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aliensarecool

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 25, 2012
540
0
are they really that far behind iphones and the top androids?

i miss the keyboards and amazing battery life of my old bolds...how are the newer ones?
 

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603
Mar 22, 2010
5,750
8
NC
They're far behind. They're the dumbest smartphone out there. Battery life on iPhone 5 is awesome.
 

kannesss

macrumors 6502a
Feb 18, 2008
518
0
Above.
The Verizon store near me doesn't even have any on display. You have to ask for a blackberry now. Basically, I'd say if the store its self thinks the phone isn't worth the space to display it, I wouldn't get it. I wouldn't use a blackberry ever again. I have way too much fun with useable apps, amazing games, and everything you'll never get on blackberry. Even if you get a blackberry 10 phone, same **** I'd assume.
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,448
2,360
DE
Sad as it may sound, if there was no iPhone, I would probably own a Blackberry since Android phones do absolutely nothing for me.

With that said, the only BB's I have seen on display around me are at my local Best Buy store. My local VZW and AT&T stores don't even have display phones out for any BB models.

I am kind of interested to see what Blackberry 10 offers since I think that is going to determine whether the company survives or not.
 

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,520
2,821
Manhattan
are they really that far behind iphones and the top androids?

i miss the keyboards and amazing battery life of my old bolds...how are the newer ones?

RIM has one more shot at getting it right. I believe they will be releasing the new BB10 OS on some new devices in the 1st quarter of next year. They look interesting, but time will tell.
 

PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
111
BlackBerry 10 looks really awesome. RIM will still have a lot of catching up to do, but the OS looks really promising. I wouldn't waste your time with any of the current BB phones.
 

tgi

macrumors 65816
Aug 29, 2012
1,331
330
The Verizon store near me doesn't even have any on display. You have to ask for a blackberry now. Basically, I'd say if the store its self thinks the phone isn't worth the space to display it, I wouldn't get it. I wouldn't use a blackberry ever again. I have way too much fun with useable apps, amazing games, and everything you'll never get on blackberry. Even if you get a blackberry 10 phone, same **** I'd assume.

+1

OP, If you only miss the keyboard and battery life, why not get a bluetooth keyboard case?

http://www.boxwave.com/apple-iphone...ard-buddy-apple-iphone-5-case/bwpdd/pkz-zvwt/

There are tweaks you can do to save battery life. You would be crazy to go back to BB after the iPhone for the 2 reasons you stated.
 

pommie82

macrumors 6502
Jan 4, 2011
299
30
uk
If i didn't have a iPhone then i would have a blackberry they are good phones i had one for two years and the battery was very good on it i could use windows live messenger at work all day and it the battery would last all day no problem that is one thing i would say about the iPhone thats not too great is the battery but the blackberry battery is amazing if i wasn't using windows live messenger i could get two days out of my blackberry before i had to charge it again very rare i didn't use windows live messenger and another thing i do like about blackberry is the keyboards are great to fire out a quick message when needs be i wish i could say that about the iPhone battery its not the greatest battery in the world at all really compared to the blackberry its ok mind you but its always best to carry a external charger with you when you have a iPhone just in case you need to charge it during a day with mine i normal charge it a couple of times a day when i am out and about because i'am listening to internet radio via bluetooth headphones which really takes the battery quite fast about 30% every hour if i have my radio on and headphones on
 

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area

jer9542

macrumors member
Aug 20, 2010
85
0
My company issued us blackberries as business phones. So i have a blackberry bold and a ip5. After using iPhones for the past 5 years, using a BB feels like going back to the stone age (even a modern blackberry). I highly suggest you give it time to get used to. I can't speak for everyone, but iPhone has certainly become the only brand of phone I'll use for a long time
 

saintforlife

macrumors 65816
Feb 25, 2011
1,045
329
are they really that far behind iphones and the top androids?

i miss the keyboards and amazing battery life of my old bolds...how are the newer ones?

