[sean76]

Ok,so here I am almost a week into owning the iphone! I must say it grows on you, quick. But I didn't put this post up to say how perfect it is, because it's not. This is my take on how these two devices stack up against each other, here we go! Fist off I luv the Blackberry platform, never any issues with resets or problems getting my mail, even surfing the web. Build quality was always great on all my previous models, namely my 7105t and my 8703e (superb). Then came the newer models like the Curve! WOW what a sexy device by RIM, yay finally! But here's where I feel they dropped the ball. Build quality took a steep fall, it just does not feel solid. And that's just the beginning! I went through so many Curves because of various things like resets, call quality, build quality, etc. Finally I gave up and moved back to my 8800! Then the hyped iphone took control of my credit card. Yea I broke down and picked one up last Friday at the Apple store. After a day with it I must admit I was going to return it, then I figured to just stop trying to compare it to anything else and just give it a shot! Here we are almost a week later and I luv it! The screen is just plain out amazing, and the build quality is the best on earth (period). Browsing the web is really cool (lil slow) but only on edge, wifi is really quick. Battery life is real good, and I get my email every 15 min, or I can update it myself at anytime. Camera is good, and the features like you tube are fun to use. As a personal device this thing is killer! But it is no BB killer by any means, at this point it is just that (personal fun). Apple built a winner here, but the perfect device it is not! BB is the best email device on the planet, but my Curve was not! I was missing a lot of email, why I have no idea, never had that problem with any BB devices before! But back to my point, when you compare these two devices your gonna come up with different opinions from different people. My opinion is that RIM better go back to the lab, and build us a real winner! The iphone is just light years ahead of anything out there, when you look at that screen it's just like looking at a plasma TV (rich,and clear). As a phone its pretty good too, could be a bit louder, but then again so can the newer blackberry models. All in all I happen to have the best of both worlds, I use my BB 8830 for all my business needs, and my iphone as my personal line.
At the end of the day the iphone is not the jesus phone like those MAC heads say it is but it's a real cool device to use, and the Curve is not the best BB to hit the pavement from RIM! That title belongs to the 8700 series, just add a camera and slim it down a bit and you'd have the best BB on earth, keyboard and all! Apple's first dive into mobile waters is just the beginning of what can be a dominating force. BB can be right there, they just have to really put something out there to make me and everyone else say WOW, That's the BB I always wanted!
But, the Curve vs the iphone debate has the iphone as the winner in my book! Let's go RIM, the champ can always get the belt back, train harder and give us our peoples champ back, Build us a Winner!!!

[JSanders]

Thanks for the review... moving to the Handheld forum with the rest.

[speed4tu]

Nice review. I wouldn't mind having an iphone to play around with sometime.

[Blackberryer]

I've played with both and I didn't have any of the issues the OP had with their Curve. As far as comparing the two phones, as I suspected now that I have an iPhone, there is no comparison.

The iPhone is a fantastic device for either someone looking for a personal smart phone or use it for "light" business (contacts, calendar, access to email that isn't time-sensitive). The device is really amazing, and I must say I grow impressed by the day how well designed it is. Even setting up email was as easy as on a BB (SACRILIEGE!!). The battery is fantastic, the phone is sleek, gorgeous, and fun to use. The onscreen keyboard does take getting used to, but Jobs wasn't blowing smoke - once you get the hang of it, you do fly.

Now, would anyone who depends on a mobile device for their day to day business needs switch? I strongly doubt it. When I say "depends", I would categorize that as someone who needs immediate access to their email and uses their device for heavy communication purposes (email, IM, text, etc) all day long. While you do get used to the iPhone's keyboard, nothing equals the speed and precision of a BB - both the keyboard and the typing shortcuts we all know and love so well.

So I'm firmly in the camp that loves the iPhone. I'm also firmly in the camp that believes nothing equals a BB for hard core business needs. I never believed the two phones competed for the same market, and I think I'm right now that I've owned both. However, I do think the iPhone kills RIM's ability to penetrate the consumer market too deeply.