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Andy9o8

I-Phone, Blackberry or Android?

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My wife & I are looking to upgrade from the 1960s Star Trek Flip-Up Communicators we currently carry around.

Which of these 3 has the best bang for the buck, balance of yin and yang, nice features, etc., without spending too much on a gadget that will be obsolete in another 18 months? Why?

Your thoughts please - but PLEASE keep it short & simple - too much techno-babble strips the veneer off my cleverly-disguised stupidity. Thanks!

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What do you want to do with it?

I have both an Android phone (Motorola Droid 2) and a BlackBerry (Bold ... don't recall the exact model number, but it's one of Verizon's more recent models). Each of them does exactly what I want for what I use them for.

The Droid 2 is my personal phone - for that, I want a robust set of available apps, the ability to do personal email and social networking, a decent camera, maps/navigation, and of course, good phone service. It works for me.

The BlackBerry is my work device. My priorities there are call quality (I work from home a lot and spend a lot of time on that phone), battery life, and easy integration with my company email. I really don't care about the rest of the apps because I don't use the BlackBerry for them (I use my personal phone).

My company (a big company that's a little slow to embrace the latest-and-greatest at times) is close to approving iPhones for wide use, and I just recently upgraded to a new BlackBerry after considering waiting for an iPhone. But when I considered what I wanted my work device to do, the BlackBerry won on those three criteria hands down. (BlackBerry wins on call quality and battery life regardless, and it wins on work email integration only because of the way that my company is configuring email to work with the iPhone - natively, the iPhone may link well with corporate email, but the way we've done it, it's klugey and doesn't work as smoothly as the BlackBerry).

I'm happy with both devices, and they meet my needs.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I currently have an HTC Evo (android) and have previously owned two iPhones, but never a blackberry. I prefer android, hands down! The app manufacturers just have more freedom to develop as they want on the android, and I think that has shown. I like that I can put widgets like a weather icon or email right on the home screen of my phone and see it without opening an app, and you can't do widgets on iPhone OS.

I didn't like the lock screen and having to slide the bar to open the iPhone, but there's nothing you can do unless you want to root (hack) your phone. Apple doesn't like it, so they figured nobody should have it:S. On android, you can easily download an app called "no lock" and get rid of the lock screen if it suits you.

Overall, I just feel that you have more freedom to make an android phone just the way you want it than apple would allow you to have. Also, when I hold my friends iPhones, the screen looks tiny compared to the Evo screen, even if there is only an inch or so of difference. Bigger is better!

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I've owned two iPhones, four Blackberries and two androids. I currently use a Droid 3, and a Samsung tablet (also android). I no longer own iPhones or Blackberries.

Go with either iPhone or Android. Whichever one you choose should be a matter of how you like the feel and use of the device. Verizon stores have both, so you can play with them in the store. In my opinion, both are good.

Do not go with Blackberry - they've fallen way behind the curve.
Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

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iPhone.

There are lots of articles comparing iPhones to Droids, and w/o getting into the tech specs, the iPhone beats the Droid in just about everything. Also, Flash is no longer going to be updated / supported for mobile devices, so Droid's one ace in the hole, "iPhones can't run flash" is going away.
You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

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Do not go with Blackberry - they've fallen way behind the curve.



1. Yeah, I've been wondering about exactly that. How so/why so?


2. I text a lot, so I guess one thing about the Blackberry is the fact that it has real buttons to type with, not just the screen. Am I putting too much stock in that? I am open to change.

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I went from a BB to the top of the line Android at the time (the Thunderbolt) and now back to a BB with the new job (a Torch).

BB's suck. I'm sorry. Email and Calendar integration was better with the Android than it is with the BB.

Add functionality and apps on the BB are very limited, and, well, it's not getting better.
Remster

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I had a BB for about 5 years before the Android.

I missed the real kboard for a few days, but you adapt. Plus, there are several kboard apps to pick from (like swipe, iPhone etc) that you will find something that works well (if not better) for you IMO.
Sorry, I'm just not a BB fan.

The only major drawback with the Thunderbold was the crap battery life.
Remster

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What provider do you use? This can also make a difference in your choice. Verizon has better coverage for talking, however AT&T has faster internet speeds for 3G phones.



I went from ATT to Verizon.

I dont know if its the browser tech on the BB or the networks, but my ATT BB was MUCH slower for browsing then my Verizon Android on 3G. Plus, when I could connect 4g using the Android, WOW....

