title says it all, which would you get and why. I am considering getting one of these when my time to upgrade comes. or, if neither then what would you get?

12/18/2009 10:26:37 PM

If you can live with ATT, iphone is the choice. Otherwise, droid or blackberry are interchangeable.

12/18/2009 10:38:26 PM

I like my iphone, but itunes is still a huge piece of shit

12/18/2009 10:49:52 PM

apparently blackberry charges $30 for email now.... if that's a mandatory fee, it's a deal breaker for me

12/18/2009 11:11:01 PM

experience with all

droid > iphone > blackberry

12/18/2009 11:11:47 PM

Quote :

"Otherwise, droid or blackberry are interchangeable."

Ha, what BS. If you want an iPhone-like experience without the AT&Fail network, get a Droid. If you want to be miserable and have to restart your phone daily, get a BlackBerry.

Interchangable? Not even remotely true.

12/18/2009 11:25:00 PM

^grossly false. I rarely have to restart my blackberry.

12/18/2009 11:30:52 PM

yes you do.

12/19/2009 12:11:04 AM

doesn't the iphone have alot more apps tho? the app store has SOO many apps. how does it compare to droid/bb

12/19/2009 12:28:55 AM

android devices are up to 20,000 apps and only going to grow as there's LOTS of android devices out there, there's only 1 iPhone.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 1:41 AM. Reason : .]

12/19/2009 1:40:51 AM

Quote :

"grossly false. I rarely have to restart my blackberry."

Quote :

"apparently blackberry charges $30 for email now.... if that's a mandatory fee, it's a deal breaker for me"

also false, Sprint has plans with the BB service bundled in with pretty much every other feature they offer they start at $69/mo.......no one is going to give you free internet, the BB does require internet

this thread is really off to a good start

12/19/2009 2:22:28 AM

Wow what an incredible can of worms, haha.

my 2c:

The iPhone is a great toy. However it stops there. Yes it does email, yes it can do SSH, but you're tied into (arguably) the most insecure operating system known in the phone space, no physical keyboard, and you can forget about writing your own apps... all powered by the crappiest major network known to man. From Raleigh to Fayetteville I get more 3G coverage with US Cellular than AT&T. That, friends, is pathetic. If you're a gamer, though, it's a solid device with a boatload of apps.

Blackberry is industry standard for a reason. It's old, it's secure, it gets business done. More tethering options and way more apps than most people admit. Read some tech news to see whats up: iPhone users report 25% call drop rate and it's "normal." Blackberry network goes down for an hour and its a big deal - they're known for reliability. Plus the BB Messenger is pretty much the heat... I can't think of anything more useful except the Nextel DirectConnect - but don't get a BB on the Nextel network, it's slow like molasses. P.S. very few games for u

Droid is just a monster. The keyboard is questionable (I have fat fingers... it's not the best for me) but the device itself is surprisingly solid for a moto. However, the real magic is of course Android. They've piled a handful of the most intelligent programmers in the world onto a single campus and told them to write code for a phone. Did you expect it to suck? If it has a problem do you expect it to last long? The OS is open, even if they get pulled to other projects they'll still be fixing problems in their basement. The user experience to me was solid, but it's just a hair away from greatness. TONS of great apps and games already available. Plus, the Droid screen simply cannot be compared to anything else. The extra pixels and brightness are just money. Videos online just jump out.


However, why not consider some other alternatives? The Eris/Hero is a great device, particularly riding on top of senseUI - a fantastic addition provided by HTC. And they're already promising OTA 2.1 early 2010. No need to plug up to the computer for updates, just let it pull it down while you sleep. I'm also a great fan of the PRE. Smallish keyboard, but the interface is golden. The card system to me is just genius, paired with an incredible dev environment, and the PIXI and PRE are coming to big red Verizon next year. They're lagging a bit on apps, but they just released a true SDK like a month ago. App store is elementary, but when it rolls out I doubt seriously it will disappoint. If you're with ATT already why not consider a Nokia E71x or E72? If you're more concerned with keeping organized instead of browsing the net you would probably be very happy with the Nokia - and it'll rock that crazy Joiku instant access point software. Hit the button and you have a hotspot anywhere you have data connection - no fees or anything. Plus it will save you a ton of cash on the front end.

12/19/2009 2:55:03 AM

nice post websurfer. My phone will be available for upgrade soon and I will most likely be going to medical school soon so I want something that can keep me organized and also have useful apps. Seems like alot of people have problems with the iPhone (except for gaming, but i dont care about that) especially the AT&T network being shitty. Droid does seem like a good option, but I have heard its glitchy, any truth to this

12/19/2009 3:00:37 AM

^^ Awesome post man.

