Switch to iPhone 5 from Blackberry Bold 9900/9930?

[bigdaddymac]

When I preordered my wife a new iPhone 5, I thought for sure I'd want one too. After playing with it a bit, it is indeed an amazing phone. However, I'm staying with my Blackberry Bold 9900.

The blackberry is incredible for email, and for no nonsense news via RSS feeds and twitter. It also handles my podcasts fine for my commute, and even takes decent photos/videos, in a pinch. The apps are of course terrible. in the end, the blackberry just feels more like a daily work tool for me, the iPhone more like a toy. I dont mean that in a negative way, the iPhone can actually handle email and some other work functions just fine. But the "toy" aspects are too distracting - so that's what my iPad is for (!) - apps, web browsing, etc.

We'll see what the new blackberries look like next year, but for now, after seeing the new iPhone, I'm sticking with what is, at least for me, the perfect combo - blackberry bold 9900 and iPad.

The one addition I may make is a new kindle, for dedicated reading.

Any other blackberry people making the switch or staying with blackberry?

 

[EvanCooper93]

I had a Blackberry Bold 9000 before I got the iPhone 4 two summers ago. It really took me a month or two to get used to the iPhone. I loved how much more complex the OS if blackberry was and of course their award winning keyboard, but I eventually loved my iPhone.

When the Bold 9900 came out I decided to go back to Blackberry again. I only lasted 3 weeks when I started missing the iPhone. I loved the keyboard on the bold and the email system, but that was about it. I became too accustomed to the apps and the big screen that the iPhone has. So, I got the 4S instead and haven't looked back. My iPhone 5 should be in in Monday and I'm really excited.

I think the new Blackberry touch screen looks really nice though and I may look into those in a year or two. I'll still always root for RIM/Team Blackberry because they are THE very first smartphone and should get a lot more credit.

 

[iFanboy]

TIL there are still Blackberry users.

*Shrugs*

 

[leenak]

I think the new Blackberry touch screen looks really nice though and I may look into those in a year or two. I'll still always root for RIM/Team Blackberry because they are THE very first smartphone and should get a lot more credit.

I don't think they are the first ones but they seem to be the first to get widespread adoption in the corporate world. Sad that it is a dying company.

 

[iPhone Russ]

I had a Blackberry 9900 (t-mobile) before and I have had my iPhone 5 for almost 10 days.

I miss the following:
1.The LED which told me if I had a message or missed call without constantly turning the phone on or off,
2.When I snoozed or dismissed a calendar invite on my desktop the change was immediately reflected on my Blackberry and vice versa,
3.The ability to turn the Blackberry display ON and begin working by just pressing one button (and it still never pocket dialed anyone),
4.The ability to navigate extremely quickly using only one thumb on the track pad,
5.The Blackberry 9900 was shorter so I did not have to adjust the way I was holding it to reach the top button to turn the display off ,
6.The keyboard,
7.The generally accepted industry standard micro – USB for charging,
8.The ease of using the Blackberry 9900 dock,
9.The exterior of the Blackberry material made it easier to hold, no case required,
10.The ability for it to turn itself completely off during the wee hours of the night and back on in the early morning to conserve battery and data use,
11.The ability, with the press of the track pad, for it to dial the phone number AND access code for a conference call from within a calendar invite,
12.Using less data, I use more data with the iPhone which will cost more,
13.Ability to switch out a dead battery for a freshly charged one,
14.Seamless free calls and SMS via Wifi in remote foreign countries (or in my own home) as if it were connected to a nearby carrier cell tower.

I am likely keeping the iPhone 5 because of:
1.Siri,
2.the apps,
3.the camera,
4.the notifications in the lock screen,
5.the notification center,
6.plays nicer with Gmail (I use gmail for personal messages),
7.no $5 surcharge from carrier for using a Blackberry,
8. ability to sync with iCloud,
9.the seamless sync with iTunes,
10.I’m ready for something different,
11.Apple Inc.’s strong financial position means future innovation.

I am eager to learn everything about the iPhone functionality especially around it’s interaction with Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Exchange) contacts and calendar functions. The lack of an LED for urgent items that need my immediate attention and the issue with snoozed/ dismissed calendar invites are the only potential deal breakers for me.
I’m still learning and comparing.

I have 20 more days until the option to return expires. It's been a slow week for me in the office and I have not been able to test the limits. I would appreciate hearing more thoughts on this topic; especially around it’s interoperability with Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Exchange).

 

[Dlanod]

It's the light that gets me. I hate the fact that my iPhone is dumb unless you waken it. And the fact that Facebook Twitter etc don't background update. If you don't go into Twitter for a few days on iPhone when you open it it grinds through and update. Depending on the network available.

 

[ZBoater]

I use the Bold 9900 for work. Find it much more useful for email/calendaring. Your analysis is spot on. My iPhone 5 is in my pocket for everything else.

 

[Smtevo]

Your 9900 takes decent photos? That's the first time I've heard that before, the thing doesn't even have autofocus so you can take a picture within 2 feet.

 

[iPhone Russ]

The story below sort of goes with my comments above that the calendar function on the iPhone 5 not working as cleanly with Microsoft Exchange as Blackberry Bold 9900 does... maybe they will fix it while working on the issue below.

MacRumors has learned that at least one Fortune 500 company is requesting that its employees not upgrade to iOS 6 over a bug with Microsoft Exchange meeting invitations. The issue has also been reported on Apple's support discussion boards.

The issue appears when users decline a meeting invitation from an iOS 6 device. Instead of simply sending a notification to the meeting organizer that the user will not attend, iOS 6 is sending meeting cancellation notices to the entire distribution list, effectively canceling the invitation for all attendees.


We received this memo that was sent out to all employees at a very large company:

Information Technology Notice

To: Mobile device users who connect personal Apple mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, etc) with company email.

What: On September 27, IT notified you of an intermittent issue caused when calendar appointments are declined from devices running the latest Apple operating system (iOS 6). Apple and Microsoft are providing IT with daily updates on their progress toward a resolution.

Impact: When appointments are declined from an Apple mobile device running iOS 6, a cancellation is sometimes sent to all meeting attendees instead of sending a decline notice to the meeting organizer.

Action to take: Do not upgrade your Apple mobile device to iOS 6. If you have an iPhone 5 or have already upgraded a device to iOS 6, please do not accept or decline calendar appointments from your Apple device until further notice.
Affected companies have notified both Apple and Microsoft, but there does not appear to be a public timeline for a resolution. iOS 6 users have reportedly been affected by another issue with Exchange, this time affecting push delivery of emails.

 

[Leet Apple]

The thing i miss about blackberry: LED indicator, Keyboard, and the shape and feel of the phone in your hand

but no matter what i'd always go back to my iPhones

i could only last a few months with a Blackberry no more then that