my 1st iPhone...(coming from BBRRY)

lgfaver

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long read ahead. I'll give my first impressions as someone who's completely new to the platform, and go through what I liked and disliked about it

So... I have had a Blackberry for the past several years. Be it the 9700 or the Bold 9900(both bold models), and then the Z10 and finally the Q10, I really loved my blackberry phones, especially the tactile keyboard ones. I sold the z10 a few months ago and got a Q10 because I thought I couldn't live without the physical keyboard. Then I missed the extra screen real estate.
Anyhow, I sold my Q10 last week and reluctantly got an iPhone 5. I love my macbook Pro and and Mini but I could never hop on the iPhone bandwagon because I hate having the same sh*t everyone else has. As we all know everyone and their mother has an iPhone these days. Still, I decided it was time to give Apple a chance. First things first, the iPhone 5 screen turned out to be MUCH SMALLER than what I was expecting. For the record I don't like the Galaxy phones because they're imo too damn big. Having said that, I found the iPhone's screen to be a bit too small for my liking. Keep in mind I am coming from a Q10. Then... there's the notification center... it's useful but not as useful as the "HUB". I can't really respond directly from there, the phone takes me to either Facebook/iMessage/etc in order to reply. But I guess most of you already knew BB10's biggest strength is indeed messaging. Again, I must reiterate that I've never owned a smart phone not made by Blackberry/RIM so this is all new to me. The multitasking... man, I really hate having press twice that home button. It's not that I hate pressing buttons(I love legacy BBRRY devices DUH!), it's just that the iPhone's home button feels very fragile and every time I push it, I feel like I might break it. Then there's the iPhone's keyboard.... Obviously I went from a z10 to a q10 because I preferred the physical keyboard but I still appreciated the z10 keyboard. Unfortunately I can't say the same for the iPhone's keyboard. It's just not as well designed and convenient as the Z10's. For instance you can't combine two languages when inputting text on iOS7. The only way to get around this is to manually change the keyboard to a different language, and every time you wanna switch languages, you have to repeat this process. Nothing major but again, it's annoying, nonetheless I love being able to use the voice dictation. It's very convenient. Then of course I one of the things I miss the most is the red LED. Man! like I said I've never owned anything but blackberries so I'm used to that flashing red light, which I don't have anymore. Then there's this minor function that I used quite often on BB10 devices and that's missing from iOS7....which is being able to access the wifi app directly from their "control center", unlike on BB10, I can only turn wifi on and off but I can't access the list of wifi connections available(for that, we have to go to setting and so forth) The same applies to being able to specify the type of network one wants to use(Edge/3G/4G/LTE), on the iPhone all I have is an option to turn on LTE.

Now, on to the things I really like about the iPhone... The icons, I've read in other apple foums that they're almost uniformly hated by iphone users but I like colorful design, so I dig them.
Then, the fluidity and snapiness(for lack of a better word). Everything runs so smooth, a lot smoother than BB10. The apps(obviously optimized for this platform) run with such fluidity... really, I can only praise Apple in this aspect.
And yes, there's a ton of apps and they're all the real thing(no knock-offs) but that's not something that matters too much for me. I was able to sideload apps like instagram and crunchyroll on my q10 and z10(I must admit that running them on the q10 was a horrible experience because they were no made for such a small screen). The thing is they run much better on iOS, which again, it's something everyone already knew, it's another thing to actually see/experience it live though. The Skype app for instance is a delight to use on the iPhone, on the z10/q10 not so much.
I also like having the option to choose a different wallpaper for the lock screen and the homescreen--and while there is a way to do this in BB10 but it's not something that's natively implemented in the OS.
Still, having the chance to pick only one phone, I would stick with the Z10. To me, it's the perfect size, it's sleek, yet not too flashy. I like how simple most things are on BB10, though everything could and should run smoother.
Having said all that, I don't regret my purchase... I plan on keeping the iPhone for a couple of months and see how it goes, in the end I'll probably end up selling it and we all know for a fact that they retain their value much better than other smart phones. We'll see what the state of Blackberry is at that point, hopefully much better than what it is now(fingers crossed).
 

eve6er69

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I was in the same boat as you except I never owned a bb10 device. I do own a playbook so that's like a beta one lol.

I started with the old pearls and went on throughout the years all the way to the 9900. The keyboard starting acting screwey on me so I tried to get an att exchange but they wanted $125 for me to get a refurb. No thanks.