I'd love an i-phone, but I do not want to hook up with AT&T.

I don't want a BB. It simply doesn't excite me.

And the Droid. It excites me. The only drawback is that it's a slider. If it weren't for that, I'd be all over the Droid.

12/19/2009 3:04:56 AM

^the only major glitch I've heard documented was something about camera resolution being tied to the calendar date due to some bug (which to me sounds weird, but whatever.)

When I tested it we had a Droid and a iPhone 3G side by side on solid 3G connection. Without a doubt the Droid was burning up the iPhone on the net. And it throws in Flash support on top of that. No multitouch pinching to move around, but it wasn't like the nav was complicated - just click in the corner and drag your finger for zoom. Extra pixels in the screen, faster network and noticeably faster browsing (iPhone just couldn't keep up) was awesome to me. There are very few things I can't get to from the web.

Trying to stay organized Google is trying to take over the world. Put it in your calendar on your phone and it's replicated to the web and to your desktop. No more keeping up with several calendars or like me using 500 plugins to keep everything synced. It's not complicated to see how useful this is....

They also were nice enough to provide tools for FULL device backup. Accidentally drop it into the drink while fishing? No sweat, just buy another and run the program. You've also got the option that transfer from Droid device to device is seamless. If you got an Eris/Hero now (saving you like $125 unless they run another $99 deal) and hold onto it for even a year the Droid will be down in the affordable range. That's just me though. If you've got the cash you cant go wrong with the Droid - it's very solid.

Last thing, then I'm off here for the night: The Droid has this... 'information bar'... not sure what it's technical name is, but holy crap it was convenient. If you muted the phone for a meeting or something you come back, click one button and everything that has happened shows up facebook-feed style. For instance all emails, texts, upcoming events, notes - almost everything - shows up in one solid stream. Forget about clicking through 3-4 apps like you would on iPhone, it's all tied together seamlessly.

12/19/2009 3:15:20 AM

Droid owner here. Two things:

shmorri2 said:

Quote :

"And the Droid. It excites me. The only drawback is that it's a slider. If it weren't for that, I'd be all over the Droid."

It's not really a slider. The only bit that slides is access to the hardware keyboard. All the phone functions--dialing numbers, answering calls, etc.--are handled on the touchscreen. If you're satisfied with the software keyboards available for the device, there's really no reason to ever slide it open.

wwwebsurfer said:

Quote :

"When I tested it we had a Droid and a iPhone 3G side by side on solid 3G connection. Without a doubt the Droid was burning up the iPhone on the net. And it throws in Flash support on top of that."

The Droid does not have Flash support. Adobe is working on it and has said it's coming "the first half of 2010," which is still better than the iPhone, which doesn't even have that much of a date yet.

12/19/2009 8:06:16 AM

i have an iphone and was very skeptical of the virtual keyboard. you get used to it after a day or so and i type just as well and as fast. even my 50 something bosses can type and like the keyboard.

i messed around with a droid keyboard for a bit and really didn't like it. the keys are really flat and with the point of having a physical keyboard being that you can physically tell the difference in the placement of the keys, it failed. they're all flat and smooth and awkward. i have skinny fingers too. i don't own one and haven't spent more than 10-15 mins messing with it, so you could eventually get used to it i guess. i don't think it's effective enough to really make a physical keyboard a selling point. i don't have any experience otherwise with them as far as apps and whatnot. i know google just handed out some of their nexus phones to employees to use/test. i don't know how long it will be before those make it to market but if it's not long it could be worth waiting for. like the droid, there's no pinch zooming for maps though.

there's a shit ton of apps for the iphone. games, utilities, and the misc are great. the touch screen can't be beaten. the camera kinda sucks unless you're in perfect lighting conditions, although if it's dim lighting, make sure you tap to focus on a dark spot instead of letting it autofocus on a light or something. it will adjust a little bit to compensate. the network sucks balls outside of major cities. i live in rocky mount and don't experience the frequent dropped call of others. i've had the iphone since august and have had a total of 3 dropped calls.

blackberries are boring, but they are secure and work well with business stuff. we had them at work for a long time (we now have iphones and sync with exchange just fine), and the one guy that still has one doesn't like it. he has the storm. the click screen is very awkward imo. the physical keyboards are good as far as feel. if you're middle aged (my bosses) then the keys can be hard to read b/c the font they label them with is retarded.

