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iPhone vs Blackberry: the 2012 challenge is on!

Matie by Matie
Last updated: 02/14/2012

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iPhone vs Blackberry: the duel continues

When word of the iPhone first got out, it seemed as though Apple was going to take over the cellphone market, in a similar way as iPod swept over the MP3 player market. But Blackberry refused to stay behind all the brouhaha surrounding the iPhone, and so far, they have perfectly held their own against the iPhone.

What we're seeing these years is reminiscent of the old duel between PC's and Mac's, IBM vs. Macintosh, just with cellphones. We have fellow BBsers and Apple enthusiasts. Who would have thought it, huh?

On this year that begins, we could see a resurgence of interest in the iPhone, if a new, completely different version comes out. I can see how people would prefer this device over the BB, since they feel that BBs are just too rough or coarse when it comes to user interface. We shall wait and see... -- --

Contents at a Glance

Do you think it's fair to compare iPhone...
Why Blackberry won on 2010: Blackberry T...
And here comes the iPhone 4G
The iPhone 3G
Blackberry curve 8330 review
Blackberry Storm

Do you think it's fair to compare iPhones and Blackberries?

Save 10% off anything not marked "special" at Geeks.com! Use coupon code GEEKBERT

Apple is relatively silent while Blackberry keeps getting out new models to the market. However, other brands like Samsung, LG and Motorola are holding their own too. Even Samsung got sued by Apple for the similarities between the 'Galaxy' models to the iPhone.

But this is only the beginning! Brian Wallace, the marketing director of RIM technologies and a key piece on Blackberry's success, left the company to work for Samsung!

Is now the duel between Apple and Samsung?! Will the seemingly transparent iPhone 5G sweep over the market?

UPDATE August 2011: it seems that Apple's iPhone 5 will win this year over a weakened Blackberry, but Samsung stays steady and Google just bought Motorola, oh dear... O_O

UPDATE October: lots of things. iPhone came out as iPhone 4S, RIP Steve Jobs :( things are unpredictable right now, but the sentiment towards Apple will make it win this year, while Samsung is also on the rise.

Blackberry seems to be fading?

Do you think it's fair to compare iPhone and Blackberry?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Sure. Blackberry/iPhone is best.

hashim says:

No!
The fact remains, that ppl which use their cell phones mainly for business emails and phone calls will always find bb's more user friendly. however, for those who seek a more robust internet and application based experience, the choice is very simple- I phone!!
While both companies are trying hard to combine the whole emailing / calls and internet experience in their new innovations. It eventually comes down to individual perceptions of mobile phone users!

Specific to the indian market, I'll like to highlight a few points-
- The Point of sales for bb phones as against apple phones are many
- On the price point, apple phones are priced much higher than any models which bb offer
- Mobile phone service providers, though have better packages for i phones (in terms of the monthly bills) as against the bb's.
- After sales service is a huge factor. You really cant do anything with an apple phone, if it breaks down (yes, they do!) but to send it to the company. However, on the other side, you can open the bb at home and see everything for your self ( by just viewing a few youtube videos)

My verdict- read the first 4 lines again!

Posted February 16, 2012

Carlos says:

Blackberry is the best!!

Posted February 16, 2012

Anonymous says:

Yes they are wayyyy different, and it is completely fair to compare them. Iphones r soo much cooler looking as well. The company bb in general has a major problem. Calls drop, bad connection, slow internet access, bad key pad, bad track pad that dosent even let me move, has a bad app world with 0 cool apps and finally, its SLOW! I havnt even had it for a year, at first i was blinded by happiness thinking bb is the coolest thing ever, but now i see that it just playing sucks! Im typing this from my ipod touch and hope to be gettig an iphone soon. Apple rules deffinaty dont waste ur time on bb trust me! Havnt even had to for a year and its jacked up. Apple allllll the way :) The only thing wih apple products is that each and every one is made by hand. Why is this bad? Well people in foreign countries are gettig paid 3 cents a day and are forced to work 48 hrs strait, they cant quit and their legs are sore and swollen for standing so long, most of them end up collapsing right there. It gets so bad for some people that they jump off the top of the building in an attempt to kill thenself, how does apple try to prevent the deaths of these people? A net raised off the ground, only raised bout 10 feet off the ground. People still try to jump of that net, apparently its every other opption except work for apple. I guess this happens so often that its no longer a big deal to them. Im no saying that iphones r bad cuz they r great, but i am just saying that if u were to get any apple product, dont miss treat it. Think off the people that died to make this product hat u r tossing away cuz its 2 yrs old or cuz the battery life isnt long enough. Look at ur apple products differently and think teice before carelessly upgratig.

