iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold: Hands On (and Wait-a-Thon)

@ChrisH: Yeah, I started adding Keyboard and WiFi reception and all sorts of craziness to the chart and then realized it would be a neverending thing. I'll say initially that while I expected the Bold's keyboard to be mushy and weird compared to other physical keyboards, it's actually very good.

Could there be any less similar phones? Why not compare a tricycle with a trombone? Oh, because there aren't a bunch of tricycle and trombone fanboys to read the article? I get it.
Here's my prediction, though: RIM licenses Blackberry tech to Apple. WinMo U.S. market share slips below 10% within two years.

Many BB users don't see a touchscreen as an advantage. The BB has a large base of 3rd party software available, much of it free.

One of the things i noticed about the Bold that i did not like was the backing, although it was a sleak hard rubber design, I picked up one at the WES and the back would not stay on, i brought it to the attention of the guy fielding questions and he wasn't able to get it to stay on securely. Not sure if there was a problem with this one particular device or not, but it was scary as this was the first day they were displaying the device and it was already falling apart. Oh and to say they aren't trying to compete with the Iphone is a joke, although not a huge fan of the costly device, i still think they are trying to prevent a mass market move to the iphone....

If e-mail is critical, no doubt that the Blackberry is king. However, I have e-mail on WinMob using Exchange ActiveSync, & it works flawlessly. I assume the same will be true on iPhone 2.0. Of course, if you have no need for media on your phone, then Blackberry may be the way to go. But if media & internet are your main desires, then it's hard to beat the iPhone.

The screen on the Bold looks laughably small next to the iPhone one plus I'm not sure I agree with the earlier comment about the range of software for the BB. I found it to be inadequate next to the number of titles for palm and win mob. As for email on the BB, I don't need push email and prefer the iPhone, Palm and win mob handling of folder support.

Nice comparison, but I still don't understand why the emphasis to want to make a BB an iPhone. They serve 2 markets. Appple understands it needs to be in the exchange market and is headed that way. But I don't think it will change a lot of existing BB users minds once they do that. They will surely get their share of new Exchange customers. I have watched people try and 1 hand operate their iPhone, and it's funny. Not a terrible efficient operation. Nice Job.

Nice shots. I'm still happy with my current-gen iPhone.

I can still type 10x faster, better, and more joyously on the iPhone than I ever could any TreoWinBB keyboard. Absent tic-tactile keyboard love, smaller screen, fatter body, and nowhere near the same class of OS... Even the 1st gen iPhone smokes RIM's latest.
And given they'll still be iCloning with the Storm & Thunder, it sadly looks like RIM won't be stepping up to any innovation of their own anytime soon :(

I like the bold alot, bit blackberry could have done something really bold and made a multi-touch touchscreen.
Being bold isn't recycling pieces of old phonesabd putting a new os on it, that's like a stripper changing outfits and calling herself a different name.
It looks sexy in pictures, but with the iPhone 3g coming out in less than a month we will have to wait and see who wins this little "competition"
I love this site though =]

Thanks for this insightful post. I am currently deciding between the iPhone and the Blackberry Bold. For me, the deal breaker will be html email. I receive a large amount of it, rendering my current Blackberry pretty much useless.
I'd love to see a comparison between the two phones for HTML email. Especially as I've read the Bold will be the first Blackberry to support HTML email.

I suppose "lack" of the third-party iPhone software is an issue of you are afraid to jailbreak you iPhone - but since I'm the adventurous type, I enjoy a great selection of iPhone software.

I really dig both phones, but am an avid BB user. One of my good friends has an Iphone so I am able to get lots of hands on time with it. Now I will explain why my stock is going with RIM though. The Iphone has in a way backed itself into a corner with the simplicity of its design. Apple will never be able to go to a tactile keyboard due to the strong emphasis that it has always put on its touch screen. With that in mind the Iphone will always retain its general cosmetic design but will only be updated with new and improved Os's. RIM on the other hand has the future wide open for them. They have a tactile keyboard which functions exceptionally well, and when they eventually release a touch screen model they will still keep other BB devices in their arsenal of devices. In other words, RIM can go any number of routes with its hardware and not be wrong. I think in the next few years you are only going to see small cosmetic changes on the Iphone itself. Iphone has a nice music player and browser for sure, but given a short amount of time RIM can easily achieve and surpass those features, no doubt.

