Blackberry vs. Android

[x635 4,066]

Well, my contract with AT&T is up.

I currently have the Blackberry 8900, which I am very satisfied with. I like the new Blackberry Bold 9900, which has the traditional Blackberry keyboard that's not a slider and the screen which is basically the same as the 8900, is touchable.

The 9900 just came out, not even on display yet but the salesperson brought out one to show me. I like the features mentioned above, and the faster speed and better camera on it. And the fact it's on the AT&T 4G network, but I was told the network the Android runs on a new network that is 10x faster.

I need a keyboard, because I need the tactile keyboard feel. Is there an Android device that is similar, and still has the easy email push that the Blackberry is know for.

Also, is there any device on the horizon that might be worth waiting for? I'm in no rush right now for a new phone, just starting to explore my options.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[PEMO3 523]

The only true push email you will get from an Android is either gmail or an exchange server. I can tell you I was stuck on Blackberry until I switched over and saw the advantages that an Android had over my old Blackberry. There was a learning curve. As you get older the curve gets bigger, my kids said mine was like a hairpin turn along a cliff without a gaurdrail. I originally had an Epic 4G which had a slide out keyboard and found myself using the on screen keyboard so much I switched to the EVO 4G. If you had asked me 18 months ago if I would switch from my Blackberry with a full keyboard to a touch screen phone with no keypad I would have said you were crazy. Best I can say is most carriers have a try it period. Sprint just reduced theirs from 30 to 14 days but it is a way to test a phone and see if it works for you. Biggest drawback on Androids - poor battery life.

[dfdallen 13]

I have a blackberry which I think is a pos, my fiancée has an android phone which she loves and she also had a blackberry. She says her phone is faster and has alot more features than her blackberry did.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Biggest drawback on Androids - poor battery life.

While that is true, I have the Motorola Droid 2 and my battery charges from 30% to 100% in less than three hours and a replacement battery is under 5 dollars on Amazon.com.

While I am a huge fan of the Android operating system, I am just waiting for the day I get an iPhone, who actually needs their phone to make phone calls.

Edited November 14, 2011 by SRS131EMTFF

[EMS92 30]

I had a blackberry but i switch over the new andriod galaxy and i find that the andriod is a lot better then the blackberry and you have more apps to choose from. i think the EVO phones have the keyboard but i think phones with the keyboards will phase out eventually and everything will be come touch screen.

[M' Ave 1,466]

I could never, in good conscience, tell someone to get a Blackberry. I had one for 6 years. I had an AT&T 7280, then an AT&T 8700 and then on to Verizon with a Curve and then a Storm 2. The Curve was great in it's day and the Storm 2 was never great at all. When my contract was up I decided that Blackberry had fallen far behind the times and that I needed to move to Android. While I gave the iPhone a brief look, I ended up deciding that Android was the better fit for me. I purchased a Droid Bionic and I couldn't be happier. The transition was a little tough. The UI has some differences that will require adjustment. There is no "go-to" button like the BB button. Be patient, it won't take long, but it is a big change. Now, having had an Android device for 2 months, I never even think about the dark days of Blackberry.

If you have AT&T, I would strongly recommend the Galaxy 2S. I don't know about AT&T's "4G" availability, but on Verizon....it's amazing. Most every city of medium size up is covered, as are the surrounding suburbs and the speed is amazing. With the Blackberry, you had some form of internet, but it was incomplete and extremely slow. Now, I have what amounts to a micro-sized tablet in my pocket. Dual-core 1ghz processor, 1 gb of ram...ect. ect. It flies! Blackberry has nothing to offer in comparison and because of this, there is a serious shortage of 3rd party apps.

If you must have the physical keyboard, there are options. However, I'd urge you to consider the move away from them. I know it's hard and I was in your camp as well. Once you adjust, you'll be glad you did. The phone displays the keys you need, not the standard layout all the time. With the vibration feedback, you get some tactile response and it's quite good. Like I said, there are options, but they're limited. For the most part, the latest and greatest are being brought to market in full touch screen form.

[Jp1234 2]

Why is this topic being discussed on EMT Bravo?

