Smackdown: BlackBerry Bold 9000 vs. Apple iPhone 3G

iphone - web = better and music is convenient, but typing is terrible if you have to write frequent or lengthy emails, cant even flip to make typing keyboard larger / better. why you can’t use a modem with mac?- makes no sense. can do with my bberry and not even designed to work together. why no video? even $50 phones have video. can’t synch stickies notes (a mac application), while bberry snychs them. apple needs to stop spoon feeding us with minimal upgrades and waiting in 2 hr lines for them they can really do it right next time - has potential, to be the best product, but still not sure about typing on screen - room to improve somehow.
blackberry pr voyager - until mac steps it up like they know they should - frustrated mac lover

Blackberry will be coming out with a touch screen which is the blackberry Thunder.

At its most superficial level, the Blackberry is superior from an end-user experience and that is why it will win in the business smartphone segment.

If my business required that I listen to music, watch YouTube videos, or check the weather in Palo Alto, the iPhone would be my choice for sure.

Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t figure into my daily job routine and so I have to do real work and that, for good or bad, means lots of emailing with clients, prospects, magazine editors, my teammates, etc.

And when it comes to email, the Blackberry is the indisputed heavyweight champion of the world. And to me the iPhone is the Ivan Drago of business mobile phones. (Rocky IV reference)

Regards,
Anand
Brilliont

The full post to a posting on this from my blog is here if interested:
iPhone is the Ivan Drago of Smartphones

Oh God
I love both phones
I would get the iphone ONLY because it is touch screen. I just wish the BB devices would go to touch screen. That’ll be the day.

I will choose a new iPhone of course
http://www.iphone-3g-mobile.com/MOBILE-PHONES/COMPARE-BLACKBERRY-BOLD-9000-AND-APPLE-IPHONE-3G

I have many friends who have the Iphone. I own a blackberry like most of my collegues. I love my blackberry and won’t ever consider the iphone, even having had a salesperson showing me the features of the Iphone for half an hour. I agree with one of the poster that listed Iphone as a more general smart phone for everyday users, while blackberry is more geared towards businesses. The cut and paste feature is a feature that I cannot live without in my line of work. Nor the email features. I look forward to BB 9000. There is a marketplace for both smartphones. But Iphone will never kill blackberry. Presently, I know more BB users than iphone. The iphone users I encounter are the rich clients I deal with, and the BB users are the business professionals. I would always welcome new features on Blackberry, but will never switch my brand just for FUN and ENTERTAINING features.

I agree with Stephen’s comments earlier, but comparing the 3g Iphone to the Blackberry Bold isn’t as much like “comparing apples to oranges.” It’s more like, well, comparing apples to blackberries ;)

I was debating with the curve and iphone last year and went with the curve:
1) it was cheaper ($99) at Amazon
2) iphone did not have 3G/GPS

I knew the next version of iphone will have 3G/GPS so I postponed my iphone purchase.

I love the blackberry compared to my previous Windows Mobile device (ease of use vs advanced capability that is hard to use).

But compared to iphone (I bought one for my dad), blackberry is less user-friendly except in typing longggg emails.

As soon as iphone2 is out, I am going to buy it and switch.

There is no comparision .. waiting for July 11.

Should we be comparing the Iphone to the “Bold” from RIMM or the next generation that is rumored to be coming out that is supposedly a true heads up competitor to the Iphone which means no more keyboard and touchscreen navigation. That is the one that is going to give Iphone the competition. I got a BB and frankly love it. Love Verizon and have no problems to date.

Nokie E and N series with Symbian works better than Blackberry - at least for me. And now that Nokia bought the whole Symbian we can see even better working Symbian OS in the future.

I like how the Smartphone has been redefined by the Blackberry fanatics. The new Smartphone includes everything that iPhone doesn’t have today. And the future Smartphone will include what iPhone doesn’t have at that point in the future. Ha ha ha!

Blackberry will soon follow fountain pen as just a status symbol: a form of nostalgia that needs to be clinged on to.

Until the iphone is available on another network it will always be behind.

“iPhone Killer” - that is the key to the entire debate. Every article, ad, review starts out with “Is XXXXX the real iPhone killer?” Whether its the press, industry, or just user base, the question is always on the mind-share leader from Apple. Insiders see the iPhone as a new platform for development, and all of the other cell phone manufacturers are shooting at a moving target. I dare anyone who watches the video of the WWDC software developments not to be in awe of what can be delivered to the iPhone from a business perspective. That’s why you see so many outraged (and outrageous) responses by the RIMM and WinMobile faithful on how worthless the iPhone is compared to their precious chosen platform. I seem to remember the same shrill defenses from the CP/M faithful and then the DOS faithful (”Who in the world needs ‘icons’ and a GUI). One of the other comments above was only partially right…RIMM OS does not remind one of Windows 95; its more like putting button and pictures on DOS 5.0.

I’ve had a blackberry since the very first one. I’m a power user and have grown increasingly annoyed with the trackball. Like countless other users (see crackberry site), it stops working and you have to clean it with alcohol or take it off for a more thorough cleaning altogether. I have to clean it every week at this point. Playing with the old iPhone at the Mac store, the BB really does seem primitive.

