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Blackberry or Android?
- Thread starter Jolly Green Giant
- Start date
liza_longoria
New member
Other than the Droid and its never imported Droid variants (XT800, Motoroi), I get the impression Moto's other Androids kind of suck, compared to HTC. The Devour is physically neat though, but kind of mixed. Too bad the Droid Eris, like the Tour which I also have, is getting EOL by Verizon by the end of May. I personally think the Droid Eris still is better than the Devour.
The Storms are just both a mess.
Tour dead by end of May. In its place, the 9650 Bold. Yeah, they changed the name. Basically a Tour with optical trackpad with Wifi. Should have been there from the start.
Droid Eris will be replaced by the HTC Incredible, which I'm sure is one superphone. Except that Droid Eris was meant to be low end, while the Incredible is top end. Incredible is basically the Desire on CDMA with a new exterior, and the Desire itself is the Nexus One with the Sense UI.
Leaves me wondering what Verizon has now for a low end Android.
The Storms are just both a mess.
Tour dead by end of May. In its place, the 9650 Bold. Yeah, they changed the name. Basically a Tour with optical trackpad with Wifi. Should have been there from the start.
Droid Eris will be replaced by the HTC Incredible, which I'm sure is one superphone. Except that Droid Eris was meant to be low end, while the Incredible is top end. Incredible is basically the Desire on CDMA with a new exterior, and the Desire itself is the Nexus One with the Sense UI.
Leaves me wondering what Verizon has now for a low end Android.
pianojazz man
New member
I would say Blackberry, because it is much more tried and true. I know a few people with Droids, and they are still glitchy.
I know the draw to droids are all the apps and features, and the Blackberry community has almost everything you're going to use on a droid.
I think the main issue is the mechanics of the two phones. All the "smooth" and "sleek" and "smart" that's been vamped up about the Droids is nothing compared to the nice solid intuitive functionality of the Blackberries, with their full keyboards, and timeless "pearl" navigation. I am particularly anti all-touch keypads because of the limitations, but if you really have a zen for it, some of the newer blackberries have smooth touch features too.
I have never owned either, but I've played around with both plenty. Just remember that when all is set and done, you're going to have your phone in your hands and not a display case. Pick what functions the best for you.
I know the draw to droids are all the apps and features, and the Blackberry community has almost everything you're going to use on a droid.
I think the main issue is the mechanics of the two phones. All the "smooth" and "sleek" and "smart" that's been vamped up about the Droids is nothing compared to the nice solid intuitive functionality of the Blackberries, with their full keyboards, and timeless "pearl" navigation. I am particularly anti all-touch keypads because of the limitations, but if you really have a zen for it, some of the newer blackberries have smooth touch features too.
I have never owned either, but I've played around with both plenty. Just remember that when all is set and done, you're going to have your phone in your hands and not a display case. Pick what functions the best for you.
Having owned Blackberries, I would say they're far from glitchless. I had done my share of battery pulls on Blackberry, which I can't say on my Androids (zero). As for intuitive, I dare you to compare the set up menus on the Blackberry vs. that on the Droid, as well as doing things like transferring contacts (the Android doesn't need PC desktop sync software).
David the old one
New member
Neither does the BlackBerry if you use Google Sync. Look, every phone has its faults. If there was a perfect one out there, we would all be using it. You can argue until you are blue in the face that this is better, or this is better, or whatever. It really comes down to what the end user prefers.
Each has their pro's and cons. You need to weigh them both and see which works better for you.
Each has their pro's and cons. You need to weigh them both and see which works better for you.
I have both the Droid and the Bold 9700 and I disagree slightly with your assessment. The Droid is a far more capable device than the current highest-end berry (the Bold 9700). For my personal purposes I'm currently preferring the Berry, but the Droid seriously has its merits for a geek that loves to browse on the go. The Android Market and BlackBerry App World application equivalents favor the Droid HEAVILY. Every app I've used that's cross-platform has the Android version much more full-featured and fleshed-out (AIM, Seesmic, et alia).
The Storm 2 sucks though. It tries to be both a BlackBerry and a touchscreen phone but does neither well.
The Storm 2 sucks though. It tries to be both a BlackBerry and a touchscreen phone but does neither well.
Well to each his own, I suppose. You seem to know more about the topic, I'll concede the point. :reallysad
One last thing I want to say is that Blackberries are the business pro's tool. I think the Droid's fight is against the iPhone, with it's fun features and loaded app market. Businessmen who need the basic practical and dependable tools are probably going to stick with their Blackberries. And as far as the world traveler is concerned, Droid isn't an option until they make a DUAL cdma/gsm phone, like Blackberry already has!