I know there are millions of fans who love BB. I understand why they do. But I owned a BB Curve and it was terrible. Stupid icons, poor screen, 0 apps. The only reason I bought one was to use it for T-Mobile's hotspot@home. When it worked it was fine but it almost never worked and the BB was shut down. What a POS.
Don't care if they gold plate the BB, iPhones forever.

I will be picking this phone up in July to give it a try.

if the 4.6 OS is as much of an improvement as the 4.5 beta, it will be worth it.

I have BB for work and iphone for home and both excel in different areas. It is like apples and oranges.

BOLD LOOKS GOOD BUT NO COMPARISON TO IPHONE!!!!!!!!

The Blackberry Bold looks nice, but I still will be holding on to my iPhone.

thanks for the nice comparison. html email is getting more and more important. hope the BB bold is using true html and attachments.
I use both a iphone and a BB. iphone now for web, fun and phone use.
BB for business. I tried the iphone for everyday business use, but comparing, the iphone is far away from being a full blast business phone, as it lacks a true keyboard, also the use of contacts for calls/emails is so fast on a BB, its a workhorse.
then - on a train journey or in a airplane - try to write a long email or article on a iphone and BB - the BB is faster. never can a touchscreen - even if it is as good as the iphone's - cope with a true keyboard.
both devices are good on their respective market, but in a way not comparable. the iphone is a multimedia machine, the BB a office powerhorse. it must not look good, it must make the job easier.
however: apple has done a tremendous job on the UI, and RIM has done some homework too.

Whilst I love email on the BB, and that was the real reason I got it in the first place...I guess I had almost forgotten what a great device the IPhone is!!
Like others had said, apples and oranges, but the IPhone is still a pretty impressive device!

This is a pointless comparison. The Bold isn't shipping and the current iPhone has been shipping for just less than a year. When the Bold ships then the review would be remotely useful. But my guess is that by the time RIM gets the Bold out the door - the new iPhone would of been shipping at least 3 months.

I still like the iphone becuace it can hold ALL OF MY FILES unlike the 1gb that you said the bold had.

Only thign to remember Tim is that IPhone 2 is going to be much of the same, Only real expected change will be 3G and possibly a cleaner interface? How much more can the improve on the Iphone, It is what it is and will not ever really change, BB is on the move and will continue to bring out new and fresh products for the foreseeable future. Iphone will keep rehashing the same

The biggest downside to the iPhone is the keyboard. It is not as functional and efficient as a BB but it is damn pretty! If you rely upon email for work (especially when traveling) the BB trumps the iphone. Plus throw in the BB's tethering, battery life, and broad spectrum capabilities and it is the winner for a corporate traveler like myself.

John,
How can you say that the iphone will be more of the same? The wonderful thing about it is that it's essentially a mini computer that can be updated with software all the time, only limited by the creativity of developers. It's potential is really limitless and the more powerful the CPU and more hard disk space there is, the better it will get. The interface is wonderful as is, but will continue to be refined and improved.

Two great phones....but what I really want is the iTunes gift card!