Posted February 11, 2012

IPHONES SUCK says:

I phones suck because there lay outs are worse then having a slightly slower phone

Posted February 09, 2012

shaizad says:

i like bb because of black berry mesenger

Posted February 07, 2012

shaizad says:

bb got bbm service which makes bb popular this service no one else had launch not yet tas y bb got famous n also give notification on fb coments

Posted February 07, 2012

lames says:

i have i phone 4s becase i am specisal and becase it is good

Posted February 04, 2012

Fuck you says:

If you read this...... Your gay

Posted February 04, 2012

zzzz says:

yea sure

Posted February 03, 2012

Dan says:

My Fiance has the new Iphone 4s and I have an older Blackberry Curve. In all honesty even with my phone being 3 years old, it still works better from a business standpoint than the Iphone. The Iphone does everything faster but not as well layed out. Blackberry will be the choice when I upgrade.

Posted January 30, 2012

Lisa says:

I have a blackberry torch and can't wait until June 29th of this year so I can go and upgrade to the new iphone. This was my first and last blackberry...there is just far too much I'm unable to do. Can't wait to get my iphone!!

Posted January 29, 2012

caffeine says:

If you want a smartphone, Blackberry definitely is a win. If you want to play games, just buy a PSP.

Posted January 28, 2012

matt says:

I've been a loyal blackberry user for years now and just typing this off my blackberry 9900 is painful. Yes blackberrys current model is stylish and smart looking but it's a piece of crap. Once this phone carks its I'm off to apple . Sadly. Crap applications. Angry pigs? What's original about that? I want fun with my device. Please mind the spelling , thuis phone types at a word per 10 minutes.

Posted January 23, 2012

Elizabeth Khan says:

I have a BB and I'm thinking of getting a new one and I'm thinking between iPhone, Blackberry and Android

Posted January 21, 2012

mohammad says:

i phone is way out of black berry's league

Posted January 20, 2012

suzy says:

I HAVE A BLACKBERRY! AND IT MAKES MY LIFE HELL! the internet is slow, and the programs only work half the time. not to mention none of the cases for it work and it craps out every chance it gets. BUY AN IPHONE! save yourself!

Posted January 18, 2012

siraj says:

i say that bb is better bcauz it has softwares that are better den iphone and iphones hardware software are cheap and its not better den bb

Posted January 18, 2012

jesse noakes says:

yea i phones are sososososososoosososososo muchh bettter never buy a blackberry!!!!

Posted January 16, 2012

vivi says:

i still prefer bb

Posted January 16, 2012

devcellent says:

In North America, most of the BlackBerry users are corporate users. There are restrictions on being able to install 3rd party apps on those devices. Even productivity/utility app for BlackBerry email, such as Email++ that lets you edit during reply/fwd, convert email into calendar events, preview of incoming emails, etc, people cannot install even if they want. On the other hand iPhone users do not have such restrictions. Email++ from AppWorld: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/58884

Posted January 13, 2012

No way, they're like apples and oranges

hjw49384 says:

Not even a comparison, apple is the top of the market

Posted February 16, 2012

dynamodan says:

I don't doubt that iPhone is better than Blackberry. But why is anyone still talking about Blackberry at all?? Why don't we compare iPhone to Palm?

