Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

I have been a faithful BB user for more than a few years but lately I have had the temptation of looking at Android phones. I am on AT&T and the 4g Droid phones (HTC and Motorola) look pretty sweet. I would buy it outright and switch my Sim card over when I wanted to play with it. I am guessing that another data plan would have to be used and that can make a hefty phone bill. Anyone else using both a Droid and their BB or am I just crazy?

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

I am using a personal HTC EVO (Android 2.2) and a BB 9330 (OS 6) for work.

You can give Android a try, you may like it. Widgets are nice, typing takes a little getting used to, the app selection is nice, web browsing is phenomenal, but battery life is horrendous, and that is putting it nicely.

About swapping SIM cards, I don't believe it will add an additional data plan, it would most likely switch from a BB data plan to the Generic data plan (or Droid plan if it exists). Someone here will surely confirm this, if it is indeed the case.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Yes I am doing both but decided to go the tablet route. Samsung tab for web and many great apps. i use my storm for my corporate email but not going into the apps on phone as much. Phone is slow. Tab is fast. Perfect combo for me.
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Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

I tried Android with a Samsung Epic 4G and then an Evo 4G. I found the Evo was a much better experience, but in the end the email handling of my BlackBerry brought me back. jsconyers said it best. Android is great for web browsing, has some cool features like widgets, but won't last a full day with heavy usage. That big beautiful screen on the Evo is addictive, but it also sucks down the juice. Use whatever works best for you. The only way to know is to try an Android phone. Just an in-store demo won't do it. You have to live with one for a while.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Its nice to see some unbiased views here. I was tempted by android with my Storm being on the slow side. I've tried out the Motorola Atrix with all its fanciness in-store, and it seems like it would be a fun phone to have...yet I could see myself longing for the functionality of the blackberry. Maybe a possibility is the wifi bb playbook for having fun and keep your communications to the bb phone. That way you avoid a hefty phone bill in the longterm and get a bigger screen for having fun.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Several little things really irked me when I found them missing from Android. One was the unified email inbox. Even the aftermarket solutions were nowhere near as smooth and streamlined as BlackBerry email. Another was custom alerts for text messages and email depending on the sender.

In the end, these features available on BlackBerry but not on Android proved a big part of how I work. Also, the really spiffing features of my Evo were not things I used to be productive on a day-to-day basis. When I was honest with myself about how I use my phone and what I really expect of it, the choice between Android and BlackBerry made itself.

I did the same thing with some Nokia phones, Palm Treos, and even the Palm Pre. In every case I eventually found myself trying to make each one more like a BlackBerry. So much more sensible to simply use a real BlackBerry. There are compromises BlackBerry users have to make too. Web browsing on RIM's offerings has been a painful experience just about forever. The BB Torch seems to have improved the browsing experience greatly, but it still can't compare to Android. And my BlackBerry Bold's screen pales in comparison to the Evo's screen. Maps and GPS certainly work on my BlackBerry but again, the screen size of the Evo make navigating via GPS and Google Maps a joy.

The final trump card for BlackBerry over Android is battery life. One of the compromises you make for powering such a beautiful screen is less time between charging cycles. At the end of the day, after medium to heavy use, I have plenty of power left in my BlackBerry when my Evo would be shutting itself off due to a low battery. I HATE having to constantly worry about my schedule, meetings, etc, and wonder if I'll have enough power left on my Evo to make it home or back to my desk where I can recharge. If I strap on one of those extended batteries my large but slim and sexy Eve becomes a brick in my pocket. And it still doesn't last as long as my BlackBerry, even with this hump back battery pack. I lose what little pocket-ability the Evo provided, something I prize on my BlackBerry.

Plenty of my concerns would simply not apply to other people. It's all a completely subjective set of criteria and will differ for each person.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Rambo, thanks for the great insight. I will rethink this. I have really loved all my BB's and can't see myself moving away from it. They have served me well and I agree with you on the email part which is what I use it for mainly when I'm home. The apps are actually useful. I don't need apps that really just do stupid things like telling me when my next bowel movement should be. Thanks again Rambo.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Sometimes another platform is an itch you just have to scratch. Maybe pick up a used but clean Android phone to try for a while. Just keep that Torch close by!

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

just as a heads up you do not need to change your data plan keep the blackberry plan so you can go back to your blackberry when ever you want. that's what I am doing I have a dell stream and on the weekends I use the streak and when I'm at work I am on the blackberry.

as for what phone to get def go for the HTC Inspire its a great phone had it for a week or two but then sold it because I was so used to my dell streak which has a 5 inch screen once you go that big it is hard to go down to something smaller

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

I can't speak for Blackberry, but I just went from an iPhone to the Motorola Atrix. I am highly impressed. I don't think I'll be going back to Apple soon. I like Android so much better. There are many more settings options and most of the apps I want are free. For example, there is a free music downloader app that has taken the place of iTunes for me.

My favorite things about the phone are 1) the quickness at which I can navigate. Much quicker than the iPhone. I was looking for a quicker phone because I felt like my iPhone was kind of sluggish. The Atrix has a dual core processor and the speed is very nice. 2) The UI - very smooth and inuitive, and with more options than the iPhone. 3) The LED light that alerts me to messages now. 4) Last but not least, the battery life on this phone is awesome. Even with heavy usage (starting before I go to work in the morning) I am usually left with about 20% around 11 pm at night.

That's just my two cents. I think that Android is the most cutting edge. The iPhone is falling a bit behind. The iPhone is too rigid and slow with updates, while Android phones are practical, creative, and adapting.

Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

Trying a Desire S as I write this. Blown away by the fact that my BB seems to support GMail Apps accounts better than Android!!! Can't even get the Desire to accept and run two accounts on different GMail Apps domains (using its Gmail app). So much for getting tighter Google integration by using Android... Pfff!

Oh and it's use of fonts at teeny weeny un-changeable font sizes is just perverse. Who wants to get out their glasses just to be able to see what's appeared on their phone! I can change the font size in email, but nowhere else. Half baked.

I'll be upgrading to an Atrix within the next week. Apparently the battery is Costco-sized and lasts a good long time. I'm not very excited to move to an all touchscreen phone and another platform as I've been using BB's for the past 5 years, but the Atrix and Android have too much to offer to wait for the already outdated Torch 2 to release.
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Re: Not leaving BB but looking at Droids
 

If you are going to look at Droid and need the hard keyboard, look at the Droid Pro.