Should I get it?

[jonathon6017#CB]

Hello Everyone,

I currently own a Blackberry and while I like it very much, I feel it lags behind the compeitors in many areas. I have heard that BB10 will fill this gap but I'm sure the it will take some time for this new platform to kick off and mature. While I will always enjoy Blackberry products (I chose a Playbook over the iPad), for now I want a phone that has great app support and is generally a great phone. I used to have Android but the phone I had was a tough phone so typing on it was a pain and I've noticed throughout many Androids that it isn't as smooth as an iPhone, not to mention some of the apps I really wanted to have was on iPhone. I am not trying to turn this into a debate of which platform is better I just wanted to give you a quick summary of why I am here asking this question, Is there any reason at all that I should not try out an iPhone for two years? Is there any known problems with either then iPhone 4 or 4S (besides the antenna-gate issue ) Are there any reasons besides apps that I may like an iPhone better then Blackberry or Android?

As a side question, I have heard on the crackberry forums from previous iPhone users that emails can be slow to deliver on the iPhone. Is this true? I am ok if it is not instant delivery like what is on my Blackberry. but at the same time I do not want my emails coming in every 15 minutes.

Thank you in advance for reading this and hopefully answering my questions.

 

[k_kjong]

If you can wait, I think you should wait for the next iPhone, which most likely will come out around fall. But if you must have an iPhone now, iPhone 4S is a great phone. The only problem that I can think of is its battery life. I don't have any problem with it, but many have said that their iPhone's battery life is a mess. Some can get it right with restoring it, some have to wait until the new software update.

In my opinion, iOS, BlackBerry OS, and Android has their own advantages and disadvantages over each other. But I like how in iOS you don't have to tinker around too much for your device to work. I like the simplicity of the OS, even though sometimes I feel that I want to customize my iPhone more (that's why I jailbreak, and that's also why I tried Galaxy Nexus before).

About the email problems, I only have that problem for my Live account. For my Gmail account, I set it up as an Exchange account, so that it is synced, thus my mails come as soon as it arrives.

Hopefully I answer your questions, feel free to let me know if there are some questions that are not answered.

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

If you can wait, I think you should wait for the next iPhone, which most likely will come out around fall. But if you must have an iPhone now, iPhone 4S is a great phone. The only problem that I can think of is its battery life. I don't have any problem with it, but many have said that their iPhone's battery life is a mess. Some can get it right with restoring it, some have to wait until the new software update.

In my opinion, iOS, BlackBerry OS, and Android has their own advantages and disadvantages over each other. But I like how in iOS you don't have to tinker around too much for your device to work. I like the simplicity of the OS, even though sometimes I feel that I want to customize my iPhone more (that's why I jailbreak, and that's also why I tried Galaxy Nexus before).

About the email problems, I only have that problem for my Live account. For my Gmail account, I set it up as an Exchange account, so that it is synced, thus my mails come as soon as it arrives.

Hopefully I answer your questions, feel free to let me know if there are some questions that are not answered.

My earliest chance to upgrade will be in October (unless I buy off-contract) so waiting isn't a huge deal right now. My only problem with waiting is while I'm ready for a new phone, I'm worried about spending $200+ on a brand new phone that nobody knows anything about. This new phone could potentially have worse battery life then what the 4S may have, or it could have some new glitches. This is generally why I will try to avoid being a first buyer of any electronics. I like to give the device a chance to be matured and allow for any final bugs to be ironed out.

I enjoyed how customizable Android was, but it did come at some costs and I'm learning with my Blackberry (which is still on a stock theme) that as long as it works, I'm contempt with some lack of customization. That being said though, I am a bit curious, what customization options will be unlocked when jail rooting?

As far as the email, can you setup a gmail account without some type of external Exchange Server? I haven't did too much research into Exchange accounts seeing as how I don't need one, but from what I have picked up on from conversations, it seems like generally they are used in corporations where they have their own servers.

