Hate BlackBerries? You're probably misinformed

[whitebread]

Alright, so there seems to be a lot of hate for BlackBerries these days. I think a lot of it is from uninformed users. Let's try to clear up some myths:

Myth: BlackBerries aren't designed to play games

Wrong. BlackBerries have supported OpenGL ES since at least version 5.0 (4.7 if I'm not mistaken, but 5.0 for sure)

Myth: BlackBerries don't support Skype

BlackBerries have had Skype since May 2009. Skype (not RIM) has artificially limited Skype to Verizon Wireless phones. 3rd-party apps also provide Skype support for non-Verizon devices.

Myth: BlackBerries don't support VOIP

Multiple VOIP solutions exist for BlackBerry smartphones: http://www.blackvoib.com/Setup-and-Usage.php and http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/38 .

Let us talk about some other stuff as well. BlackBerries like the Torch 9860 can do everything an iPhone or Android device can do, but better. Why? Messaging has always been well-done on BlackBerries because their initial market was corporations that needed a mobile messaging platform. RIM introduced features like Push technology that (at least in my experience -- and I have owned both an Android phone and an iPhone, both of which I did actually use for at least a month as I was curious what they were like) no other competitor has been able to do as well

It is just as easy to compose an SMS or MMS message as it is an email or PIN message (a PIN message is a direct device-to-device message, which, by the way, is an extremely useful feature that no other competitor has bothered to copy). Emails and PIN messages can be seamlessly encrypted and decrypted using both RIM or 3rd-party technology. Although they hardly invented it, BlackBerries were able to send MMS messages long before iPhones.

BlackBerries have always had multitasking; this feature was somehow "magical" and "revolutionary" when Apple introduced it, and yet even today their multitasking sucks (why? There is no easy way to have multiple apps running simultaneously and easily switch between them -- on BlackBerries, there is).

Another crucial feature which other companies really should copy is that RIM heavily compresses all data sent to and from the device. There is no noticeable reduction in speed, and BlackBerries consistently use far less data than other platforms. I don't know about you, but I like the idea of being able to surf the web as much as I want, send/receive virtually unlimited emails (including with large attachments), and download files -- and only use about 500MB a month. On an Android or iPhone, I would need a bigger data package. Saves on money!

What about security? Long before Android was around, BlackBerries have allowed users to have fine-grained control over what permissions an individual application can have. With a BlackBerry, you can use a password and have your device encrypted using 256-bit AES so that, in all likelihood, unless someone knows your password they will never be able to access your personal data (assuming Content Protection is turned on). The on-device encryption on an iPhone is laughable at best. I'm not sure about Android's capabilities in this regard.

BlackBerries are perfect devices for businesses because they allow the IT department to have fine-grained control over what employees can and cannot do on devices. They can log all messages (including BBM and PIN). They're extremely easy to setup and manage. Best of all, all of this can be done for free using BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express (by the way; when using Express you don't need a BES plan from your carrier; BIS will do just fine). Additionally, some device models are available without cameras.

Now, what about more pedestrian concerns like camera/flash, video recording, music capabilities, etc. BlackBerries can do all of that; sure, the camera might not be the absolute best, but really -- who cares? It's good enough, and that is all that matters. If you need high-res photos, odds are you should use a DSLR anyway. Front-facing camera? Again, some people want it, most don't care. It's not a big deal. Music? BlackBerries support numerous formats like AAC, AMR,FLAC, MP3, M4A, OGG, WMA, WAV, MIDI, ADPCM2 (yes, some like MIDI are useless). Can an iPhone do FLAC? Nope. Don't know about you but I like my lossless audio.

Some people knock the web browser, but since OS v. 6.0, it has improved a great deal. It is now based on WebKit. In my personal experience, with the exception of Neowin (which I think I can reasonably blame on Neowin as no other site does this), I have had no problems loading sites at all. Even the problem with Neowin isn't that bad.

Finally, some people in the US have their head up their butt and think they're the only market that matters. BlackBerries aren't unpopular everywhere; RIM just opened a store in the Philippines and so many people showed up to the opening that people were trampled. I know tons of people who have BlackBerries and every single one of them loves their phone. I know several people who had a BlackBerry, got an iPhone or an Android phone, and couldn't stand their new phone -- and switched back to their BlackBerry.

BlackBerries for the win! :D

[Nerd Rage]

I support Blackberries in an executive corporate environment. I have to know the in's and out's of them very well. That being said.......I hate blackberries. I advise all the executives to get a different device unless they are really set on a blackberry.

[ARchamps]

I've used Blackberries for about over 4 years now.. and they are great for work. I've used them in team environments and I've never been let down in this area.

