To Get An iPhone Or Not To Get An iPhone?

Thought
#1. July 18th, 2008, at 9:29 AM.

I believe in having both: an iPhone and a BB. The BB is great for email, work stuff, etc…but the iPhone is for fun and web browsing for me.

I have the first generation iPhone and will definitely get the new 3G one, once I can find one.

I have downloaded the new software and played around with some of the apps, and all I can say, is Wow.

Like David Pogue of the NYT said, the app store is like a candy store. It breathes a whole new life into the device and really showcases its potential.

I can’t imagine where the iPhone will be in a few years and what type of apps will be out.

In the meantime, these apps create a whole new experience. Now granted, I just use my iPhone for fun and so have just tried mostly the more entertaining stuff, but they are great. It’s amazing to have a cell phone doing stuff that a cell phone has no business doing, like being a light sabre, etch a sketch, etc. Also, many apps take great advantage of the accelerometer feature. For instance, it’s pretty cool to draw an image and then just shake the phone to erase.

With most computing platforms, in the end it is often the software that determines who wins out. Apple has got a great head start.

Plus, from what all developers say, Apple did a very smart thing in making it very easy to develop these apps.

So all in all, I say the app store is a grand slam home run and justifies alone the purchase of an iPhone.

Alex
#2. July 18th, 2008, at 9:44 AM.

My wife and I both got an iPhone this past September. We loved the large screen and web abilities. But after a while we both agreed that it was lacking tons of things that most every other cell phone does - MMS, forwarding SMS messages, decent service, and customization. So we both just switched to BlackBerry 8310s and are enjoying the experience on a BlackBerry a lot more then on the iPhone.

For my wife, she likes being able to type on a physical keyboard and receive MMS from her friends. She also gets her email a lot faster then she did on the iPhone. For me, I’ve been supporting BlackBerry devices since 2000 and decided that now it was time for me to have one of my own for my personal use and not just the one I have for work.

My iPhone is now just an advanced iPod that plays movies and music. We sold my wife’s iPhone on eBay and got close to what we originaly paid for it.

Ben
#3. July 18th, 2008, at 12:17 PM.

ive got both, the iPhone 3G and a BB - I was excited at first but then its started to get boring, the App Store isnt that good really, all the good apps - read not pointless- cost, and it actually makes the device far less stable. Apps that apple are really pushing are the worst suprisingly, the facebook app is awful, complete waste and reboots my device often!
ive got to agree the browser and media is absoutely amazing but there is no way that i would chose it over a BlackBerry by any means!!
an ipod touch is a good choice as ur not tied to a contract and u get the majority of the benefits of an Iphone without having to queue!!!

Matthew
#4. July 18th, 2008, at 12:54 PM.

My dad surprised me with an iPhone, but I gave it back. The device is inferior to a BlackBerry. The apps really aren’t that great, and the new 3G phone is the exact same phone but with a new antenna. Yippee, Apple knows how to rip off prior customers.

No thanks, I’ll stay with my Pearl. It’s amazing.

New BB User
#5. July 18th, 2008, at 3:06 PM.

I am planning to replace the BB with iPhone 3G.
However, I hate to wait inline. So, I’ll wait.
And iPhone is having issue as well.
AT&T service plan and other stuff are confusing as well.

AC
#6. July 18th, 2008, at 5:52 PM.

What about an iPod touch? Seems like a much cheaper way to test drive these new apps that are coming out…

Carl
#7. July 18th, 2008, at 7:31 PM.

Well let me say that I also bought into the Iphone craze and you know what? That’s all it is; just a craze. I do not work for Blackberry, in fact I am a TV producer so I have nothing to do with cell phones and PDA’s however I do know that everyone in my business that has tried the Iphone has brought it back or sold it. If you want a truly business product there is no comparison to Blackberry. I used to think that Windows Mobile was ok until someone forced the Blackberry on me. Well the rest is history.

Long Live my Blackberry Curve.

PS: I hope they come out with a touch screen model though.

Carl.