I don't know the experience level of any of you when it comes to BlackBerry, but I get the feeling that many of you haven't used one. I, on the other hand, have used one for a few years, and I can speak from real experience, and that experience leaves me with one MAJOR complaint about the Bold. Anyway, that complaint is that the OS is so stale its starting to compete with Palm for lack of innovation. I don't care how much they pretty up the screen, nor do I care how much they improve the hardware, I want a fresh, updated OS. Sure, OS 4.6 will have some things behind the scenes that make a difference, but it is still the same text driven, boring OS that BlackBerry has always had, and it is getting beyond old.
As a BlackBerry user, I am also getting tired of seeing everyone that says the iPhone will never touch the BlackBerry in the business world. It simply isn't true! A company riding high and ruling the game for a long time does not make them impervious to falling; just ask Ford if you doubt it. iPhone 2.0 with Exchange support and an UNBELIEVABLE platform for 3rd party business apps presents a serious threat to the BlackBerry. While it may not endanger some of RIM's large existing customers, it could seriously change what happens as they go after NEW customers. Large corporations spring up left and right nowadays, and there is a lot going right for the iPhone that could take those corporations away from RIM and into Apple's pocket.
You can doubt it all you want because YOU don't like certain things about the iPhone, but that doesn't make it any less of a possibility. Your company doesn't care what device YOU like, they care about what device increases productivity and helps spare the bottom line. If the Apple can prove that its iPhone will increase productivity, and will be a cheaper alternative to BlackBerry licenses and BES setups, things could change big time.

I have made the switch to the iphone and even though there are more programs avaialble for other platforms, the revolutionary interface has won me over again and again.

Great comparison! The Bold does offer credible competition to the iPhone. It's good that consumers now have a number of good choices for smartphones, instead of just Palm OS versus Windows Mobile.

I can't believe all of the comments about the iPhone's keyboard. Even from people who claim to own an iPhone (and a BB of course). They say they can't type fast on it, or can't compose a long email, or whatever. I can type 24 w.p.m. on my iPhone (online tests) which is plenty fast for whatever I need to do on a mobile device. If you need to be typing more than a few paragraphs at a time, carry your laptop.
Also, have people actually used an iPhone? Holy crap, did you see this guy have to fumble around the Bold's menus trying to find crap? I have 3 boys ages 2, 5, and 7. My seven year old can do almost anything on the iPhone without any instructions, my five year old can navigate the things he needs to (photos and watch movies, etc.) Just yesterday I showed my two-year-old how to swipe thru photos, done. I swear, the UI is so light years ahead of where the others are, people are just stubborn to not admit it. And with free software updates, are you kidding? It's like getting a new phone every few months.
Sorry for the rant, I guess I'm a believer in my phone after 11 months.

giving a BlackBerry device to my son to watch pictures? I'd give an iPhone to check email... in real time... tsk tsk

I have the 8830 and hate it.
The BBB doesn't look like they re-thought anything. They just bumped the resolution but they've still got that irritating scroll ball and silly interface. Everything is choppy still, scrolling email, images, web sites.
Like my wife, I want my phone pretty and functional.
Although, you forgot to time yourself typing "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." Blackberry wins every time.

Being that this is a users forum, and, I would bet that 99% of the individuals participating on the forum have a pretty good understanding of the iPhone, one would have to conclude that the knowledge base of the average user here is way above that of the average US citizen. Same with the Blackberry forums and those who participate on those. If you go out on the street and ask the everyday corporate user how they feel about the iPhone or Blackberry Bold.. you will get a blank stare. They could care less about the UI or OS on either product. They wouldn't even know what you were talking about. All they care about is that their particular devise is working.
I am a long time user of Blackberry.. back to 2000 or so. I have friends who are still using 5 and 6 year old Blackberrys and they could care less which OS they are on or what the UI looks like. Or, that their specific model has that stubby antenna on it. All they care about is that their corporate email comes through when they are traveling and the phone works as it should. I also have friends that have iPhones... they are in the same boat. They could care less about any of the technical issues, they only care that it works.
My take is that Blackberry users, both serious and everyday corporate users, will stick with Blackberry.. no matter what the model, OS, UI or how thick it is. They see it as a pure business tool and it does exactly what it was designed to do. They view the iPhone as a consumer toy that is not built for their work-a-day world. On the other hand, iPhone users will stick to iPhones. They purchased it for a specific reason and it does what it was supposed to do and it does it well.
I fully understand the desire to compare the two companies and handhelds.. but the fact is that it is a mute point. One is no better than the other. They were designed to serve different audiences. You will never convince the Corporate CFO and CIO that they need to go out and buy iPhones for their salespeople.. it will never happen. Just like you will never convince the parent of a teenager that they need a Blackberry 8820 or Blackberry Bold for their 17 year old. Two different handhelds for two different worlds.