What we really need is a good N-1 Naboo Starfighter to deal with these Droids. :hehehe:
One last thing I want to say is that Blackberries are the business pro's tool. I think the Droid's fight is against the iPhone, with it's fun features and loaded app market. Businessmen who need the basic practical and dependable tools are probably going to stick with their Blackberries. And as far as the world traveler is concerned, Droid isn't an option until they make a DUAL cdma/gsm phone, like Blackberry already has!
What we really need is a good N-1 Naboo Starfighter to deal with these Droids. :hehehe:
abovedarest
New member
I already replied to most of this paragraph in another thread, but dual CDMA/GSM isn't necessary. CDMA is nigh dead outside the US. As long as you are GSM-based, you're gold for international use. The Droid may not be.. but the Milestone is.
Black Leopard
New member
For me, personally, Blackberry left a bad taste in my mouth. The OS was seemless, but build quality was severely lacking. I literally went through four before becoming utterly disgusted. I have a Cliq now and so far am pleased with the build quality and OS. I think it all depends on the individual and what the phone will be used for. If you seem happier with the more "businessy" Blackberry, go that route. If you're angling more for something customizable and fun, Android all the way. Every phone and OS is quirky in it's own way, it's just deciding which quirks are livable and which ones are deal breakers. Just my 2 cents.
This is just what I've observed from my mom's blackberry pearl for work.
The settings are such a pain in the butt. It takes forever to set it up. But this is the pearl from around 2 years ago I believe, I don't know how it is now.
I'd personally go for the android phones because I like their look more than berrys and I feel berrys are more business phones with the email and such.
The settings are such a pain in the butt. It takes forever to set it up. But this is the pearl from around 2 years ago I believe, I don't know how it is now.
I'd personally go for the android phones because I like their look more than berrys and I feel berrys are more business phones with the email and such.
You're guys right about one thing... Droids are more fun, and have more cool features and apps. I think the Droid should be compared to the iPhone, not the Blackberry. The Blackberry is primarily a business phone, and it does that very well.
Here's a case study for those who still disagree. On this thread an attorney was asking which he should buy: Droid or Blackberry. He decided to go with the Blackberry that same reason... practicality, and dependability to get the essentials of business done professionally. I could also cite the numerous other professionals I know personally who swear by Blackberries.
And you simply CAN'T discount the Droid's lack of dual GSM ability. Verizon is the premier CDMA network, and the vast majority of business pros who use it are not going to choose a phone that they need to leave behind in their office when they travel overseas.
Here's a case study for those who still disagree. On this thread an attorney was asking which he should buy: Droid or Blackberry. He decided to go with the Blackberry that same reason... practicality, and dependability to get the essentials of business done professionally. I could also cite the numerous other professionals I know personally who swear by Blackberries.
And you simply CAN'T discount the Droid's lack of dual GSM ability. Verizon is the premier CDMA network, and the vast majority of business pros who use it are not going to choose a phone that they need to leave behind in their office when they travel overseas.
> Elliot <
New member
Dual GSM? The Milestone (GSM Droid) will work on any GSM network. Sprint and Verizon have nothing on GSM.. CDMA should be going the way of the dodo really. ESNs and all are outdated. I can't think of a serious one-phone world traveler that isn't on a GSM network. Verizon simply doesn't make sense if you spend a lot of time abroad. Their roaming agreements are comparatively sparse, as well (once again, thanks to CDMA).
That's not really a very relevant case study though. It's not statistically significant since you only have a sample of one person. Personal contacts or associates don't really count without some hard data.
What is true is that RIM has a much larger slice of the pie thanks to its maturity (BlackBerry OS is much older and refined than Android, and smartphone market shares are something like 40% and 8% respectively) and the existence of BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Really BlackBerries are all about the BIS and BES, not about the hardware.
I definitely agree that the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (as an example) is much more serious, especially after two random reboots on my Milestone and the poor battery life on the latter. One reboot was while I was listening to music on the go, and it could've easily been while on a call -- unacceptable. Android just isn't "there" yet. It's funny because a few years ago it'd be RIM getting the flak for the random reboots and the mail servers going down.
Also even though the Milestone is much faster and more muscular than the Bold 9700 in absolute terms, I find getting stuff done to be almost as fast or even sometimes faster on the 9700 thanks to the lightweight, rock-solid, and lightning-fast (though spartan, ugly) OS.
Once again I would definitely have kept the 9700 over the Milestone if I wasn't saving $20/month on the latter thanks to a cheaper data plan ($10/month family data unlimited). On Verizon where the smartphone plans are unavoidable and all $30/month I'd stick to a Tour or wait for their Bold 9700 equivalent to come out.
I'm in business school and most of my classmates rock Tours, Bolds, and Curves. Rest usually have iPhones. I'm a bit of a deviant so I went with the Milestone. It's funny because I have a 9700 and a 3GS collecting dust in my drawers.