BUT... they just are not keeping up with their competitors. iOS/Android/WP7 and other devices are leaving RIM in the dust. I think their compeitive advantage has pretty much dimnished as other smartphones now have gotten better in the productivity function. It's sad to say, but my next phone won't be a Blackberry. I've been a big supporter of Blackberry, but it's time to move on. Hopefully they get their act together for their next big release!

[Astra.Xtreme]

The thread title is slightly arrogant.

Blackberries aren't the business phone anymore. It's one choice of.

Plenty of other phones are also great for the business environment, but have all the bells and whistles of all the other leading-edge phones.

The Blackberry app offering and overall OS quality is far behind the mainstream Android and iOS phones, and that's why people don't prefer them anymore.

[whitebread]

I support Blackberries in an executive corporate environment. I have to know the in's and out's of them very well. That being said.......I hate blackberries. I advise all the executives to get a different device unless they are really set on a blackberry.

WHY do you hate them? :huh:

[ILikeTobacco]

MYTH: If you hate Blackberry's, you are probably misinformed

Wrong. I knew everything you brought up. Still hate them.

[Jan Veteran]

Like games?

Buy any phone that isn't a BlackBerry, BB games are laughable in comparison to other phones.

[Buttus]

I support Blackberries in an executive corporate environment. I have to know the in's and out's of them very well. That being said.......I hate blackberries. I advise all the executives to get a different device unless they are really set on a blackberry.

yea, why?

I've used blackberries for years, but now probably going to android, but i don't hate blackberries, i just feel that they're falling behind the times.

[Tom]

This thread won't go down well...

Also I'm going to input.

Personally I'm biased towards Windows Phone however that's the phone I use on a day to day basis and one that provides me with everything I need media wise. For this reason I of course love having it with me and have built up a love for the product. Now if we apply that to someone else who has a Blackberry the likelihood is that they're going to think the same thing and you know what? Android and iPhone users are going to do the same thing (More so the iPhone users because it's iCool :p).

Like I mentioned, I'm bias to Windows Phone and one of my jobs is to sell smartphones. You quickly learn how people think when it comes to it. Some people come in the store and are set on a phone because maybe there friend has one and they used it and liked it, maybe they had one before and are used to the operating system. There's plenty of reasons... those people I sell them what they came into the shop for because quite clearly they're set on that phone. If I said "Oh well, here's a different phone that you might not have seen before. Take a look at this so it widens your options." that would leave the customer with a gamble - one that if they take and they don't like the phone, they're stuck in a two year contract.

My point is that some people like Blackberry because it suits their needs. Some people like Android because it suits their needs. Some people like Windows Phone because it suits their needs... and some people change which OS/phone they have because they found that another operating system suits their needs better.

That's all I have to say about that. (Y)

[Neo003]

i just feel that they're falling behind the times.

BINGO... That's why I left BB phones behind since storm.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

yea, why?

I've used blackberries for years, but now probably going to android, but i don't hate blackberries, i just feel that they're falling behind the times.

Agreed. I currently have a BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 and it's more-than-great for my needs. I haven't had any issues with it. I've upgraded to BB OS6 when it was first released and it made my experience even better. Eventually, I'm going to buy a new phone and I've had my eyes on some Android- and WP7-based devices. This doesn't mean I "hate" BlackBerry smartphones. I think that's too harsh of a word to use. It just means I want something better and at the moment, RIM doesn't have anything that stands out to me. Their current lineup of devices seems overpriced and they're falling behind other smartphones in terms of specs and features.

[ApuBo]

i like my nokia n8 as work phone, and not controlled by IT-dep. ulimited call/mms/dl's FTW!.

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

This thread won't go down well...

[thealexweb]

I like the way there's no mention of the ?5 blackberry tax, without which the BB is not really a smartphone in most peoples books.

[Nerd Rage]

WHY do you hate them? :huh:

All of them, including the new ones, are slow, very slow. The new ones have improved slightly, but the OS is slow, startup is slow, and it causes people to get irritated. The thing that really gets me though is having to manage a Blackberry Enterprise Server in addition to the MS Exchange Server. iPhones and Android phones will connect to our exchange server just fine via Outlook Web Access, where the blackberry requires a whole other server to manage. It's just a very archaic way of doing things. If the sync between the phone and the BES get borked up somehow and pushing the service books or reactivating doesn't correct it, it usually requires the phone to be wiped and re-setup. Where if my account on an iPhone or Android is messed up, I can either fix it or just remove and re-add the account.

[c3ntury]

Myth: BlackBerries aren't designed to play games

On such a small screen, it's certainly not what I'd call an enjoyable experience.