Andrew
#8. July 18th, 2008, at 8:26 PM.

Why would you do that!! While the iPhone does have some interesting features and a nice looking interface, it still lacks on all the major issues.

The wifi is pointless since your attached at the hip to at&t wifi. Only they’re hot spots give you the free wifi and when you get there you have to go through a taxing login process everytime! Anytime your in a wifi zone that’s not at&t your charged according to your data plan. LAME!

The iPhone keypad is hardly user friendly! Some people say it’s something that takes getting used to, but i’ve used my iTouch for awhile and I’ll never be able to type as fast or as accurate as I do on my curve (even with the small keys).

With the BlackBerry 9500 (aka Thunder, touch Blackberry) so close on the horizon, I would hope any true Blackberry addict would hold out and not fall into the iPhone (’im a fifteen yearold girl and the screens really really really pretty!!1!) appeal.

~Andrew

P.S. So far only 1.9% of Blackberry users have made a complete switch to the iPhone (listed on crackberry.com and blackberrycool.com). Please don’t be one of them! Hold true and the Thunder WILL PREVAIL!

Thought
#9. July 18th, 2008, at 10:32 PM.

Quite frankly I am surprised by some of the negative reaction to the iPhone.
I guess it just shows you the diversity of opinion out there.

I love BB; I love the push email; all the BB’s I’ve known have been great devices. Again, for email, I wouldn’t trade a BB for anything.

But I still love the iPhone too for different reasons. The browser is important to me, because I love to read certain websites while away from my desk or on vacation. For me the browser alone justifies it.

And sure, the Apps I use are silly and entertaining, but that has its place too in my estimation. Gadgets are supposed to be fun, and the iPhone is the most fun mobile device I’ve ever owned.

Matthew
#10. July 19th, 2008, at 12:49 AM.

Fun vs. practical? I’d take practical every time.

Albert
#12. July 19th, 2008, at 4:30 AM.

I am trying out the iPhone for work, since we may eventually end up supporting it. So far, I have to say I enjoy using the iPhone the e-mail, calendar and contacts work as well if not better than the BB. My killer issue is no wireless sync of contacts and notes (yea I know most people don’t use it, but I think those people really don’t know how to use PIM) Anyways, I have to say I enjoy the free apps on the iPhone and it does an amazing job on the html e-mail and gmail works on the iphone way better than BIS for the BB.

Primary complaints on the iPhone?
- Battery absolutely horrible (yes i know you can do power saving settings, but why should I have to?)

- No notes and tasks sync

- Reorienting the BB seems to only work in the browser and ipod applications, which makes it more of a gimmick than a feature

- Passcode 4 characters? Yeah real difficult to hack, I don’t know if there’s a way to make it erase after x number of failed attempts

I will say the media is great on the device, and I enjoy getting my podcasts with my phone, but the BB Bold IMO has an even better screen than the iPhone

Knocka
#13. July 19th, 2008, at 6:52 AM.

Why not get an iPod Touch. I know it is more expensive initially, but there is no service plan needed and it does everything the iPhone does, except the phone. Of course, it needs WiFi, since it has no cell connection. I have been considering this option. Like you, I am a long time BB user and am considering an iPhone. However, for me, I think it would have to be an additional device. I just cannot see how I would be able to use use the iPhone as efficiently. Just making a call, trying to find a phone number among my 800 or so Contacts, would drive me crazy because of the lack of a keyboard.

ben
#14. July 19th, 2008, at 3:32 PM.

i took my 3g back. like you said

“It didn’t, however, grab me in the way that the BlackBerry did way back when I switched from Windows Mobile.”

the only way to tell is get one and take it back if you don’t like it.

dclawyer
#15. July 19th, 2008, at 9:14 PM.