WatchGuy, that was a very well written post in paragraphs one, two and three. However, you lost your way with paragraph 4. If you watch the Apple Keynote from March, you will see just how serious the iPhone is about to become to the "hardcore business user." I am saying this and I have been an avid fan of BlackBerry for a long time. I used to laugh at the thought of an iPhone being used as a serious business device... UNTIL I watched that keynote.
The iPhone will have:
1. Email push
2. Calendar push
3. Contact push
4. Remote wipe
5. Company defined user policies
and more...
It will also present an unrivaled platform for 3rd party apps thanks to the release of the SDK. They demo'd a few apps during the keynote that had been literally thrown together in 2 weeks or less, and they were at least on par with, if not better than just about any app I have seen on BlackBerry, and 3rd party BlackBerry devs have been working with their platform for years.
You can't say a CFO or CIO will never switch to iPhones for their sales staff, as it is a very real possibility. If the iPhone presents itself as a more cost effective and more productive device, I would bet dollars to donuts that they would think about switching.
I am NOT saying you are wrong, as you are entitled to your opinion. I do feel that your last paragraph was just a bit too close minded for its own good though.

I am disappointed that the Bold uses an 8800-sized form factor (that extra .2 inches does matter if you have handled both an 8800 and a Curve). That is enough to make me wait to change from a Curve. On the iPhone, if they can provide landscape EMail on the iPhone to allow for a larger virtual keyboard, it is worth trying again. Meanwhile, the Curve is a better option for serious EMail and going back to the larger form factor of the Bold just to get 3G and a sharper display isn't worth doing for me at least.

2 distinct devices for 2 distinct set of users. I'm a RIM user for work and iPhone user for personal. There is no perfect device. Life goes on. The Bold looks very cool. They're almost there.

They both look nice and I think the Bold is a nice step up for RIM but I have to say once you get used to the freedom of the touch screen on the iPhone...ther's not going back....

Sorry guys, can't wait to trade my iPhone for the Bold. You forgot to mention how Apple does not allow mms or forwarding of text messages. Why does Apple insist on depriving us of so many things?

I will get the bold. I have both the curve and the iphone right now. They both are great for what they do. I wrote my own version of the curve vs the iphone at www.chicksdigme.com

Great post watchguy

I like both of these phones.... a lot. but I have to say that the Blackberry is a smart phone and the iPhone is more of a feature phone than anything. So its kinda of a strange comparison but one thing I do want to point out is that the Bold has 1 gig of memory plus up to a 16gb micro sd expansion soooo thats 17gb of memory which would make the bold the winner over the iphone.

i can't WAiT!!!

I have the luxury of getting pretty much every mobile device that comes along and will interact with Exchange. I've had a Iphone since last june and am in the OS 2.0 beta. I've used a BB since 2000 and used every version of that along with a plethora of Windows Mobile devices 5.0 - 6.1
Iphone is not doubt a slick lifestyle device, for the casual user it's pretty close to perfect. I'm never been a big fan of touch screen but it has it's places and for casual users it's sufficient. Apple knew this as it's core audience is web / music type user. Now ActiveSync is no where near as clean as a BB tied to BES and anyone thinking otherwise is smoking crack. ActiveSync is a serious memory hog, flacks out and stops working etc. Anyone who's support WinMo devices the past 2-3 years will tell you the same thing. Apple NEEDED ActiveSync to get interest in the corporate world. And it's POLICY as in password policy there is no other ActiveSync policy you can force, you also gain remote wipe. IF you are on Exchange 2007 you get a couple more but they are no extended to Iphone yet. BB and BES offer over 150 policy .. kinda hard to explain to a TCO/CIO why we should run for LESS security and management of mobile devices.
I was just down at WES and sat in a number of discussions with other fortune 100 admins, executives etc and heard the same thing all week. Iphone is nice but we're not interested. Apple will make headway with places having open mobile policy (allowing personal devices) and small business who can't afford a full BES (though RIM makes multiple version of it now)
Apple is very effective at marketing. The SDK "announcement" showed everyone who wasn't paying attention who huge mobility is and will be. RIM has a very good SDK environment(s) and support development with JAVA,Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio. If you want to see REAL tools business professionals use daily check out Worldmate live, InfoSpace Find It! ... not to mention the coming SAP extension.
The BOLD is decent .. it's the next step in the product line and has some nice new features. RIM recongnizes the landscape is dividing and lifestyle and corporate are different markets.
I think you'll see both companies do quite well the next 2 years and I wouldn't be surprised if a Blackberry Connect client comes out for Iphone .. THAT would make Apple get better traction then god awful ActiveSync.
Thanks for reading.

