iPhone vs. Blackberry: a personal preference

As my poll has ended, the results are tied. Although only two people voted, I believe this shows the way cell phone buyers are divided over the iPhone and Blackberry debate.

I had personal interest in this poll as I was trying to decide which type of new phone to get. I have AT&T and was limited to certain Blackberry models, but was debating over the iPhone 3Gs or Blackberry Curve 8900.

Due to the price, I ended up buying the Blackberry. My decision was also based on the fact that I have an iPod touch. I have everything an iPhone has without the phone features. I read several reviews on CNet.com and other reputable sites about the debate, and asked around.

The main issue I found with getting an iPhone is that the apps and games which you undoubtedly use almost daily, really drain the battery. My iPod touch showed me that also. Another issue was the distraction factor. Blackberries have "traditionally" been phones for people who "get it done". Some people wrote in the reviews that they could get as much done with the iPhone, but that the games and apps distracted them at times.

The Blackberry App store is definitely smaller than the iPhone's, but I find that I can get the apps I am most interested in; the ones that are most helpful to me, anyway. My favorite Blackberry feature which trumps Apple is the ability to run different applications at the same time, or "in the background". This is helpful when copying and pasting addresses and contacts. It's also great if you're a multi-tasker, which I happen to be.

We could extend this debate in that the iPhone is Apple and, therefore, associated with Macs while the Blackberry is associated with PCs. This preference truly depends on what you are most comfortable with, or have experience with, in my opinion.

But, in reality, it comes down to personal preference. The editor of TechnologyGear.net posted an article about the competition, saying, "No matter what the criteria or rating scale, the two inevitably end in a dead heat. Most industry experts say that, by any rational measure, iPhone and Blackberry perform equally well. The experts concede the choice finally comes down to personal preference, and then they caution, “But stay tuned for Google's Android."
(Original article).

The coming "Android" has recently been seen on TV directly competing with the iPhone's capabilites in its commercials. Google has definitely become a large contender, and for them to come out with a cell phone will indeed be interesting.

The debate does come down to personal preference. I am "on the go" a lot, so having any phone where I can access my email, contacts, and text messages in a quick way is good enough for me. There are enough apps and features such as a 3.2 megapixel camera, video, and wifi capabilities on my new phone to keep me occupied for at least a year. I have already been accused of being attached to my "crackberry", but I welcome the change to my everyday life, and it is still exciting to see what comes next.

iPhone vs. Blackberry: the debate

While I'm on the subject, let me relay another personal experience. I've recently been intrigued by the competition which has gradually arisen between Apple and Blackberry because of the iPhone and the Blackberry line of smart phones.

I am in the market to upgrade my cell phone, and after going to several AT&T stores and surfing all over the Web, I am very interested by this competition and what is going for each phone itself.

If you walk into AT&T and give the hint that you're in the market, the iPhone mysteriously lands in your hands. In most cases, the iPhone (especially the new iPhone with 3GS network) is pushed a bit harder than the three to five Blackberry models in the store. It doesn't take a genius to know why: the iPhone price is higher than the Blackberry. They are only being good salesmen.

But, I want to know what the differences between them are. Why do we choose an iPhone over a Blackberry? Is it the touch screen? The app feature? The "fun" of it? The sheer popularity?

If you Google "iphone vs. blackberry" you will get a plethora of results. Many bloggers have debated the differences. Sites like Wired.com and CNet.com, notorious technology sites, have covered the debate as well as the site that is simply "iphonevsblackberry.com", which involves an open forum for debate.

If you, too, are trying to understand the difference between the world's current top leaders in the cell phone industry, I suggest this "experiment" from the Wall Street Journal that had iPhone and Blackberry users swap phones and log their qualms and revelations.

The Joys, Pains of Switching Smart Phones by Walter S. Mossberg of "The Mossberg Solution" from the WSJ.com.

iPhone appears in other brand's TV commercials

I have been noticing recently a trend in TV commercials which relates to my new poll question.

I was watching TV for a bit, and saw in three different commercials how the iPhone was also advertised, as well as the main product being shown.

Pizza Hut commercials air all the time, and at the end there is a picture of an iPhone with the Pizza Hut logo on the screen. As mentioned previously, the iPhone is well-known and loved for its many application abilities. The Pizza Hut application for the iPhone allows you to order pizza on the go. Some may think this is ironic, since you can always just call the nearest Pizza Hut, but this "app" features a game to play while you wait and alerts, as in flying pizza toppings, arise if you order too many toppings. Pizza Hut's rival, Dominoes simply allows iPhone users to go on their Webpage and order as if from a computer.

John Rivera's blog further discusses the marketing trends Pizza Hut and Dominoes are branching out to, and includes many different companies now turning to the iPhone app marketing tool, such as the Starbucks app which now allows customers to "build" their favorite drink and show it to the employee when they get to the counter instead of speaking.

Another one I couldn't believe was a Miller Lite commercial where a man at a table holds up his iPhone with the app "Beer Time" shown and how many beers they need at their table. This app deals with the struggle people have of getting beer refills in a crowded bar. As a waitress, I don't think this would make me very happy, but the fact that there is an app for it is almost ridiculous. Read about this app here.

I'm not sure what app they will think of next, of course. But, I would like to know how our culture will adapt to this new form of communication. We simply show the worker our iPhone and, without a word, get what we want? This seems bizarre to me.

Your phone is old

I was looking at my phone at work the other day and was told alarmingly by a coworker that, “I have an old phone.”

I said, “It’s really not that old. Maybe two years…”

“Is it that one that slides one way and the other way? Yeah, that’s old. I have the iPhone.”

The iPhone craze, as mentioned, is not close to being over. I can’t personally afford one that would have enough gigs to suit me, at the moment. But, I did get an iPod Touch this summer, and can understand what the iPhone and “app” craze is about. It is nice technology.

However, you must all face the fact that the phone you are using is old, even if you just bought it. The lifetime of cell phones, and I don’t mean battery life, is outrageously low. You may buy the “new” Blackberry Storm last year, but the Storm II is coming out on October 14^th. That is less than a year to update a particular model of a phone, while you still have the Blackberry Tour, Pearl, Bold, and Curve models to compete with.

You had to know that even Blackberry would have to change its look to keep up with everyone else.

The iPhone threw a huge curve ball into the cell phone market, and immediately touch screens were everywhere. But, I have my bones to pick with touch screens. The Storm has reportedly had many problems with its touch screen technology, where the Storm II is set out to fix these problems. I’m just a fan of being able to use my phone without looking at it, sadly. I don’t want to search for where to touch. I’m just conditioned that way, and maybe I could be conditioned with a touch screen. After all, that is where technology seems to be heading.

But my main issue with buying a “new” phone is that it will be old within a few days, and that is just the way it is going to be. In my humble opinion, why not wait a few more days…see what the world of technology has to offer?

People used to think they couldn’t keep up with technology. “Oh, a cell phone with a camera, what will they think of next?!” They’ll think of something smaller and better, but chances are, they’ve already thought of it.

MSNBC.com ran an article about cell phone market life in February. According to the article, this is just a phase in the U.S. Replacement frequency in places like Japan has since dropped and phones are not changing for periods of a few years.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29258026/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/