Posted February 14, 2012

iphone-user says:

The iPhone is much better than any Blackberry. iPhone has more apps and you can make free calls with your iPhone using : Fring. Viber, Tango and a lot more of social network. So I prefer an iPhone than a Blackberry

Posted February 12, 2012

fappinovanokia says:

nokia 3315's ARE THE BEST! i challenge you to break or make mine run out of battery in comparison to your blackberrys and iphones which smash, things fall out, is on for like 2 hours and it's dead.

Posted February 08, 2012

HBKTheIcon says:

Well the facet is like earlier on the comparison is like comparing cars Dodge vs Honda for example it's pretty much up to the user-end part of it all. Blackberry's main highlights pre-touchscreen is the querty keyboards structure and the weight for it to be easily handled without accidentally triggering anything you want to and the bbm was a plus...now the app of iPhone known as iMessage is still pretty new concept. Pretty much it's what your own personal preference is that you want for a phone..I have a blackberry bold myself and that does what I want it to for a cell phone for my apps and mp3 type of structure with the touchscreen effect iPod touch still goes the distance there pretty much..Also look at cost I'll do a breakdown from a personal note..blackberry depending on the model bought and an iPod touch can cost less than an iPhone standalone when buying with no contract to the phone.

Posted February 07, 2012

Dc says:

They both suck

Posted February 06, 2012

emily says:

they are both good in their own unique way, they are both great for different reasons I feel people should know blackberrys were made for buisness people and iphones are more for teenagers and such that doesn't mean adults can't use them though and same for teenagers and blackberrys i personally like iphones better but all my friends love the blackberry more its really according to an opinion

Posted February 06, 2012

Serg says:

Ive loved BB products and have owned several but i must say not much has changed in the last couple of years? My upgrade is coming up this Feb and have been fighting the temptation to getting an iphone but i might just give in because BB Tour doesnt seem nearly as convenient as the iphone is, and its also more expensive? :/ this saddens me to see BB going down like this.

Posted January 30, 2012

bob says:

iphone for the win

Posted January 24, 2012

Don says:

I will never touch any touchscreen cell phone. That's for sure! iPhone is just a toy meant for the flock of sheep that just follow everyone else. Gotta tell you something when majority of users using a BlackBerry are business worrkers in suits and majority of users of the iPhone are high schoolers and college students wanting the "coolest and most apps".

Posted January 24, 2012

JoshMan says:

No one takes design in to consideration iphone is so beutiful.
i cant bear to look at blackberries. i have an iphone and i would rather give up my tooth brush for a month than my iphone for a week...

Posted January 15, 2012

Lou says:

it really irritates me when people say "I phones are better" or "Blackberrys are better". personally i prefer blackberry, but ultimately it depends on what you want from the phone because they do offer different things. I understand why a lot of people think the iphone is better, because everything it does is smoother, snazzy. and the camera is better. but i am team BB because i love how BBM works, my emails are much clearer and securer, the calender works well for me and I really like having a hardware keyboard and cannot convert purely to touchscreen. therefore, iPhones amazing apps and wonderful camera and brilliant graphics and cool user interface, whilst impressive, dont appeal to me at all. so why would i agree it's better?

Posted January 10, 2012

Jamie says:

Sure it is fair to compare blackberry and iPhone. I used to have a blackberry curve, and had it for nearly a year. The keyboard was easier to type on, no doubt. But the blackberry app world left much to be desired. No words with friends, angry birds, ect. Also, I enjoy the Internet browser more on the iPhone. You can open multiple pages at once, and that is something that blackberry lacks. I do miss the red flashing light that alerts you of a notification on the blackberry, which was a nice feature. In my opinion, the battery life on these two phone is comparable with the same amount of use. Overall, I think blackberry is working on developing new products which are more like the iPhone. And as for the innovative iPhone, it will be interesting to see what apple comes up with next.

