switching back to blackberry advice.

[lifeproof123]

alright, so for the longest time i've had blackberries. For years I had the pearl series, and then the curve series. The keyboard is amazing, hands down. I'm a speedy texter too, I like to just get things done. I had some touch phones here and there, but at the end of the day nothing just got it done like a blackberry. I have an itouch keep in mind, so all of my angry birds/words with friends, etc. I have on my itouch and I also have a macbook.

Back In december I decided to ditch my blackberry curve 9300 to opt for an iphone just to test the waters and see whats so amazing and why everyone has this phone. Not going to lie, an iphone is an awesome convenience. Even though I have a gps, it's yahoo maps app is awesome, i love the convenience of the web browser and the large screen. I love the camera too, and I do like messing around with pictures in instagram. But, when it comes down to my texting/email/being a cell phone, it always disappoints me =(

First off, It bothers me having a cellphone that is so fragile i'm afraid to drop it the least bit because of it breaking. My blackberries are tanks and still to this day I have every single blackberry i've owned still able to use despite physical damage. I'm not too harsh on phones, but I love the ruggedness of blackberries. Second, it's so hard to go from a qwerty all these years to an iphone; although i've been doing it since december i still miss my keyboard extremely just because i can tap out messages so much better, quicker, and write longer messages compared to the annoyance of always having to go back and correct myself on the touchscreen and although auto correct helps sometimes, other times it's a huge annoyance.

I'm debating on going down to my at&t and switching my iphone back to my curve 9300 just because i'm a big texter/email user; and I do have my occasional web browsing and such but mainly I want a phone for it's texting purposes and it's so hard to find a phone these days with a good keyboard. Also I like the customizability on a blackberry better, and I'd like to opt for an android w/ a keyboard in the future and just keep this iphone 4 as a back up incase of anything..but what's your guys advice? Tbh the only thing thats REALLY keeping me from switching is emoji and instagram. Although I found that taking pictures on a blackberry and editing them on instagram on my itouch the photos came out pretty decent. Any advice on me switching/advice to help me stick with it? idk what to do!

 

[Tarzanman]

If texting and email is your primary activity, then you either need:
1. A hardware keyboard
2. Swype

Neither of which are available on any iPhone. I would keep the Curve and pray that Blackberry OS 10 is everything that RIM claims it will be.

If not, I would take a hard look at trying out an Android with a hardware keyboard.

 

[Wrathwitch]

alright, so for the longest time i've had blackberries. For years I had the pearl series, and then the curve series. The keyboard is amazing, hands down. I'm a speedy texter too, I like to just get things done. I had some touch phones here and there, but at the end of the day nothing just got it done like a blackberry. I have an itouch keep in mind, so all of my angry birds/words with friends, etc. I have on my itouch and I also have a macbook.

Back In december I decided to ditch my blackberry curve 9300 to opt for an iphone just to test the waters and see whats so amazing and why everyone has this phone. Not going to lie, an iphone is an awesome convenience. Even though I have a gps, it's yahoo maps app is awesome, i love the convenience of the web browser and the large screen. I love the camera too, and I do like messing around with pictures in instagram. But, when it comes down to my texting/email/being a cell phone, it always disappoints me =(

First off, It bothers me having a cellphone that is so fragile i'm afraid to drop it the least bit because of it breaking. My blackberries are tanks and still to this day I have every single blackberry i've owned still able to use despite physical damage. I'm not too harsh on phones, but I love the ruggedness of blackberries. Second, it's so hard to go from a qwerty all these years to an iphone; although i've been doing it since december i still miss my keyboard extremely just because i can tap out messages so much better, quicker, and write longer messages compared to the annoyance of always having to go back and correct myself on the touchscreen and although auto correct helps sometimes, other times it's a huge annoyance.

I'm debating on going down to my at&t and switching my iphone back to my curve 9300 just because i'm a big texter/email user; and I do have my occasional web browsing and such but mainly I want a phone for it's texting purposes and it's so hard to find a phone these days with a good keyboard. Also I like the customizability on a blackberry better, and I'd like to opt for an android w/ a keyboard in the future and just keep this iphone 4 as a back up incase of anything..but what's your guys advice? Tbh the only thing thats REALLY keeping me from switching is emoji and instagram. Although I found that taking pictures on a blackberry and editing them on instagram on my itouch the photos came out pretty decent. Any advice on me switching/advice to help me stick with it? idk what to do!

