Not your average switch from VZW thread

[dvrmstrng]

Currently I am 22, i just graduated college and my parents said they are done paying the cell phone bill.

Currently I am on VZW with a blackberry storm. I like the phone, miss the actual keyboard, and can tell you from ipod touch experience i like typing on the iphone more.

So come September i am going to have to pay the bill either way. Currently i think my parents are paying somewhere around $45-$50 a month for my BB.

I would be able to sell my unlocked Storm on ebay for hopefully the cost of the iphone so its not the initial costs that are scaring me it is the monthly. The people i talk with most on my blackberry are also BB users via blackberry messenger. This will more than likely require me to get unlimited texting on the iphone.

The last part of the equation is that for graduation i was given a macbook pro. I no longer keep my storm up to date because it is not as easy via mac. I feel as though an iphone along with this new MBP would work well together, i just am not sure if i am ready to make the jump to nearly $100 a month cell phone bill.

Any tips?

 

[thegoldenmackid]

Get an unlocked one and pick your own plan? Or you could pay your parents back monthly? But that involves keeping your Storm.

 

[dvrmstrng]

Get an unlocked one and pick your own plan? Or you could pay your parents back monthly? But that involves keeping your Storm.

what do you mean about picking my own plan with an unlocked one? Link?

as far as the second part, i am part of a family share plan, i will be removed from that once september comes around and have to pay for my own calling/data/bb plan.

 

[Drewsky87]

What kind of tips are you looking for exactly? You're 22 with a degree, it can't be that hard to get a decent job. If you want the phone you'll have to pay for it. I'm 22 working full time and going to school. I've been paying my cellphone bill since I was 15 and ALL of my bills since I was 18 and currently paying off $11,000 in student loans as well, all I can say is consider yourself lucky.

EDIT: Sorry if I sound like a d**k but there's not much anyone here can help you with in terms of not wanting a $100 phone bill.

 

[dvrmstrng]

What kind of tips are you looking for exactly? You're 22 with a degree, it can't be that hard to get a decent job. If you want the phone you'll have to pay for it. I'm 22 working full time and going to school. I've been paying my cellphone bill since I was 15 and ALL of my bills since I was 18 and currently paying off $11,000 in student loans as well, all I can say is consider yourself lucky.

EDIT: Sorry if I sound like a d**k but there's not much anyone here can help you with in terms of not wanting a $100 phone bill.

your right and its really not about the money...its about the fact if i stuck with blackberry i could possibly save around $500 a year off a cell phone bill unless the switch to a 3GS is truly an upgrade and not a switch.

 

[Drewsky87]

your right and its really not about the money...its about the fact if i stuck with blackberry i could possibly save around $500 a year off a cell phone bill unless the switch to a 3GS is truly an upgrade and not a switch.

If that's the case you just need to compare pros/cons of each and see which one outweighs which, everyone's preferences are different. This we CAN help you with if you have any questions.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

what do you mean about picking my own plan with an unlocked one? Link?

as far as the second part, i am part of a family share plan, i will be removed from that once september comes around and have to pay for my own calling/data/bb plan.

That sounds like it will cost more than being part of the family share plan. Why don't you just pay your family back your share of the family plan?

That saves both you, and them, money.

 

[dvrmstrng]

If that's the case you just need to compare pros/cons of each and see which one outweighs which, everyone's preferences are different. This we CAN help you with if you have any questions.

well let me list some things, maybe you can just put an iphone comment next to each one.

my battery barely lasts a full day (i get up around 10, text a lot and bar tend until around 3am)

not extremely compatible with MBP

i do use my BB for email quite a bit, have heard mixed reviews about iphones ability to push emails.

i DONT use the phone as an IPOD, i only use a shuffle at the gym

my BB is pretty durable, have never put it in a case and its still looking good, my ipods have scratched somewhat easily in the past

i mainly talk to my friends via BBM, which uses threaded messaging between BB users. Are all text conversations threaded on an iphone (sucks for people on the other end)

programs for BB arent that great, but i am not one to look for programs of a lighter on my screen.

ill keep thinking

 

[dvrmstrng]

That sounds like it will cost more than being part of the family share plan. Why don't you just pay your family back your share of the family plan?