 

[iSpi7Fire]

No Apple products come out untested rigorously. The problems reported by people might happen because of bad batches of products or by use of Jailbreak software. If you learned a lesson from your experience with Blackberries is that you shouldn't use your phone outside the official guide lines.

 

[Just_Me_D]

My earliest chance to upgrade will be in October (unless I buy off-contract) so waiting isn't a huge deal right now. My only problem with waiting is while I'm ready for a new phone, I'm worried about spending $200+ on a brand new phone that nobody knows anything about. This new phone could potentially have worse battery life then what the 4S may have, or it could have some new glitches. This is generally why I will try to avoid being a first buyer of any electronics. I like to give the device a chance to be matured and allow for any final bugs to be ironed out.

I enjoyed how customizable Android was, but it did come at some costs and I'm learning with my Blackberry (which is still on a stock theme) that as long as it works, I'm contempt with some lack of customization. That being said though, I am a bit curious, what customization options will be unlocked when jail rooting?

As far as the email, can you setup a gmail account without some type of external Exchange Server? I haven't did too much research into Exchange accounts seeing as how I don't need one, but from what I have picked up on from conversations, it seems like generally they are used in corporations where they have their own servers.

If you cannot wait until the fall for the next iPhone, then don't hesitate to grab a new iPhone 4S because when iOS 6 drops, it will more than likely get the update. It is the norm that all iOS devices get the same OS updates unlike that of other platforms. As for email, yes, there is an option to setup your email via Exchange. A lot of people configure their Gmail account that way and yes, it is push with maybe a 3 second delay at times. No biggie! Like you, I'm a die-hard Blackberry fan from the days of the 7200 models and I ditched it for an iPhone 3G a few years back, but went back to Blackberry because I liked it better. Now, however, I'm very satisfied with the iPhone 4S. I still miss the Blackberry shortcuts, but the overall enjoyment and ease of use of the iPhone makes up for it. This device is fast, too. Anyway, I won't comment on jail breaking because my device is still stock. I was rooted when I had my Android devices and I flashed almost every custom ROM available at the time, but now I'm all customized out and have no intention of jail breaking my 4S. Anyway, good luck with your decision and enjoy the rest of your day.


Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

No Apple products come out untested rigorously. The problems reported by people might happen because of bad batches of products or by use of Jailbreak software. If you learned a lesson from your experience with Blackberries is that you shouldn't use your phone outside the official guide lines.

It does seem that the iphone has far few reported bugs then most phone so I feel confident in believing that. As far as with the Blackberry, themes are a supported feature and you may get some themes in the app market but that being said, they rarely offer too much customization.

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

If you cannot wait until the fall for the next iPhone, then don't hesitate to grab a new iPhone 4S because when iOS 6 drops, it will more than likely get the update. It is the norm that all iOS devices get the same OS updates unlike that of other platforms. As for email, yes, there is an option to setup your email via Exchange. A lot of people configure their Gmail account that way and yes, it is push with maybe a 3 second delay at times. No biggie! Like you, I'm a die-hard Blackberry fan from the days of the 7200 models and I ditched it for an iPhone 3G a few years back, but went back to Blackberry because I liked it better. Now, however, I'm very satisfied with the iPhone 4S. I still miss the Blackberry shortcuts, but the overall enjoyment and ease of use of the iPhone makes up for it. This device is fast, too. Anyway, I won't comment on jail breaking because my device is still stock. I was rooted when I had my Android devices and I flashed almost every custom ROM available at the time, but now I'm all customized out and have no intention of jail breaking my 4S. Anyway, good luck with your decision and enjoy the rest of your day.


Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

So you can setup a gmail account as a exchange account? Interesting, I learned something new I'll agree with you on the shortcuts, I love opening most of my apps with just one key and then navigating with minimal interaction. When I was on Android, my device allowed for rooting, but it had a locked bootloader so ROMs were non-existant.

