Blackberry’s 26 Advantages over iPhone

We all have numerous good reasons to love our iPhone. It revolutionized the handheld business with its AppStore and ease of use interface. Apple (AAPL) will continue to gain ground, and further innovations to its iPhone product portfolio could accelerate its growth even further. The synergies with the Mac computers and the Apple Stores themselves, are real and material.

The advantages of the iPhone are mostly immediately visible. Its differentiating characteristics are extroverted, shouting them right into your face. For the casual observer, these iPhone advantages are very compelling when comparing it to its main rival to date, the Blackberry. However, Blackberry also has numerous advantages, almost all of which are “behind the scenes” and therefore often beyond the comprehension or attention span of most consumers to fully analyze before a purchase decision is made.

One is tempted to draw a political analogy – the flamboyant candidate with the eloquent rhetoric, versus the “boring” candidate focusing on the substance of the intellectual argument. The analogy fails in part as far as the iPhone is concerned, because its “superficial” advantages are real. However, the analogy holds as far as the Blackberry is concerned, because its advantages require a more serious intellectual analysis by the consumer in order to be fully appreciated. For this reason, it is possible that Research In Motion (RIMM) is underestimated as a force in the consumer market as well as the stock market.

Seeing as we already know the strong advantages of the iPhone, ranging from the class-leading AppStore to its beautiful and easy-to-use interface, it is about time that someone lists the advantages of the Blackberry when compared to the iPhone. Below are the top 26:

1. Blackberry can be used on almost every carrier in the world (over 475 of them). In the US, the iPhone is available on AT&T (T) only.

2. Blackberry is available in five form factors – small keyboard, large keyboard, no keyboard, flip phone, and candy-bar.

3. Most Blackberries have keyboards, so you can actually type fast and with no errors. Helps while driving, walking, carrying something in your other hand – all the time. iPhone: well…

4. Blackberry uses standardized (=inexpensive and available everywhere in the world) MicroUSB connector for synchronization/charging. iPhone has a much larger proprietary 30-pin connector.

5. Some carriers such as Verizon (VZ) and Sprint (S) offer unlimited international Blackberry data roaming for $40/month or less. iPhone does not. This could save you literally tens of thousands of dollars when you are abroad.

6. If your Blackberry is on T-Mobile USA, it also offers unlimited WiFi calling from anywhere in the world. This is with your existing number – in and out – so no new special number, procedure, etc. iPhone cannot do this (because it is only on AT&T; only T-Mobile USA offers this), and it can save you well over $100 per day when you’re abroad. Think $1 per minute savings, and you’re on the phone two hours per day. That’s $120/day.

7. Blackberry has expandable memory. iPhone is fixed and sold at 8, 16 or 32 gig only.

8. Blackberry has removable and expandable battery. iPhone is fixed.

9. Blackberry allows programs to multitask. iPhone has limited multitasking.

10. The newest Blackberry screen resolution is 480x360. iPhone is 480x320.

11. Blackberry allows communicating peer-to-peer via PIN identifier, circumventing the email system. No such iPhone equivalent.

12. Skype (EBAY) on the Blackberry? Yes, from anywhere to anywhere. Skype on iPhone? Only if you’re on WiFi.

13. Sling on the Blackberry? Yes, it’s free. Sling on iPhone? $30.

14. Google (GOOG) Voice on the Blackberry? Yes, it’s free. Google Voice on iPhone? Verboten.

15. Blackberry can be synchronized to multiple computers simultaneously, if you have multiple computers.

16. Multiple Blackberries can receive the same email feeds simultaneously, if you have multiple Blackberries.

17. Blackberry can sort the address book entries by company name, so you can scroll down a long list of names you don’t remember, but you just want to see who works for which company. Aside from sorting, the iPhone can take several seconds to search your address book, particularly if you have several thousand address book entries.

18. Blackberry isn’t slowed down by having, say, 10,000 or 100,000 address book entries. Try using an iPhone with 10,000 address book entries.

19. All major instant messengers are available on Blackberry.

20. Blackberry is available with multiple browsers from multiple suppliers. iPhone is available only with its standard Safari browser.

21. Blackberry synchronizes with iTunes – and every other media management program.

22. Blackberry models with 480 pixel resolution and WiFi offer PrimeTime2Go, an $8/month TV service that works as a DVR.

23. Blackberry fits as many emails in the inbox as there is memory available (typically many tens of thousands). iPhone is limited to 200 emails. Yes, iPhone has a remote look-up capability, but that doesn’t do you any good when you’re on an airplane or are otherwise out of coverage.

24. Price: Unlimited iPhone voice/data service, including unlimited SMS, is $150/month. Blackberry can be had for much less. For example, unlimited Blackberry service is offered on Sprint for $100/month, T-Mobile USA $125/month, MetroPCS $50/month, although AT&T/Verizon match the iPhone at $150/month.

25. Prepaid “no contract” flexibility: The AT&T web site says the iPhone is sold with a 2-year contract only, although once upon a time it offered a “contract-free” iPhone if you paid close to $899 up-front for the iPhone itself. In contrast, you can get prepaid no-contract Blackberry service on any old or new T-Mobile USA Blackberry handset for $65/month (600 minutes, unlimited Blackberry/Internet, but no SMS), or you can get truly unlimited-everything prepaid $50/month service from MetroPCS, if its handset selection and coverage areas are acceptable to you. That’s ONE THIRD the cost of the iPhone, and there is no contract.

26. Blackberry is an encrypted military-grade security platform, with 100% market share at FBI, CIA, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, major consultancies and major investment banks. In contrast, iPhone has security vulnerabilities. Please see this document for details as to why the Blackberry is the only platform approved for use in our national security agencies. It compares against the iPhone and Microsoft Mobile platforms (.pdf).

Disclosures: Long RIMM, AAPL and GOOG

Comments

[Robert Mart...:]

Good summary of Blackberry's overlooked advantages. As you noted, availability on every carrier leads to lower voice/data services, and to unique offerings such as T-Mobile's free WiFi.

In technology, however, success breeds success: The iPhone's popularity has generated thousands of free apps, making the software just as important as the hardware.

It pays to be a media darling.

Aug 10 05:42 AM

[logicalthought:]

>>Most Blackberries have keyboards, so you can actually type fast and with no errors. Helps while driving...<<

LOL... Yes, it's much safer that way!

Aug 10 07:53 AM

[Luckyman#9:]

Having recently switched from a blackberry to an iPhone, I'll also add that the BB had MUCH better calendar functions over the iPhone. I could create a meeting on my BB and invite a person, then synch up with Outlook. The Outlook todos would synch too. Why doesn't the iPhone synch outlook todos? The calendar is weak compared to BB. Also 3rd party apps can't write to or use the calendar so we have to wait for aaple to offer an enterprise grade calendar and todo synch.

