Geof Morris asks a good question on my previous post discussing mobile browsers:
That iPhone keyboard really is the only holding you back [from switching to the iPhone from the BlackBerry], isn’t it?
The keyboard is definitely an issue, but as much as I love the MobiSafari browser there are a few things holding me back from switching.
- Battery Life
- I get 3-4 days of battery life quite easily on my BlackBerry. My iPhone toting friends tell me that 2 days without charging an iPhone is a bit of a stretch.
- SSH
- I’m sure this will get solved once the iPhone is opened up to 3rd party developers, but having SSH on a mobile device is a real lifesaver if something goes wonky with a server.
- Copy/Paste
- Some of my internal tools rely on my copying and pasting information from e-mail alerts into web pages for parsing. Yes I could rewrite these so I could forward the e-mails to scripts, etc., but I have a lot of things things higher on my list than that. I actually use copy/paste quite often, for phone numbers in calendar events, etc. - data detectors don’t always work (especially with conference call #s that require entering an access key).
The other place where this is a problem for me is web apps - of which there are many since it’s the only supported way to develop for the iPhone. I use PwdHashed passwords for all my web accounts, and since I can’t copy-paste from my PwdHash web interface the simple act of logging into these services is much more difficult.
Also, copy/pasting addresses from a web page into Google Maps is something I do on a regular basis. I ran into this on my BlackBerry today. I don’t know if the data detectors in the iPhone are supposed to find addresses, but in my testing they don’t.
- Flash & Media Support
- It’s really handy to be able to listen to my GrandCentral voicemail via their Flash audio interface in the BlackBerry’s web browser. Playing audio files that arrive as e-mail attachments is another nice feature.
- IM Clients
- There have been a couple of times when having an IM client on my BlackBerry has been a real win for me. I know I can use a variety of web apps for this on the iPhone, but it’s not the same.
If all of these issues were resolved (and I expect everything except battery life to be available in the next 6 months via software updates), then the only thing left would be the keyboard (though I’d also miss the excellent keyboard navigation throughout the BlackBerry apps). I might be willing to suck it up on the keyboard at that point, but I gave it a pretty good trial again last night and really felt hampered by it.
Popularity: 15% [?]
Geof F. Morris adds this Comment:
I actually would be surprised to see Flash on there, because of the battery life issue.
Thanks for writing this.
October 15th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Eric adds this Comment:
My BlackBerry 8830 is a life saver. The iPhone is definitely a nifty gadget, but for functionality my BB does just fine.
October 15th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Mikey adds this Comment:
I love my 8320! The iphone definitely The sexier device, but weigh the pros and cons, and the BB is clearly the winner!
October 19th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
m3Rlin adds this Comment:
I’ve tried Palm Treos (2 models), Mobile Windows phones and numerous BlackBerries and hands down BBs are the best web-enabled phones out there. I like the technology is iPhones but they’re just not as functional.
October 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Chris adds this Comment:
I debated the BB vs iPhone a couple of months ago, and decided on the 8830 because its MADE for email. The iPhone is definitely sexier, but I need this for work and where functionality and performance are concerned the BB is the clear winner. Sure I’d love YouTube and music as well, but the BB is more efficient at handling my email. It has already paid for itself a number of times, so I’m confident that I made the right choice. I love my BB.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Oliver adds this Comment:
I am considering a blackberry device… right now I have a WM5 device and I am not sure if I should go for WM6 or not… will have to see what’s out there performance wise as my current phone seems to get bogged down some times… nobody likes lag!
November 8th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
emanuel adds this Comment:
Hi, thinking of trading in my Palm for a Blackberry. But: can I perform a Calendar Search, ie, if I met with Mr. Jones 5 rimes in the last 3 years, can I retrieve that data?
Thanks,
Emanuel
November 21st, 2007 at 7:27 pm