I now have a BB 8830 on Verizon. I have an international data plan that lets me use all the data I want anywhere in the world Verizon has service either directly or through a GSM provider. I live in Washington, DC and VZW is the only carrier with service on the subway here. The iPhone is sexy and I want one. I really do. But I don’t want to give up my BB. ATT does not offer an unlimited worldwide data plan. I travel internationally and read the NYTimes and read my RSS feeds using Google Reader. I think it would be nicer to read these sources on the iPhone than the BB but then I would have to give up my unlimited international data plan and service on the subway. I’d also have to accept a network I consider inferior to VZW. I was first in line for an iPhone 3G this morning and walked out. I wasn’t prepared to switch and don’t want to pay for a second device and have yet another telephone number. I am tempted by the iPod Touch but I don’t often listen to my iPod anymore. I have an old iPod shuffle that I use at the gym. My other iPods collect dust because I am tired of walking around with earphones. I’d rather talk to people or listen to the birds chirp or the leaves rustle. But the iPhone really is sexy. Just not practical like my BB.

Steve
#16. July 20th, 2008, at 8:35 PM.

I was really interested in the 3G and was almost ready to switch despite despising AT+T due to bad experiences in the past. My Verizon contract just came up and the time was ripe but when I found out that the iPhone does not support voice activated dialing, it was a complete deal killer.

The conclusion of my limited research was that the iPhone is a really cool internet browser, media player and gizmo gadget, but lacked basic cell phone qualities which is what I need first and foremost in a cell phone.

I also understand that you cannot tether your iPhone to your computer like you can with the Blackberry. I still want an iPhone, but not until they put the requisite cell phone features into the iPhone and sign up with Verizon, I will have to wait.

Patrick C.
#17. July 21st, 2008, at 10:08 AM.

The iPhone 3G is indeed a nice device, and as a developer, I plan on making software for it. But, for some reason i just like my BlackBerry better. A few things bother me about the iPhone… I much rather prefer a physical keyboard than a touchscreen. I cannot stand AT&T, i’ve had a bad experience with them in the past, and recently, and the plans are truly unattractive. And from a developer standpoint, I’m not really liking the stranglehold Apple has on the device. I love the AppStore for what it is, but I hate that it is the only option for a software firm to sell and market their applications. It’s basically telling developers… “put all the hard work into developing a kick-ass application, but if you want to sell it on an Apple device, you can only sell it through us…and oh, we need 30%, and $99 initial fee, and um… here are a few no-no applications you can’t develop, and also your application must work within these parameters because we can’t have you getting too interactive with the device’s hardware.”
All that said, iPhone will be (and is) huge for the consumer end, and Blackberry will continue to dominate the business end. But with the upcoming Thunder, Javelin, and KickStart, i really see BlackBerry eating into Apple’s marketshare…which no one really mentions. I think the KickStart has the biggest potential, with it’s cheap pricing, that will attract a huge number of consumers who just want a cell phone, especially with a “BlackBerry” nameplate on it.

Cedric Bosch
#18. July 21st, 2008, at 10:42 AM.

Time to face facts, there is the iPhone then there is everything else. Nothing has come close in the 3 years in which the iPhone has been announced. Also to iPhone is not standing still it keeps getting better and better both in hardware and software. There is really nothing my BB can do that the iPhone 2.0 doesn’t do, and do with more grace and class.

RIM feels iPhone heat, gets analyst downgrade
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/38475/118/
“Needham’s Charlie Wolf claims that the iPhone OS and SDK “make the device one of a kind.” He thinks that software could become determining factor that could influence outcome in the future. “RIM has no hope of catching up on the software front, which promises to be the next battleground in the smart phone market,” he said.”

RIM’s iPhone Killer: Just Like iPhone, But Crappier
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/3/rim_s_iphone_killer_like_iphone_but_crappier

This Week in Smartphone Schadenfreude, July 19th Edition
http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2008/07/19/this-week-in-smartphone-schadenfreude-july-19th-edition/

crazylegs
#20. July 21st, 2008, at 1:48 PM.

Hey Cedric, you might feel that there is iPhone and then everything else, but when it comes to core communication, there really is Blackberry and then everything else. I love what my iPhone can do, BUT I use my BB every day. Why? Because it is more important to have the best email solution out there, a great messenger program, MMS, cut and paste, and an overall efficient, if not pretty, OS.