Aug 10 08:08 AM

[dick black:]

the problem is, everyone wants to be everything to everybody.

lets look at this observation;
bb had great market lead and with their first phone apple took away the bb cache.

now bb plays catch up to a computer company.

imagine if apple decided to put out as many models as bb does.

ps. nothing like bumping into or tripping over smartphone users on the the streets and stairs of nyc. I have personally stepped on 1 iphone and 2 bb as users try to multitask. no i did not apologize. F 'em.

Aug 10 08:12 AM

[indeolie:]

Quite a few of these advantages are debatable, but #26 is really the only one that counts - for a business smartphone there's no amount of features that can make up for a broken security model. The iPhone was hacked within weeks and despite the dozens of security fixes since 1.0, continues to be easily hacked, its latest OS 3.0 release even before it was officially released. In contrast, the Blackberry OS hasn't seen a hack 'in the wild' in its 10 years of existence.

Consumers may or may not care (the fact the iPhone can be hacked easily to run pirated apps only adds to its appeal for them), but unless Apple fixes things and offers some iron-clad assurance there's no way the iPhone can win over security-focused corporate clients now.

Aug 10 08:48 AM

[pk de cville:]

Your pdf linked in item 26 (security - Lopez) is obsolete.

Published in May 09, it has no info on the current iPhone OS 3.0.

I'd be interested in a fresh release of this document.

Aug 10 08:53 AM

[vassar:]

Many of the 25 points are nit picking and none address the slick iPhone interface, App-store advantage and overall experience of using an iPhone vs. any other device.

Aug 10 08:59 AM

[Anton Wahlman:]

Blackberry also has thousands of free apps. I guess the comparison is that the iPhone has something like 60,000+ applications in total, whereas Blackberry has 2,000+ applications in AppWorld and many thousands (tens of thousands?) available outside AppWorld. Ultimately, however, it's hard to measure quality vs. quantity. That said, Blackberry has got some work to do here, but remember that AppWorld launched April 1, 2009 -- a relatively long time after Apple's AppStore.


On Aug 10 05:42 AM Robert Martorana wrote:

>
> Good summary of Blackberry's overlooked advantages. As you noted,
> availability on every carrier leads to lower voice/data services,
> and to unique offerings such as T-Mobile's free WiFi.
>
> In technology, however, success breeds success: The iPhone's popularity
> has generated thousands of free apps, making the software just as
> important as the hardware.
>
> It pays to be a media darling.

Aug 10 10:03 AM

[martyg:]

despite all your posturing, the proof of the pudding is in the price of the stock.

aapl is twice the price of rimm but is only off about 35 or so points from the high, whereas rimm is down about 60 points from the high.

tough to argue with those numbers. rimm is still trying to contact dr ehrlich to find that magic bullet.

Aug 10 10:29 AM

[GSlusher:]

"Helps while driving,"

I sure hope not. I don't know where the author lives. If it's in New York, using a handheld cell phone while driving is a primary offense--that means that he can get a ticket for that, even if he has no other violations. It probably counts as a moving violation, raising your insurance premiums and putting your license at risk if you accumulate points.

Aug 10 10:57 AM

[Wireless Wiz:]

It is clear that for many users, a Blackberry will be better and for many other users an iPhone will be the device of choice. It all depends on personal choice and whether the above points matter to each user. Some want a removable battery, expandable memory, more robust email platform and others prefer a better media experience, a better, more intuitive browser, and only one place to shop for apps. Nice summary Anton.

Aug 10 10:59 AM

[sensobi:]

Anton, one more point worth mentioning:

The BlackBerry software development kit gives developers more freedom than the iPhone SDK. Not only can you develop apps that run in the background (point #9), but you can gain access to the phone, email and BBM logs. You can't do this on iPhone.

So, to add to #17, not only can you sort by company, you can sort by the last time you talked to a contact.

Aug 10 11:33 AM

[Advill:]

Avoid problems....Buy both, AAPL and RIMM

Regards

Aug 10 11:36 AM

[whidbey:]

Yes it is great and we use them exclusively for cost savings, flexibility and worldwide support. And one can drop the phone and it will usually work which is more than you can say for IPhone.

Aug 10 11:55 AM

[Indy:]

At #12, you mention skype on Blackberry. Has there been an official release from Skype for Blackberry? Not yet.

Aug 10 12:05 PM

[Anton Wahlman:]

At a minimum, it happens by using a program called iskoot.com.

On Aug 10 12:05 PM Indy wrote:

> At #12, you mention skype on Blackberry. Has there been an official
> release from Skype for Blackberry? Not yet.

Aug 10 12:10 PM

[qzg:]

Comments by number:

1. For now... ; initially this was necessary for advanced features such as visual voice mail.

2. Irrelevant in terms of advantage.

3. BB keyboard is slower; touch keyboard REALLY blows. (my opinions and experience; YMMV )

4. The same 30-pin adapter that is used on the overwhelming majority of MP3 Players (read:iPod) and they are available everywhere USB cables are sold

5. Legitimate advantage, for now. See #1

6. This is a T-Mobile advantage; not a Blackberry advantage.

7. If you need more than 32GB of memory on your cell phone then this is an advantage.

8. This is basically the same as #8

9. This was by design. I think that Apple's reasoning is sound. This is not an "advantage" but a "difference".

10. Irrelevant

11. Cool but irrelevant in terms of user experience. MMS will help.

12. Advantage for now. See #1.

13. Glad the iPhone community is supporting Sling.

14. Possible advantage if you need this service.

15. So can iPhone; if you use MobileMe it happens over the air. It is a beautiful thing.

16. iPhone has this too; any phone that supports IMAP does too. POP3 will do it too if you don't delete from server.

17. Advantage

18. Advantage for now.

19. Also on iPhone; see Beejive IM. Does anyone care if a "native" client from the network is available.

20. iPhone is available with the BEST browser; does anyone really want to have some other, inferior browser?

21. Does anyone use any other media management program anymore?

22. Cool but I wouldn't say it is an advantage. TiVo to go allows me to pull videos off my TiVo and put them on my iPhone.

23. I don't want to have to wade through a list of 10,000 emails on ANY device; Search is best; "out of coverage area" days are numbered. Still, this is an advantage.

24. See #1.

25. See #1

26. I don't know anything about this one. That being said, the only device that is "un-hackable" is one that is off. Apple has a lot less to do to meet military-grade security than RIM has to do to catch up with Apple. Give them time. That being said, I don't know that Apple really cares to target that market segment.

In summary, most of the genuine advantages of Blackberry are really about the carrier and that won't last forever. The fact that Blackberry is available on other carriers has been its saving grace. If iPhone had been on other carriers from launch, Blackberry wouldn't have had time to develop its "me too" offerings and would have lost an even bigger chunk of what it has.

Blackberry has failed to significantly innovate in at least 5 years. Apple manages something innovative with every OS release. It will be considerably easier for Apple to add the few features which Blackberry has over the iPhone than it will be for Blackberry to come out with something new the iPhone doesn't have; RIM will be busy for quite a while just trying to duplicate iPhone's features.