it alllll depends on what you want to do with your phone.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 9:58 AM. Reason : ]

12/19/2009 9:56:52 AM

Another big thing to consider is gsm versus cdma. You can jailbreak/unlock (or use at&ts international roaming plans) your iPhone and buy a cheap sim card (~$15/month) for unlimited data/texts in Europe whereas Verizon (afaik) is not offering a GSM droid so you're stuck with the shitty global coverage of cdma (non-existent in Europe). If you don't travel a lot it's alright but being able to use unlimited data on an iPhone in Europe for cheap is pretty sweet.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/10/att_defends_its_data_network_from_verizon_ad_attacks.html

True Verizon has more 3g coverage but AT&T's 3g is much faster to begin with, and edge on at&t usually tends to hit speeds close to Verizon's 3g (so the Verizon commercials are misleading because they don't actually compare data speed). I tether a lot and couldn't deal with Verizon's slow speeds. Never really had trouble with at&t either. Don't have dropped calls, data always works. I don't know what everyone is complaining about. I was just over in the UK and their 3g SUCKS compared to At&ts. Got dropped calls, slow 3g, etc.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 10:47 AM. Reason : .]

12/19/2009 10:45:01 AM

Quote :

"True Verizon has more 3g coverage but AT&T's 3g is much faster to begin with, and edge on at&t usually tends to hit speeds close to Verizon's 3g"

that's a matter of personal experience. i'm finding verizon 3g coverage to consistently be just as fast as at&t 3g coverage. having used a Droid now for a month, it's proving to be just as speedy as the iPhone when browsing, downloading mail, looking at YouTube, etc.

12/19/2009 10:52:28 AM

^Well EVDO Rev A used by Verizon tops out at ~1.5mbit. At&t:

Quote :

" In 2005, AT&T began rolling out its first true UMTS 3G service, which enabled data service of up to 3.6 Mbit, significantly faster than Verizon's EVDO. The company is now in the process of rolling out 7.4 Mbit enhanced UMTS data service in certain cities, including Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami. It plans to have the faster 7.2 3G service in 25 of its top 30 markets by the end of next year, and to reach 90% of its 3G network by the end of 2011. By then, AT&T says it will begin deploying the faster LTE as well."

I can do speed tests while tethering and hit close to 3mbit. After using a Droid for a while the browsing experience seemed much slower on Verizon than with an iPhone on At&t. It's not really a matter of personal experience. At&t's network is generally twice as fast as Verizons. Plus I just couldn't have a non-GSM phone.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 10:57 AM. Reason : .]

12/19/2009 10:56:11 AM

i dunno..i've had a blackberry pearl (barf) and curve..and the original and 3G iphones. the keyboard on the blackberry is nice.. i can type a hell of a lot faster and if i did primarily email i'd probably go with it. but, i don't..and most people don't. the web browsing experience on that particular blackberry was a joke. i'm sure it's a lot better with some of the new ones but i dunno, i've heard nothing but horror stories from everyone i know that has one. like..my aunt had one of the new ones on verizon (the touchscreen one..can't remember the name) and it took a solid 20-25 seconds to get the camera app up..then another 5 seconds at minimum to take a picture. fucking awful. she had tons of problems with calls that would never come through..she'd notice her phone getting super slow but it'd never actually ring. a few minutes later she'd have a voicemail.

anyways. i still prefer the iphone but i hate the price i have to pay every month for it. i'm trying to find something cheaper but i dunno..until the iphone is on verizon i don't see it happening

12/19/2009 12:16:13 PM

I am a Droid owner, and I am really confused as to why people immediately review the physical keyboard of a Droid after the first use. Is it because they are used to a Blackberry style phone, where the physical keyboard is an essential part of the operation?

I would consider myself a fairly heavy phone user, and I actually use the physical keyboard about once a week at most - and that is only when I need to type out a long email or something.

The Droid is as thick as an iPhone 3GS - if you do not like the keyboard, close it and pretend it doesnt have one - all functions are displayed on the screen the same as any other Android / iPhone OS - you will not lose any functionality if you do not ever use the physical keyboard of the Droid.

12/19/2009 2:07:54 PM

Droid is .06 thicker than the iphone. heh. I'm not a big fan of the droid keyboard. It just feels flat and cheap. Not enough feedback. Seems like they should have just done the touch keyboard.

12/19/2009 2:20:39 PM

^ so again, you're complaining about something that is a PERK - something that you do NOT need. dont use it, and surprise - no further complaints about the physical keyboard.

