Smackdown: BlackBerry Bold 9000 vs. Apple iPhone 3G
Written By Scrivs on Jun. 23, 2008.
18 Comments
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From the Clip Smackdown: BlackBerry Bold 9000 vs. Apple iPhone 3G posted by Tyme:
How do the year’s most eagerly-awaited smartphones stack up?
I enjoyed the Blackberry Pearl and it seems RIM has another great phone on their hands with the new 9000. I know it doesn't do the cool stuff that the iPhone does and iPhone handles enterprise stuff just the same now, but the more I think about the iPhone the more I think about it as a device I want instead of a phone.
When I think about how I use my phone there are a couple of major things that come to mind:
- Lots of text messaging.
- Lots of blind text messaging where I don't look at the keys.
- MMS messaging with pictures and other media files.
Now you may notice all three points revolve around messaging which the iPhone is so ridiculously weak in it becomes a silly issue. The first point is an AT&T issue and the third point might be as well, still don't have enough research on that one. Now my phone usage isn't only based on these points because if it were I could get away with a $20 phone, but at this point the 9000 does the core thing I do with my phone now better than the iPhone.
I have proclaimed the iPhone as the next great gaming platform and it sucks to think Blackberry will have 0 cool games because it isn't meant for that so maybe a Blackberry in one hand with an iPod Touch in the other.
Competition is good. Choices are good. Having to buy devices with your own money sucks.

fuscom
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
I'm very much in that same boat. The more I see of the 9000, the more I want one. The iPhone is nice, but I guess I'll always lump it in with the iPods...thus I'd probaby just get the Touch and use it for entertainment...something I don't typically associate with my phone anyway.
RightOn
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Am I the only person on earth that could care less if my cell provider completely canceled all text messaging?
That's like the absolute last thing I look for in a phone.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yessssssssss.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
@fuscom: If you get it first let me know so I don't get it. Can't have the same phone as an old man.
fuscom
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
I wouldn't care...I don't text anyone who I couldn't or wouldn't call otherwise.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
It does depend on the people that you communicate with. We have just built a culture of sending a text because if you call they might not pick up, then you have to leave a message which isn't guaranteed to even be checked. Text is convenience in a bottle.
fuscom
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
So where's the guarantee that a text will be acknowledged and returned any more than a call or VM?
And Scrivs, if that girl from the club isn't returning your call or VM to you, she's most likely not trying convey the message for you to be to text her instead...just sayin'
fuscom
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
(edit) oops
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Heh, actually I started the text trend with my friends since I never return their calls or check their voicemails. I don't really call people and I sure as hell not calling the girl from last night and leaving a message.
Thanks for the double post. Neat trick.
fuscom
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Yeh...damn cellphone. Keys are too small for my cricekty athritic old man hands.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
The BlackBerry 9000 is calling you...
Tyme
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
@RightOn - I used to be that way but now I look at it as "how many ways can I communicate with this phone?" and it's a different picture (to me). Most people prefer to "talk" to me but I'd be on the phone all day so having the different mediums allows me to interact with more people efficiently (multiple people at once) and remain mobile. I remember the days when I said, "I need it to ring - it's a phone!" but now I need it to be more than a phone. I never thought I'd say that lol.
RightOn
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
I have two major methods I can communicate with the people I need to reach.
95% of them prefer to speak to me so I simply call them, the others have constant access to email so if it's not urgent I fire up email on my iPod Touch (or iPhone if I had one) and shoot them an email.
I have no reason to text anyone. The whole concept has been taken out of context anyway... SMS was designed to be used to send a short message where a phone call would be overkill, like "honey, will be late for dinner"... teenagers etc, now carry on hour long conversations with text messages where such a conversation could be carried out FASTER with a voice conversation.
What gets my goat is groups of teens at the mall, "hangin with their friends" yet ALL of them are glued to their Blackberries texting friends that their not "hangin" with... seems completely backwards to me.
I like to consider myself up on all the latest technology but to me this whole "texting" thing seems stupid.
Tyme
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Haha don't get me started on that. There is a note around here some place where I was talking about a friend of mine and his thousands (literally) of text messages each month. When the time was added up, it was HOURS more than just talking for a few minutes every day. To me, if a person phases a voice conversation to text that implies he/she doesn't want to talk. So I don't talk lol.
For the most part people call me while in transit. On the way to work, to lunch, errands, coming home from the club...that kind of thing. Most of the time they are short conversations. There are times when a conversation is flowing and I look up and I don't know where the time went but that isn't the norm for non-romantic interest type conversations.
Scrivs
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
Let me put it like this, last month I would've survived on a 100 minute voice plan, but give me a 2000 text message plan and I would be paying out the ass from going over.
Tyme
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
I have rollover minutes out the ying yang so I don't have to worry about it. I honestly forgot about the minutes per plan. My longer convos are at night than day too so the free nights/weekend thing kicks in.
You and AT&T aren't compatible. I admit, when I look at T-Mobile's plans I am envious. I don't remember where some of my friends are cell phone company wise anymore. I used to know because we used to roll with the same ones to get the friends-talk-free minutes.
I tried to find a comparison for the Nokia and the Blackberry but atm, the Blackberry is winning with the keyboard. I have to feel it first.
RightOn
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
My longer convos are at night than day too so the free nights/weekend thing kicks in.
That's why I have a home phone... if people want to talk my leg off I just tell them to call me @ home after 5.
My son lost my cell phone about a week ago and I haven't missed it. I'm still looking for it though. :D
Tyme
Written Jun. 23, 2008 / Report /
My land line has turned into a family only (or very close friends of the family) line. I didn't set out to do that, it's just that family tends to pass that number along and if I give my number to someone new (like a new friend) I'll give another number.
Good luck finding your phone. :)