The APIs and development tools they make available for developers is incredibly superior to every other mobile platform (although Palm's WebOS looks promising). This one element may prove impossible for RIM to match and will probably be the most "sustainable" fuel for iPhone market expansion after it has saturated the "I just want an iPhone" market.

Aug 10 12:23 PM

[mollytjm:]

on the battery, you can buy an external for $9 that just plugs in to the iPhone...uses regular batteries so having a removable battery isn't important.
i've dropped my phone a zillion times...it's fine.
you can remotely wipe you iphone if it's stolen and you can find your iphone via your computer if it's lost.
there's room for multiple players in this game... but the bottom line is always that Apple is capable of the fastest, most beautiful innovation on the planet... so any advantages of other tech devices in the same category as something Apple makes, are temporary.
Great stock!
long APPL

Aug 10 01:22 PM

[Uncle Miltie:]

This article doesn't sound anything like an investing article - it sounds like a BlackBerry fanboy's defense of his toy compared to the iPhone. In our house, we have 2 BB's and 2 iPhones, and are familiar with the pluses and minuses of both devices. Several of these BB advantages are very debatable, offered a skewed presentation to benefit your argument, are more a criticism of the carrier, and are purely an advantage based on your own point of view. For example:

>1. Blackberry can be used on almost every carrier in the world (over 475 of them). In the US, the iPhone is available on AT&T (T) only.

True that iPhone is AT&T only in the US, but it's also offered in over 80 countries on over 100 carriers. Including T-Mobile in Germany. Exclusivity is a regionally determined item, and is undertaken by nearly every carrier in nearly every market - even for several of BB's devices.

>3. Most Blackberries have keyboards ..... Helps while driving, walking, carrying something in your other hand – all the time.

Good luck with that. I've yet to see anyone successfully text with one hand any faster on a BB than on an iPhone. And any texting while in motion is a DISADVANTAGE.

>4. Blackberry uses standardized (=inexpensive and available everywhere in the world) MicroUSB connector for synchronization/charging. iPhone has a much larger proprietary 30-pin connector.

Blackberries are notoriously finicky about their MicroUSB connections - they don't work with every MicroUSB cable and can be a pain to get one that they like. And the iPod / iPhone dock connectors is as close to being universal as you can get.

>5. Some carriers such as Verizon (VZ) and Sprint (S) offer unlimited international Blackberry data roaming for $40/month or less.

Go ahead and try to use your CDMA VZ or S device outside the US and see how incredibly useful that unlimited data roaming really is - not so much when there are no CDMA towers outside of the US and Japan.

>7. Blackberry has expandable memory. iPhone is fixed and sold at 8, 16 or 32 gig only.

BB has to be expandable, because with a stock 128MB of on-board memory, there is no storage space for anything of note. To change the card on our BB's requires removing the battery - hardly a convenient thing to do with any regularity. I have over 2000 songs, 6 full length movies, 70 apps, and 2000 photos on my 32GB iPhone, and have 15 GB free. No need for another card when you have that kind of storage space.

>11. Blackberry allows communicating peer-to-peer via PIN identifier, circumventing the email system. No such iPhone equivalent.

Peer-to-peer communicating is only useful if your company doesn't lock out that service - and many do (my wife's, for example). However, there are hundreds of IM clients available for both devices and SMS on both devices that also bypass the e-mail system.

>12. Skype (EBAY) on the Blackberry? Yes, from anywhere to anywhere. Skype on iPhone? Only if you’re on WiFi.
>
>13. Sling on the Blackberry? Yes, it’s free. Sling on iPhone? $30.
>
>14. Google (GOOG) Voice on the Blackberry? Yes, it’s free. Google Voice on iPhone? Verboten.

These are limitations of AT&T, not the iPhone itself. If you're criticizing Apple's selection of AT&T, fine. Then ask why Verizon wouldn't step up to the place when Apple originally offered the iPhone to them first.

>24. Price: Unlimited iPhone voice/data service, including unlimited SMS, is $150/month. Blackberry can be had for much less. For example, unlimited Blackberry service is offered on Sprint for $100/month, T-Mobile USA $125/month, MetroPCS $50/month, although AT&T/Verizon match the iPhone at $150/month.

Again, you're comparing carriers - not the devices. The iPhone data plan is $30 a month for unlimited data on AT&T. It's actually cheaper than most BB data plans on other carriers.


Nearly every point listed is debatable, skewed and subjective. Hardly an investing article.

Aug 10 01:22 PM

[Michael Jones:]

You are correct - the App Store does provide 200 different farting apps. The iPhone leads in farting software, and 100 different ToDo list programs.


On Aug 10 08:59 AM vassar wrote:

> Many of the 25 points are nit picking and none address the slick
> iPhone interface, App-store advantage and overall experience of using
> an iPhone vs. any other device.

Aug 10 01:35 PM

[modoe:]

You can't send MMS messages with AT&T didn't Apple know this. It's kind of silly to have an IPhone and not be able to send one.

I'm a BB user and see NO change in the near future.

Aug 10 01:46 PM

[Wireless Wiz:]

To be fair, this is an untrue statement. For instance, the Bold has a side door slot, the Storm does not require removing the battery, and most , if not all, new Blackberries I have seen have this same feature - either a side loading slot or a slot that all you have to do is to remove the battery cover and you can hot-swap the memory card. I also find the idea that cards are switched out often to be bunk. When you have 8,16, or 32 gb card, you typically put them in once and leave them there - but you have to admit that the option to expand the memory is nice.

On Aug 10 01:22 PM Uncle Miltie wrote:

>7. Blackberry has expandable memory. iPhone is fixed and sold at 8, 16 or 32 gig only.

BB has to be expandable, because with a stock 128MB of on-board memory, there is no storage space for anything of note. To change the card on our BB's requires removing the battery - hardly a convenient thing to do with any regularity. I have over 2000 songs, 6 full length movies, 70 apps, and 2000 photos on my 32GB iPhone, and have 15 GB free. No need for another card when you have that kind of storage space.

Aug 10 02:05 PM

[sleepy:]

RIM, weaker in the market, has to concede all these points to remain competitive and has moved to near-saturation market share, destroying margins, unit sales growth opportunity, and forward control of their own platform. Might look good to an individual user for now, but it's not attractive to an investor.

Apple, immensely strong in market, hugely bigger margins, in tight control of their platform and carrier relationship going forward, can go wherever they like, including picking off any of your "disadvantages" that are real, whenever they want.

Aug 10 02:33 PM

[daniel3582:]

On Aug 10 05:42 AM Robert Martorana wrote:

>
> Good summary of Blackberry's overlooked advantages. As you noted,
> availability on every carrier leads to lower voice/data services,
> and to unique offerings such as T-Mobile's free WiFi.
>
> In technology, however, success breeds success: The iPhone's popularity
> has generated thousands of free apps, making the software just as
> important as the hardware.
>
> It pays to be a media darling.