A buddy sold me a 4s for 50 bucks and I've been using it since then.

Like you I miss the keyboard and the led light but the smoothness and compatibility of everything in the world with the iPhone May keep me on it.

Yeah there are those things that I miss and wish were on iOS 7 but the app availability and overall smoothness of using an iPhone on everyday life has won me over.

Yes you can side load apps as Long as the runtime player is up to date with the apk files but I would rather download apps from an App Store than rip out my computer to side load one app. Just my preference though.

Either way welcome to imore and if you have any questions please feel free to ask and we will be sure to steer you in the right direction here.


Sent from my Gameboy Color
 

Buckshot 66

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It's tough blackberry still can't be matched as far as the keyboard is concerned, but it just lacks in every other area compared to apple or android ( in my opinion )
 

WhiteSpir1t

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What good is a great keyboard when you have no apps written for it? I have no idea either, but welcome to your new platform!

The tire spinners over at CB are installing leak after leak by the week on avg. The one primary question being asked over and over is, "Is it fast?"

If they understand what a real time operating system is, they wouldn't ask it. The problem their platform is facing is that their phones completely freeze, for example, when a new thread/interrupt is prioritized or a new process is being launched--as in launching an app per se. This can also be experienced while playing music on the device, or receiving a push notification while watching videos.

Horrible experiences, but a grand example of how a real time operating system feels no sense of buffering to the user whatsoever--system/app hiccups all over the place. This is the same reason why servers can't be made from these inferior platforms. Now imagine entering an entry into a database system running on a RTOS; now multiply that by say just 10 times/sec. You'll get a complete system halt.

Wiki:
"A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system (OS) intended to serve real-time application requests. It must be able to process data as it comes in, typically without buffering delays. Processing time requirements (including any OS delay) are measured in tenths of seconds or shorter. A key characteristic of an RTOS is the level of its consistency concerning the amount of time it takes to accept and complete an application's task; the variability is jitter"

At that deterministic level, they are very "consistent", but processing data as it comes in, causes its jitter issues; hence, the question of every leak installation: "Is it fast?"




Posted via BlackBerry Z10 <-----When everything is secondary to leaving a hole in your pocket
 
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lgfaver

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It's tough blackberry still can't be matched as far as the keyboard is concerned, but it just lacks in every other area compared to apple or android ( in my opinion )

what about the messaging system it utilizes ? being able to respond to facebook comments, SMS, Tweets, emails, etc all from this notification center(HUB) is something I find myself missing while on my iPhone5. I agree that the apps are simply not there, that is pretty much undeniable. For some people though, that's not a deal breaker simply because not everyone is into stuff like instagram, or needs Netflix on their mobile device. Having said all that, I am enjoying my new phone and hope to get used to the clunky keyboard and the way that iOS7 handles messaging.
 

Just_Me_D

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Congratulations on getting your first iPhone, and I hope it serves you well. Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend...:)
 

Xx BEN xX

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You made a good choice. Blackberry is good, but I find ios so much smoother and easier to use on the fly.


Sent from my iPhone 5
 

Chrisy

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Great post, OP, thanks. Coming from a long line of BlackBerry phones too, I appreciate the opinion on iPhone!
 

Chrisy

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There's definitely pros and cons for both platforms.

Having used an iPod Touch for a while I know there's a lot off BlackBerry features I'll miss.

BlackBerry has the hub on BlackBerry 10 devices but even on legacy devices the universal inbox was awesome. That's one thing I don't like about iPhone. I don't like going in and out of ever app to reply or submit content.

BlackBerry in my opinion is the better device for communication. Even the LED light allows for quicker notification of specific messages without having to check the phone by picking it up and waking up the screen.

However, I'm going iPhone because of the content. BlackBerry still lacks major apps. Bank Of America as far as I know still had no BlackBerry 10 app. Podcast, lectures, ect are also not in the BlackBerry ecosystem.

So it really depends on what your priorities are in a phone. When I needed my phone to write and reply to many longer emails, and I wanted to have instant notification, I went BlackBerry.

Now I'm more focused on content like podcasts, iTunes University, and having access to apps. If BlackBerry had the major apps, I'd stay with them no doubt. I'm not into sideloading. I just want the phone to work and be quick.
 

lgfaver

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There's definitely pros and cons for both platforms.