12/19/2009 2:46:34 PM

Quote :

"I am a Droid owner, and I am really confused as to why people immediately review the physical keyboard of a Droid after the first use. Is it because they are used to a Blackberry style phone, where the physical keyboard is an essential part of the operation?"

Because they advertise it as one of the main features of the phone. Remember "iDon't have a real keyboard"? It was the first thing in the commercial. It's supposed to be a major selling point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuiRilpBwfc

12/19/2009 2:53:59 PM

^ wow, really?

I'm going to take this discussion to the Android thread

12/19/2009 3:27:56 PM

Quote :

"Yes it does email, yes it can do SSH, but you're tied into (arguably) the most insecure operating system known in the phone space,"

What?

Quote :

"The Droid does not have Flash support. Adobe is working on it and has said it's coming "the first half of 2010," which is still better than the iPhone, which doesn't even have that much of a date yet. "

I really don't get what everyone's obsession with flash is. Have none of you seen what a monster flash is on your computer? The world would be a better place if flash just went away.

The real choice between Droid and iPhone is whether you prefer getting ass raped by Verizon or AT&T.

12/19/2009 3:28:39 PM

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PHYSICAL KEYBOARD? ISNT IT FLAT?!

12/19/2009 3:30:56 PM

This DD kid throwing a tantrum is amusing.

12/19/2009 3:34:22 PM

Quote :

"I really don't get what everyone's obsession with flash is"

well its not going anywhere so people are going to want flash videos on their phones

12/19/2009 3:39:37 PM

Quinn lets complain more about the physical keyboard of the Droid

Hey what i dont like is the keys are sooo close together, it makes it hard to email my grandmother

12/19/2009 3:41:07 PM

Dude, you're the one going nuts about this.

They advertise the keyboard as a major feature and it's also one of the major differences between the Droid and the iPhone. It's going to come up. If it sucks, it sucks. Everyone knows you don't have to use it, but the fact is that it's there and it's going to be reviewed for what it is.

There are plenty of lackluster things about the iPhone that people harp on all the time. Don't take this shit so personally.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 4:02 PM. Reason : .]

12/19/2009 4:01:39 PM

Hmm, I never considered the Nokia E71x or E72. Anyone have any experiences with these?

Lol it seems like the Droid keyboard is becoming a hot topic. I found that at first I didn't like iPhone touch keyboard, but I've used it a few times from some friends, and especially in landscape mode it seems to be pretty good.
But the blackberry keyboard, although it is not flat..the keys seems a bit small and you kinda have to peck at it more than the iPhone where you can write stuff faster. What do you guys think

12/19/2009 7:04:03 PM

you do not have to peck on a BB keyboard. Anyone that has owned a non-Storm BB for more than a few months will tell you that they have some of the best keyboards available. If email is an absolute priority, this is the way to go. They are boring but there's a reason that they're still #1 & RIM is still having better than projected profits.

I recently switched from BBs to an Eris and I love it. I don't care for the Droid's form factor and I'm used to BBs so the speed difference between the Eris & Droid isn't noticeable. The ONLY thing that I don't like about android is that my non-gmail emails take longer to get than I'd prefer (they aren't pushed). Until now, I've wanted an iPhone (from working with an iPod Touch) and have been waiting for it to come over to Verizon. Now, I think it'd be great but I'm very happy with Android and don't plan to move.

12/19/2009 8:20:25 PM

Quote :

"you do not have to peck on a BB keyboard. Anyone that has owned a non-Storm BB for more than a few months will tell you that they have some of the best keyboards available. If email is an absolute priority, this is the way to go."

agree completely. i love my iphone but the bb keyboard is/was awesome.

12/19/2009 9:28:47 PM

RIM is years behind it's competition in development and advancement with their if it ain't broke, don't fix it philosophy. They've pretty much depended on having no multi-carrier competition and the reluctance of businesses to switch devices, whether it's security related or other reasons, to get them through year to year. They may have surprised a lot of people this year with their profits, but it's only a matter of time before all that changes, especially with android taking off like wildfire and rumors of the Pre and iPhone moving to multiple carriers. With what seems like monthly BIS outages, mediocre exchange support without BES, almost guaranteed battery pulls and required OS upgrades to make a phone usable (ie. Storm), RIM is getting close to giving people no real reasons to choose a blackberry over any of its other smart phone competition. Not to mention the browsing experience on a blackberry is probably the worst among smart phones but that could change with the Torch acquisition.