I'm curious though, how long did it take you to adjust from a very efficient physical keyboard to a touch screen? I love to type fast and I'm worried that the touch screen may slow me down.

 

[BLiNK]

i was a HUGE physical keyboard advocate, but now i will never go back... iPhone or not

it took me about a week to completely get used to typing, to the point of not having to look that much thanks to autocorrect. i can text & drive just fine

 

[Just_Me_D]

So you can setup a gmail account as a exchange account? Interesting, I learned something new I'll agree with you on the shortcuts, I love opening most of my apps with just one key and then navigating with minimal interaction. When I was on Android, my device allowed for rooting, but it had a locked bootloader so ROMs were non-existant.

You musta have had a Motorola device. I had an HTC Droid Incredible andy beloved HTC EVO 4G and I rooted the heck out that sucker...lol

I'm curious though, how long did it take you to adjust from a very efficient physical keyboard to a touch screen? I love to type fast and I'm worried that the touch screen may slow me down.

Surprisingly, not long at all. I will admit that not having the physical Blackberry keyboard was my biggest fear in leaving the Blackberry platform, but then I went ahead and took the plunge and found that the on-screen keyboard is very nice, especially Apple's iPhone keyboard. I do wish that Apple would allow us to use competitor's keyboards like Swiftkey or Swype, but it's not a problem. I'd say that it will take you less than a day to get used to not having a physical keyboard. As for typing speed, That's not a problem. The problem is the auto-correction. Although accurate, it can misinterpret what you're trying to type from time to time so it is best to proofread before sending. Still, you can always use the voice dictation function and it is surprisingly accurate. I'm using it more and more.



Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

 

[wamphryi]

I'm switching from an android phone to an iphone 4s this weekend. While I wanted (and was going to) wait until the new iPhone comes out....the recent verizon announcements about their unlimited data convinced me to use my upgrade now instead of for the new iphone later in the year.
I have gone from a blackberry to android and now to an iphone over the past 3 devices. You will not be unhappy switching from blackberry to an iphone.

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

i was a HUGE physical keyboard advocate, but now i will never go back... iPhone or not

it took me about a week to completely get used to typing, to the point of not having to look that much thanks to autocorrect. i can text & drive just fine

lol you do realize that is illegal in most parts right? I think everyone has heard of Damn You Auto Correct! - Funny iPhone Fails and Autocorrect Horror Stories or similar sites. Do you ever experience any major faults in autocorrect?

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

You musta have had a Motorola device. I had an HTC Droid Incredible andy beloved HTC EVO 4G and I rooted the heck out that sucker...lol

Surprisingly, not long at all. I will admit that not having the physical Blackberry keyboard was my biggest fear in leaving the Blackberry platform, but then I went ahead and took the plunge and found that the on-screen keyboard is very nice, especially Apple's iPhone keyboard. I do wish that Apple would allow us to use competitor's keyboards like Swiftkey or Swype, but it's not a problem. I'd say that it will take you less than a day to get used to not having a physical keyboard. As for typing speed, That's not a problem. The problem is the auto-correction. Although accurate, it can misinterpret what you're trying to type from time to time so it is best to proofread before sending. Still, you can always use the voice dictation function and it is surprisingly accurate. I'm using it more and more.



Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

lol actually it was a Casio Gz'One Commando. It was designed to be tough and have great battery life but I think that hurt the phone in some ways with a thicker then normal screen so it was harder to type on and it had lower specs.

I do hope that voice dictation is as good as I experienced in Android. The voice dictation in my blackberry sucks compared to what I got on Android.

 

[Just_Me_D]

lol actually it was a Casio Gz'One Commando. It was designed to be tough and have great battery life but I think that hurt the phone in some ways with a thicker then normal screen so it was harder to type on and it had lower specs.

I do hope that voice dictation is as good as I experienced in Android. The voice dictation in my blackberry sucks compared to what I got on Android.

