I'm thinking of getting a new phone on contract, but I'm not sure what to get. On 3, I can get an iPhone 3GS for £25 per month (with a charge of £45) or a Blackberry Curve 9300 or a Bold 9780 for around the same price on different networks. Is it worth paying the money for the iPhone, or just should I just get a Blackberry... or any other type of phone (let me know which)?
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Blackberry or iPhone 3GS?
- Thread starter Hani
- Start date
Andrew Stephen
New member
DESIGN
The iPhone’s revolutionary touchscreen design has set the standard for future generations of smart phones. Nokia and Samsung have developed similar designs for their smart phones. There are also more than a hundred iPhone clones out in the market, all trying to cash in on the iPhone’s status. The Apple iPhone 3GS looks virtually the same as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G. The Blackberry Bold is the best looking BlackBerry so far, but the iPhone’s design is an instant classic. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
OPERATING SYSTEM
It takes a bit of time to get used to both the iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry Bold. BlackBerry has always been known for usability focused on business applications. The BlackBerry Bold has shortcut keys to get things done quickly, however, it’s still easier and faster to master the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
DISPLAY
The iPhone 3GS has a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 480 pixels resolution and 16M colors. With a small 2.6-inch screen and only 16K colors, the BlackBerry Bold lags behind in this department not just against the iPhone but with other top smart phones as well. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
KEYBOARD
The BlackBerry Bold’s large keyboard took up some of the space that could have been used for the display but it’s worth it because it’s a pleasure typing in the full QWERTY keyboard, which has a sure and fast response. The iPhone’s virtual keyboard is flashy but it takes time to master fast and accurate typing. Though there’s an error correction system, it’s not reliable if there are a large number of mistakes. Functionality beats flashy in this round. Winner: BlackBerry Bold
APPLICATIONS
When it comes to applications, no smart phone comes close to the iPhone because it is the easiest platform to develop applications for. With thousands of developers creating millions of applications for the Apple App Store, the sky’s the limit for the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
SPEED & CONNECTIVITY
With an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocking 600 MHz and HDSPA speed up to 7.2 Mbps, it’s no wonder the ‘S’ in Apple iPhone 3GS stands for speed. However, the BlackBerry Bold is no slouch as it has a 624 MHz processor. Both smart phones are capable of communicating over Quad Band GSM network supporting frequency bands of 850/900/1800/1900, both are GPRS, EDGE and WiFi enabled, and both have Bluetooth A2DP support and USB Connectivity. While the BlackBerry Bold only has an HSDPA speed of 3.6 Mbps, there’s really no speed difference because there are currently no service providers that give 7.2 Mbps. Winner: Draw
CAMERA
The camera has been the iPhone’s “weakness” as a smart phone, but not over the BlackBerry Bold. The iPhone 3GS features a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, a decent 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps and excellent audio. The BlackBerry Bold has a standard 2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
STORAGE
With 16GB and 32GB models, there’s no question that the iPhone 3GS trumps the BlackBerry Bold, which only has 1GB of internal memory and can only support up to 8GB of external memory. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
CALL QUALITY & BATTERY LIFE
Winner: Draw
THE VERDICT
The Apple iPhone 3GS is a worthy successor to its predecessors and the BlackBerry Bold is the best BlackBerry phone ever made. The iPhone 3GS is a consumer phone with something for everyone while the BlackBerry Bold maintains BlackBerry’s reputation as a business gadget. At the end of the day, it’s what the user needs that matters the most.
The iPhone’s revolutionary touchscreen design has set the standard for future generations of smart phones. Nokia and Samsung have developed similar designs for their smart phones. There are also more than a hundred iPhone clones out in the market, all trying to cash in on the iPhone’s status. The Apple iPhone 3GS looks virtually the same as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G. The Blackberry Bold is the best looking BlackBerry so far, but the iPhone’s design is an instant classic. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
OPERATING SYSTEM
It takes a bit of time to get used to both the iPhone 3GS and the BlackBerry Bold. BlackBerry has always been known for usability focused on business applications. The BlackBerry Bold has shortcut keys to get things done quickly, however, it’s still easier and faster to master the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
DISPLAY
The iPhone 3GS has a 3.5-inch screen with 320 x 480 pixels resolution and 16M colors. With a small 2.6-inch screen and only 16K colors, the BlackBerry Bold lags behind in this department not just against the iPhone but with other top smart phones as well. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
KEYBOARD
The BlackBerry Bold’s large keyboard took up some of the space that could have been used for the display but it’s worth it because it’s a pleasure typing in the full QWERTY keyboard, which has a sure and fast response. The iPhone’s virtual keyboard is flashy but it takes time to master fast and accurate typing. Though there’s an error correction system, it’s not reliable if there are a large number of mistakes. Functionality beats flashy in this round. Winner: BlackBerry Bold
APPLICATIONS
When it comes to applications, no smart phone comes close to the iPhone because it is the easiest platform to develop applications for. With thousands of developers creating millions of applications for the Apple App Store, the sky’s the limit for the iPhone 3GS. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
SPEED & CONNECTIVITY
With an ARM Cortex A8 processor clocking 600 MHz and HDSPA speed up to 7.2 Mbps, it’s no wonder the ‘S’ in Apple iPhone 3GS stands for speed. However, the BlackBerry Bold is no slouch as it has a 624 MHz processor. Both smart phones are capable of communicating over Quad Band GSM network supporting frequency bands of 850/900/1800/1900, both are GPRS, EDGE and WiFi enabled, and both have Bluetooth A2DP support and USB Connectivity. While the BlackBerry Bold only has an HSDPA speed of 3.6 Mbps, there’s really no speed difference because there are currently no service providers that give 7.2 Mbps. Winner: Draw
CAMERA
The camera has been the iPhone’s “weakness” as a smart phone, but not over the BlackBerry Bold. The iPhone 3GS features a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, a decent 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps and excellent audio. The BlackBerry Bold has a standard 2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
STORAGE
With 16GB and 32GB models, there’s no question that the iPhone 3GS trumps the BlackBerry Bold, which only has 1GB of internal memory and can only support up to 8GB of external memory. Winner: Apple iPhone 3GS
CALL QUALITY & BATTERY LIFE
Winner: Draw
THE VERDICT
The Apple iPhone 3GS is a worthy successor to its predecessors and the BlackBerry Bold is the best BlackBerry phone ever made. The iPhone 3GS is a consumer phone with something for everyone while the BlackBerry Bold maintains BlackBerry’s reputation as a business gadget. At the end of the day, it’s what the user needs that matters the most.
Eddie Friar
New member
I think the iPhone has the superiority of applications and constant internet however with the blackberrys you usually need a certain amount of credit ontop of your contract for things such as blackberry messenger to work. I think due to the iPhone's better apps and connectivity it will save you money in the long run and that a lump sum now will be shown to be profitable. Also the iPhone has a built in iPod which is far better than the blackberry's music.
markcoggins1990
New member
id personally go for an android phone
i own a sony ericsson xperia but if you like the iphone id recommend htc desire or samsung galaxy
i own a sony ericsson xperia but if you like the iphone id recommend htc desire or samsung galaxy
I'm biased for iPhones, myself. I've been forced to use blackberry phones before for work, and didn't like them. Clunky, data is handled strangely, etc. I would say you should get the most iPhone you can afford. If that's the 3GS, then get that one. It has more residual value at the end of your contract, and if you decide to get a newer model then, you can sell your then "old" iPhone for some decent money, providing its in good shape. If you are in the UK, you have a choice of providers like Orange, O2, etc. that are FAR more iPhone friendly that in the US. Also, the iPhone is a universal tool that can work on both sides of the pond.