[grumpyff 1,159]

Went from BB Storm to Galaxy S (Fascinate on Verizon) and couldnt be happier. I was happy with the Storm even though I had to pull the battery once a day. I wasnt looking for a new phone, but when the BB died I made the transition and never looked back. Once and a while I will have trouble with the touch screen (FAT fingers....small keys) Android offers so much more in the way of apps, and as mentioned is like a small tablet.

Battery life can be disappointing, but get the free Advanced task killer, and remember the more you use it the quicker the battery will drain. I make sure I have a car charger available or regular charger if needed. I probably should look at a second battery

Edited November 14, 2011 by grumpyff

[helicopper 1,050]

Why is this topic being discussed on EMT Bravo?

Why not?

[efdcapt115 1,511]

I'm on my second Sprint Blackberry Curve w/Nextel Direct Connect. My gf uses a Sprint Samsung/Google Intercept. First thing I'd advise no matter what phone you carry; choose to also carry the insurance. My first BB had a software malfunction, and I had the $7.00 a month insurance. Got the phone replaced with an overnight delivery, because we were in South Carolina at the time, for free.

Regarding the phone comparisons:

Blackberry QWERTY keyboard. Samsung has both, slide out QWERTY and touch screen.

Blackberry does much better on battery life, and recharge time is much shorter.

Samsung runs through that battery and takes hours for a full recharge.

Forget about the Browser in the Blackberry. I also have a Toshiba Netbook with a Verizon 3G WWAN. For $35.00 a month I have seriously fast, portable internet.

The Samsung/Google does great for internet, has an awesome GPS, all the services and apps work great.

The BB does excellent texting, the e-mail "push" as it's been called here is also fantastic.

The Samsung does those same functions just as well.

The BB costs $70 a month with the insurance.

The Samsung costs $97 a month with limited talk time.

Overall, each phone has it's advantages. But the Blackberry browser is useless, so if I had to rely on my phone for portable internet, then the Samsung/Google would be the way to go.

[Howitser 0]

One more vote for switching from Blackberry to Android. Had the Bold, now have & love the Droid Bionic. Find I can do more with it, and also save some money since I no longer have to subscribe to the Blackberry network also. Battery life is less than the BB, but since I charge it at night (and use it for a clock) it's a moot point.

[JP59 41]

I recently switched from an AT&T Blackberry Torch to an HTC Inspire Android phone. I got used to the Android and never looked back. The Android has superior internet, much better applications and if you receive I-Pages from 60 control or other county control centers, a program called Cadpage is available for Androids which give you an immediate pop up of the I-page on your screen and an option to open Google maps if you need directions to the call. I agree the Blackberry's have a better battery life but overall the Android is the clear winner. I also use Gmail, so my email is pushed to the Android immediately.

[peterose313 345]

While I never had a blackberry, I know plenty of people who did and have since switched to the Android. The Android phones are better in just about every which way (minus the battery life). I would definitely suggest a 4G phone. If you live in the greater metro NY area... the entire area is covered for 4G as is most of the surrounding area. Vzw is increasing their coverage map just about every month. While Vzw is more expensive, it does come with more advantages. I.E. Backup Assistant is standard on all phones where as ATT just released something similar this past summer and you have to pay for it.

I would def go with an Android with no hesitation. I have the Droid 2 because I was used to having a full QWERTY keyboard on my old ENV3 but once I got used to the touch screen, I find the actual keyboard a pain in the neck to use. I use AOL, Hotmail and Gmail and get all my email right away. There's options as far as how you want your data pushed on the Android.

Good luck with your findings.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

While that is true, I have the Motorola Droid 2 and my battery charges from 30% to 100% in less than three hours and a replacement battery is under 5 dollars on Amazon.com.

While I am a huge fan of the Android operating system, I am just waiting for the day I get an iPhone, who actually needs their phone to make phone calls.

Exactly. Download the free app killer it helps save your battery and they have extended capacity batteries that do not add size to the profile of the droid now.

Are we still really asking this question about blackberry. Adios...got my droid never looked back.

[PEMO3 523]

I.E. Backup Assistant is standard on all phones where as ATT just released something similar this past summer and you have to pay for it.

To be honest if you have an Android phone you should just consider getting a free gmail account. The free sync doubles as a backup assistant for your calendar and address book and can be set to update as often as you wish.

[x635 4,066]

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.