Yes, those 60,000 apps make the iPhone better than a BB. I don't know what I would do without Mafia Wars, Vampire Wars, Fart, iDaft, Toobz, Virtual Ski, iBeer, etc. etc. etc.

Quantity is what the iPhone has. Quality is what BB has.

BTW, I am currently an iPhone user. May or may not renew when my contract is up.

Aug 10 03:00 PM

[Uncle Miltie:]

I stand corrected on other BB models. We have an 8820 and a Curve 8310 at home, and neither device has a card that can be accessed without removing the battery. The Curve supposedly can have the card removed without removing the battery, but I have yet to find a practical way to do that...


On Aug 10 02:05 PM Wireless Wiz wrote:

> To be fair, this is an untrue statement. For instance, the Bold
> has a side door slot, the Storm does not require removing the battery,
> and most , if not all, new Blackberries I have seen have this same
> feature - either a side loading slot or a slot that all you have
> to do is to remove the battery cover and you can hot-swap the memory
> card.

Aug 10 03:41 PM

[Wireless Wiz:]

I disagree with this comment. The total pie is expanding at a fast rate, so even if RIM didn't pick up any mkt share, they would still grow at a nice clip. Also, the margins comment is without merit as recently their margins have been increasing. The dip last year was related to infrastructure investment, the support for new manufacturing platforms (storm, flip, bold), and marketing. The investment in their business at the time is showing a return as margins have increased each quarter over the last few and handset sales numbers are at an all time high.

Apple is executing extremely well also but they won't just get rid of the disadvantages whenever they want. Removable batteries just won't show up in the next release, nor will expandable battery, nor a more robust email platform.

The bottom line is that both platforms should be successful over the coming years as there are plenty of end users that will find one or the other better for their individual needs.

@Miltie - after I read your comment more closely I saw you were talking about the BBs your family owns, so it is not possible for your statement to be inaccurate. My bad. But the newer models still do have hot swappable cards. I would be impressed if you could figure out a way to remove the cards underneath the battery without taking it out!


On Aug 10 02:33 PM sleepy wrote:

> RIM, weaker in the market, has to concede all these points to remain
> competitive and has moved to near-saturation market share, destroying
> margins, unit sales growth opportunity, and forward control of their
> own platform. Might look good to an individual user for now, but
> it's not attractive to an investor.
>
> Apple, immensely strong in market, hugely bigger margins, in tight
> control of their platform and carrier relationship going forward,
> can go wherever they like, including picking off any of your "disadvantages"
> that are real, whenever they want.

Aug 10 04:03 PM

[Madacasto:]

not apples to apples...no pun intended.


On Aug 10 10:29 AM martyg wrote:

> despite all your posturing, the proof of the pudding is in the price
> of the stock.
>
> aapl is twice the price of rimm but is only off about 35 or so points
> from the high, whereas rimm is down about 60 points from the high.
>
>
> tough to argue with those numbers. rimm is still trying to contact
> dr ehrlich to find that magic bullet.

Aug 10 04:06 PM

[brinky:]

Amusing list, too bad not all of them are accurate.

> 4. Blackberry uses standardized (=inexpensive and available everywhere in the world) MicroUSB connector for synchronization/charging. iPhone has a much larger proprietary 30-pin connector.

By standardized you mean that your blackberry could have a standard mini USB or the new standard micro USB connector? Or the fact that one charging stand doesn't work with all blackberry's? At lease with the iPhone dock it can me modified with a dremel to fit the newer or older iPhones?

> 13. Sling on the Blackberry? Yes, it’s free. Sling on iPhone? $30.

Nope. $30 for the blackberry too.

> 10. The newest Blackberry screen resolution is 480x360. iPhone is 480x320.

Resolution isn't everything. It doesn't matter how good the resolution is if your screen is 1" x 1"

> 22. Blackberry models with 480 pixel resolution and WiFi offer PrimeTime2Go, an $8/month TV service that works as a DVR.

PrimeTime2Go sucks. Playback paused every few seconds and they offer like 4 channels with 3 shows each. Also doens't it only download over wifi? Didn't you bust on the iphone for this somewhere on your list?

> 20. Blackberry is available with multiple browsers from multiple suppliers. iPhone is available only with its standard Safari browser.

Don't care how many browsers the BB have, they all fail in comparison to Safari on the iphone.


If I had more time I could comment on the rest of your list but I have lost interest. And for the record I have a Tour so I am not a iphone lover, I just hate poorly researched articles or ones based less on facts and more on being a fan boy!

Aug 10 04:12 PM

[daylove:]

That is untrue like any other PDA devices the Blackberry has been hacked numerous time. Why do you think the FBI argued that the President should not get the BB? because they know too that BB are hackable.
Unfortunately, BB users live on their own world they still think their devices are the best and more widespread out there..well you can get any BB free just for signing up to a carrier but you cannot get a free iPhone so when you look at selling # you should consider that. Bottom line, the iPhone is a great device and if it wasn't why BB itself felt the need to copy it(unsuccessfully) with the Storm?
I have owned a BB for 3 years and after trying the iPhone for just 3 days I had to switch ..no comparison on all fronts.


On Aug 10 08:48 AM indeolie wrote:

> Quite a few of these advantages are debatable, but #26 is really
> the only one that counts - for a business smartphone there's no amount
> of features that can make up for a broken security model. The iPhone
> was hacked within weeks and despite the dozens of security fixes
> since 1.0, continues to be easily hacked, its latest OS 3.0 release
> even before it was officially released. In contrast, the Blackberry
> OS hasn't seen a hack 'in the wild' in its 10 years of existence.
>
>
> Consumers may or may not care (the fact the iPhone can be hacked
> easily to run pirated apps only adds to its appeal for them), but
> unless Apple fixes things and offers some iron-clad assurance there's
> no way the iPhone can win over security-focused corporate clients
> now.

Aug 10 04:55 PM

[Rob Wilcox:]

Our company currently has a free iPhone app in development and while BlackBerry also has apps, for our business, focusing on an iPhone app makes sense for us now. We may consider developing something for BlackBerry in the future, but I'd like to see BB's success with applications expand a bit first. I am a BlackBerry owner, but am considering a switch to iPhone when my contract expires. Thanks for putting this list together--it's very comprehensive. I may reconsider my switch after weighing these pros and cons.

Aug 10 05:37 PM

[Frank Castle:]

You sir are wrong and misinformed. There was not been ONE story of an encrypted Blackberry being "hacked". Look for one ... please share your discovery. Blackberry encryption works. Not like the scam Apple is pendling with 3GS.

The president cannot use a Blackberry as ALL communications by the president are a matter of public record. Since by default messages to and from a BB are either 3DES or AES encrypted it is easier to just not have the president use one. In fact the use of email by said official is frowned upon.

