Blackberry User of 7 years Switches to the iPhone 4

[anon4705193]

i'm wondering if the Playbook (once properly updated with native email and apps)... and the recently announced Touch Bold 9900/9930 will sway some BB users back...

the Playbook looks like a nice device, I've seen it on crackberry, but for me I can't see myself really going back to Blackberry. The Apple iOS is more in tune to my other devices (Macbook, iPod touch) and does everything I want and need from a smartphone incredibly well. I can't rule it out though, who knows what RIM may put out 2 years from now. I'd be interested to see what others say too that made the change from BB to iPhone.

 

[soulfetcher13]

Blackberry will always have a special place for me, it was my first smartphone, in fact is was my first 3 smartphones storm 1>storm 2>bold 9650, Loved them all. It does so many things natively that after seeing other platforms, android and now ios, i miss so many things that blackberry did. It really was well thought out down to the finest details. That said, it is a messaging phone. It doesnt do multimedia, browsing, gaming etc and everyone that criticizes blackberry for not doing them is folly. Ios does many of the things blackberry does, so does android but not in the same way, and much of the time not native to the os itself. I love my iphone, have waited for it to come to verizon. But i still have my small legion of berries just in case...I don't think I will every not check around just to see what RIM is up to.

 

[Traveling Guy]

You will be so impressed with what the I Phone does versus what it doesn't do, i.e. the little red blinking light. I have my email setup using an IMAP account and not only do things work better than using my BB on a BIS, I only have to pay Verizon $29.99 for the data plan versus $44.95/month plan I had before!

 

[takeshi]

So far I really love the phone...the only downsides I can see are slower email

That depends a bit on your email account. My Exchange email isn't any slower than it was on BES.

On my Blackberry I had to pay an extra $10 a month for the enterprise email will that be the same if I use Gmail through MSFT exchange?

You're not going through Exchange. You're setting up gmail access via ActiveSync. There is no BES or BIS equivalent on iOS so no extra charge that comes with BIS or BES. No RIM outages either.

I don't really know why some people complain about the email as mine seems to come through no slower than my BB email.

For POP accounts, BIS made them seem more like push since it would automatically adjust polling intervals of the POP account based on activity. If you aren't using POP accounts (a good thing since they're very old school) you probably won't notice much of a difference.

I didnt even know blackberry had been around for 7 years lol

Try 12 years. The original BB's looked like pagers.

i'm wondering if the Playbook (once properly updated with native email and apps)... and the recently announced Touch Bold 9900/9930 will sway some BB users back...

Maybe. Not this one though. Too little, too late but that has applied to RIM for ages.

It doesnt do multimedia, browsing, gaming etc and everyone that criticizes blackberry for not doing them is folly.

It's hardly folly. It's 2011. If it was 5 years ago I could almost understand your assertion. Again, too little, too late IMO. ActiveSync on Android and iOS is just as good as BES so "BB is king of email" just doesn't hold water anymore. BB's can't even sync email. They all (even on BES) push and reconcile. BB does retain an edge in security, especially with its IT policies but that only matters to the corporate world and not to individual consumers.

Why do you think all smartphones are compared to the iPhone? Multimedia, browsing, gaming etc aren't niceties these days. They're expected.

so does android but not in the same way, and much of the time not native to the os itself.

I've never understood this criticism. Unless you're the type to buy a new PC and only use Notepad, Wordpad and Paint. Part of the point of a smartphone, for me anyway, is extensibility. YMMV, obviously.

 

[rightmuch]

Another former BB user

Like many, I never thought I'd be saying goodbye to my BB. It was the only smartphone I had for 5 years. BB's "upgrade" to OS6 did it for me. Seemed worse than previous versions. Got the VZ iPhone 4 and have to say now I know why people lined up for this thing. So smooth, better battery life, and you can get an app called Pushmail to do what BB email does. As one analyst suggested, BB is now just a messaging phone and that's about it and their Playbook is a disaster. Never thought they'd get left in the dust like this, but that's what's happened.

 

[anon4705193]

Like many, I never thought I'd be saying goodbye to my BB. It was the only smartphone I had for 5 years. BB's "upgrade" to OS6 did it for me. Seemed worse than previous versions. Got the VZ iPhone 4 and have to say now I know why people lined up for this thing. So smooth, better battery life, and you can get an app called Pushmail to do what BB email does. As one analyst suggested, BB is now just a messaging phone and that's about it and their Playbook is a disaster. Never thought they'd get left in the dust like this, but that's what's happened.

This Pushmail sounds interesting as an app, but if you look earlier in this thread there's a way to set up your Gmail without needing any kind of additional apps (if that's what you use). Could be a good recommendation for the non-Gmail users though if it supports their email carrier.

 

[kazmi]

I am searching these forums for an answer and came across this thread: are all you ex-bb users seeing your gmail pushed almost instantly if you set it up as an exchange account? I'm not....and I need my work email pushed to my iphone....could you guys share your settings gmail side to let me know how it's set up (I had POP enabled but disabled that and enabled IMAP)...still am seeing some come through as push while others do not...:/

PS: just wanted to state, my work email is actually a google apps email account..