I think it easy to look at the iPhone and say it’s the best all around mobile platform out there. This is true, but there are just too many things the iPhone does poorly for me to switch to it, and I keep trying, but I always come back to the trusty BB.

Further, in regards to the above articles proclaiming RIM is dying, the pundits aren’t paying attention to economics. All I will say is that RIM will reap tremendous benefits from the attention iPhone brings to the space as they ride the price elasticity curve of data services. Time will show this, just be patient.

BDot
#21. July 21st, 2008, at 2:18 PM.

I’m in the minority here I’m sure but I’d actually get an iPhone, were it just a phone. My music collection is too large for an 8 or 16GB iPhone…so all that would be to me is wasted space.

Also, I believe that certain things were meant to remain separate. I don’t want my cell phone to also be my mp3 player. To me, having individual devices for that is much better, and much more practical.

But I realize this just may be ME…kinda hard to ignore the iPhone’s success.

So until there’s an iPod-less version of the iPhone (which probably will never happen)…BB Curve it is.

Thought
#22. July 21st, 2008, at 11:04 PM.

Given the responses here, I wonder how well the BB Thunder will do?

It seems BB devotees are determined to stick with a keyboard and don’t really go that much for a touchscreen.

For those who are not so dedicated to the BB platform, and more open to other features, well…they have the iPhone.

It seems that the Thunder is kind of an iPhone substitute for those on CDMA carriers, namely, Verizon, who do not want to switch. I can almost imagine Verizon calling up RIM and saying, “get me an iPhone competitor…we’re bleeding customers.”

Anonymous
#23. July 22nd, 2008, at 8:21 AM.

So, I picked up an iPhone 3G day one and even though I am a big time BlackBerry user and must continue to use it for work, I figured that I would just be one of those folks who carries around a BlackBerry for work and some other device for personal use.

Yesterday, I got my hands on a BlackBerry Bold. You can read all the reviews where everyone is telling you how good it is and I am going to tell you the same thing right here. The Bold is the baddest BlackBerry that I’ve ever seen.

When it comes to the Browser, the iPhone still wins, however, the new browser in the Bold is so much better that it almost doesn’t even feel like a BlackBerry.

I am telling you, if you haven’t gotten an iPhone yet, just hold off until AT&T officially releases the Bold. I am being told that it will be a matter of weeks before they do.

Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone is a great device, but I don’t think that it will at all be a BlackBerry killer like so many are trying to make it out to be. RIM has nothing to worry about on the business side of things.

JoAnn
#24. July 22nd, 2008, at 9:24 AM.

If someone else pays for it, I’d like to get an iPhone.
But since it’s my money, I’ll stay with my Curve for now.

stacy
#25. July 23rd, 2008, at 10:43 PM.

I had a first generation iPhone and accidentally left it out in the rain a couple weeks ago. So, when the 3G came out I was planning on getting one. After calling 17 AT&T and Apple stores last week & this week, and NONE of them having phones in stock, I got really frustrated and visited an AT&T store today. I had a Pearl before the iPhone and absolutely loved it, but the deal breaker being that it didn’t have a QWERTY keyboard. Although, out of all the phones I’ve had in my life it was by far my favorite. So, today I picked up a Curve. So far I’m not regretting it. Maybe it will surpass the Pearl and be my all time favorite! Like others have said… there is just something about Blackberries… they just WORK… There is a reason they are called crackberries. The iPhone is sleek, beautiful, and for some things, it’s amazing.. but if you want to get the job done and have a phone that you can RELY on no matter what, a Blackberry is the one you want in your pocket. I might pic up an iPod Touch later on down the road for the apps & music if I REALLY need to pay for some mobile games & fun. All in all, I might not be BLOWN away immediately by my Curve, but I know that tomorrow and 6 months from now I will be just as happy with it as I am today. I can’t say that about the iPhone - a lot of what you hear is plain HYPE and great marketing.