On Aug 10 04:55 PM daylove wrote:

> That is untrue like any other PDA devices the Blackberry has been
> hacked numerous time. Why do you think the FBI argued that the President
> should not get the BB? because they know too that BB are hackable.
>
> Unfortunately, BB users live on their own world they still think
> their devices are the best and more widespread out there..well you
> can get any BB free just for signing up to a carrier but you cannot
> get a free iPhone so when you look at selling # you should consider
> that. Bottom line, the iPhone is a great device and if it wasn't
> why BB itself felt the need to copy it(unsuccessfully) with the Storm?
>
> I have owned a BB for 3 years and after trying the iPhone for just
> 3 days I had to switch ..no comparison on all fronts.

Aug 10 09:06 PM

[Frank Castle:]

I don't need to get in a pissing contest .. I use both and for different reasons. iPhone to me excels at entertainment / information (be it app or web based). BB excels at intergrating with my enterprise backend and email is still much cleaner on Blackberry. I have better management of my mailbox. ActiveSync is meant to sync .. thats all it really does. It doesn't let me connect to our SharePoint (sorry we don't use Cisco routers and the network engineering team is not about to open ports).

For me the bottom line is iPhone is limiting.

- lack of carrier selection. I doubt this improves beyond MAYBE Verizon next year - when LTE is deployed in 2011 they better be ready to be on all carriers.

- lack of security. Come on 3GS was touted as having "encryption" and it was torn up and spit out in less then 10 mins?!? Any corporation deploying iPhones is just begging for a TJX incident. No thanks until Apple takes security seriously. Until then it's a great prosumer / casual usage device and really that is what it excels at.

- AppStore fiasco. I don't need Apple to tell me what I can or cannot use. I don't even want to have to use AppStore to get my app. I own the iPhone and all the controls seem like Apple can change how I use the device any OS update. How many power users would be happy if they couldn't jailbreak anymore?

- No multitask. Push notifications are a poor alternate. I love how on BB I can jump between the core apps and yes if I do that heavily the battery takes a hit but its MY choice - no Apple's idea on how I should use the device.

Aug 10 09:21 PM

[simmie:]

You don't really understand the market, do you?


On Aug 10 10:29 AM martyg wrote:

> despite all your posturing, the proof of the pudding is in the price
> of the stock.
>
> aapl is twice the price of rimm but is only off about 35 or so points
> from the high, whereas rimm is down about 60 points from the high.
>
>
> tough to argue with those numbers. rimm is still trying to contact
> dr ehrlich to find that magic bullet.

Aug 10 11:15 PM

[Paul Harper:]

is Seeking Alpha linking up with Engadget now ? .... interesting points, but nothing about the strengths / merits of either company behind these "must have" devices ...
Am no Apple fanboi, but they have it in spades when you want to discuss innovation.

Aug 11 02:33 AM

[CBTeas:]

"Helps while driving..." borders on irresponsible. Anyone who promotes using a PDA while driving loses all credibility with me.


On Aug 10 07:53 AM logicalthought wrote:

> >>Most Blackberries have keyboards, so you can actually type fast
> and with no errors. Helps while driving...<<
>
> LOL... Yes, it's much safer that way!

Aug 11 09:01 AM

[LitSkinItalian:]

I believe many people are confusing this article with the success of the two devices rather than the advantages. These are on two totally different planes. You can attribute the iPhone's success with its focus on the young consumer many of which do not consider security and business use/tools when purchasing a device. Many youth are not well educated consumers and simply purchase a device because it is cool or has fun/neat features not to mention the BlackBerry was . If you compare the iPhone and the BlackBerry side by side in features, business use, functionality, and security, the BlackBerry would win hands down! Let's not count BlackBerry out of the App scene just yet either. Before the Storm launched, the BlackBerry was primarily a corporate device. It wasn't until the Storm that RIM took a stab at the consumer market. It had tried with the Bold but lacked the luster. The only thing supporting the iPhone is its App store. Take it away and it's just a paper weight.

Aug 11 09:32 AM

[jmmx:]

"Helps while driving, " Anyone who posts has a logic that is definitely suspect!

#26 - See:
www.belfasttelegraph.c...

#22 - TiVo to go
To resort to availability of specific applications (possible exception of Skype) is to play a loosing game for BB. Should I list all the apps that are available on iPhone and not BB? Sure, most of them are irrelevant, but many are not. Perhaps I will start with Bento - the worlds coolest database.

Aug 11 10:29 AM

[Daryan:]

Price movement of a stock...are you kidding me? First of all, price of a stock is meaningless when comparing two equivalent investment opportunities. PE, PS, etc are far more important though I could argue that all of them are meaningless and the chart tells the likely furture of the stock. Secondly, what in the world would the price of a stock have to do with the comparision of two like products...again nothing. I happen to like the etrade platform though am not a client, but does that mean the platform is invalidated by the buck and a half price of the underlying stock...again, of course not!


On Aug 10 10:29 AM martyg wrote:

> despite all your posturing, the proof of the pudding is in the price
> of the stock.
>
> aapl is twice the price of rimm but is only off about 35 or so points
> from the high, whereas rimm is down about 60 points from the high.
>
>
> tough to argue with those numbers. rimm is still trying to contact
> dr ehrlich to find that magic bullet.

Aug 11 10:37 AM

[marky5:]

Be that as it may, I'm still not giving up my iphone

Aug 11 11:37 AM

[Carneades:]

iPhone users tend to take great personal offense to any criticisms of the device.

Sure, the iPhone can do some cool things in an aesthetically pleasing way. Let's not confuse it for something that is practical in a corporate setting though.

Aug 11 01:01 PM

[Carneades:]

This is an extremely irrelevant point insofar as this debate is concerned.


On Aug 10 10:29 AM martyg wrote:

> despite all your posturing, the proof of the pudding is in the price
> of the stock.
>
> aapl is twice the price of rimm but is only off about 35 or so points
> from the high, whereas rimm is down about 60 points from the high.
>
>
> tough to argue with those numbers. rimm is still trying to contact
> dr ehrlich to find that magic bullet.

Aug 11 01:04 PM

[ErnestY:]

The biggest advantage that the iphone has and trumps all the above stated advantages in the article is the iTunes store. Not only for apps, but also for podcasts, songs, videos and movies.

The iphone is an all in one personal computing device that provides hours of entertainment as well. I have stopped carrying around my ipods and nanos ever since I have my iphone.

Aug 11 01:11 PM

[User 469952:]

There isn't really Skype for the BlackBerry.

Aug 11 01:19 PM

[peter02l:]

What about at a maximum, or just average?


On Aug 10 12:10 PM Anton Wahlman wrote:

> At a minimum, it happens by using a program called iskoot.com.
>
>
> On Aug 10 12:05 PM Indy wrote:

Aug 11 01:30 PM

[User 469952:]

Although does anyone really use iskoot? It doesn't do much useful -- doesn't offer VOIP without consuming ordinary minutes...

Aug 11 01:45 PM

[stefanl:]

"We all have numerous good reasons to love our iPhone. It revolutionized the handheld business with its AppStore and ease of use interface but...."
Did you read the article. It focuses on the underlying advantages that aren't so aparent to the average consumer.....which means not focusing on the other, more obvious, and shoved-in-your-face advantages that the iphone has (app store, app store, app store, and.....compass?)