And now, I'm back to a ATT BB... It sucks.
Remster

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What provider do you use? This can also make a difference in your choice. Verizon has better coverage for talking, however AT&T has faster internet speeds for 3G phones.



I went from ATT to Verizon.

I dont know if its the browser tech on the BB or the networks, but my ATT BB was MUCH slower for browsing then my Verizon Android on 3G. Plus, when I could connect 4g using the Android, WOW....

And now, I'm back to a ATT BB... It sucks.



We use Verizon.

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What provider do you use? This can also make a difference in your choice. Verizon has better coverage for talking, however AT&T has faster internet speeds for 3G phones.



I went from ATT to Verizon.

I dont know if its the browser tech on the BB or the networks, but my ATT BB was MUCH slower for browsing then my Verizon Android on 3G. Plus, when I could connect 4g using the Android, WOW....

And now, I'm back to a ATT BB... It sucks.



We use Verizon.



Guess I should have specified for iPhone. I'm currently with AT&T because of my unlimited data and accumulated rollover minutes. Also with AT&T iPhone you can browse and talk at the same time. Verizon did not offer that on the iPhone.

I'd like to start a new thread and have people download speedtest.net and compare upload and download speeds for their phones. Also post their hub location for comparison.

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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iPhone.

There are lots of articles comparing iPhones to Droids, and w/o getting into the tech specs, the iPhone beats the Droid in just about everything. Also, Flash is no longer going to be updated / supported for mobile devices, so Droid's one ace in the hole, "iPhones can't run flash" is going away.



Having both within arm's length right now, and having had both kinds of phones for quite a while (and a BB at the same time as earlier iPhones) I'd surely like to understand more about this statement.

Have had multiple carriers, too. Now all phones are through Verizon. In other words, my opinion is based entirely on personal experience as someone who travels a lot, using two different phones in various regions, both same and different carriers.

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. . . without spending too much on a gadget that will be obsolete in another 18 months?



None of them will be "obsolete." Any (reasonable) phone you buy today will be able to make calls 18 months from now unless something goofy happens like the world implodes or you drop it in a toilet.

That's said, technology improves at an ever increasing rate and within 18 months from now there absolutely will be a completely new "best thing." For instance, Siri on the iPhone 4s right now kicks ass. However, I try not to obsess over it and generally make my upgrades when I can afford them and take advantage of my carrier's upgrade policy which means I won't be talking to Siri until my next cycle.

The iPhone is a magnificent piece of design and engineering. If you're due for an upgrade and can afford it, grab the current iPhone 4s. You will be absolutely amazed.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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iPhone.

There are lots of articles comparing iPhones to Droids, and w/o getting into the tech specs, the iPhone beats the Droid in just about everything. Also, Flash is no longer going to be updated / supported for mobile devices, so Droid's one ace in the hole, "iPhones can't run flash" is going away.



Having both within arm's length right now, and having had both kinds of phones for quite a while (and a BB at the same time as earlier iPhones) I'd surely like to understand more about this statement.

Have had multiple carriers, too. Now all phones are through Verizon. In other words, my opinion is based entirely on personal experience as someone who travels a lot, using two different phones in various regions, both same and different carriers.



Sure. Here's the first google hit I had. Lists the specs side by side.

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/iphone_4s_vs._motorola_droid_bionic_spec_comparison_chart/

Few quick points to note:
iPhone costs less
iPhone has better screen resolution (960 x 640 vs 960 x 540)
Droid has a bigger screen (3.5 vs 4.3 in)
iPhone has 16-64G of storage, Droid has 16
Droid has a MicroSD slot and USB port
iPhone has a gyroscope
iPhone is smaller (4.5 x 2.31 x 0.37 vs 5.02 x 2.63 x 0.43)
iPhone weighs less (4.9 vs 5.6)
Droid can talk longer (480 (3G) vs 650)


PC world did some extended tests too, like quality, speed, etc. which you can read about here:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/199844/iphone_4_vs_droid_x_a_headtohead_comparison.html

Summary: "The iPhone 4 won the majority of our battles--but barely. Both phones are incredibly fast, have superb displays, and come loaded with multimedia features. Some of our tests, such as OS and media playback, come down to personal preference. On the other hand, our display, still camera, and camcorder tests clearly prove that the iPhone 4 is stronger in those categories. And the iPhone 4 won our data-speed and voice-quality tests, though they were confined to San Francisco; the results could be different in other parts of the country."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/09/adobe-flash-mobile-dead

And that is just one of many articles talking about Adobe killing flash mobile

"Mobile Flash is being killed off. The plugin that launched a thousand online forum arguments and a technology standoff between Apple and the format's creator, Adobe, will no longer be developed for mobile browsers, the company said in a note that will accompany a financial briefing to analysts."