Believe me, you will be impressed with the accuracy of the iPhone's voice dictation function. Anyway, below are the Blackberry devices I've owned over the years.

The first device (7290) had the best keyboard ever, in my opinion and the last device, the original Bold, was my favorite Blackberry device. For some reason, I feel I'm missing a device a device or two.

Just Me, D
(Tapatalk - iPhone 4S)

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

I've had the Curve 8530 and then Verizon gave me the 9330 when I was having issues with the 8530

 

[GingerSnapsBack]

Yes you can set up Gmail as an Exchange. That's how I have mine set up. I get mine the instant it hits my PC. Replying is the same way.

It took me < a week to go from a Curve to a Storm2. It took me a couple days to realize that SurePress wasn't there on my iPhone but after that, I was fine.

Siri is excellent at dictating texts while I'm driving. I use Siri a lot and she's really handy to have around. I think you'll enjoy the iPhone. I was also a die hard BB fangirl until the ex got an iPhone3GS and I saw even last year how his iPhone ran circles around my Storm2.

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

Yes you can set up Gmail as an Exchange. That's how I have mine set up. I get mine the instant it hits my PC. Replying is the same way.

It took me < a week to go from a Curve to a Storm2. It took me a couple days to realize that SurePress wasn't there on my iPhone but after that, I was fine.

Siri is excellent at dictating texts while I'm driving. I use Siri a lot and she's really handy to have around. I think you'll enjoy the iPhone. I was also a die hard BB fangirl until the ex got an iPhone3GS and I saw even last year how his iPhone ran circles around my Storm2.

I've heard from a few people that it can be slow to respond, is that normal thing or does it just happen every so often?

 

[k_kjong]

My earliest chance to upgrade will be in October (unless I buy off-contract) so waiting isn't a huge deal right now. My only problem with waiting is while I'm ready for a new phone, I'm worried about spending $200+ on a brand new phone that nobody knows anything about. This new phone could potentially have worse battery life then what the 4S may have, or it could have some new glitches. This is generally why I will try to avoid being a first buyer of any electronics. I like to give the device a chance to be matured and allow for any final bugs to be ironed out.

I enjoyed how customizable Android was, but it did come at some costs and I'm learning with my Blackberry (which is still on a stock theme) that as long as it works, I'm contempt with some lack of customization. That being said though, I am a bit curious, what customization options will be unlocked when jail rooting?

As far as the email, can you setup a gmail account without some type of external Exchange Server? I haven't did too much research into Exchange accounts seeing as how I don't need one, but from what I have picked up on from conversations, it seems like generally they are used in corporations where they have their own servers.

If you jailbreak, you can pretty much customize anything on the iPhone. You can install themes, you can customize how the home button works, change the fonts, etc. When you are jailbroken you just have to remind yourself not to update the OS, since it could take a long time for the newest OS to be able to be jailbroken.

For the email, yes you can set up your gmail account as an Exchance account, that was what I meant, sorry if that cause you some confusion.

Oh, just to share, I was also a BlackBerry fan. I really like the keyboard, and hands down RIM knows how to make physical keyboard. My first BlackBerry is the 9000, then 9700, which I still have, and I also tried the new 9900. But I am tired with the OS, as it keeps lagging, so I decided that the iPhone will be my main device.

 

[jonathon6017#CB]

I played around with the 9900 and besides the keyboard, it did not seem like anything spectacular. The iphone actually does seem like a major upgrade.

 

[Peligro911]

I have had far fewer prob with my 4s vs a bb when I had it .. My gmail is set as exchange and is instant as my bb was .. Siri learns the more you use it so understanding gets better .. It did have issues in the start prob due to so many people using the server


Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

 

[rikdeboer]

Right now, i have a Blackberry curve 8520 And an iPod touch 4th generation. I always prefer to use my ipod touch because it is just faster. Got it jailbroken but if you install 2 much tweaks and costumizations it will become slow. Currently i'm waiting for the iphone 5(or whatever it will be called)


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk