BlackBerry Bold meets iPhone
Interested in a side-by-side comparison of the current iPhone and the upcoming BlackBerry Bold? Yeah, we were too. Obvious differences not withstanding, the striking thing about the comparison is the similarities between the two devices. Dimensions of both are close to identical, though the Bold is certainly a bit thicker. The bezel on the Bold gives a visual cue to the iPhone’s bezel that is hard to ignore. Each device is clearly targeted at a slightly different market, but BlackBerry appears to have really stepped its styling game up, and while the screen on the Bold is notably smaller that its iPhone equivalent, the high resolution almost makes up for the lack of screen space. Not a whole lot of technical substance, but if eye-candy if your thing they’ve got it in droves. Hit the jump for a full video and a bunch more pics.
It sounds like a much better comparison would be of the upcoming BlackBerry Thunder and the upcoming Apple iPhone update (iPhone 2, or iPhone 3G, or whatever it will be called).
i agree the thunder will be a better comparison but we they must use what they have and for now this is it. I think RIM is moving in the right direction but the Bold only seems like an incremental upgrade, slightly better OS and added 3G. RIM better get those OS engineers working on the Thunder.
I think iphone 2 will do very well this summer around the world.
I really dig both phones, but am an avid BB user. One of my good friends has an Iphone so I am able to get lots of hands on time with it. Now I will explain why my stock is going with RIM though. The Iphone has in a way backed itself into a corner with the simplicity of its design. Apple will never be able to go to a tactile keyboard due to the strong emphasis that it has always put on its touch screen. With that in mind the Iphone will always retain its general cosmetic design but will only be updated with new and improved Os’s. RIM on the other hand has the future wide open for them. They have a tactile keyboard which functions exceptionally well, and when they eventually release a touch screen model they will still keep other BB devices in their arsenal of devices. In other words, RIM can go any number of routes with its hardware and not be wrong. I think in the next few years you are only going to see small cosmetic changes on the Iphone itself. Iphone has a nice music player and browser for sure, but given a short amount of time RIM can easily achieve and surpass those features, no doubt.
hehe,
He fumbles with the BB trackball similarly to how I fumbled through the iPhone OS the last time I played with one.
He jokingly commented on it, but its a big point – he’s not used to the trackball interface.
If we were watching Kevin from Crackberry on the Bold side-by-side with Dieter on the iPhone I’m sure we would see both users glide through the interfaces with grace.
The biggest differences here are really matters for personal preference:
If you like a touch-screen and playing multimedia is your focus – Get an iPhone!
If you’d rather have a physical keyboard and you’re buying a device to bang out corporate emails – Get a (any) Blackberry. If you’d also like to enjoy multimedia – Get the Bold.
Just my thoughts,
I’m no doctor.
-JC
Hey. Great review.
I have played both. There are a few of these devices doing the rounds in Roma.
The Bold is much my preference.
Ciao.
“Bold only seems like an incremental upgrade, slightly better OS and added 3G”
Strange how so many people make 3G an issue. For the record, the Bold will be RIM’s EIGHTH 3G Blackberry.
Canis, most people worldwide are talking 3G GSM not CDMA. you know the story, only been one 3G GSM and none in the US.
Would still rather have a Bold until the iPhone2* comes out.
*would have to use iPhone2 first.
heh that fact you only neeeed th mini usb cable an you cna just stin the micro sd in the bold gives it a leg up on the iphone pluth th bold ha a faster processor than t iphone if you notic he dosn’t do a comparison on how lng ittakes eacos to load up
an th datviz ward give rim a legup on carrying around a word prcessor on your phone and not just a viewer
also the bold handles more file formats
Though it’s nice to see these phones side by side, can you really compare the two? Blackberries are traditionally business-based so their functionality will be different. The iPhone is basically an iPod that can make calls, so it’s more for entertainment purposes. I think a better comparison would be the iPhone and the Nokia N95 or something like that.
Still, my money’s going toward the 3G iPhone and possibly the Xperia.
I agree with miro, the phones are almost completely different. One being for entertainment and the other for business. Both of them beat my phone though
.
anyone else notice that they both have the same resolution? and that the iphone’s screen is roughtly double the size?
Imagine the new iphone with a 640×480 or even 800×640 resolution… It would be absolutely incredible…
these phones are COMPLETELY different one could not replace the other so i dont understand why every blog is comparing them. its kind of stupid how every phone has been compared to the iphone nowadays
I think the BlackBerry Thunder, will certainly give tough time to the iPhone, with its full touch interface.
WHY WONT’T 3G BLACJBERRY BEAT THE IPHONE?
The Issue: The Blackberry Bold 9000 has been released – and it has 3G internet capabilities. Yes, it beat the iPhone to the punch. However, it still doesn’t stand a chance to the almighty Apple iPhone.
Click here to read some more detailed specs of the BlackBerry Bold 9000.
The Story: Here’s the deal. No matter how great the hardware may be, the BlackBerry Bold 9000 will not out sell the iPhone. It won’t turn heads. It will not succeed – atleast not in the same way the iPhone succeeded. Why is this so? It’s not because the BlackBerry isn’t a good phone – it’s because of the world the iPhone has created.
Marketing.
Just look around. You’re on a site which reviews iPhone applications and discusses important iPhone news. The iPhone generates atleast 5 news stories every day.
The iPhone is a brand. It has swept the market.
There is always something interesting going on in the world of iPhone – for example, the item is literally sold out in all Apple stores right now in both USA and England. Seems unreal. And rather than taking the news and saying “oh wow, they must be selling out fast!”, the whole tech community is shouting: “Hooray! The iPhone 2.0 must be coming! This is the best day of my life!”
The point is – people care about the iPhone. It is innovative. It challenged the norm, and created a new standard. People care enough to speculate and take online quizzes about when they think the 3G iPhone will be released (alright, maybe that’s just the super nerds).
Furthermore, read a little further into the scenario here. The BlackBerry Bold 9000 was designed and released specifically to challenge the iPhone.
By challenging the iPhone, BlackBerry is giving the assumption that the iPhone is the one to beat. This concept gives more to the iPhone than it does to itself.
Here’s an idea: don’t ‘beat the iPhone’. Do what Apple did – be innovative. Challenge the norm. Create a new standard. Don’t target the iPhone as your competition.
Want proof that the iPhone is winning? Approach your grandmother. Ask her if she’s ever heard of BlackBerry – she’ll think you’re talking about the fruit. Ask her if she’s ever heard of an iPhone – and 4 out of 5 times you’ll get a yes.
LINK: http://www.ismashphone.com/2008/05/why-wont-3g-bla.html
Very Very detailed. Great time pass.
Well said Galvatron. I agree completely.
Galvatron strikes again!
I’ve figured it out!!!!
Galvatron is texting from an iPhone….
It sounds like you are liking the Bold…make the move brother! Then no one else on here can give you any crap because you will be typing from a qwerty and everyone will be able to understand!
Good on ya!
I don’t know what I come here for anymore… Is it to read the articles or to hunt down Galvatron’s comments… I love them. Keep up the good work Gal!!!!
Blackberry will always be Blackberry, it’s not going anywhere. iPhone is another great product from a great company. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. I currently have a BB 8820 (love it)! I also have an iPod Touch (love it). I considered the iPhone 1.0 and it felt cheap to me, compared to the Touch. I prefer to keep them separate. In the End, I can’t wait to get a BB Bold. BB=Communications iPhone=Entertainment