On Aug 10 08:59 AM vassar wrote:

> Many of the 25 points are nit picking and none address the slick
> iPhone interface, App-store advantage and overall experience of using
> an iPhone vs. any other device.

Aug 11 02:01 PM

[Ron Boyd:]

Purchased my first BlackBerry last week! I spent two months researching for the right smartphone for me. Wish I'd had your article 2 months ago, lol..

Excellent points, I discovered many of them myself. Ultimately though, it came down to tool not toy, business not entertainment. Here's a bit more and I included at trackback to your article too: su.pr/22hGVV

Aug 11 02:07 PM

[nat750:]

I have a Bold & im very happy with it, but the iPhone is like an annoying itch that wont go away so i recently bought an iPod touch & now have the best of both worlds (as long as i have a wi fi connection which i always do when at home) the two phones are both excellent in their own right i think at the end of the day its all about personal preference & what you need out of the device most. I must say though that my touch is so much fun & never ceases to amaze me with what it can do & the Bold proves very reliable when im out & about especially push Email & calendar which i rely on alot. Truth is i love em both but this was a great article to start a interesting debate.

Aug 11 02:44 PM

[peter02l:]

> 1. Blackberry can be used on almost every carrier in the world
> (over 475 of them). In the US, the iPhone is available on AT&T (T)
> only."

How many carriers offer Backberry Storm 9530 in the US?
How about Backberry Tour 9630?
How about Backberry Curve 8330?
How about Backberry Curve 8320?
Or Backberry Curve Sunset?

Thanks for offering a better perspective in comparing carriers offering a Blackberry phone in the world ((over 475 of them) to ones offering iPhone in the US only. Keep up the good work.

Aug 11 03:07 PM

[AuGod!:]

I hate all cellphones. They're a pain in the ass for everyone who has one or who has to suffer the damn things going off everywhere and people walkin/talkin looking like they're talking to themselves and all the kids wanting the newest fashion version so they can blither with each other plotting against all adults like the selfish clever little fiends they are. And they're all expensive - come on! admit it. The only reason you have one is because all your friends have one (iphonistas) or your company gnome pays your costs. (bbists) . And while I'm at it, wifey want the hot pink one to yak yak yak yak yak -not the black one you bought her for her "Friday present" hoping to get lucky later. Cheaper to have a babe on the side so long as they don't have a cellphone but what are the chances of that!. It is a tyrany perpetrated by smart companies with a trumped up need for 24-7 communications! Who really needs it!! After a thorough analysis of all options cellular, I don't really need a cell at all - I'm not sure that my company does either - but I have a cell anyway beause I'm a moron like you all. I shouldn't and may not renew my package but I probably will anyway for the same reason. If I were a smart person which I'm not, I would think outside the box and when/if I really need a cell, then I'll just borrow yours.

Aug 11 03:30 PM

[twitee:]

Varizon sucks

Aug 11 05:21 PM

[Andrei Babn...:]

About a 3rd of your points can be rebutted once you unlock the phone. Then you can use it on almost any network supporting GSM. You can have it prepaid and do not need a 2 year contract.

Aug 11 08:16 PM

[Walter Lau:]

One more: TetherBerry !!

Aug 11 08:52 PM

[fafa:]

I heard similar tactics from GM car dealers 15 years ago when I was shopping for a new car: "We have a lot more horse power", "We have better stereos", "We have larger wheels and more comfortable rides", "Our car seats are way more comfortable", blah blah blah.

I bought a Honda Accord.

Aug 12 02:20 AM

[sandy1525:]

BB is ugly. iPhone is beautiful. It is the same battle as PC versus Mac. But this time, beauty is going to prevail.

Aug 12 09:17 AM

[Rockin L Ranch:]

These are limitations of AT&T, not the iPhone itself. If you're criticizing Apple's selection of AT&T, fine. Then ask why Verizon wouldn't step up to the place when Apple originally offered the iPhone to them first.

" Very well said: Apple received my complaint on how AT&T backed my iPhone after 3mos. Apple stepped in and backed their product 100% in my case". Apple offers fine products with high tech moving forward. I moved up to the iPhone and had given my son my BB. No regrets ;)

AT&T... it's about customer service, you can sell the produce but you better stand behind what you say.... other wise you will loose good customer. How do you think Mercedes Benz became #1 in customer service!

Aug 12 10:17 AM

[ScroogeMcduck:]

You forgot to mention the BB useless, fake internet function vs the iphone's real one.

Aug 12 11:03 AM

[jon n:]

you do make some reasonable points, most of which have very little to do with the technology of the iphone (which, btw, there are plenty of things to criticize about.

i'd say about 20 of the 26 items are complete rubbish though.

ie, typing on an iphone? have a look at some actual user-feedback here: where are your stats? i for one find the iphone easier to type on than any blackberry i've used, and so does this guy who tested it vs. a netbook, which has a much "bigger" and more "tactile" keyboard, which, as you suggest, are they only things that matter:
crave.cnet.co.uk/carte...

my iphone is synced (wirelessly, i would add) to three computers. addresses, calendars, e-mail. so, umm, how is that your #15 and #16 implies outright that this isn't possible?

one final comment: 10,000 entries in your address book? dude, i'm all for pushing the limits, but if you want to make an article about practical arguments against the iphone, it feels like you're fishing a little deep. i doubt the president carries anywhere near that number in his phone. yes, he has people to help and look numbers up. so would anyone else with 10k entries in their address book.

Aug 12 12:01 PM

[bobbobwhite:]

Apple is way hip to the tastes of young people and older those who like very artistic displays and action. Yes, the iPhone has many limitations compared to Blackberry, but it looks and works just like a fantastic Disney animated movie, and with the early CGI film-worshiping crowd now mature and thus fully entrenched in expensive personal assistant devices for business/personal use, it will only get better for Apple. But, BB will do just fine too as it rules business/gov't use. Great that we have choices.

All that said, I drive a Crackberry.

Aug 12 12:04 PM

[Kirk Kirkpa...:]

As a user of both phones I read these with interest. However when I get to a point that demonstrates the write has virtually now knowledge of the subject on which he write I turn it off. I pity the fools that make a purchase decision based on this garbage.
I or my daughter (11) will out type Mr. Wahlman on the keyboard of the iPhone if he uses a Blackberry. My daughter will do it blindfolded.

Aug 12 12:39 PM

[Sharky1:]

Decent article that outlines some important differences between the two devices. However, I would heavily dispute the author's phrase, "it is about time that someone lists the advantages of the Blackberry when compared to the iPhone" -- actually, most of these HAVE been enumerated many times before, both in previous comparison articles I've read and on the better user blog sites, such as Crackberry.com and TIPB.com (the Iphone blog).