For what it's worth, Samsung will be releasing a entry/mid entry level phone with a physical keyboard. Looks wierd to me, but you would have the customization you desire.

If you like the BB and it is what works best for you, go for it! Seriously, yes iOS/iPhone and Android are better overall mini computers, but if that is just candy for you and the real meat and potatoes is the physical keyboard, stick with what you like. IF RIM can pull it's head out of the fire, they might be releasing some really cool products in 2013, if they don't burn up before they hit the water!

----------



Let me translate the OP for you:

1) I really like and miss the physical keyboard on BB
2) I really like some of the features that iOS offers, but I dislike the physical keyboard and fragility of the device
3) Can you make any suggestions to me to offset these issues?

OP here is ONE suggestion. If you don't want to stick with BB. Get a good case for the iPhone. It really adds to the feeling of solidity with the device. I used Mophie Battery pack and it really removed that fragile treat it like glass feeling. I also felt that it helped with the grip of the device which helped with the keyboard experience as it added a bit of bulk for the hands to hold onto.

As far as keyboards go, you are on you own, either you adapt or you move on.. sorry, no customizeable keyboards available on iOS.

 

[jetblk328i]

I'm kinda on the same boat as the OP. I used to always have an iPhone and a Bold 9700. But now my needs only call for one phone, which I'm currently using, the iPhone. However, I really miss the keyboard and the ability to send texts and emails with good tactile response. I definitely type quicker and more accurately with a blackberry than I do an iPhone. I've really been eyeing down a 9900, I love the keyboard and the media options have improved a bit, but is far away from iOS levels.

Also, I rarely use any apps, and the apps I do use, can be found on blackberry. Also, I'm not a big fan of phone cameras in general.

So, I feel like a 9900 would really fit my needs right now, but I can't get past the feeling in my stomach that getting a blackberry now is like getting a palm pre months before HP killed off webOS...What do you guys think? Is blackberry going to be around long enough and offer support for its products?

 

[lifeproof123]

I'm kinda on the same boat as the OP. I used to always have an iPhone and a Bold 9700. But now my needs only call for one phone, which I'm currently using, the iPhone. However, I really miss the keyboard and the ability to send texts and emails with good tactile response. I definitely type quicker and more accurately with a blackberry than I do an iPhone. I've really been eyeing down a 9900, I love the keyboard and the media options have improved a bit, but is far away from iOS levels.

Also, I rarely use any apps, and the apps I do use, can be found on blackberry. Also, I'm not a big fan of phone cameras in general.

So, I feel like a 9900 would really fit my needs right now, but I can't get past the feeling in my stomach that getting a blackberry now is like getting a palm pre months before HP killed off webOS...What do you guys think? Is blackberry going to be around long enough and offer support for its products?

See that's what my problem is and that's what's keeping me back from switching over. Like right now i'm ready to switch my phones back and activate my old sim, but really all i will truly miss is instagram and emoji. I hate imessenger honestly they should stick with just regular texting because imessenger has too many bugs and my messages sometimes never send, etc. versus the regular texting but when I shut it off on my phone people never get my texts or anything it's a lose/lose. A blackberry would fit my needs right now to, but idk i feel like EVERYONE has an iphone to so it's kind of boring now that everyone has the same exact phone but I feel like if i take a step back i'll regret it. Idk. It's perfectly a brand new phone, i bought my curve 9300 and 2 months later was surprised with an iphone so the curve is like brand new, i LOVED it

 

[mbell1975]

alright, so for the longest time i've had blackberries. For years I had the pearl series, and then the curve series. The keyboard is amazing, hands down. I'm a speedy texter too, I like to just get things done. I had some touch phones here and there, but at the end of the day nothing just got it done like a blackberry. I have an itouch keep in mind, so all of my angry birds/words with friends, etc. I have on my itouch and I also have a macbook.

Back In december I decided to ditch my blackberry curve 9300 to opt for an iphone just to test the waters and see whats so amazing and why everyone has this phone. Not going to lie, an iphone is an awesome convenience. Even though I have a gps, it's yahoo maps app is awesome, i love the convenience of the web browser and the large screen. I love the camera too, and I do like messing around with pictures in instagram. But, when it comes down to my texting/email/being a cell phone, it always disappoints me =(

First off, It bothers me having a cellphone that is so fragile i'm afraid to drop it the least bit because of it breaking. My blackberries are tanks and still to this day I have every single blackberry i've owned still able to use despite physical damage. I'm not too harsh on phones, but I love the ruggedness of blackberries. Second, it's so hard to go from a qwerty all these years to an iphone; although i've been doing it since december i still miss my keyboard extremely just because i can tap out messages so much better, quicker, and write longer messages compared to the annoyance of always having to go back and correct myself on the touchscreen and although auto correct helps sometimes, other times it's a huge annoyance.

