The iPhone cost $500 but is only $60/mo. for a service plan. The Blacberry Curve cost $200 but cost $80/mo. for similar service from AT&T. That includes $20 to Blackberry for 'tethering'.
Is tethering necessary? Can you still check email, etc w/out tethering?
Which do you have/prefer? why?
The Blackberry is so much better as far as service and functionality wise - at least for now. You can receive emails, use it as an MP3/MP4 player. Do voice recording, run MS-Office viewer.
If you are doing any kind of business, the Blackberry will allow you to connect to your PC/server remotely. It has tons of software that support it. On the other hand, since the iPhone is so new, there is hardly any software other than what Apple provided.
The Tether service is needed for emails - that is the main feature that separate Blackberry and a regular phone with data service.
Tethering allows you to use your laptop anywhere. The Blackberry acts like a modem. If you are just doing e-mail, you don't need it. I have it and don't use it all the time, but in emergencies it's a great tool to have. I've used it on trains, hospital parking lots and hotels to work on my laptop.
Ummm, so I'm guessing you haven't actually used an iPhone?
I have the curve for business and would trade it in on an IPhone in a heartbeat. No comparison as to the ease of use.
LHS wrote:
The Blackberry is so much better as far as service and functionality wise - at least for now. You can receive emails, use it as an MP3/MP4 player. Do voice recording, run MS-Office viewer.
If you are doing any kind of business, the Blackberry will allow you to connect to your PC/server remotely. It has tons of software that support it. On the other hand, since the iPhone is so new, there is hardly any software other than what Apple provided.
The Tether service is needed for emails - that is the main feature that separate Blackberry and a regular phone with data service.
this guy has no idea what he is talking about. While there are definitelt pros and cons to each phone, this guy has listed none of them, and gotten tethering all wrong.
the big difference is the iphone, right now, is light years ahead of everyone else for web surfing and multimedia, and adequate as an emailer and file viewer but you might have some fuss getting it to work seemlessly with work email.
Blackberry's have a ton of apps, however most people will never use any of them, the big benifit here is a better network, but if you are going to use ATT you will end up on EDGE most of the time anyway so.....
If you went with verizon you would end up on EVDO and get streaming video and turn by turn directions which is a valuable function for many.
Bottom line is preference. Go to apple and play with an iPhone(the staff will leave you alone), and if you can handle the hassle go to cell phone store and play with the curve(the staff bug the hell out of you and try to pressure sell).
You don't need to have a cell phone, but it makes life much easier, and makes a lot more sense than have a land line.
An IPhone's the biggest waste of money out there. In most cases, it's an expensive "Look what I got!" Only the very busy professionals who're constantly on-the-go, or those with $$ to burn should buy them. If the world adjusts up to speed in a few years, necessitating one, then maybe so (probably will). But save the $$ until then. It's not close to being needed for most.
Has a life wrote:
I prefer my pre-paid one that I use about 3x per month.
Cell phones are like satellite dishes. If you have to have one, then you need to get a life.
You are awesome. Where do you live, so we can meet? Oh I'll bet there is a statue of you in the middle of the city where you live. I have never met anyone with a life before.... You would be the first, because you don't regularly use a cell phone or own a satellite dish. That's amazing, and a definite show of your versatility and discipline. Thank you, "Has a life", for bringing light to this otherwise dim world of ours.
S. Jobs wrote:
Ummm, so I'm guessing you haven't actually used an iPhone?
Depends on how you define use. I have played with the iPhone, but do not own one for use. So, it is possible that there are some feature on the iPhone I am not aware of, but again, the short time owner of that iPhone I "use" did not know either at the time.
The guy asked about tethering.
He did not ask to start a thread for all the Apple geeks to perform virtual fellatio on Steve Jobs.
dolt wrote:
this guy has no idea what he is talking about. While there are definitelt pros and cons to each phone, this guy has listed none of them, and gotten tethering all wrong.
the big difference is the iphone, right now, is light years ahead of everyone else for web surfing and multimedia, and adequate as an emailer and file viewer but you might have some fuss getting it to work seemlessly with work email.
Blackberry's have a ton of apps, however most people will never use any of them, the big benifit here is a better network, but if you are going to use ATT you will end up on EDGE most of the time anyway so.....
