Contests

Round Robin: TiPb vs. the iPhone 3G Final Review

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Dec 27, 2008 a 8:00 am

[This is an official Smartphone Experts Round Robin post! Every day you reply here, you're automatically entered for a chance to win an iPhone 3G, Case-Mate Naked Case, and Motorola H9 Bluetooth Headset! Full contest rules here!]

After 4 weeks sampling Google's Android G1, Palm's (HTC's) Treo (Windows Mobile) Pro, HTC's Windows Mobile FUZE, and RIM's BlackBerry Bold, it's back, and I'm back.

Boom.

A lot has happened since Dieter ripped the still beeping iPhone 3G from my cold, not-even-dead hand. Promo codes hit the App Store. iFart apps did to (and made a killing -- sigh). And, of course, Apple released a little something called firmware 2.2.

Admittedly, I cheated a bit. I checkout out the new firmware and the new Google Maps, but I really haven't had the chance to use iPhone OS 2.2 as my "daily driver", not until now.

I've reviewed the iPhone software several times now, for 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, so I'll spare you the regurgitation, because something else has happened to: I've spent time with all those other smartphones. I've experienced some things still unavailable on the iPhone, some I've really liked, others... well, check the videos for the Android G1, Treo Pro, HTC FUZE, and BlackBerry Bold if you haven't already.

Instead, I'm going to focus on that: returning to the iPhone and looking at it again through eyes now widened by our sibling sites' signature devices. And I'm going to start after the jump!

Round Robin: Smartphone Experts Roundtable Podcast II!

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Dec 26, 2008 a 11:16 am

Round Robin: TiPb vs. iPhone 3G Video Preview

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Dec 25, 2008 a 12:25 am

We've come full circle. After previewing the Android G1, Treo Pro, HTC FUZE, and BlackBerry Bold, I'm finally -- finally -- back to the iPhone 3G.

Will I still know how to use it? Will it be enough to mellow my month-long harsh? Will my own childlike sense of wonder be restored?

Check out the video, and then head on over to my triumphant return thread in the TiPb iPhone forums, and help me find out!

Round Robin: BlackBerry Bold Q&A!

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Dec 24, 2008 a 10:00 am

Fair enough, the CrackBerry's didn't smack me around as badly as the WinManiac -- those who bothered to read the context disclaimer and understand the point of the Round Robin at least! Ha! And along with the awesome CrackBerry.com forum members who tried to help a poor iPhone n00b out, the commenters added many useful insights and a tip or two to boot! Still some questions were asked and that means there are answers to be attempted... after the break!

Round Robin: TreoCentral Jennifer Entertains the iPhone 3G

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008 a 2:00 pm

Round Robin: TiPb vs. BlackBerry Bold Final Review

By Rene Ritchie, Monday, Dec 22, 2008 a 12:25 pm

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Black and white. Night and day. Left and right. BlackBerry Bold and iPhone 3G. For the penultimate Round Robin, I set aside my multi-touch no Qwerty for Kevin's touch-less Cadillac of Querty's.

And...? I loved it and hated it. How utterly appropriate. Not to be too tale of two-cities about it, but it was both the best of the Round Robin devices for me and the worst. Google's Android G1 tried to do everything but beta'd all of it (give them time though!). The HTC Fuze tried to shellack over Windows Mobile to make it more like the iPhone and -- in terms of usability -- tripped and fell all over itself in the attempt. The Palm Treo Pro, while unabashedly Windows Mobile, was still a touch screen, allowing for some level of direct comparison, and proving just how far behind Windows Mobile's interface has fallen.

But the BlackBerry Bold is a different beast entirely. Direct comparison is impossible. A pager vs. a music player, all grown up and bedecked in smartphone tech. Both devices can do similar things, but their strengths are almost polar opposites, as are the approaches they take in delivering them.

Kevin's already written 7500 words on that, however, requiring few if any from me. So rather than rehash, or duplicate what the previous Round Robin editors have said better before me, I'm going to change it up a bit (yes, again) and look at things from a different perspective. And I'll do it after the break!

Round Robin: Questions About the BlackBerry Bold?

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Dec 20, 2008 a 4:00 pm

Round Robin: TiPb vs. BlackBerry Bold Video Preview

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Dec 19, 2008 a 10:27 am

Cursed I tell ya. Not "Steve Jobs' isn't keynoting Macworld cursed, (though Dieter clearly blames me for that anyway!) Cursed in that not only did UPS hold CrackBerry Kevin's beloved BlackBerry Bold hostage for nearly a week ("it didn't make it on the plane" -- what, it decided to go bar hoping first?!), not only to BIS take days to start working ("oh, you wanted BlackBerry BIS -- no, I wanted iPhone BIS?!), but then I -- a rabid iPhone enthusiast -- had to endure my first completely non-touch screen device! Cursed!

Did I survive? Could I even use the tic-tactile little BlackBerry beastie? Check the video above to find out, then drop a comment here for your chance to win an iPhone 3G, or post on my comment thread over in the CrackBerry.com forums and you may just win a BlackBerry Bold! Prize details after the jump...