New Blackberry takes page from iPhone book

[MacBytes]

Category: 3rd Party Software
Link: New Blackberry takes page from iPhone book
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Posted on MacBytes.com
Approved by Mudbug

[Lord Blackadder]

The article uses the phrase "corporate bi-phone users"...that must be the strangest thing I've seen in print in a while.

RIM has the business market sewn up for the time being, but the 3G iPhone might really challenge that...

[jlanuez]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

The article uses the phrase "corporate bi-phone users"...that must be the strangest thing I've seen in print in a while.

RIM has the business market sewn up for the time being, but the 3G iPhone might really challenge that...

These people will eventually get tired of carrying two devices. Again this week while on a plane, the guy next to me has a cell phone AND a BlackBerry while I get everything I need done (email), and more (iPod) on my one device, an iPhone.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by jlanuez

These people will eventually get tired of carrying two devices.

Thats why I switched to an iPhone. I was tired of carrying around my cell phone and PDA on a daily basis and then my iPod sometimes as well. That said, I think the Bold looks pretty sharp. I have to say, I like it.

[iJesus]

The Bold is kinda ugly...
... it seems they tried to copy the look from somewhere though...
... can't really put my finger on it...

[Quillz]

I think the Blackberry 9000 is an amazing phone, and will certainly give the iPhone a run for its money. Not everyone enjoys touch screens, you know. Either way, whether you prefer the Blackberry or iPhone, everyone wins. We get 3G capable phones no matter which route you choose.

[PowerFullMac]

It looks like a BlackBerry Pearl with a smaller screen and slightly bigger buttons below it and a different keyboard... Looks like a POS like most BlackBerrys.

[edesignuk]

Looks pretty good to me. 3G + WiFi, Better screen, proper physical keyboard. This will only continue to drive RIMs utter dominance of the business market.

[Santa Rosa]

Well looks like its only a matter of time before the first of many iPhone 3G vs Blackberry 9000 reviews pop up.

Also I cant see how this $150 million fund is going to aid Blackberry developers. Have they got a good SDK out?? I dont know but I certainly know that the iPhone does and can see that as being a key factor.

Time will tell.

[edesignuk]

Originally Posted by Santa Rosa

Also I cant see how this $150 million fund is going to aid Blackberry developers. Have they got a good SDK out?? I dont know but I certainly know that the iPhone does and can see that as being a key factor.

I don't know about an SDK, I'm not a programmer, but yes, somehow it is easy for people to write apps for it. There are many, many apps out there. Companies even write their own software for it inhouse to deploy to their own BB's. Bloomberg even have a BB client.

[Karpfish]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

The article uses the phrase "corporate bi-phone users"...that must be the strangest thing I've seen in print in a while.

RIM has the business market sewn up for the time being, but the 3G iPhone might really challenge that...

How does that make an sense? Have people been buying blackberries for years because they had 3G? No, because they haven't had 3G.RIM is so successful because it has a nice, stable OS and push email. They're not stupid and expect that everyone wants a touch screen. This is not true, especially in business where people are typing long emails on their phone al day. RIM has done quite well despite not offering a touch screen, and i doubt that will change at all with the 3G iPhone.

[BornAgainMac]

Blackberry remind me of Palm.

[BongoBanger]

The Bold looks to be awesome. All the initial reviews are incredibly positive about it from the additional features through the redesigned interface to the high quality screen. This is one serious piece of kit.

As for the article...

On Monday, Research In Motion Ltd followed in the steps of Apple by adding consumer-friendly features, such as digital-music playback and a camera to its new BlackBerry Bold handheld.

These features have been available on smartphones for years. Another clueless journo strikes!

[Lord Blackadder]

Originally Posted by Karpfish

How does that make an sense? Have people been buying blackberries for years because they had 3G?

RIM will continue to do well I'm sure, but the 3G iPhone will probably eat into that market a bit more. The physical keyboard is always going to be an issue. If you keep it, it imposes major limitations on screen size; if you remove it, you lose functionality, at least these days.

[Quillz]

Originally Posted by Lord Blackadder

RIM will continue to do well I'm sure, but the 3G iPhone will probably eat into that market a bit more. The physical keyboard is always going to be an issue. If you keep it, it imposes major limitations on screen size; if you remove it, you lose functionality, at least these days.

The iPhone doesn't have a keyboard and it's still rather functional.

[Lord Blackadder]

Originally Posted by Quillz

The iPhone doesn't have a keyboard and it's still rather functional.

Very true, but at this point in time the virtual keyboard has not replaced a physical one. A few years down the road things may be different. I personally think that the iPhone points the way forward.

[PowerFullMac]

Now this is a BlackBerry iPhone knock-off!

[gkarris]

Originally Posted by PowerFullMac

Now this is a BlackBerry iPhone knock-off!

The second I saw Steve hold up the "New iPhone" I thought to myself, "That's what all the Smartphones will look like from here on out..."

[ZiggyPastorius]

I've been using a cell phone with a physical keyboard for a while (a treo), and have had pocket PCs in the past with similar keyboards, and I've never been as functional or fast on those as I am on the iPod touch keyboard. That's just a personal experience, and obviously speaks for me, but I think any argument that the keyboard on the blackberry is inherently better (or vise versa) may be truthful, but not factual.

I think it'll be interesting to see how the whole thing pans out. Apple does big updates in longer intervals, so it may be hard for Rimm to predict their next move, and if it's big enough, they may be hurting. We'll see.