 

[anon4705193]

I am searching these forums for an answer and came across this thread: are all you ex-bb users seeing your gmail pushed almost instantly if you set it up as an exchange account? I'm not....and I need my work email pushed to my iphone....could you guys share your settings gmail side to let me know how it's set up (I had POP enabled but disabled that and enabled IMAP)...still am seeing some come through as push while others do not...:/

PS: just wanted to state, my work email is actually a google apps email account..

Hello!

I was a former BB user, now iPhone user, and set up my Gmail using this method

Setting up Google Sync with your iOS device : Mail, Calendar, & Contacts - Google Mobile Help

It pushes to my phone almost instantaneously, sometimes I hear the email chime before I see it reflected in my online mailbox.

 

[Arelunde]

I've worked with Android and now iPhone. In many ways, the Android system is easier. There are many things you can do on an Android phone (specifically the Droid X) that it takes a jailbreak to accomplish on the iPhone. If you are into customizing, it is far easier with an android. Even stock is way ahead in providing user-friendly apps and those wonderful widgets. You need to have a degree in electrical engineering (or be younger than 40) to delve into the iPhone's mysteries.

On the other hand, the iPhone is a comfortable size for a smartphone, with a brilliant screen and an outstanding capability with the typing. I've never worked with such a responsive screen and such ease in intuitive typing, despite being a great fan of Swype. I can type with a greater speed and greater accuracy than with BlackBerry and Android using the iPhone4 keyboard. Simply amazing.

I do miss the alert LEDs that other smartphones have and, most of all, the "return" button to go back a screen.

 

[kazmi]

I'm starting to appreciate the pros and cons here between the two (BB and iPhone)...both have their strong points....from the bb, I miss: the blinking LED, the ability to back out of an app one step at a time, a tasks app with integrated calendar reminders, profiles and bbm.

Before, the difference for me was not as clear cut. However now, I do realize. I will probably be sticking with the iPhone for now but I was a bit put off with having to jb to get so many of the features that I feel should have been built in from the get go.

 

[Wildo6882]

I've worked with Android and now iPhone.

Hey, I used to see you over on Android Central... just wondering what made you switch? I'm currently still on my Droid X, but I'm thinking about switching when the next iPhone comes out. I love Android, but I'm really curious about the iPhone and it's simplicity, and how it "just works". I'd be really interested to hear what you have to say. Besides what you said here, obviously.

 

[Obei Nice]

no comparison to the email i went from the tour to the iphone. love my iphone but email is poops

 

[mprahm]

I made the switch from a Tour and could not be happier. The user experience is seamless and so much more simple and complete than an antiquated BB. I set up my Gmail account on Exchange and got all my contacts, emails etc in no time at all and it even reaches my iPhone faster than when I had the native app on my Tour. I cant say enough about the Apple ecosystem, I will be changing all my products to Apple over the next 6 months, laptop, TV, PC etc. Getting the iPhone is the best thing I ever did in regards to a mobile platform!!!!!!!!

 

[anon4705193]

no comparison to the email i went from the tour to the iphone. love my iphone but email is poops

It may be how you have your email set up (I assume you're used to the BB instant push and no, iPhone does not do that same type of system). What email service(s) do you use? If you have Gmail, use the set up through Exchange option (linked in this thread) and you will have the same type of instant push.

 

[Iphone-ery]

welcome!!! i was so flipping happy to be rid of that god awful UI....

 

[melissary]

no comparison to the email i went from the tour to the iphone. love my iphone but...

Agree. The thing I miss most is BBM, but it seems regardless of if I set up via gmail or exchange, I still don't have instant push.

 

[ubuntudroid]

I have been through the Curve 8330, Storm 9550 and Bold 9650. When the Bold I recently got was freezing up more than my old Storm, That was it. Still miss the whole BB setup but I will stick with my iPhone 4 until QNX comes to the phones. Heck I'm typing this from my PlayBook right now. iPhone does have a lot of great attributes and should outweigh the negatives, but I guess I just got too used to the BB platform.

 

[Luzabeth]

i'm wondering if the Playbook (once properly updated with native email and apps)... and the recently announced Touch Bold 9900/9930 will sway some BB users back...

As far as the Touch Bold is concerned, absolutely not. Nothing will bring me back to BB.

 

[Luzabeth]

Like many, I never thought I'd be saying goodbye to my BB. It was the only smartphone I had for 5 years. BB's "upgrade" to OS6 did it for me. Seemed worse than previous versions. Got the VZ iPhone 4 and have to say now I know why people lined up for this thing. So smooth, better battery life, and you can get an app called Pushmail to do what BB email does. As one analyst suggested, BB is now just a messaging phone and that's about it and their Playbook is a disaster. Never thought they'd get left in the dust like this, but that's what's happened.

Absolutely agree

 

[jpg]

From one ex fellow BB user to another....Welcome to the Dark Side...try the punch, hahaha. Slower emails???? Mine are actually faster now. Love the phone, onlu thing I miss is profiles, but there are ways around that.

Bob

first time poster here, be gentle

my iphone4 arrives friday and as a long time bb user one of the things i have been curious about is if there is a workaround for sound profiles. i especially love "silent with exceptions" profile that silences all but my select few contacts that i want to be able to get through to me 24/7. so what's the secret?