Here's another weird question. My fingers have trouble with transmitting to the touch screen. When I use a GPS or certain devices with a touch screen, I have to use a stylet. Can you adjust sensitivty or size of the keyboard?

[EMS92 30]

i believe for most touch screens you can

[x635 4,066]

Well, after some research, I decided to stick with the Blackberry. I got the Blackberry Bold 9900. AT&T is still retailing it with contract for $199, but I got mine for $60 on AmazonWireless.com.

I was trying to hold out for a price drop, or the Blackberry 10 OS, but it doesn't seem to be happening for a while. My Blackberry Curve 8900 was reaching 3 years old, and was starting to get very slow when I tried to do anything. The Bold is really,really fast, and I can take advantage of the new, real AT&T 4G LTE network.

There are a lot of apps with Android, which I liked, but all I really use my phone for is the phone, email, and messaging, as well as Evernote, Google, and Wikipedia.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

[PEMO3 523]

Well, after some research, I decided to stick with the Blackberry. I got the Blackberry Bold 9900. AT&T is still retailing it with contract for $199, but I got mine for $60 on AmazonWireless.com.

I was trying to hold out for a price drop, or the Blackberry 10 OS, but it doesn't seem to be happening for a while. My Blackberry Curve 8900 was reaching 3 years old, and was starting to get very slow when I tried to do anything. The Bold is really,really fast, and I can take advantage of the new, real AT&T 4G LTE network.

There are a lot of apps with Android, which I liked, but all I really use my phone for is the phone, email, and messaging, as well as Evernote, Google, and Wikipedia.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

Rumor has it that the BB OS 10 will be for the BB touch platforms like the Playbook and the Torch anyway and not the Bold series. If you had gotten the Torch there will probably be an OS over-the-air upgrade released after they finish the BETA (lets see how many phone we can fry) tests are complete.

[FDNYBuff97 5]

Don't get another Blackberry , In about a year they are going to be shut down , they are not doing good at all.

[x635 4,066]

UPDATE: I love this phone. BUT I hate this phone. Hate it.

I like it only because of the keyboard.

The battery is dead after an hour, and it is SLOW. I want my BB Curve back,

[stvrap79 8]

Don't get another Blackberry , In about a year they are going to be shut down , they are not doing good at all.

You are absolutely right! RIM (Blackberry) has been on a steady downward spiral for the past couple years. Besides the decreasing market share, they have had significant service interruptions/problems. I had a iPhone 3G for many years until it fell out of my pocket one night on an EMS call. The phone was unusable and to make matters worse it was the week after Christmas. All that was left in stock were the new iPhone 4 64 gigs. Needless to say, they were way out of my price range!! I was convinced after a while that the new blackberry touch was the way to go. Apparently it was the phone to give Apple and Android a run for their money. I have never been more dissapointed! The blackberry was far inferior to the iphone in every aspect. Even my monthly bill was significantly more expensive. Luckily I came across an Android that I could use until I was able to return to the world of Apple. The one thing I liked and kinda missed was the bbm. Thankfully the iPhone came out with a very similar feature in the last update. I would highly recommend the iPhone to anyone wondering which way to go. Androids are not bad phones themselves, but it seems everyone has serious issues with their phones after a year. It is just unbelievable the apps available to aid us in emergency services. They have everything from an app to write a PCR, to an app assisting in vehicle extraction! Hopefully to all you BB owners, things will soon look brighter!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

I would highly recommend the iPhone to anyone wondering which way to go. Androids are not bad phones themselves, but it seems everyone has serious issues with their phones after a year.

Agreed 110%. I just switched from Droid 2 to iphone and I will never even think of going back to Android. Both of my droids gave me nothing but problems from day one. After the google play update, my Droid 2 was slightly more useful than a brick.

[peterose313 345]

Droid Razr Maxx has the best battery life and performance of any smart phone on the market. RIM just announced that they're going to be getting out of the consumer market and strictly catering to business from here on out. Trying to compete with Apple and Android is simply killing them.

[conman 40]

My next phone is going to bean android. The main reason im doing this isthf casio commando is the only tough smartphone that Verizon makes. I'm a landscaper to I'm going to drop my phone a lot and I know it. I've thought about an iPhone in an otterbox but I've seen them break in them time and time again