That saves both you, and them, money.

moving out of the house, will be paying all my own health insurance, car insurance, rent, etc etc....starting to live on my own, its time. Otherwise i would love to.

 

[abijnk]

You aren't going to be able to get a BB for "$45 -$50" a month. This might be what your parents are paying for your line on a family plan, but you will be paying more in line with what the iPhone costs. Honestly, I don't think there will be a big difference in cost between an iPhone on AT&T and a comparable plan with a BB on Verizon, maybe $5-$10 a month depending, but not much.

 

[dvrmstrng]

You aren't going to be able to get a BB for "$45 -$50" a month. This might be what your parents are paying for your line on a family plan, but you will be paying more in line with what the iPhone costs. Honestly, I don't think there will be a big difference in cost between an iPhone on AT&T and a comparable plan with a BB on Verizon, maybe $5-$10 a month depending, but not much.

this is what i was thinking, once i was removed from the family share plan, had to do my own calling plan, data plan, and bb plan...it would be comparable to the cost of the iphone. So now, anyone have a link to a thread or good read comparing the new 3GS and the storm, or any top of the line BB?

 

[dvrmstrng]

this is what i was thinking, once i was removed from the family share plan, had to do my own calling plan, data plan, and bb plan...it would be comparable to the cost of the iphone. So now, anyone have a link to a thread or good read comparing the new 3GS and the storm, or any top of the line BB?

and then another worry i have, which always seems to happen to me (upgraded processors in MB pro's a week after i get mine) that the iphone will get moved to verizon? Is that just a myth or a reality?

 

[abijnk]

and then another worry i have, which always seems to happen to me (upgraded processors in MB pro's a week after i get mine) that the iphone will get moved to verizon? Is that just a myth or a reality?

If it is even a remote possibility it won't happen for another year.

As for a review between the Storm and the iPhone, I have owned both, so here is my review: Get the iPhone.
As for a review between another top ranking BB and the iPhone, I have owned the Bold, so here is my review: Get the iPhone.

 

[Drewsky87]

my battery barely lasts a full day (i get up around 10, text a lot and bar tend until around 3am)

I'll use today as an example with my iPhone 3GS to give you an idea about the battery: I got up around 11AM (late for me, I had a long night at the bar last night lol) and I've been texting a decent amount, have talked about 30 minutes total on it so far, have had bluetooth on constantly, fetching emails every 15 minutes and also use a few apps for a while and my battery is at 85% right now (it's 6:30pm)

not extremely compatible with MBP

You won't find any mobile device that integrates better than an iPhone with a Mac. iTunes, contacts, calendar, photos, bookmarks; there all easily synched with the phone. Just plug in and click a button on iTunes.

i do use my BB for email quite a bit, have heard mixed reviews about iphones ability to push emails.

I personally love the iPhones email. Sure it doesn't have push for my account (Gmail) but I don't need my emails instantly anyways. You can set it to fetch your emails every 15, 30 or 60 minutes or just manually retrieve them when you open Mail).

i DONT use the phone as an IPOD, i only use a shuffle at the gym

I never thought I'd use mine for music too much either but that quickly changed. I use mine as an iPod mostly in my car.

my BB is pretty durable, have never put it in a case and its still looking good, my ipods have scratched somewhat easily in the past

People have mixed opinions about the iPhone here. It's certainly not a tank and if you toss it around it will get scratched as with any other mobile device. I personally keep mine in a leather sleeve in my pocket so it doesn't have a single scratch on it. I don't think scratches on the back are too noticeable (especially on mine, I have the white 3GS. It wasn't too bad on my black 3G either though) but a lot of people may think differently. As far as the screen goes, I've never gotten a scratch on mine but I also tend to be careful with my phone. If you're worried, just be somewhat careful with it or get a screen protector.