BTW I also own the 3GS and the Droid/Milestone doesn't compare to it in terms of fun either. I like many of the Android apps better because of the screen and the more refreshing looks, but the iPhone games blow the games for Android away. The Droid/Milestone has more of the geek street cred and is much more customizable and less locked-down, though. Rooted Milestones can do much more than jailbroken iPhones can.
That's not really a very relevant case study though. It's not statistically significant since you only have a sample of one person. Personal contacts or associates don't really count without some hard data.
What is true is that RIM has a much larger slice of the pie thanks to its maturity (BlackBerry OS is much older and refined than Android, and smartphone market shares are something like 40% and 8% respectively) and the existence of BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Really BlackBerries are all about the BIS and BES, not about the hardware.
I definitely agree that the BlackBerry Bold 9700 (as an example) is much more serious, especially after two random reboots on my Milestone and the poor battery life on the latter. One reboot was while I was listening to music on the go, and it could've easily been while on a call -- unacceptable. Android just isn't "there" yet. It's funny because a few years ago it'd be RIM getting the flak for the random reboots and the mail servers going down.
Also even though the Milestone is much faster and more muscular than the Bold 9700 in absolute terms, I find getting stuff done to be almost as fast or even sometimes faster on the 9700 thanks to the lightweight, rock-solid, and lightning-fast (though spartan, ugly) OS.
Once again I would definitely have kept the 9700 over the Milestone if I wasn't saving $20/month on the latter thanks to a cheaper data plan ($10/month family data unlimited). On Verizon where the smartphone plans are unavoidable and all $30/month I'd stick to a Tour or wait for their Bold 9700 equivalent to come out.
I'm in business school and most of my classmates rock Tours, Bolds, and Curves. Rest usually have iPhones. I'm a bit of a deviant so I went with the Milestone. It's funny because I have a 9700 and a 3GS collecting dust in my drawers.
BTW I also own the 3GS and the Droid/Milestone doesn't compare to it in terms of fun either. I like many of the Android apps better because of the screen and the more refreshing looks, but the iPhone games blow the games for Android away. The Droid/Milestone has more of the geek street cred and is much more customizable and less locked-down, though. Rooted Milestones can do much more than jailbroken iPhones can.
Lol, I can go to the Blackberry or Crackberry forums, and there are long running threads from users who switched from Blackberry to Android. Not even the iPhone has ignited this level of controversy.
While the Droid does lack GSM, you can't use prepaid SIMs on the Tour or Storm unless its Vodafone's. That means you have to roam, which means paying for expensive data and so on. Unfortunately unlike the DROID, which still has Wifi, the Tour does not. Pretty much because the Tour lacks Wifi, its usefulness as a travel phone is limited.
As travel phones, I can't get email on the Blackberry without BIS and to get BIS, you need a contract, which you're not getting as a traveler. And its getting expensive if you get charged via roaming data.
If your Blackberry is unlocked, yes, you can use prepaid SIMs, even prepaid data plans, but a generic data plan without BIS means you're not getting your push email and other stuff that makes a Blackberry a Blackberry. And you simply not getting your email at all, unless you want to read them on your slow browser via web mail.
On Droid, on a country without CDMA or without a data plan, you can still hit the Wifi and get your email there. In fact, with the wifi, you can still get push GMail and background sync on other email accounts. This is handy if your hotel or the building you headed to do business has open Wifi. Many coffeeshops and malls have open wifi too. But even if the Blackberry has wifi, remember I can't get my email from the wifi. But Droid does.
If you have a GSM Android that is unlocked, I can take any prepaid data SIM on a country you are traveling, with a standard, no BIS, data plan, and still get my GMail pushed to me and all my non GMail email accessed via interval polling.
While the Droid does lack GSM, you can't use prepaid SIMs on the Tour or Storm unless its Vodafone's. That means you have to roam, which means paying for expensive data and so on. Unfortunately unlike the DROID, which still has Wifi, the Tour does not. Pretty much because the Tour lacks Wifi, its usefulness as a travel phone is limited.
As travel phones, I can't get email on the Blackberry without BIS and to get BIS, you need a contract, which you're not getting as a traveler. And its getting expensive if you get charged via roaming data.
If your Blackberry is unlocked, yes, you can use prepaid SIMs, even prepaid data plans, but a generic data plan without BIS means you're not getting your push email and other stuff that makes a Blackberry a Blackberry. And you simply not getting your email at all, unless you want to read them on your slow browser via web mail.
On Droid, on a country without CDMA or without a data plan, you can still hit the Wifi and get your email there. In fact, with the wifi, you can still get push GMail and background sync on other email accounts. This is handy if your hotel or the building you headed to do business has open Wifi. Many coffeeshops and malls have open wifi too. But even if the Blackberry has wifi, remember I can't get my email from the wifi. But Droid does.
If you have a GSM Android that is unlocked, I can take any prepaid data SIM on a country you are traveling, with a standard, no BIS, data plan, and still get my GMail pushed to me and all my non GMail email accessed via interval polling.