With the Bold, Thunder, Javelin, and other devices from RIM on the horizon, i see RIM gobbling up more consumer marketshare. It will be up to Apple to gobble up more corporate marketshare, which I think is a more difficult task.

Blackberry was made for business users, not typical people. They’re first focus is always businesses. Almost all businesses that use smart phones are carriers of the blackberry. The company I work for is quite large, and throughout the world every one gets a blackberry. Thats a lot of people with blackberry’s just through 1 company alone. Apple is a “fun” phone for the typical customer which is why, like all apple products, has that user friendly feel and customer base. Blackberry on the otherhand is meant for businesses, the email is incredible and no matter what the keyboard looks like it is still extremely efficient in typing long emails to clients or colleagues. Apple will stick to the regular customer, blackberry will continue its dominance with leading businesses all over the world.

What the hell is “Assisted GPS”? The iPhone 3G uses true GPS and the option of cell towers/WiFi hotspots plus Google Maps. GPS wont work indoors, so if I have the iPhone, I don’t have to wait till I go outside just to pinpoint my location.

Also, on the Blackberry you did not include in “Corporate PUSH” that it requires use of the (BES) Blackberry Enterprise Server to make a connection to an Exchange Server. iPhone connects natively using ActiveSync.

Buy what fits your needs. BB is great for email for some, phone is average. IPhone is more like a pocket computer with a real operating system that has many capabilities and yes, a cell phone is but one of them. The iPhone clearly is more versatile for those who want that. If you want a phone that also does e-mail as it’s mainstay, get a BB.

Why is everyone smacking RIM? The Iphone is just a Itouch with a phone. Now with SDK I wonder if someone will add a VOIP phone to their itouch? Has anyone had a Iphone? Terrible Quality. Battery? Tell a business man on a trip he only has 6 hours time before recharge or dock. I don’t carry batteries on me but its a good option if you plan on using your device a lot.

Apple must reach 4% market share in the cell phone market or it will not survive the phone business. That’s a fact that they know they cannot ignore.

The irony here is that the iPhone is supposed to “kill” this product or that one while in reality,the iPhone imitators (RIM not included) are coming out with phones that are better and with a price tag under $150.

Price is king and always wins. Apple is an innovator but will ultimately lose. Look at their history.

It’s all in the terminology. Why does RIM need an iPhone killer? RIM is number 1 in their field. What’s really going on is that Apple has so far failed miserably to deliver a Blackberry killer. Check RIM stock and sales. Apple is doing very well in the high end consumer market which is the market they were targeting.

I don’t need any in depth comparison when the bold’s screen is so obviously puny looking. Next!

For a first phone, and now second ever, Apple is turning this industry on its head. For now, blackberry is seemingly safe.

With Apple turning its attention to corp. features, I am not sure Blackberry will remain so impervious.

Cut and paste, corporate email support, remote wiping, etc., are coming soon.

To those that have not used the keyboard extensively, I say as a non-owner that I picked it up right away, do not dismiss it so fast.

Later on, when iPhone is on multiple carriers, people like me will probably get one too- their is just no chance of me switching from my SERO plan to ATT.

Oh dear it looks like someone is demonstrating a handheld ATARI 2600, pfffffff. Blackberry’s are verry 200?…….. Its a goner.

John, who apparently doesn’t see the point of smart phones, writes: ” My guess is that the majority of cell phone owners only use the very basic features of a cell phone like me. ”

Your premise is absolutely correct. However your conclusion is not. I think that most people would love to do more with their phones if only is wasn’t such a pain to do so. Not only are extra functions hard to learn, but they can be laborious to use even when you know what steps are required. Only the most motivated are willing to invest that much effort to fully use a device.

Now that Apple’s iPhone has showed that it is possible to build a truly usable smart phone, the bar has been raised. Just as Apple’s introduction of the graphical user interface on the Mac raised expectations and ultimately made PCs accessible and useful for more tasks, you will see smart phone use increase as the rest of the cell phone industry chases Apple’s iPhone innovation.

Interesting to see the BlackBerry OS in action in the little video, having never used one.

For those in a similar position I recommend it. This clearly demonstrates how a list of specs side by side doesn’t begin to tell the real story of a comparison between the two devices. The Blackberry OS looks opaque, cluttered, and much harder to navigate at the same time that its small screen real estate adds to the cramped feeling.

Might be great for some people but it’s certainly not what I would want.

The iPhone is a personal computer in your pocket. Obviously, cut & paste can easily be added by Apple. Besides, the iPhone is running OSX, a real computer operating system.

The iPhone is a Smart Phone, an iPod, a Wii style gaming machine, with a real web browser and a much larger screen.

If you own a SlackBerry Bold, all you get is a glorified e-mail terminal. Plus, I’m sure most SlackBerry Bold owners own an iPod, so you are certainly paying a lot more in the end, considering that SlackBerry Bold cost as much as an iPhone with a 2-year contract.

ex ped: If cut & paste were easily added to the iPhone, Apple would have done it by now.