i mainly talk to my friends via BBM, which uses threaded messaging between BB users. Are all text conversations threaded on an iphone (sucks for people on the other end)

Yes, all your text messages are threaded by the contact name. If you have multiple text conversations going on it will list all the contacts with whom you have conversations with, then just tap the contact name to view the conversation. The iPhone doesn't have any type of messaging service such as BBM (only texting/emails) so this may be a drawback for you.

programs for BB arent that great, but i am not one to look for programs of a lighter on my screen.

There's plenty of good apps for the iPhone. Yeah there's a lot of useless ones like the lighter and all but there's more useful ones than useless I'd say.

 

[appleguy123]

and then another worry i have, which always seems to happen to me (upgraded processors in MB pro's a week after i get mine) that the iphone will get moved to verizon? Is that just a myth or a reality?

you could have upgraded for a 10% restocking fee. also iI dont think verizon wants the iphone and the earliest it can go to them is 2011

 

[dvrmstrng]

If it is even a remote possibility it won't happen for another year.

As for a review between the Storm and the iPhone, I have owned both, so here is my review: Get the iPhone.
As for a review between another top ranking BB and the iPhone, I have owned the Bold, so here is my review: Get the iPhone.

haha sounds good...

my battery barely lasts a full day (i get up around 10, text a lot and bar tend until around 3am)

I'll use today as an example with my iPhone 3GS to give you an idea about the battery: I got up around 11AM (late for me, I had a long night at the bar last night lol) and I've been texting a decent amount, have talked about 30 minutes total on it so far, have had bluetooth on constantly, fetching emails every 15 minutes and also use a few apps for a while and my battery is at 85% right now (it's 6:30pm)

not extremely compatible with MBP

You won't find any mobile device that integrates better than an iPhone with a Mac. iTunes, contacts, calendar, photos, bookmarks; there all easily synched with the phone. Just plug in and click a button on iTunes.

i do use my BB for email quite a bit, have heard mixed reviews about iphones ability to push emails.

I personally love the iPhones email. Sure it doesn't have push for my account (Gmail) but I don't need my emails instantly anyways. You can set it to fetch your emails every 15, 30 or 60 minutes or just manually retrieve them when you open Mail).

i DONT use the phone as an IPOD, i only use a shuffle at the gym

I never thought I'd use mine for music too much either but that quickly changed. I use mine as an iPod mostly in my car.

my BB is pretty durable, have never put it in a case and its still looking good, my ipods have scratched somewhat easily in the past

People have mixed opinions about the iPhone here. It's certainly not a tank and if you toss it around it will get scratched as with any other mobile device. I personally keep mine in a leather sleeve in my pocket so it doesn't have a single scratch on it. I don't think scratches on the back are too noticeable (especially on mine, I have the white 3GS. It wasn't too bad on my black 3G either though) but a lot of people may think differently. As far as the screen goes, I've never gotten a scratch on mine but I also tend to be careful with my phone. If you're worried, just be somewhat careful with it or get a screen protector.

i mainly talk to my friends via BBM, which uses threaded messaging between BB users. Are all text conversations threaded on an iphone (sucks for people on the other end)

Yes, all your text messages are threaded by the contact name. If you have multiple text conversations going on it will list all the contacts with whom you have conversations with, then just tap the contact name to view the conversation. The iPhone doesn't have any type of messaging service such as BBM (only texting/emails) so this may be a drawback for you.

programs for BB arent that great, but i am not one to look for programs of a lighter on my screen.