Having used an iPod Touch for a while I know there's a lot off BlackBerry features I'll miss.

BlackBerry has the hub on BlackBerry 10 devices but even on legacy devices the universal inbox was awesome. That's one thing I don't like about iPhone. I don't like going in and out of ever app to reply or submit content.

BlackBerry in my opinion is the better device for communication. Even the LED light allows for quicker notification of specific messages without having to check the phone by picking it up and waking up the screen.

However, I'm going iPhone because of the content. BlackBerry still lacks major apps. Bank Of America as far as I know still had no BlackBerry 10 app. Podcast, lectures, ect are also not in the BlackBerry ecosystem.

So it really depends on what your priorities are in a phone. When I needed my phone to write and reply to many longer emails, and I wanted to have instant notification, I went BlackBerry.

Now I'm more focused on content like podcasts, iTunes University, and having access to apps. If BlackBerry had the major apps, I'd stay with them no doubt. I'm not into sideloading. I just want the phone to work and be quick.
Yeah, exactly. Like I said in the OP I really like the iPhone, my only major grief with it is the inconvenience of having to access each app separately in order to respond to whatever message I just received. The led light... I just don't understand why Apple hasn't implemented this yet, I really don't. I've always liked having "rare" phones, because it's an ice breaker, people come up to you and ask you what type phone you're rocking and so forth; which is why I thought of buying a Lumia 925 but it seemed too clunky and after doing some research, I found out the Apps--just like on BB10 simply weren't there. The iPhone is great and there's a reason it's so popular and sells so well but it's like, well, everyone and their mother has an iphone these days. Now I am part of that group but hey, it's still a very good device.
I simply could not go with any of the Android devices cos they were too damn big and also what I heard from them being extremely vulnerable to virus, etc.
 

Chrisy

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Yeah, exactly. Like I said in the OP I really like the iPhone, my only major grief with it is the inconvenience of having to access each app separately in order to respond to whatever message I just received. The led light... I just don't understand why Apple hasn't implemented this yet, I really don't. I've always liked having "rare" phones, because it's an ice breaker, people come up to you and ask you what type phone you're rocking and so forth; which is why I thought of buying a Lumia 925 but it seemed too clunky and after doing some research, I found out the Apps--just like on BB10 simply weren't there. The iPhone is great and there's a reason it's so popular and sells so well but it's like, well, everyone and their mother has an iphone these days. Now I am part of that group but hey, it's still a very good device.
I simply could not go with any of the Android devices cos they were too damn big and also what I heard from them being extremely vulnerable to virus, etc.

I tried android for a while but didn't have a good experience. It didn't feel consistent enough which I value.

I don't care what everyone else is using. In a way, I would rather my friends and family and I use the same platform. Then there's the advantage of free messaging, whether its BBM or iMessage. I much prefer BBM. Another advantage of BlackBerry.

I would love to see a notification light on the iPhone. I think there's enough demand that one will be added.

I was very close to getting Q, and if I stayed BlackBerry that's the one I get.

Let me know how your experience with the iPhone evolves, and whether you go back to black. I'm curious.
 

boovish

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It's tough blackberry still can't be matched as far as the keyboard is concerned, but it just lacks in every other area compared to apple or android ( in my opinion )

Actually, the HP Pre3 and HP Veer 4G had the best keyboards, the Blackberry ones require a bit more force to type, and weren't shaped right
 

Xx BEN xX

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Actually, the HP Pre3 and HP Veer 4G had the best keyboards, the Blackberry ones require a bit more force to type, and weren't shaped right

I think the "best" is kind of a personal opinion. Some people loved the blackberry keyboard, some people didn't


Sent from my iPhone 5
 

wendybeee

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First off Welcome to iMore lgfaver :biggrin: Here I am 9 months later after being a blackberry user forever. I only took the iPhone5 on a new contract because my carrier supposedly wasn't getting the Z10. I had myself convinced that I would save up and buy a used Z10 and then sell my iPhone5. Well that didn't happen even though I had the money 3 times over to buy that Z10. Instead the iPhone won me over :heart: And oh yes I REALLY miss the battery pulls and spinning hour glass :tongue: I hope you stay here :biggrin:
 

pr1nce

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Welcome to iMore. I was a longtime BlackBerry user going back to the Pearl. I decided last year to buy my first iPhone and haven't looked back. Enjoy your stay here.
 

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