I basically agree with other posters' comments that it's a matter of personal preference, and one's business vs. "fun" needs. I went from a BB 7290 to a 8320 (with a regrettable Sidekick 3 experience sandwiched between those two, LOL); carrier was T-Mobile. While I enjoyed many aspects of the BB (the push e-mail from multiple accounts one of the chief among them), I was never in love with the phone part of the devices - which is really the most critical aspect at the end of the day, isn't it?? Too much static, even in areas with full bars of reception, and a relative of mine with the hearing of dog said that I always sounded like I was "underwater" when speaking to her on them. I tried a Bold at the AT&T store and decided against it when I heard some faint background static.

And being that phone and Internet are my two primary uses of a smartphone, I REALLY grew to loathe BB's browser/Net experience. Not intuitive, not the "real" Net (except on the latest devices, and on AT&T you have to pay the same $30/month as the iPhone to get that; even more on VZ and S), and SLOWWWW as get-out (check all the speed comparison tests on YouTube if you don't believe me - these include the Bold, Storm, Tour, etc). I have the iPhone 3G and while not "perfect" (NO phone is), it fulfills 95% of my smartphone needs and does it with style and speed.

While part of me prefers the BB's tactile keyboard, I find the iPhone's virtual 'board faster and easier to use in many cases becoz the keys are BIGGER (esp. in landscape QWERTY mode and in Phone mode). As for multi-tasking, it should be noted that you CAN be on the phone and check e-mails or be on the Net simultaneously, among other things (in 3G or WiFi modes) on the iPhone, so that supposed BB advantage is not wholly true. Plus, long periods of multi-tasking on ANY smartphone drain battery life FAST.

I don't use my smartphone for business so I don't really need the Push e-mail and ironclad security of the BB. For those who do, BB is the way to go. In some ways, I feel BB is "moving backwards" - the Storm is a feeble, bad attempt at a touchscreen smartphone (which hopefully they'll correct with Storm 2), and battery life, which formerly was a BB hallmark, is not much better on their newer, 3G devices than the iPhone's.

All that said, RIMM stock is prob. a much better buy right now than AAPL, which is arguably fairly (if not slightly over-) valued.

Aug 12 06:10 PM

[Rainmon:]

I have a $35 cell phone from Nokia I use here in Thailand, works great and has a color screen. I had a BB back home in the usa, it was a pain to use and the keyboard was difficult too, my cheap Nokia can send SMS text messages for 3 cents and has a smart spell function that makes using the keyboard super fast and easy. All these bell and whistles are a bunch us non sense if u ask me, If I need to surf the internet, send email or use skype to call back home, I turn on my laptop computer.

Aug 14 04:16 AM

[spald_fr:]

I travel the world with a T-Mobile BB. I have phone, internet and text messaging service in every country except Japan and Korea.

It's built like the old Nokia handhelds. I've dropped from two stories at job sites and still the BB performs.

I've never purchased an Apple product that didn't break within the first year of use (I seem to attract the Apple Lemons for some reason).

Aug 14 11:42 AM

[Richard Hyde:]

Seeking Alpha is about stocks. Apple debuted the iPhone GS and it sold 1M in the first weekend. With deferred revenue, the iPhone may soon be the most profitable product for Apple save the Mac. When its offerred on Verizon and in China, sales will ignite again. The BB is a fine device, but when you have 2 for 1 specials, you know that RIMM is feeling some pain. People are not stupid, they are not sheep. They see, feel, touch, and buy the iPhone because it gives them the internet in their hands, anywhere they go. Luckily the Smartphone market is still relatively immature, so there is room for growth for BB. But unless RIMM responds with a decent internet friendly device, its going to be left in the dust. Last qtr Apple announced several Fortune 500 companies bought more than 10000 phones each for their enterprise. Those numbers are not chicken feed and they should strike terror in RIMM. In my new company I was given a BB. (BB world edition). Email works great, good phone, but I hate it. I still use my iphone constantly because of the internet and great Apps. I am 52 by the way and no, I do not consider it a toy. Its the finest mobile computing device ever made. RIMM knows this, they just can't get something to market that competes yet. They better soon.

Aug 15 08:59 AM

[Mukombo:]

I cannot find Skype for Blackberry. It is not in Skype's web site. Where can I find it? Thanks.

Aug 19 04:12 PM

[ivans:]

bb bold rulez, iphone is for teenagers and mums.
I don't care of thousands of apps, bb has lots of apps, iphone too but I don't use all of em only a few. My wife has iphone, she tries this and that but delete them after...

Full length movie in the phone? You gotta b kidding me? What for? Watch them in the train? I dont know how some people can do that. I feel sick watching movie on my wife's iphone. Or how often do you watch a movie?? If you wanna collect a movie...collect the blue ray! Much much better satisfaction.

Okay, you can get lots of songs in iphone, thats the only advantage...but you dont need to spend 900 bux (buy out right) for an mp3 player...get ipod nano. BB can hold mp3 files too. And no sir you dont need to lift up the battery to replace the media card. its on the side!

If I am bored waiting for my dentist, I play my DS. If I want to play games...I have all the 3 consoles at home (wii, ps3 and xbox 360) with 50" lcd tv and bose sound system. Wanna play games on the run? Waiting for a bus or train? Some lowlife see you do that and snatch your phone and run away. Bye bye to your expensive iphone.

And typing while driving? Why not? Yes its against the law but it helps ease the stress in heavy peak hours traffic jam. Don't try be a saint here...who never text while driving?? Come on.

At the end of the day, its a phone...and iphone has too many gimicks that we dont neeed. BB is about quality not quantity.
And iphone battery sux too. BB bold is too but I can buy a spare battery for 10 bux in ebay and replace it in less than 10 seconds.
Again BB rules...bold that is.

Aug 20 10:24 PM

[EvolveOrDie:]

This list is so pathetic that it barley applies to any of the general publics needs.

Reason #2 Different keyboards??Big keyboard small keyboard who gives a damn. Flip phones are dead and if you own a candy bar phone its time to upgrade.

Reason #4 everyone has a MicroUSB cord however everyone also has some form of an i-pod which means you have a charger for an i pod and an i phone which also goes with you everywhere unless your the guy who doesn't know what an i pod is and still rocks out to his portable CD player AWESOME!!!.

Reason #7 i phone only comes in fixed gigs up to 32 as compared to the BB whopping 236 MEG's need i say more??.

Reasons # 11, 12, 13,14, 15 and, 16 are useless no one actually cares or does any of those things enough to think about it when there buying a phone X360 res to X320 res no one can notice the difference.

Reason #17 If you don't know who you are calling at the company your looking for perhaps you should not be making the call at all. On the iphone 3G S you can scroll to your search screen type in what you are looking for and anything to do with that name will come up e-mails, contacts, apps anything. Well it may take several SECONDS to do it on the i phone lets be honest here were not saving lives were using a cell phone everyone can spare just a couple of seconds here and there.