---------------------


I don't want to sound like I think the Droid is bad, far from it. Our team MD has a droid and she loves it. Just saying, from a purely tech comparison, iPhone still edges out the Droid. But, then again, that margin probably only appeals to a small demographic. User preference certainly can tip the scale one way or the other, and I do think anyone would be happy with either.

Hope that helps :)
You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

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It really depends on your priorities. My list isn't short, but it's simple. Here's my take (and yes, I've used them all to one extent or another):

***BlackBerry Pros: Decent battery life, very reliable messaging/email, BlackBerry Messenger, plenty of applications, well built hardware, stable OS, easy multitasking, outstanding notifications, highly secure, if your business uses BlackBerry Enterprise Server you'll never have to backup your device
***BlackBerry Cons: The hardware is sometimes not able to efficiently handle the OS demands, emails are sometimes truncated, HTML is not rendered very well, the web-browser is web-kit based but it sucks, PIM integration is average, Facebook app is so-so

***Android Pros: Highly customizable (even if you don't "root" it), if you have Gmail the email is excellent, tons of apps, built-in voice recognition is amazing, the browser is very good, native apps perform well, very good PIM integration, Facebook app is excellent
***Android Cons: Horrific battery life, multitasking not intuitive, OS is not always stable, if you don't use Gmail expect issues with email, Exchange Active Sync is hit-or-miss, security issues

***Apple iOS Pros: Highly stable, simple interface, tons of apps, decent multitasking, decent battery life (people like to knock on Apple/iPhone, but their sh!t works), Facebook app is excellent
***Apple iOS Cons: Not easily customizable, jailbreaking can cause as many problems as it fixes, notifications are below average

***WindowsPhone 7 Pros: Clean interface, intuitive, decent number of apps, redefines the segment of interfacing with the "cloud" for social and PIM integration
***WindowsPhone 7 Cons: No IM client, no tethering, hotspot ability, or USB drive ability, limited multitasking, no customization ability

If reliable email is your priority, or a comfortable physical qwerty keyboard for messaging, nothing - nothing will beat a BlackBerry 9900/9930 series.

When it comes to cameras, et al, it really depends on the manufacturer. The Apple camera is excellent, as are the cameras in HTC devices (whether Android or WP7). BlackBerry cameras are not as good. If you're interested in Android, I strongly suggest you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

I don't know who your carrier is, but Verizon is tops in my book. You'll pay more, but you get what you pay for in my opinion. AT&T and Sprint simply do not invest in their network the way VZW does.

If you get a 4G/LTE device (whether on VZW or AT&T), then expect less than average battery life. The 4G speeds are awesome, but they like to drink power from the battery.

In case I was too technical: Some of my lingo... PIM - Personal Information Management (address books, social networking, etc). 4G is in reference to the newest network generation being rolled out. Notifications - meaning how you are notified about emails, texts, instant messaging etc. By "rooting" or "jailbreaking" I am referring to a semi-common practice of gaining access to all of a device's operating system capabilities. The procedures are fairly simple and it doesn't necessarily ruin the device.

Expect to spend between $200-$300 per device no matter what. One thing you'll notice is that none of these will provide the battery life of your "dumb" phones. Expect to charge them daily, or have a vehicle charger if you find yourself using them a lot.

If you're on Verizon check out these models:

BlackBerry Bold 9930
Apple iPhone 4S
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (not out yet, maybe next week)
HTC Trophy

Those are the "benchmarks" for each OS. I had a new Motorola Droid RAZR for about 3 days and returned it. I didn't like how it refused to fully sync with my Exchange servers, and the haptics were very weak (haptic feedback meaning how it would quickly vibrate to acknowledge a keystroke or selection). If you don't want the latest and greatest, also check out the HTC ThunderBolt or Samsung Charge (VZW).