I'm debating on going down to my at&t and switching my iphone back to my curve 9300 just because i'm a big texter/email user; and I do have my occasional web browsing and such but mainly I want a phone for it's texting purposes and it's so hard to find a phone these days with a good keyboard. Also I like the customizability on a blackberry better, and I'd like to opt for an android w/ a keyboard in the future and just keep this iphone 4 as a back up incase of anything..but what's your guys advice? Tbh the only thing thats REALLY keeping me from switching is emoji and instagram. Although I found that taking pictures on a blackberry and editing them on instagram on my itouch the photos came out pretty decent. Any advice on me switching/advice to help me stick with it? idk what to do!

Get an Android. Several good one with physical keyboards if that's a huge deal to you.

 

[lifeproof123]

OP here is ONE suggestion. If you don't want to stick with BB. Get a good case for the iPhone. It really adds to the feeling of solidity with the device. I used Mophie Battery pack and it really removed that fragile treat it like glass feeling. I also felt that it helped with the grip of the device which helped with the keyboard experience as it added a bit of bulk for the hands to hold onto.

I actually have a lifeproof case on my phone which is excellent but the screen protector on it makes the screen feel resistive vs. capactivie which I don't mind really but in general even with the case off texting on it becomes a hassle sometimes when I need to tap out long messages and just have to get certain things done.

 

[Wrathwitch]

Get a different case

Oh and regarding RIM, I am sure that if they fall down, someone will buy the pieces and I am sure existing clients won't be left in the dust.

 

[jetblk328i]

As an iPhone and iPad user, I can say that iMessage has been very buggy. When I send texts to friends from my iPad, the receipients receive it as my apple id, which not all of my contacts know. I know this will be fixed with iOS 6, but this has been an annoying factor for sure.

Basically, I know that I would be downgrading, even from an iPhone 4, in terms of apps, camera, screen, support, etc. However, I think that the texting, email, calling aspects outweigh some of these negatives as I value quick texting, emailing, and calling.

However, I will need to get back on unlimited texting since I downgraded to 1000 texts on AT&T because of iMessage. Not sure if this additional cost is worth it.

Still kind of confused with what to do right now. Blackberry makes sense for me in my mind but nobody elses' basically...

Not a fan of android, its iPhone 5 or 9900 at this point...

 

[maflynn]

Oh and regarding RIM, I am sure that if they fall down, someone will buy the pieces and I am sure existing clients won't be left in the dust.

You mean like Palm? Sorry but if they go down the tubes and right now they're circling the drain, there will be nothing left of them. Sure the remenants will remain for a little while, but mostly they'll be another footnote in the history of technology.

 

[jetblk328i]

You mean like Palm? Sorry but if they go down the tubes and right now they're circling the drain, there will be nothing left of them. Sure the remenants will remain for a little while, but mostly they'll be another footnote in the history of technology.

exactly what I'm worried about. I bought a touchpad when they were on that firesale...not exactly the best support lol.

 

[dschleif]

I switched back

I used to have an Iphone 4 and noticed I never use the apps or games... so I decided to go back to BB and got a the Bold 9900.

One thing about blackberry is you can't compete with it's e-mail service and data compression. Data on the iphone was crazy and I would always go over my monthly amount. With the BB now I get to browse, watch video's, etc with plenty of data left.

It's a fantastic business phone, the keyboard is amazing, it does have the 1.2 gigahertz processor so it's fast. screen size is small, but again, apps is not what I need it for. It's all about preferance and what your needs are.

I don't think Blackberry is going away, it will either be bought over or completely change it's business model if the BB 10 phones are failiures and concentrate on corporate business only, most companies use BB's. also Remember, blackberry is still number 1 in many other countries like India. The company has no debt and tons of cash available.

2013 will be interesting with the BB 10 line up... will be very hard to regain market share from iphone and android but who knows... Still love BBM!!

don't regret my decision and if you want a BB, go for it! you can always go back to iphone LOL..

 

[thecurryman]

Do it!! I switched from iPhone 4S to blackberry bold 9930 and I do not regret a minute of it! Amazing phone, best keyboard ever and it's got a touch screen too! I personally cannot wait to see what the next iPhone and new bb10 devices have to offer! But best of luck and I suggest you switch to the bold 9900 it's the best blackberry hands down!