If you went with verizon you would end up on EVDO and get streaming video and turn by turn directions which is a valuable function for many.
Bottom line is preference. Go to apple and play with an iPhone(the staff will leave you alone), and if you can handle the hassle go to cell phone store and play with the curve(the staff bug the hell out of you and try to pressure sell).
Hey, buddy. Do your homework before you come here say that.
Did I stating that if you are using Blackberry for business, it has the advantage - re-read my post.
What's wrong with EDGE, it has stream video/audio capability as well as browser build in. I am using ATT and I have the turn by turn map/direction and a LIVE GPS on my phone as well. So, now tell me who has no idea about he is talking about.
Sure, iPhone (or any product from Apple) is better in multimedia, but it compromise other functionalities and it is worse at emailing, data service, network capabilities as well as signal / sound quality (for phone calls). If you cares about multimedia ONLY, go with iPhone, but most people get a Blackberry for business, and weighs other functions more than mere a iPod + a crappy phone. Take your pick.
Tethering is an option that allows you to use your Blackberry as a wireless modem with a laptop. If you don't have a laptop that, then you don't need to tether.
Clearly the iPhone is an iPod with a cell phone built in. If that's what you want thats what you should get. Blackberry's are great for corporate email, text messaging, gmail (or yahoo mail), google talk (or similar services). But the 2G networks they run on (like at&t edge) are way to slow for web surfing and downloading media. It is painfully slow...
I have played with the iPhone in a store, but it was not "live", i.e., I wasn't surfing the web on it. I imagine that loading web pages on an iPhone over the edge network is super painful. However, the iPhone also can hook into wireless networks (wifi) (e.g., T-mobiles' network at Starbucks). Someplaces have free wifi (like some libraries or hotels) but other places have secured pay only wifi. Surfing the web and downloading media (MP3, MPEGs, etc) on wifi is apparently a happy experience.
If you aren't using it for work, I would get the iPhone, but I might also wait 6 months (hopefully) until they come out with a "3G" iPhone.
remeber, ya' get what ya' pay for. And this advice was free...
The iPhone will only push yahoo! emails, lacks the PIN feature and the voice plans are terrible ($60 for 450min/mo?).
Plus, you can get your Curve, or most any other BlackBerry model, unlocked to work with any GSM provider.
dolt wrote:
and gotten tethering all wrong.
Again, re-read my email. I said tether is needed for data service and it separate Blackberry with a regular phone (Sure there are a few other models that has tether).
Apparently, you do not understand what is data service. Enough said.
Coelacanth wrote:
The iPhone will only push yahoo! emails, lacks the PIN feature and the voice plans are terrible ($60 for 450min/mo?).
Plus, you can get your Curve, or most any other BlackBerry model, unlocked to work with any GSM provider.
Excellent point. Check out the Blackberry 8800 series. It is on promotion right now for $99 with a plan contract. It does not looks as nice as the curve, but it only cost 1/2 the price of curve with the same functionality. But if you are more into fashion/show, than go ahead get the iPhone and stuck with the over priced voice plan. Did I mention that the coverage for iPhone is very limited?
using the web on an iPhone is MUCH better as pages actually look like whta they should. With more businesses using web-based mail and apps, it's the better way to go for many people.
A.G. Bell wrote:
using the web on an iPhone is MUCH better as pages actually look like whta they should.
Explain to me why it is much better. There are options on Blackberry how you want the web page to look like - Mobile view or desktop view. Does iPhone has that option?
You can zoom on Desktop view to have it fit to the screen or use the default web page view which you need to scroll up/down, left/right.
Tethering is not needed to get emails on the Blackberry, that is called a data plan. Tethering is attaching the blackberry to a laptop with a usb cable as the tether, to use it as a wireless modem.
Opera min web browser (version 4.0) also allows you to view the whole page similar to safari on the iPhone. BUT IT IS SLOW!! I know I use it all the time...
There is also the 8830, which is smaller than both the 8800 and curve. It doesn't have a camera (I could care less about having a crappy camera on my phone), but it does have gps (not sure how much I care about that now, but i'm sure i will find it more useful than a camera).