With such a smaller screen, it will not be a pleasure to use like the iPhone. Yes I know they crammed 480x on the tiny screen, which means you fan fit more, but shrunken to tiny images.

I use my cell phone a lot. I have been a cell phone owner/user since 2003. And so far, over the years, I only use the phone to make calls, receive calls, send and receive text messages. I don’t use it for the internet because I have no need to and I have a laptop. I don’t use it to listen to the music because I listen to the car radio. I don’t understand why some people get so passionate about whether the iphone or the blackberry is better than the other. I have a very strong feeling that the majority of people who does own a cell phone don’t use all the features of their cell phone. My guess is that the majority of cell phone owners only use the very basic features of a cell phone like me. And the people so passionate about whether one smart phone is better than another is less that .05% of the cell phone owners. People will buy the phone that addresses their needs or wants but over all, most will not use all the features of a phone on a daily basis. Not everyone is a busy executive or have a profession that requires all those bells and whistles on a phone. More, not everyone will use a cell phone to communicate or for entertainment.

I am a current 8700 user; best phone I ever had. Several concerns with the BB Bold, however:

1. Track ball navigation. Looks painfully slow to use, particularly since it looks like there’s still a good degree of hunting and clicking within the BB menu structure to figure out what you want to do.

2. Browser. Browsing on the 8700 is also painful. I know this is supposed to be a bigger and better browser on the Bold. Will this be true or is it hype?

3. Screen looks relatively small. With this in mind how will functional will GPS be when actually driving? I travel about 1-2 times per month so this, along with 3G, is one of the features I’ve been waiting for, to have it all on a single device. Looks like GPS may be difficult to use on a Blackberry though, particularly with no touch-screen. (For example if I need to change a setting or something in mid-course it seems as though you’d have to click through the menu structure; not safe).

My concerns with the iPhone 2:

1. No physical keyboard. I use e-mail more than any other app and the Blackberry is unmatched in this regard.

2. Cut and paste. Will probably be available via a third party app, but this seems like such a basic feature that it makes me wonder what other little things will the iPhone NOT do…

Honestly right now I’m on the fence between these two, and probably won’t be able to make a decision until I actually have the opportunity to hold one of each in the store. If I had to pick right now though it would be the iPhone, as the trackball navigation on the BB just seems archaic and cumbersome.

iPhones are marketed for consumers and BB’s for corporate. Apples and oranges.

The “anti apple” argument comes from those of us that support systems for the corporate world. iPhone has none of the features that are required for adhering to laws and regulations for compliancy. RIM does a great job of addressing these issues like no other compnay and that’s why they have and will continue to eat at apples marketshare for corp sales.

Comparison on paper, like this one, are silly because….which ever device the writer of such document is advocating, simply take the feature list of his\her supported device and compares the competition to that. iPhone fans could do the same and have similarly imbalanced results.

IPHONE haters chime in about the same complaints that won’t ever change…

No removable storage or battery… who cares.. for $99 a year you get 20 GIGs in a cloud on MObileMe you can access anytime. Who wants to carry around spare memory cards that you can easily lose? NO SINGLE PERSON I KNOW CARRIES SPARE MEMORY CARDS or SPARE BATTERIES in their pockets.. so what’s the use of having the option of a spare.

It’s just another useless feature NO ONE USES… IPHONE removes those silly features and simplifies interfaces. That’s the beauty of it…

Now that SDK is released.. someone will create apps that cut and paste…

AS much as you like claiming the IPHONE isn’t a smartphone.. your still wrong. Or maybe not.. the iphone is a portable computer in your pocket.. it’s better than a smartphone.

What a gorgeous operating system! Where did RIMM find its inspiration? Windows 95? I haven’t stopped laughing. This is an iPhone killer? You’re kidding, right?

The iPhone is NOT a Smartphone like the Blackberry or WIndows Mobile. Rather it is a feature phone with a very good internet browser. It has no cut and paste, no removable storage, no removable battery and NO KEYBOARD.

It seemed like a one sided article toward the Blackberry:

iPhone Operating system is what it is all about for many of the missing will be out as Applications by end of this month such as Voice notes, Video and a lot alot alot more. See attached article for balance.

http://counternotions.com/2008/03/10/iphone2-competitors/

I am waiting for my VZ contract expire to get new iPhone, there is just no better smart phone.

The iphone is so advanced you can’t even cut/paste or receive mms..The touchscreen blackberry thunder rules! muhahahaha

The iPhone is the most overhyped device in history.

watching this makes me really happy that i have an iphone ;-)

How are they not in direct competition with each other?

Blackberry is just a normal fgly fone. Apple is a phone and a piece of art that everyone would love just by looking at it.

PIN numbers = Personal Identification Number numbers.

ex ped: Right you are. Redundancy eliminated. Thanks.

I can believe they haven’t upgraded to touch screen nor improved browser to full capabilities.

When could these things be expected?

Not really sure why he picked these phones to compare. Seems to me there not in direct competition with each other.

This is how you waste your days?