Posted December 28, 2011

cord says:

I'm dreading the day that i would have to give up my BB for the iPhone, but I soon may be forced into it. The iPhone is still all about the entertainment, but the BB is so business savy and really works for you. The new Torch's are so quick and responsive and can browse/entertain just as good as the iphone if not better. I need a smart phone that can organize my life and keep my productive not just take pictures and play cool bird games.

Posted December 13, 2011

Ya-Ya says:

waaaayyy to close too call. the iphone 4 seems like it is the last cool product apple will come out with

Posted December 13, 2011

Ron says:

No, because they are not in the same level. if u compare an iPhone with a BB it is like comparing Heaven (iPhone) and Hell(BB).
iPhone = best phone ever so far.
Blackberry = just an ordinary phone with BBM and another crap features.

Posted December 13, 2011

Tay bb/ip says:

Blackberrys are more directed towards teenagers and buisness people because they have bbm and apps for fb, twitter and msn. But the iphone also caters to teens but mainly women have iphones. Also if you have an ipod like what would be the point of having an iphone? So i think it depends on your lifestyle and other things you have. Pesonally i have an ipod so i either want a bb or android (ik androids are not in this discussion)

Posted December 09, 2011

Tay bb/ip says:

They are the same. If you have an ipod there is no use for an iphone therefore bb would be better. If you dont have an ipod then iphone would be better. Both are amazing phones along with the android.

Posted December 09, 2011

ajgfhgfs says:

iphone.

Posted December 05, 2011

BBENTHUSIAST says:

BLACKBERRY ALL THE WAY BABY

Posted December 05, 2011

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Why Blackberry won on 2010: Blackberry Torch 9800

The single best model to send emails, SMS and MMS with ease, it's no wonder users worldwide have chosen practicality over the always pleasant aesthetics of the iPhone or other brand for that matter.

Blackberry sets itself as the reliable brand with their characteristic 3.2-inch touchscreen, their slide-down QWERTY keyboard, and the BlackBerry 6 OS which is a quiet, huge improvement over previous OS, especially on the interface. The design is sleeker this time, having nothing to envy to Samsung, Apple, or even Motorola models.

You will need to accustom yourself a bit with the new interface, though. But it's not like it's hard in the eyes with a 360 x 480-pixel resolution, 65K color depth screen, with a light sensor, a proximity detector, and a accelerometer ;-)

With its Wireless-N Wi-Fi Networking, access to the internet is faster than ever, making it one if its strongest points. The key of this smartphone model is functional, practical communication, and it certainly does that to get you where you want.

The 5 megapixel camera is above standard, with a LED flash light that will make sure you can get your best shot in dark places. Sure, it's no professional camera but it's more than enough if we compare other models. You can capture video at a 640x480 resolution and the quality is decent. The supported formats by default are MP3, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, FLAC, MPEG4, and H.264.

The 4GB internal storage could have been more, actually, it wouldn't have hurt.

One thing that has been pointed out repeatedly is that the processor is still the same 624Mhz as the Bold or the Curve, and this can be a bit of a stepdown, and might also be the reason behind the relatively modest storage capacity.

But overall, if you simply want a sophisticated device to make sure you always communicate with your friends, coworkers or relatives, this is it. It's so far the best smartphone of 2010, folks.

And here comes the iPhone 4G

iPhone 4G review

It's great that I let some time pass when writing this review, since a lot has been going on with the controversy around the iPhone 4G, supposedly better than its predecessor. And it's technically true that it has more capacities and improved features.

But Apple's logic of having to get something new and wonderful and revolutionary every six months is clearly failing. I started noticing this trend when the iPod shuffle 3G came out, it was so over the top with the voice technology and the overall quality of user experience suffered as a result.

In this case, the iPhone 4g had everything to win the duel against BB, the Motorola Droid, Google Nexus One, and Nokia.

The screen is still one of the sharpest you can find, with 326 pixels per inch, giving you an impressive quality even if you're just reading some text or ebook. This feature is called 'retina screen' and it makes user interface more beautiful than before, especially if you integrate it with the multitask, which allows you to use multiple apps at the same time.