[Mr.ed]

All of them, including the new ones, are slow, very slow. The new ones have improved slightly, but the OS is slow, startup is slow, and it causes people to get irritated. The thing that really gets me though is having to manage a Blackberry Enterprise Server in addition to the MS Exchange Server. iPhones and Android phones will connect to our exchange server just fine via Outlook Web Access, where the blackberry requires a whole other server to manage. It's just a very archaic way of doing things. If the sync between the phone and the BES get borked up somehow and pushing the service books or reactivating doesn't correct it, it usually requires the phone to be wiped and re-setup. Where if my account on an iPhone or Android is messed up, I can either fix it or just remove and re-add the account.

+1, and add Windows Phone 7 to the mix with Android and Iphone in the easy Exchange management. No mess, no desynchronization.

And if installing the BES isn't an option, prepare yourself to the pain that is the blackberry desktop manager. In my years of IT, nothing has given me more grief (on the desktop environment).

The hardware i dont hate, the software is another story...

Mr.Ed

[Cheatyface]

Myth: BlackBerries aren't designed to play games

Wrong. BlackBerries have supported OpenGL ES since at least version 5.0 (4.7 if I'm not mistaken, but 5.0 for sure)

OpenGL does not make it 'designed to play games'. There are at least half a dozen other things to take into consideration, with user interface and screen real estate being two of the big ones.

[Davo]

I hate Blackberry as compared to other phones for a few minor reasons:

1.) They take ages to turn on and in typical old school PDA fashion, are only truly off when you do a battery pull.

2.) Ambiguous or redundant menus and settings. Having to deal with many different types a day, it's like travelling in a city with no street signs or too many of them. You just kinda have to poke around in the dark if you're unsure of where something is or on the other hand, go into three different settings with a similar name/look.

3.) The average person hasn't a facking clue about stuff like service books, Blackberry Admin, exchange servers, Enterprise, etc. so it's really only useful for the techies, executives with an IT department, or people on a PAYG service who just need a keyboarding phone.

4.) With the exception of stuff like the Storm, Torch, etc., the looks haven't evolved. Your choices are either Vanilla, Vanilla, Vanilla, or Sour Milk (touchscreen variants). They could be on OS20 and the design would still look like something out of the early smartphone craze.

My big problem with Blackberry is that they pretty much defined the industry at one point and still to this day have technology that hasn't been incorporated into current smartphones that are more "advanced". However, their plan seems to be to rest on their laurels, hoping that slight advantage is all it takes to carry them for another decade.

[Vice]

I don't hate Blackberries but I do think like the PocketPC and Windows Mobile 6 and Palm OS that Blackberry is dead. They just delayed all their new Blackberry 10 devices until the end of 2012. They are not a company on the verge of innovation they are years behind everyone else in my opinion.

[Anibal P]

If all you do is make calls and mesage, BlackBerries are still pretty good, if you do anything else on your device, BBs can't keep up with Android, iOS, or WP7

[Astra.Xtreme]

I don't hate Blackberries but I do think like the PocketPC and Windows Mobile 6 and Palm OS that Blackberry is dead. They just delayed all their new Blackberry 10 devices until the end of 2012. They are not a company on the verge of innovation they are years behind everyone else in my opinion.

Yep. And their stock price over the past year completely backs that up.

I think their only hope is being bought out and replacing management. But I don't know what company would want to touch that disaster.

[Soulsiphon]

Not misinformed. I've had to use one for work before and I still hate them.

Edit: that's crazy! it's like the background watermark knows I was putting back some Bloody Mary's for breakfast today!

[htcz]

BTW, BlackBerry OS is slow as hell because it is written en Java. At least they are moving from that....

And no, as many as you think Android is NOT written in Java. It is actually C and C++. The (strange) thing is that everything that the user sees (in general notes) must be written in "Java" (I say "Java" as it isnt pure Java but for all of you to understand)

[Charisma Veteran]

*shrug* I like my BlackBerry. I can't speak for anyone else's experience. Great apps, everything seems well integrated--I can get my email, translate text, play games, monitor trips and flights/convert currency/keep track of time zones with BB Travel, get the weather, keep my calendar and contacts updated and synched with Outlook, get my football news... The camera is good, the app store is easy to navigate, even the default ringtones and such aren't bad. Plus, I definitely wouldn't want a touchscreen phone, and the options with physical buttons are becoming more and more scarce on other platforms.

Thread comes off a bit arrogant, but there is some truth in it and I hope folks will take a second look at them. They may not be the stylish, popular choice, but they're still quite nice phones. <3