We use Sprint at work and had 21 blackberries but have begun moving people to Pre's. The 3 people we've switched so far pretty much wonder why we didn't jump ship sooner. The keyboard isn't the best but I've never been a fan of the curve keyboards anyways. I have the Storm and may be one of the few people who actually like the typing on it but I plan on going Droid soon as I see no advantages in keeping it other than BBM and even that doesn't work half the time.

[Edited on December 19, 2009 at 9:42 PM. Reason : ]

12/19/2009 9:39:11 PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anticitizen/4193870759/in/photostream/
Apparently the Droid has some weird battery cover problem

12/19/2009 9:42:07 PM

Quote :

"If you're with ATT already why not consider a Nokia E71x or E72? If you're more concerned with keeping organized instead of browsing the net you would probably be very happy with the Nokia - and it'll rock that crazy Joiku instant access point software. Hit the button and you have a hotspot anywhere you have data connection - no fees or anything. Plus it will save you a ton of cash on the front end."

I'm using an E71x for business and it's pretty fucking awesome after you delete the worthless Att apps on it.

12/19/2009 11:25:39 PM

Quote :

"android devices are up to 20,000 apps and only going to grow as there's LOTS of android devices out there, there's only 1 iPhone."

WTF difference does that make? There is still only 1 O.S. Doesn't matter if its on a star-tack wannabe Motorola or a slick piece of hardware...droid is a droid as far as apps are concerned.

12/20/2009 5:31:48 AM

Touch pro 2 ftw!

12/20/2009 9:06:51 AM

What really makes a difference with an Android device is the version of it's OS, and the speed of it's processor. The reason why people made such a big deal about the Moto Droid is because it's the fastest in class of all currently available Android devices.

Well, that, and HOLY SHIT Motorola made a non-shitty phone!

12/20/2009 9:20:14 AM

The only problem with the iPhone is now that I've spent all this $$ on apps I'd be crazy to get another phone.

12/20/2009 9:33:26 AM

Lets see.... BB is not in consideration, it is just not even close to the other options.

The Droid has a better screen, better processor, is on the open-source Android OS, has any app you could really want in the market, which is growing crazy fast.... it has a physical keyboard, it can have multiple email apps too.... you do not have to jailbreak it to download apps from third parties... if you did want to root it you can theme it and do whatever the hell you want... it was Times gadget of the year... it is the absolute best android phone available on the market (for now).... it is super quick... browing on Verizons networks pwns at&t. OOOO... and it has freaking turn by turn navigation, for free.

seriously, I realize the iPhone is pretty and it does things easily... but the Droid does have a better screen and a bigger processor.... and iTunes does suck.

All of this coming from someone who does not have the droid, or is on Verizon. BUT, a HUGE fan of android.

:edit: O yeah, you will not look like a fucking douche bag.

[Edited on December 20, 2009 at 10:15 AM. Reason : agr]

12/20/2009 10:13:31 AM

lawl

http://www.tuaw.com/2009/12/20/snl-google-phone-to-challenge-iphone-by-making-calls/

12/20/2009 10:45:18 AM

Quote :

"browing on Verizons networks pwns at&t"

how?

12/20/2009 11:19:44 AM

i wouldn't say it pwns, but it's definitely more reliable.

12/20/2009 11:37:57 AM

Quote :

"a bigger processor"

Both use a 600MHz processor (droid has TI OMAP 3430 downclocked to 550 and the 3GS has a Samsung S5PC100). From what I've seen, they're pretty much the same performance wise.

12/20/2009 12:45:16 PM

Quote :

". They are boring but there's a reason that they're still #1 & RIM is still having better than projected profits."

Yeah, its called businesses/corporations that require their employees to use a BB.

12/20/2009 3:36:57 PM

Not to mention the blackberry phones are relatively cheap compared to the iPhone, and there’s like 6 different models to choose from.

There is no good reason for a consumer to choose a Blackberry over an iPhone or a Droid or a Palm Pre. The BB has good name recognition, but it a turd of a phone, OS wise.

12/20/2009 3:50:28 PM

Quote :

"There is no good reason for a consumer to choose a Blackberry over an iPhone or a Droid or a Palm Pre. The BB has good name recognition, but it a turd of a phone, OS wise."

agreed. I'm kind of surprised that they reported that 80% of the 10 million sold last quarter was to the consumer rather than business market. I don't see them being anywhere near that in the future unless they make major changes.

12/20/2009 3:54:47 PM