1st off nice way to get some new readers as I've seen your article on like 3 other sites today. I would say that once iphone 2.0 comes out you should redo this comparison because it will have more business features than the current iPhone. As somone pointed out the iPhone right now is more of a glorified feature phone where as blackbery is obviously a business phone. I used to have a treo with WMO and I've used my fathers BB and for my needs ( mostly surfing the web) the iPhone is by far the best.

Please stop comparing the Iphone to the 9000. Both companies are trying to merge they're devices into the others arena though. The Iphone is currently not a business phone. It’s geared toward the consumer with all its media capabilities. The 9000 is of course geared toward business with its email capabilities.
However, both phones seem to be moving into a business/consumer slot. Those that want and need their email capabilities to be rock solid and have the extra bonus of media will go with the 9000. Those that love their media but want to have more business applications will go with the Iphone with its promised push email on the way.
And of course having both phones go 3g will definitely sway many people. As for businesses, it will be “which company can give me a good deal on their device and which device will last in the field?” BlackBerry has the edge there as far as business goes. It would be a unique move for a company to issue Iphones as their primary field connectivity devices.
It will be interesting to see what happens when both devices get released with their final operating systems. How will they be received?
What does it take to switch an Iphone or BlackBerry user to either phone? So far, it seems to be the keyboard or the touch screen.
Both devices are top notch. I just think they each have their own following and can co-exist rather than try to kill off each other. LOL

Iphone is much better in comparison. Hands down

BB Bold is not comparable to the iPhone in terms of UI and multimedia, in the same way as the iPhone is not comparable to the BB Bold in terms of email and enterprise functionality (as user MobileAdmin explained nicely). Sorry Apple fanboys, the iPhone DOES SUCK in some areas -- it's not the Jesus Phone you hyped it up to be.

Yep, still a fan of the iPhone over the BB. But the typing on the screen rather than the keys will take some getting used to...

both phones are pretty decent. IMO, the touchscreen of the iphone just takes too long compared to blackberry keypads. Navigating webpages or UI might be slightly simpler with the iphone because of the screen real-estate, but even that maybe be offset by fingerprints/breakage [though thats remedied with a screen protector and a rubber case]. Its too bad that the BB is a bit wider, but you never really know until you use it for a few days because the quirks get you.
in the end, if you do work on your phone or type a lot of stuff/notes/lists, then BB is clearly advantageous. if you like websurfing and entertainment then iphone is the choice. also if you're not at&t then iphone is not an option unless you're willing to switch. i prefer the BB though because I use my phone more for typing / personal agenda functions than entertainment.

Bring on the iPhone 2.0 3G! It won't 100% win over the CrackBerry in every area, but it will do more so than it currently is.

And in a month when the 2.0 update gets released and possible the 3G this will all be moot. iPhone will be soundly in the lead again, not that it's really behind the blackberry now, more of a tie.

I have a Blackberry and love it. I also thought about the iPhone, however, AT&T have the exclusive for the nest 5 years and their service just plainly SUCKS in area. So that really leaves me with no option. You would thing that a big company like AT&T (number 1 in wireless customers) would be able to offer better reception like their (number 2 in wireless service) Verizon Wireless does. That means it is hard for me to compare the Blackberry vs the iPhone.

