next version of iPhone to be released, and also to see how well the corporate e-mail software works when it’s released.
The Blackberry Curve keyboard is really great, BTW. I’d say it’s better than any other Blackberry keyboard I’ve used previously (and a big step up forward from the 8800). This device is perfect for what I need it for - I’m very pleased with it so far. I’d definitely say, though, that if you need a great mobile web browser, the Blackberry would be a mistake (it’s pretty useless, to be honest)… there’s just no comparison between the Blackberry web browser, and the iPhone web browser.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 8:07 pm ¶
Asam Bashir wrote:
Hmmmm, okie, wasn’t even attempting to make you change your mind, someone has to experience dA hoRRor of Windows Mobile - personally don’t see the point of trying to do proper emails from a phone anyway, if you are you’re probably wasting your own time anyway - hence the term Crackberry users. Sure there is business sense in having the ability to receive information by email, and having the ability to send short email replies, but is there any real reason you’d want to sit and write a long email on a Crackberry, rather then just wait till you’re near a laptop again?
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 8:36 pm ¶
simon wrote:
Blackberries don’t use Windows Mobile - I wouldn’t buy a Windows Mobile device, they’re not up to standard yet. Blackberries run their own OS and are pretty sophisticated devices. Nowhere near the polish of the iPhone OS, but, Blackberries really do excel in their core competency of messaging (compared to the competition).
As for sending long e-mails from a mobile device - no need to send super-long e-mails. But, do need to be able to easily send e-mails of a paragraph or two when not near a computer.
Bottom line: in terms of business devices, the Blackberry is still the best device; but iPhone may be about to catch up… and once iPhone has caught up, it should be able to shoot into the distance pretty quickly… the core platform is way ahead of the competition.
Posted 20 Mar 2008 at 9:27 pm ¶