The resolution of the camera is 5 megapixels and it has nothing to envy or fall short to other models, as it can record HD videos with no further complications.

Yet the great issue, as mentioned before, is the stainless steel antenna, that once dubbed an innovative feature, proved everyone wrong with the receptivity problems, and AT&T's exclusivity didn't help either: who is actually to blame, the antenna or the provider? Apple decided to fix this issue with a special cover or skin that ensures the antenna is at the right place.

The best we can hope for is that they learn from these mistakes and actually take their time to get something relevant and of great quality into the market.

The iPhone 3G

Features

Introduced as the fastest, most powerful model yet by Apple, its graphic interface is presumably 2X faster than previous models, which makes for increased rendering of application use and gaming.

You can shoot VGA videos at 30 frames-per-second with its 2 or 3 megapixel camera, edit them in the moment and share it via email, MMS, MobileMe or upload it to youtube.

Aside from voice control that allows you to place any call or put any song from the iPod feature, you have the digital compass, internet tethering that allows to use it as a modem along with your MAC or PC, watch youtube videos, enjoy the stock market application and if you lose it, no problem since the mobileMe application can locate it anywhere.

Well, Apple always has it well planned, who's not to fall in love with its slim design?

Blackberry curve 8330 review

A versatile phone next to becoming a classic in the Smartphone category, the Blackberry Curve made important changes in regards to design and features, compared to its predecessors. With a landscape LCD screen and QVGA resolution 320x240 and 65,000 colors.

The buttons are more usable than before, there's a very handy and well thought trackball control or 'mouse' of some sorts instead of the side wheel.

On the back there's a 2 megapixel camera that lets you shoot pics, file them and send them as messages or emails to your friends or relatives, or use them for caller ID's and for the main theme. Not bad for a start. You can take pics in 1600x1200, 1024x768 and 640x480. There's the always necessary balance and color setting.

The LED light turns on automatically in low light indoor settings, but the photos have some noise as expected of a 2 megapixel resolution. One additional feature is that you can now shoots small videos with audio, of 240x176 and 176x144 resolution, but you must storage them in your microSD card.

The video and audio quality suffers and stutters constantly. You can barely watch a 5 minute video without any interruption. The media player application is standard, with the basic playback controls, playlist and shuffle options. It plays MP4 files well, but forget about trying to play the WMV format.

You can listen to your MP3 and AAC files through an incorporated headset. The microSD card slot is great for additional memory, up to 4GB or 8GB. The only problem is that it's located under the battery slot and of course you must turn off the device to put it, not to mention that it's really slow to access it.

The call quality is great and clear, whether you use GSM or CDMA technology. The hands free and headset profiles via Bluetooth are even louder. As for Internet browsing, page rendering has improved considerably with advanced support for full HTML sites, Javascript, cookies and cache storing. Some pages can be rendered in 3 columns instead of 2 or the full view, so this can still be improved.

The Blackberry Curve demonstrates that it has the leadership when sending emails and the sort. The easiest and fastest interface you will see on the market. The rendering of elaborated HTML email is still an issue, though, with lots of broken pages, unless you have additional apps like BBSmart or Empower solutions.

One of the main new features were the GPS system with Blackberry maps that help you go through any city of your choosing without getting lost. The performance is fast an accurate for being a small, yet very practical GPS interface with routes, directions and voice guidance that you can even send to your friends, be it by email, SMS or PIN.

The classic features are still there with the SMS, MMS and IM messaging, contacts, calendar, notes, tasks and such, as well as the BrickBreaker game.

The battery lasts an average of 4.3 hours of talk time and 11 days of standby mode. But if you use all the features together you will really need to charge every day. All being said, this phone is not afraid to make a statement about quality.

Blackberry Storm

Features

BlackBerry Storm 9530 Phone, Black (Verizon Wireless)

BlackBerry didn't want to be left behind with the first touchscreen phone packed with messaging, document editing, and multimedia features; international GSM roaming Access V Cast, Music and Video services via fast EVDO data network.