3G Iphone comes out June 09 2008, and after Blackberry Thunder comes out exclusive to Verizon(This one is Septemberish). So these comparison's are nice but useless. Thunder will be a touchscreen Blackberry so it will be touchscreen vs touchscreen and I think apple is going to get it's collective a$$ kicked(this is comming from an Iphone owner). Apple can't really make a highend product do to it's inevitable greed.

I only got my iphone a few days ago, (jailbroken & unlocked with winpwn) and already I can't live without it...
Imo there aint a better phone uit atm.. And there wont be one anytime soon :) (again, thats IMO ofcourse)

I'm a current iPhone user, having switched from a Blackberry when the IPhone was released. Blackberry OS would have to make a quantum leap in usability and functionality for it to ever tempt me back and, given the glacial pace of RIM's OS improvements, I can't see that happening any time soon. It looks like the next generation iPhone will still reach the market before the "in BETA" Bold. And please don't bring up the "Thunder" - at the moment that is pure vaporware.
Just a few comments in relation to Dieter's head-to-head. Firstly, nice job. Secondly, in the video almost every operation performed on the two phones was performed significantly faster and easier on the IPhone. If that doesn't make it a "productivity powerhouse" then I don't know what does.
Email: Far from being the king of email, the Blackberry cannot properly handle HTML mail, email attachments or IMAP email accounts. These are serious flaws. However, its push email is flawless, and the universal inbox is a convenience. For speed of accessing all your new messages, I'd give this one to the Blackberry, but it isn't as clear cut as Dieter makes out. If you are used to working and organizing your work with folders via iMAP, the Blackberry falls down completely.
UI - no contest, the endless menus and interminable scrolling on the Blackberry are a real pain. The iPhone wins hands down.
Visual Voicemail. Another timesaving business tool on the iPhone, which the Blackberry currently lacks.
Web browser - whatever improvements RIM has planned, they'd better be good, because surfing on a Blackberry sucks big time. iPhone wins.
Screen: Again, no contest. The combination of screen size and resolution on the iPhone beats out just about any smartphone on the market..
Keyboard. I have no hesitation in recommending the iPhone's keyboard over the Blackberry's. I can bash out messages at around 30 words per minute on the iPhone with no errors, using just my index finger. It's easier to access accented letters, to reposition the cursor to insert or correct text, and the keyboard adapts itself to each specific application, and to particular data entry fields (such as web and email addresses). Best of all, the keyboard only appears when you need it, freeing up the screen for more comfortable and more productive viewing. I've used both Treo's and Blackberry's in the past and the supposed advantages of their tiny, chiclet keyboards are vastly overstated.
Memory: 1 gig of internal memory is just silly compared to the iPhone's 16 gig.
3rd party applications: The selection of third party applications available for the BB is paltry. Despite many years on the market, the Blackberry OS has failed to gain significant traction as a development platform. I expect the OSX on the iPhone to quickly surpass it it terms of the number and quality of third party applications.
Will the iPhone "kill" the Blackberry. Of course not. RIM brought a simple, inexpensive and robust mobile email solution to corporate America, and that is still the Blackberry's primary selling point. But the iPhone and OSX has so much potential, it's hard to see it not picking up some enterprise business, too, while retaining a firm grasp on the mindshare of the consumer.

Thanks Trevor seems as though the Iphone has some advantages over BB. I was thinking of purchasing the Iphone with a good plan. The bold looks nice but still small for some that have big hands etc. Does the Iphone 3g going to have some newer features that you might of heard?

What I want to know is why I still can't see BGR correctly on my curve? Every other site adjusts for mobile. But this one...its soooo annoying!

What I want to know is why I still can't see BGR correctly on my curve? Every other site adjusts for mobile but this one...ts soooo annoying!