 

[Applejuiced]

Wow, you guys must be the minority.
Everyone is switching away from blackberry to android,ios, windows mobile etc...
Unless something really drastic happens I dont see RIMM sticking around for much longer.

 

[nspindel]

My wife was the same way. Loved her blackberry because of the keyboard. Didn't like the iphone because of the touch screen for texting, etc. Till she got this:

http://www.amazon.com/NUU-K2-1-Mini...F8&qid=1345227379&sr=8-2&keywords=nuu+minikey

She loves the thing.

 

[takeshi74]

Any advice on me switching/advice to help me stick with it? idk what to do!

You're the only one that can answer this for you. It's all preference. If you don't know what to do then you need to sort out your priorities. Make a list of pros and cons on each side and then decide. This is never a one-size-fits-all matter.

i feel like EVERYONE has an iphone to so it's kind of boring now that everyone has the same exact phone

The phones aren't the problem on this one. Selecting a device to be "different" is just the other side of the double-edged blade of picking a device to fit in. Pick what suits your needs/wants/preferences. What others do or don't do is irrelevant. You'll be never be "different" by buying any mass-produced device.

One thing about blackberry is you can't compete with it's e-mail service

Tired and over-parroted meme. Even on BES BB email is push-and-reconcile. With ActiveSync I get true sync which is certainly competitive IMO. Don't rely on such over-simplifications. Use what works for you.

Wow, you guys must be the minority.

On MacRumors? Of course. Obvious statement is obvious.

 

[lordofthereef]

The phones aren't the problem on this one. Selecting a device to be "different" is just the other side of the double-edged blade of picking a device to fit in. Pick what suits your needs/wants/preferences. What others do or don't do is irrelevant. You'll be never be "different" by buying any mass-produced device.

Still, I get where he is coming from. Every idiot on the street has an iPhone. I was waiting in line at the Pastry shop in Boston the other day and counted sixteen iPhones in people's hands. There were maybe another five miscellaneous devices. You certainly feel more unique something that is not an iPhone. And you know what, if that matters to some people, far be it from me to tell them they are wrong. Some people want to make a fashion statement with their gadgets. It's no different to them than the clothes or shoes they where. Again, that's just fine by me.

 

[hamlin]

I used to like the blackberry keyboard until I got the iPhone. I can text the same or faster on a touchscreen now. Once you get used to it, it's amazing.

 

[moosquared]

Any advice on me switching/advice to help me stick with it? idk what to do!

You should pick which one is best suited for you. If you feel that Blackberry fits your need, go for it. You're right about the typing. It's really easy and fast to type of a Blackberry. Sure you can type fast on iPhone, but it's even faster on a BB. Less mistake too.

Personally, I'll dump my Blackberry if I can. But I can't. I carry 3 phones with me. 2 BB and an iPhone. The BB are my main phone now, while my 4S now is just for games, video, browsing and of course camera.

Back in US, I LOVE my iPhone. It's perfect for me. From the millions of apps, GPS, Yelp, Netflix, SIRI (yes, that too). Now that I'm back in Indonesia aka Blackberry Nation, I MUST use a BB. Indonesian are really crazy about BB. They don't ask for your phone number anymore. Instead, they ask for you BB PIN. Other smartphones like iPhone and Samsung are popular too, but they got nothing on BB. Besides, iPhones in Indonesia is expensive. More expensive than paying retail in the US.

 

[FTRDRMZ]

I've pretty much always had a Bb (9530>9100>9360), and I just registered on this forum for tech support on an old iMac and found this thread.

As for whatever phone lifeproof should get now, I'd recommend something you can get inexpensively without a contract and wait for BB10 (or keep the iPhone and go straight to BB10), but not something cheaper than you're comfortable with. I'm currently using the Curve 9360, and it is a pretty good phone if you can get used to the small battery and 800mhz processor. But going from an iPhone to that may be a bit too much of a shock, while a Torch 9860 or Bold 9900 would be much more comfortable.

As for BB10 it will mostly come down to the OS, which we actually know very little about. Hints from people who've seen it but can't talk about it are very positive, so it will most likely be a very awesome OS that's wonderful to use; and I have a hard time believing it will be as DOA as the Playbook was. It should be a phone that you would be perfectly happy to use as your main or only phone, and has all of the little bits that make Blackberrys so great.