BlackBerry and iPhone – two of the most well-established brands of the smartphone industry. These brands have carved a niche for themselves and are held in high-esteem by their fan boys. Since both these phones cater to a similar sort of audience, comparisons are inevitable. While iPhone has always been able to create a flutter in the market every time a new version is launched, Blackberry has slowly and steadily built a strong market for itself. Both these brands have a strong fan-base and tempers run high whenever the debate goes on who is the undisputed king of the smartphone market. There are many people (including me) who have not subscribed to any of the ‘camps’, and are rather content with sitting on the fence! That is one of the prime reasons why we thought of writing this article as most of the information available on blogs intentionally or unintentionally smells of prejudice and bias.
This article dissects the advantages and loopholes of both these phones, so that a potential buyer can decide for himself which phone will suit his needs. So, let’s start our research to gauge which is better – iPhone or the BlackBerry. Before, we start with the comparison, it is important to note that we are taking the overall review and feedback of both these brands into consideration rather than focusing on any particular model.
Design
While the jury is still out on the design of the new iPhone 4S, it is well-known that Apple spends a considerable time and money on making phones which are breathtakingly sensuous. All the iPhones launched till date have been sybaritic and it won’t be wrong to say that iPhone revolutionized the way smartphones were designed. BlackBerry, on the other hand, can be credited with being the founding-fathers of QWERTY phones, so much that every QWERTY phone that came in the market was being labeled as ‘BlackBerry type’! So, it’s a pretty even contest out there, but for the eye-catching design, we would give this one to the iPhone.
Result – iPhone wins
Applications
Applications are something that every smartphone-user craves for, and both iPhone and BlackBerry score highly on this parameter. As far as the numbers are concerned, App Store beats BlackBerry’s Appworld, but the latter has ensured that the highly used apps are available for its users. The most used apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Pandora are available on both the stores. So, in this one there are no clear winners.
Result – Tie
Speed
BlackBerry has a reputation for making some of fastest smartphones out there. The time it takes to load e-mails and attachments is considerably lower as compared to its rivals. Most smartphones face challenges with multi-tasking, but BlackBerry phones seldom bloat out, enabling you to seamlessly shuffle between music, apps, and e-mails. It is not as if iPhone disappoints on this front. It is equally good when it comes to running several applications at the same time, and provides great performance. It is just a few seconds that you save on a BlackBerry that differentiates the competition in this segment and gives BlackBerry a slight edge over the iPhone.
Result – BlackBerry wins
Sharing
Sharing photos or letting your friends know which video you found impressive is easier on the iPhone as compared to the BlackBerry. The amount of time it takes to upload a photo on an iPhone is just a fraction lesser than that on a BlackBerry and the ease with which you are able to do it is amazing. Most people spend a lot of time on social networking websites and iPhone seems to have developed the right platform for a convenient use. Blackberry – great; iPhone – exceptional.
Result – iPhone wins
Music
If you own an iPhone, you probably don’t need a music player. The music player on the iPhone has the ability to play even high-quality songs without the voice sounding hoarse. It would not be wrong to say that along with the Sony Walkman Series phones, iPhones are the best gadgets for music on the go. BlackBerry, on the other hand, started out as a business phone, and in the recent times, it has started taking entertainment quotient seriously. So, iPhone routs BlackBerry as far as the music player is concerned.
Result: iPhone wins
Camera
The latest iPhone packs in a 8-megapixel camera. There are several BlackBerry phones which have similar or higher-resolution camera, but the clarity of the images leaves a lot to be desired. iPhone is packed with a HDR option which allows users to take crystal-clear pictures in varying degree of light. As far as the usability and access to camera is concerned, the hardware on BlackBerry is a huge draw, and you can take interesting photos instantly. But, due to the sheer clarity of images, iPhone walks away with the better camera award!
Result: iPhone wins
Battery
Blackberry all the way – If you forgot to close some apps on an iPhone, it is very much possible that the battery will drain itself out in a matter of a few hours. With BlackBerry, you can be assured that the battery won’t die on you when you have to make that important call. With the advanced iOS 5 in place, the battery of the new iPhone drains itself far too quickly.
Result: BlackBerry wins
Cost
Any guesses on this one? Well, the latest iPhone is one of the most expensive phones in the market right now. The upfront cost for a 32GB iPhone 4S is about $200 for a two-year contract. The cost for the 32GB version without a contract is around $750. That’s some money to pay for a phone. BlackBerry 9900 or Bold 4 as it is commonly known sells at $520.(Amazon) So, with more or less similar sort of features, you get to save $200 on a Blackberry over the length of a contract.
Result: BlackBerry wins
Overall Result: iPhone beats BlackBerry 4-3
BlackBerry fans – please don’t put your gauntlets on yet! The result in no way means that BlackBerry is in any way an inferior phone vis-a-vis the iPhone. Also, there may be some other parameters which have not been featured in this article, in which BlackBerry has an upper hand. It all boils down to what you are going to use the phone for – camera, music, browsing, business, fun, and the list goes on… Each individual is different, and that is why we here at Buzzle believe that there is enough space in the smartphone market to accommodate both iPhone and BlackBerry (not leaving you out Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and our good’ ol Nokia). We hope that this write-up would have given you a primer on what’s good and what’s not-so-good in these two heavyweights…the ball is now in your court Mr. Consumer!