Wait till January if you are going back to Blackberry. The new Blackberry 10 OS is coming out with new hardware and that is what you want. Also if you are a big app user, you will certainly miss that. Barring the big ones, I don't see BB catching up with the Apple app store anytime soon.
 

scaredpoet

macrumors 604
Apr 6, 2007
6,627
342
are they really that far behind iphones and the top androids?

i miss the keyboards and amazing battery life of my old bolds...how are the newer ones?

Wait for January. As said above, Blackbery OS 10, and new generations of Blackberries, are supposed to be released early January. Then you can consider whether switching is a good idea or not.

All of the current RIM hardware will, for all intents and purposes, be obsolete (not upgradeable to BB10). So buying one right now makes absolutely no sense.

Of course, there's no guarantee that the new stuff will really be as wonderful as RIM promises. Only time will tell.
 

CBR900RR

macrumors 6502a
Oct 11, 2008
687
21
Middle of Pacific
I had own the blackberry 7105t, 7290, 8800, 8310, 8900 previously and iPhone 3g, 3gs, 4, 4s and now rocking the 5.

Things that the blackberry outshine the iPhone are email, notification light, user profile, keyboard short cut, battery life, microSD card, removable battery, magnet in the case to wake/sleep the phone, all files and media are drag and drop into the phone or SDcard.

But all in all, both phones are in a different league, blackberry is a business smart phone, and iphone is a mini portable computer.
 
Last edited:

cruzmisl

macrumors regular
Nov 10, 2012
229
24
I still have my Bold 9650 around (I had a Tour before that). There are things I miss about it, mostly the LED notification, but it really feels like using an ancient device.

Basically, the BB will feel like a messaging device and not a true "smartphone" anymore. Try browsing on it, looking at maps, or anything not related to messaging/e-mail. It sucks at those things.
 

AAPLinc

macrumors 65816
Jul 27, 2012
1,292
2
Hollywood, CA
Going back to Blackberry is literally going back in time. I would wait and see what BB 10 has to offer, maybe they have some tricks up there sleeves. Otherwise, good luck!
 

berriac

macrumors newbie
Nov 15, 2012
5
0
I own an iPhone 4s and a Blackberry Bold 9900 and my iPhone is sitting idle as an iPod only. 9900 is my preferred phone over 4S. If apps are your primary concern, iPhone is the way to go. Heard a lot of nice things about upcoming BB10...you can wait for it or buy one used BB bold from eBay and have a first hand experience.
 

Ungibbed

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2010
765
198
USA
I had own the blackberry 7105t, 7290, 8800, 8310, 8900 previously and iPhone 3g, 3gs, 4, 4s and now rocking the 5.

Things that the blackberry outshine the iPhone are email, notification light, user profile, keyboard short cut, battery life, microSD card, removable battery, magnet in the case to wake/sleep the phone, all files and media are drag and drop into the phone or SDcard.

But all in all, both phones are in a different league, blackberry is a business smart phone, and iphone is a mini portable computer.

The world between them with all the features you mention is on the Galaxy S3. I owned my fair share of BlackBerry phones and various iPhone models. My latest being the 4S. In a upgrade frenzy with dozens of choices the S3 had all the features I loved in both with a 720p display. I still love my 32GB 4S and my retired Bold 9700.

One BlackBerry device I still use is the PlayBook. It gave me a major view in the design changes to come even long before they get updated to BB 10.

I wouldn't buy a current phone from them at all. The flagship Bold 9900/9930 had some major fails... poor battery life and a fixed focus 8MP camera. My three year old 9700 took better photos and still outlasted the new model. I then bought my iPhone 4S and still like it despite feeling rather "cramped". The compromise between them has been a tough call but the iPhone 5 didn't really get me too excited. Will see when the 5S hits the shelves and scalpers soon enough.
 