It has the same GPS system, you can also use it as as a modem. It has a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder, which stands firmly against Apple's marketing proposal, accessable stereo music by the Bluetooth feature; a MicroSD expansion to 16 GB; and of course access to all the applications known to BBsers.

The Storm's large 3.25-inch LCD (360 x 480-pixel resolution) actually depresses ever so slightly when the screen is pressed, giving you the distinct feeling that the screen is being pressed and released with a gentle "click"--similar to the feeling of a key on a physical keyboard or a button on a mouse. The "clickable" touchscreen gives you positive confirmation that you've made a selection, resulting in a highly-intuitive typing experience. In addition to the familiar navigation keys (phone, menu and escape) that are common to other BlackBerry smartphones, the Storm adds support for multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-screen gestures, so you can easily highlight, scroll, pan and zoom for smooth navigation.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone also features a built-in accelerometer, allowing its touchscreen to automatically switch between landscape mode and portrait mode as the you rotate the handset--RIM's SureType keyboard layout is available in portrait mode and a full QWERTY keyboard layout is available in landscape mode. Other relevant features, such as cut and paste, are only a touch away for the ultimate smartphone experience.

Blackberry Bold

Features

BlackBerry Bold 9000 Phone, Black (AT&T)

Designed to give business professionals and power users unprecedented functionality and performance, the BlackBerry Bold is the fastest, most powerful Blackberry yet, with support for tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world as well as integrated GPS and Wi-Fi networking (802.11a/b/g). It features a lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, a sophisticated user interface, and a newly designed full-QWERTY keyboard.

It has a versatile 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, 5x zoom, with flash, that supports the following video formats: DivX 4, partial DivX 5/6, partial XviD, H.263, H.264, and WMV3.

The Bluetooth feature comes with support for stereo headsets, car kits, a Push Button Setup for Wi-Fi networking, making it faster to connect to protected wireless networks that require a sign-on process.

And then Google stepped in: the HTC Nexus One

HTC Nexus One by Google review

Google steps into the market with their own spin of what a smartphone should be. Implementing the flashy design of iPhone and the practicality of the Blackberry, you seem to find a bridge between these two. It's ok if you look for that, but aside from this, I find that this model is nothing but hype.

Don't get me wrong. It's a great device that fulfills all the business oriented functions you look for, and at the same time it beats the iPhone with the 5 megapixel camera, but it's nothing otherworldly the publicity apparatus makes it to be.

It's interesting that it uses the Android operating system, with the 1 Ghz Qualcomm processor. It's also similar to the Motorola Droid in the 5 megapixel camera, but the video shooting quality is a bit inferior with 720x480 pixel resolution at 20fps. The video supported format is MPEG-4, which is ok, but there are a lot of models that do so much more in that aspect.

At least this is the only phone in which you can watch HD Youtube videos in all their glory. Sound quality is actually better with earphones than with the speaker.

The Wi-Fi connection supports HSDPA and GSM/EDGE, with A2DP Bluetooth that lets you stream music from the device. The WVGA 800x480 touch screen is great with the haptic sensor technology that gives you feedback at every touch. The applications include direct access to Gmail, Youtube, SMS and MMS messaging in threaded style.

The internal memory is 4GB, but you can expand it right away with 32GB SD card or a SDHC. Battery life lasts 7 hours of 3G connection use, the longest to date on a Smartphone model and 10 days of standby time, which is fairly nice since you don't really use a lot of graphics as other models.

Revising all these features, I don't get what the hype is for. You can see similar characteristics as of the iPhone, the Blackberry and even the Motorola Droid, but without the charm of any of them. It's like an hybrid of all these previously mentioned models to maybe win over all of the niches? One is left to wonder. It's an ok option for a Smartphone but just consider that is not something you would call original.

The iPhone vs Blackberry duel in Youtube

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