There's plenty of good apps for the iPhone. Yeah there's a lot of useless ones like the lighter and all but there's more useful ones than useless I'd say.

sounds good...i would like to get a nice sleek case for it, weather it be hard or silicon...any good ones to check out?

you could have upgraded for a 10% restocking fee. also iI dont think verizon wants the iphone and the earliest it can go to them is 2011

i would have but it was a gift and didnt want to look a gift horse in the mouth.



so it sounds like if monthly bills are close its a no brainer....16 gig white with a decent case i guess it is...maybe i can get some $$$ for an unlocked storm on ebay

 

[Ronnoco]

Do you have the option of staying on your parents family plan and just paying them for your part of the bill? That wouldn't be a bad option if you decided to stay with the BB...you'd save yourself about $20 to @30 a month that you could use for gas/food etc...

 

[Drewsky87]

I'm assuming you're aware of the AT&T/iPhone situation with MMS right now? If not, it's not available as of yet but should be coming fairly soon at no extra cost.

as for cases, check out the apple store to see your options in terms of types of cases. I'm using the Sena ultra slim pouch because I don't like cases on my phone while I'm using it.

 

[dvrmstrng]

Do you have the option of staying on your parents family plan and just paying them for your part of the bill? That wouldn't be a bad option if you decided to stay with the BB...you'd save yourself about $20 to @30 a month that you could use for gas/food etc...

cant do that...already discussed, otherwise thats what i would be doing

 

[dvrmstrng]

I'm assuming you're aware of the AT&T/iPhone situation with MMS right now? If not, it's not available as of yet but should be coming fairly soon at no extra cost.

as for cases, check out the apple store to see your options in terms of types of cases. I'm using the Sena ultra slim pouch because I don't like cases on my phone while I'm using it.

will do...i also see some banners on this site sometimes with some crazy looking cases....



just checked out BB plans and ill be paying around 85 a month for my current blackberry plan.

 

[army91c]

You're 22 and mom and dad are/were still paying your cell bill? Guess things have really changed... Not a diss just an observation.

 

[dvrmstrng]

You're 22 and mom and dad are/were still paying your cell bill? Guess things have really changed... Not a diss just an observation.

paid for college, paid for cell phone, i pay for car, gas, food, etc...i guess its because we have family share my dad always took care of it, didnt want us dealing with online billing etc....yeah

 

[MacLover4491]

Get an unlocked iphone off ebay. They are cheap. Sign up for contract without a data plan. Now you only have to pay $30/month for the 300mins plan. What do you think? save money and still get the iphone haha

 

[TLewis]

my battery barely lasts a full day (i get up around 10, text a lot and bar tend until around 3am)

Depending on how many bars you get, the iPhone may or may not last that long. If you only get 1-2 bars or less, I'd say that you'll have to plug in the iPhone at least once during the day.

i do use my BB for email quite a bit, have heard mixed reviews about iphones ability to push emails.

Push is OK, but messages can sometimes take a few minutes to get pushed. Really depends on what email you have now. Yahoo users get free push email. Gmail doesn't yet have push, but you can pay a third party $25/year to get it. Alternatively (and this works with gmail, too), a free but klunky way of getting "push" email is to just autoforward your existing email to a free push email account; once pushed to the iPhone, you just use your existing email account to read and reply (you do not use the push account to reply).

For gmail, accessing the mobile web version via safari is actually pretty nice. It's better than the iPhone's mail app. The only real downside is that you can only access one gmail account.

i mainly talk to my friends via BBM, which uses threaded messaging between BB users. Are all text conversations threaded on an iphone (sucks for people on the other end)

There's currently no way to access Blackberry's private messaging service (the one with BBM pins). If you can get your friends to use IM (AIM, MSN, Yahoo messenger, etc.), the iPhone IM apps w/push are pretty nice. Of course, txt messages work, too.

 

[gforce216]

Whoever said that their battery was at 85% from 11AM to 6PM is definitely not being honest. You had a 30 min conversation, 7 hours pass, played a game, and texted and you're at 85%? There is no way that is possible unless you had brightness at 0%, no wifi, no bluetooth, no location services, no push or fetch. I don't believe it.