AAPLinc

macrumors 65816
Jul 27, 2012
1,292
2
Hollywood, CA
I own an iPhone 4s and a Blackberry Bold 9900 and my iPhone is sitting idle as an iPod only. 9900 is my preferred phone over 4S. If apps are your primary concern, iPhone is the way to go. Heard a lot of nice things about upcoming BB10...you can wait for it or buy one used BB bold from eBay and have a first hand experience.

Really you prefer the 9900 to the 4S? :eek:

I used to always love physical keyboards on phones and also hated touch screens.

And then once I got an iPhone, I could NEVER see myself going back to a phone with a physical keyboard. I guess everyone has their preferences. Even though physical keyboards might make it easier to type/email with less mistakes. There is no way I could go back.

And that short, cramped screen?
 

apollo1444

macrumors 65816
Jul 22, 2011
1,329
27
mexico
lol at this thread really?

blackberry stopped being the enterprise phones and only teens & justin bieber fans own that crap
 

LearnIIBurn

macrumors member
Oct 22, 2012
30
0
If i didn't have a iPhone then i would have a blackberry they are good phones i had one for two years and the battery was very good on it i could use windows live messenger at work all day and it the battery would last all day no problem that is one thing i would say about the iPhone thats not too great is the battery but the blackberry battery is amazing if i wasn't using windows live messenger i could get two days out of my blackberry before i had to charge it again very rare i didn't use windows live messenger and another thing i do like about blackberry is the keyboards are great to fire out a quick message when needs be i wish i could say that about the iPhone battery its not the greatest battery in the world at all really compared to the blackberry its ok mind you but its always best to carry a external charger with you when you have a iPhone just in case you need to charge it during a day with mine i normal charge it a couple of times a day when i am out and about because i'am listening to internet radio via bluetooth headphones which really takes the battery quite fast about 30% every hour if i have my radio on and headphones on

Wow. Is your period key broken? Sorry, just read this and got it, but wow.
 

takeshi74

macrumors 601
Feb 9, 2011
4,974
68
are they really that far behind iphones and the top androids?

i miss the keyboards and amazing battery life of my old bolds...how are the newer ones?
Try one and see for yourself. It's a subjective matter. IMO they're really that far behind and have been so for ages. That said, plenty of people seem to still happily use them.

If you get one through your carrier you'll have a return window that you can use to decide if you really want to keep the BB. Polling others isn't going to tell you if you'll be happy with one or not.
 

upnorth85

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2011
629
202
MN, USA
I have used BB for many years. I now use the unlocked one's when I travel overseas. BB's are highly efficient data wise and are best in class for e-mails and calendar. But not for much more. I use a Samsung Galaxy S2 on T-mobile but since Apple will not sell me an iPhone 5 I am continuing on SGS2. I also use the new iPad and MacBook Air and am conversant with all 3 operating systems.
My thoughts are:

1. BB's days in the western countries is done and over. BB's are however a craze in much of Africa, India and to some extent China due to the low cost of the device (they provider lowered down versions in these markets) and low data requirements (push e-mail and RIMM"s own network).
2. My experience switching from BB to Android (and iPad) was light and day. My first thought was why did not do this earlier. The apps available in iOs are the best and then come Android and last BB.
3. Keyboard was not an issue for me. My Samsung Galaxy S2 has "swipe". I can just move my thumb or finger without lifting it. My typing is faster than my BB typing. I am not sure if iOs has a swype App.
4. Finally I would not recommend going back to BB. I am keenly waiting to buy an iPhone 5 when Apple finally starts selling to those outside of AT&T/Verizon etc.
5. The only thing, I will miss on the iPhone 5, I think is Google Maps and Navigation which is better than any luxury car navigation. I will also miss the swype function of my phone.

Your question makes me think the difference between the iPhone and BB is like switching back to a land line from a cell phone. One is a dying technology. Market share for BB in the US is less than 4% now.
 
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