It's different strokes for different folks. YMMV, but worth playing with them all if you're in the market. Go to the store for sure, and look at them all before you let a rep make a decision for you.

edit to add: knowing what I know, for a "new" user, I'd probably look at the iPhone or Android Galaxy. If you want something truly "integrated" (does movies, music, everything at once) and makes it easy to get all that content from one source, then Apple with iTunes and Windows Phone 7 with the Zune Marketplace are the two to watch.
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

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Don't go blackberry, RIM is dying - their core market that was enterprise is going to iPhone and android. What's your email? If you are in gmail, you cant beat android. Anything else, then grab an iPhone and an android in the shop and see which one ou like best. You can't go wrong with either. I do a lot of work with google, so my bias would be android, but then I am typing this on an iPad, so go figure!
Never try to eat more than you can lift

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Do not go with Blackberry - they've fallen way behind the curve.



1. Yeah, I've been wondering about exactly that. How so/why so?


2. I text a lot, so I guess one thing about the Blackberry is the fact that it has real buttons to type with, not just the screen. Am I putting too much stock in that? I am open to change.



iPhone4 keyboard, Slide-Out Bluetooth Keyboard

Of course, once you start using the landscape keyboard on the iPhone, there's not much difference.
My typing on the iPhone landscape keyboard is much faster than it was on the BB QWERTY.

I like the iPhone's first, Androids second, and the BB is going the way of the Treo Palm.
Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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i'm not an apple-fan and never wanted an iphone; now that i have one, i DONT want to miss it anymore. i think that says enough.. :)



Not an apple fanboi by far either. My first computer was an Apple IIe though, but since then, I've been on PC. Also, I never really understood people's undying praise for the iPhone till I got one (wife had one, played with it, liked it). It's really a great "more-than-a-phone".
You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

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...I don't know who your carrier is, but Verizon is tops in my book. You'll pay more, but you get what you pay for in my opinion. AT&T and Sprint simply do not invest in their network the way VZW does. If you get a 4G/LTE device (whether on VZW or AT&T), then expect less than average battery life. The 4G speeds are awesome, but they like to drink power from the battery...



To support your position:

Quote


Network Reliability

AT&T’s network is notorious for its dropped calls and dead zones. iPhone users simply went to town on AT&T’s infrastructure. It’s part of the reason why AT&T wants to acquire T-Mobile.

But in a 2010 nationwide reliability test by PCWorld, AT&T and Sprint were tops with 94% reliability (Verizon scored a 92%).

Of course, that was 2010 and all three have been making infrastructure improvements. AT&T has activated several towers in the San Francisco Bay Area (one of its weakest areas) in the past few months, though any Bay Area native will tell you that AT&T still has a long way to go.

In the end, network reliability depends on your location. But Verizon has the biggest advantage here: It has the largest 3G network of the three. You’re more likely to get a 3G signal in the countryside with Verizon than you are with AT&T.

SOURCE: http://mashable.com/2011/10/06/iphone-4s-sprint-att-verizon/


Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

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My first computer was an Apple IIe though, but since then, I've been on PC....



TOTALLY off topic but funny: just a couple years ago, during a visit back home, my mom was cleaning out the attic and came across our old Apple IIE and asked me what I wanted to do with it. She'd called around (poor thing) to used computer stores and found out that they're worthless, and was just stunned that the computer we'd paid so much for (over twenty years ago!) could now be worthless.

Even funnier: I spent a few days playing all my old favorite games (King's Quest and Loderunner, mostly) and finally unplugged it one last time and set it all out on the curb KNOWING exactly what would happen: I checked out the window less than an hour later and the whole shebang (ancient dot matrix printer and all) was gone. Much like the old tale about my neurotic dog Max "being adopted by a family with a farm and lots or room for him to run and play" (instead of the pound where I now realize he ended up), I hope that IIE is stilll up and running, giving some happy user all the syntax errors and blocky PrintShop banners they could ever want.

OK, BACK ON TOPIC: THANK YOU to those on this thread and others like it who have suggested holding out for the Galaxy Nexus. That's my plan.


Elvisio "Please insert disc 4" Rodriguez

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i'm not an apple-fan and never wanted an iphone; now that i have one, i DONT want to miss it anymore. i think that says enough.. :)



Not an apple fanboi by far either. My first computer was an Apple IIe though, but since then, I've been on PC. Also, I never really understood people's undying praise for the iPhone till I got one (wife had one, played with it, liked it). It's really a great "more-than-a-phone".


they are some cool phones for sure! :)
mine fucked up on me last friday, almost a year since i got it. restored it, everything except for the apps was back on, even the text-messages and ALL contacts! i liked that! :)
edited to add: only did so because i updated itunes and the phone-software at the same time, so it was completely my fault; cant blame the iphone for that one!
“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

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