Hi Cristoforo, I know nothing more than anyone else, apart from the already announced iTunes 3rd party application store and Exchange support with push email, calendar and contacts. Wish I did...

try navigating the iPhone one handed compared to the BB one handed! Touchscreens are fine when you can use both hands (sans table surface).

I can dial numbers, look up contacts, scroll through web pages, check my calendar, read emails, browse photos, select music and control music playback one-handed on the iPhone. No problem. Proper typing requires two hands, just like on a Blackberry.

The one-handed navigation argument is getting about as old as the not for business argument... It is no different than using a trackball if you really think about it. You don't need to pinch to zoom, you can double tap and it smartly zooms to where your thumb is, you don't need to pinch to zoom out either, because the same thing applies, tapping is all you need.
The iPhone is slim enough to be held comfortably in one hand while you move your thumb up, down, left and right, just like you do with a trackball. I just don't understand how movements on one device make it easy to use one handed, while the same movements on another device make it impossible to use one handed...

I like the iPhone but 3 critical reasons that I use BB Curve from Verizon. 1. No Search feature 2. No 3G, 3. Poor reception where my office is. iPhone will make a splash but for BB is so much faster to use and has the features that I need for business.

Trevor, stating that there is a "paltry" selection of third party apps for the blackberry just reeks of you being a complete iphone fanboy.

According to Handango:
3,644 total apps listed as compatible with BlackBerry OS.
9,757 total apps listed as compatible with Symbian OS.
10,619 apps listed as compatible with Palm OS.
18,382 apps listed as compatible with Windows Mobile OS.
I wonder where he got the idea to state that BlackBerry has a "paltry" selection of third party apps... I dunno... maybe because it is the truth? I guess recognizing the truth makes you an iPhone fanboy, right?
The iPhone is not listed, because it obviously doesn't have any officially released apps yet. It STILL goes to show how much of an oversight 3rd party apps for the BlackBerry platform is though.
Only time will tell how many apps the iPhone ends up with, but with the rate of speed developers are jumping to develop for it, I have a feeling it will rank up there with WinMo.

My experience with my BB, which I used for more than 2 years, was that both the quantity and quality of 3rd party applications fell well short of those available for other mobile platforms. I find it truly depressing that any rational discussion of a particular phone and its merits always has to result in someone branding someone else as a "fanboy".

Wow I am actually really excited about this post. My contract is about to be up soon and I couldn't decide on which of these devices I was planning on getting. So I'm sure this will help me decide :)

Wow... I at first was saying that these phones were not similar what so ever and now after the side by side comparisons, I see it!

How does the volume of the earpiece and ringers on the 9000 compare to that of the iPhone?

Can not compare these 2 products, the iphone is better

"can not compare these 2 products, the ipone is better"
Isn't that compairing the 2 products?
It's nice to have choices, pick one but it doesn't make people who have the other wrong.
I don't wanna be just like you!

Multitasking and a keyboard are the reasons I stick with BB. I really like the iPhone's screen real estate, but no GPS and fewer supported formats for audio/video also turn me off.
Is the G3 going to address all of these?

I own an 8gb iPhone but got a chance to compare it to some colleague's Blackberrys last week.
For personal use (whcih is what I use mine for), the iPhone wins hands down. It is just soooo cool. However, when you factor in business apps, the keyboard and exchange options, the Blackberry wins hands down.
Horses for courses I guess.

I'll only prefer the iPhone over the Bold when 3g, a flash, multimedia messages, and video capture capabilities are added.

The video is no longer available??

Some other important business things I'd really like to see come to the iPhone that are currently available on the BB:
1) Search
2) Copy / Paste
3) Tethering

The iPhone will win out - there's no question!

iPhone has no Bluetooth stereo headphones... major stupid move by apple. Lets have the greatest OS and touchscreen and still wear our little headphone buds.....Apple go home.

I agree after reading all the reveiws of BB fans that BB is the product of 2008. But iPhone is the product of 2012. I have used all the BB models and please stop comparing it with the iPhone. BB is past. Please save some money and buy an iPhone and you guys won't talk about the BB again.