Reason #18 i have never ever in my life met somebody with 10,000 address entries in any one phone or over 1000 contacts in general. That point is stupid if you have 10,000 addresses your not looking up a contact on your own someone less important is doing it for you.

Reason#20 the safari browser is faster and easier to use then any window based browser i ever touched or, any browser at all.

Reason # 23 I go through a lot of e-mails per day usually the first 200 is good enough until i find my self back on the ground or out of the black hole i was in!!!.

Reason #24 and, 25. 30$ or 50$ here and there next year it will be available to any one anywhere on non fixed terms lower priced plans.

Reason #26 i totally agree i hate it when super villains are trying to hack my i phone for important top secret CIA documents.

My point being as a young professional the only people i see using a BB are old grey haired men who just can't evolve to a much easier to use, more practical, sleeker device then the old giant known as the black berry.

The virus infested slow loading unpractical BS of windows based applications and, programing are over. To download an app i press one a button thats it. To call someone i press one button or just say the name into my new i phone 3G S or slide to the search screen and find any e-mail contact company name app name anything i need to find.

I think someone should re name this article 10 reasons why the Black Berry might still be around in 2012

Aug 25 04:42 AM

[babby:]

I am an ex-Blackberry and current iPhone user. I had a less than stellar experience with my Blackberry Curve. It was so slooow. True it did not have 3G but it wasn't just the internet connection that was slow. I am sure the new Blackberrys are faster.

The iPhone is not a perfect solution either. I am surprised as I have grown to love the keyboard on the iPhone now I understand how it works. I am very, very disappointed that I cannot attach an external keyboard to the phone. My old Palm Pilot from 10 years ago could do that. Why can't I take an apple bluetooth keyboard and connect it with the iPhone. It would allow me to leave my macbook behind.

An advantage I have found is that my iPhone syncs so much more seamlessly with my macbook than the Blackberry. That was one of the major reason that I went with the iPhone.

I jailbroke my iPhone last week and I am glad I did. I have been less than enthused about the apps that are available. Sure there are 60,000 apps but for the most part they all seem like games.

Google voice really bust my bubble. It was the main reason I jailbroke. Although I am a little dissappointed in the GV Mobile app.

With a jailbroken phone, many of the supposed advantages of the Blackberry are rendered null.

I like the iPhone experience better than the Blackberry. But the iPhone is certainly not everything it could be if Apple was not so controlling and opened it up.

Aug 26 01:38 PM

[Bill The De...:]

Not sure I see any reasons here for me to trade in my iPhone for something with crappy software and hardware. Sorry. If something better turns up, then I'll switch.

Aug 27 09:00 PM

[User 489356:]

#3 Only real idiots text whilst driving.

Sep 21 08:51 PM

[www.arayman...:]

When you live in a country, like the Philippines, where I was born, it is not hard to text whilst driving. With traffic going at an average of 3 KPH, you are staying still more often than not, and you have more than enough time to write a novel, text your friends to tell them what routes to avoid, and make calls as often as you please. Of course, the above does not apply when driving down the out of town expressways, where cars can cruise to up to 160-
180 KPH
gerry k

Oct 19 09:27 AM

[www.arayman...:]

When you live in a country, like the Philippines, where I was born, it is not hard to text whilst driving. With traffic going at an average of 3 KPH, you are staying still more often than not, and you have more than enough time to write a novel, text your friends to tell them what routes to avoid, and make calls as often as you please. Of course, the above does not apply when driving down the out of town expressways, where cars can cruise to up to 160-
180 KPH on a good day. That's when you put the BB or iPhone away.

Oct 19 09:37 AM

[steveldk:]

WiFi calling is not just a T Mobile advantage. It is also a Blackberry advantage. Most of the phones that T Mobile offers do NOT offer WiFi calling. Only the Blackberries do.


On Aug 10 12:23 PM qzg wrote:

> Comments by number:
>
> 1. For now... ; initially this was necessary for advanced features
> such as visual voice mail.
>
> 2. Irrelevant in terms of advantage.
>
> 3. BB keyboard is slower; touch keyboard REALLY blows. (my opinions
> and experience; YMMV )
>
> 4. The same 30-pin adapter that is used on the overwhelming majority
> of MP3 Players (read:iPod) and they are available everywhere USB
> cables are sold
>
> 5. Legitimate advantage, for now. See #1
>
> 6. This is a T-Mobile advantage; not a Blackberry advantage.
>
> 7. If you need more than 32GB of memory on your cell phone then this
> is an advantage.
>
> 8. This is basically the same as #8
>
> 9. This was by design. I think that Apple's reasoning is sound.
> This is not an "advantage" but a "difference".
>
> 10. Irrelevant
>
> 11. Cool but irrelevant in terms of user experience. MMS will help.
>
>
> 12. Advantage for now. See #1.
>
> 13. Glad the iPhone community is supporting Sling.
>
> 14. Possible advantage if you need this service.
>
> 15. So can iPhone; if you use MobileMe it happens over the air.
> It is a beautiful thing.
>
> 16. iPhone has this too; any phone that supports IMAP does too.
> POP3 will do it too if you don't delete from server.
>
> 17. Advantage
>
> 18. Advantage for now.
>
> 19. Also on iPhone; see Beejive IM. Does anyone care if a "native"
> client from the network is available.
>
> 20. iPhone is available with the BEST browser; does anyone really
> want to have some other, inferior browser?
>
> 21. Does anyone use any other media management program anymore?<br/>
>
> 22. Cool but I wouldn't say it is an advantage. TiVo to go allows
> me to pull videos off my TiVo and put them on my iPhone.
>
> 23. I don't want to have to wade through a list of 10,000 emails
> on ANY device; Search is best; "out of coverage area" days are numbered.
> Still, this is an advantage.
>
> 24. See #1.
>
> 25. See #1
>
> 26. I don't know anything about this one. That being said, the only
> device that is "un-hackable" is one that is off. Apple has a lot
> less to do to meet military-grade security than RIM has to do to
> catch up with Apple. Give them time. That being said, I don't know
> that Apple really cares to target that market segment.
>
> In summary, most of the genuine advantages of Blackberry are really
> about the carrier and that won't last forever. The fact that Blackberry
> is available on other carriers has been its saving grace. If iPhone
> had been on other carriers from launch, Blackberry wouldn't have
> had time to develop its "me too" offerings and would have lost an
> even bigger chunk of what it has.
>
> Blackberry has failed to significantly innovate in at least 5 years.
> Apple manages something innovative with every OS release. It will
> be considerably easier for Apple to add the few features which Blackberry
> has over the iPhone than it will be for Blackberry to come out with
> something new the iPhone doesn't have; RIM will be busy for quite
> a while just trying to duplicate iPhone's features.
>
> The APIs and development tools they make available for developers
> is incredibly superior to every other mobile platform (although Palm's
> WebOS looks promising). This one element may prove impossible for
> RIM to match and will probably be the most "sustainable" fuel for
> iPhone market expansion after it has saturated the "I just want an
> iPhone" market.

Nov 06 01:27 PM