I use a Blackberry for work. I buy it, but get reimbursed for my plan and most of the cost of the device.
It’s my only phone. This is by choice. They pay for it, it works for me. I don;t want to carry two phones.
I have been using a Blackberry for years and years. I understand its drawbacks and limitations. Yet, I love it.
Therefore, Android, iPhone and Windows phone are not options.
Ok, so my Bold 9650 is wacking out (the trackpad is going crazy and making the device barely usable.)
I am going to get either the all-touch 9850 Torch or the physical-keyboard Bold 9930. (I am on a Verizon contract so these are my only real options.)
Is anyone using wither device yet? I’m looking for real world opinions. I’m tempted by the larger screen of the 9850 and the better camera; but the 9930 has my beloved keyboard and more internal memory (8GB to 4GB.) I use it more for e-mail than anything; then internet; then texting; then phone.
I have almost the same story. Your points 1, 2, and 3 mirror my experience. I was even in agreement with your point 4 as my latest Blackberry was the Storm and I loved it…until my company began to offer Android phones that is.
I reluctantly let the company take the Storm from my cold, gnarled hands and replace it with a Droid X. At first I was resentful and hated it because it was not a Blackberry. I was pretty much over my resentment by the end of the day and, by the next day, had fallen in absolute love with my Droid X. Note: This is coming from someone who’s owned and loved Blackberries for over 10 years, going back to when Blackberrys weren’t even phones.
The Storm was all-touch, similar to the Torch and, as I said, I really liked it. Ultimately, however, I had to admit that it simply doesn’t hold a candle to an Android phone, although I know that’s not what you want to hear.
It’s not really a matter of what I want to hear. We just don’t allow Android so it’s not even an option. I drool over the Bionic but I can’t access my company mail/calendar natively.
Long time Blackberry user here, right now I have the Bold. I got it because I like actual buttons, and wasn’t interested in a touchscreen. Also I lost my last two to that stupid trackball that just eventually falls right out when you least expect it so I like the toggle button very much.
The camera is much better than I expected it to be, but the small screen makes using the internet troublesome. I can look things up, like if I want to find a place for lunch or car repair or something, but I never use it for surfing if I have time to waste because the screen quality isn’t great for reading more than basic information.
Obviously my next phone will be an Android, but for now the Bold makes me happy enough.
I work in inventory management for a repair center for cell phones. Although I don’t actually work on the phones themselves, I do use a Bold company phone. It’s one of the more durable models. From the inventory standpoint, we process fewer claims on them than other models of Blackberry.
I find having keys to be more user friendly. YMMV. Also, touch pads still are more fragile, although they’re getting better.
I have a Torch, provided by work. It sucks. It locks up frequently, the on-screen keys are too small, and it drops calls constantly (though that may be the fault of AT&T, whose network sucks here).
I’ve used a Blackberry for many years, courtesy of work, and enjoyed not needing to pay for my own cell phone. I’ve had the Torch for maybe 6 months, and I’ll be heading to the Verizon Store this weekend to pick up an Android phone of some sort, because I just can’t stand not having a decent phone anymore.
It is very nice having a screen that I can see things on. I enjoy reading various news services and books on it. Note, however, that when I browse, it is on mobile sites, for even with the big screen most non-mobile sites are far to unwieldly to read.
It is not so nice not having a keyboard, for with the touch screen I can not touch type, and even when I am as careful as possible, I often miss keys. For anything other than brief little blips, I wait until I am at a computer to type messages. ** If I were to have to type much, I would not purchase this phone.** (Ideally, a phone with a large touch screen and a fold out keyboard would be the way to go, but Blackberry does not offer this. I went with Blackberry because it works very well with Microsoft Office, and it is one of the “free” phones my service providor offers and for which I can get support by calling my local phone/internet help line).
The camera and video work nicely – better quality then my previous Blackberry Curve, which comes in handy when I am on the road and have to copy a client’s ID.
Occasionally it bogs down, but that usually is program specific due to tryng to run an app that was written for a different Blackberry and has not yet been tweaked to run on the Torch.
It is nice having GPS, but it does not come with a mapping proram that works outside of cell serivce, which sort of defeats the point for me, for I can find my way about town, but could use help in finding my way about remote winding logging road mazes. One of these days I will have to see what apps are available.
Having Wi-fi in addition to 4G is reallly nice, for it lets me use my browser throughout the office and my home without lugging my laptop about.
I think I should clarify. The Torch has a couple of options. One is with a large screen and is touchless. The other has a smaller screen and a fold out keyboard. No large screen with a fold out keyboard from Blackberry yet.
Thanks. The Torch 9810 has the full-size touch screen and slide out keyboard, which is what I want, but unfortunately, Verizon doesn’t offer it. I think I need the real keyboard and I’ll have to sacrifice the screen size.
Mrs. Magill is getting the Bold (I think.) It’ll be arriving today, then she’ll be bringing it to the Blackberry guy to get configured. I’m sure if you ask her, she’d be happy to let you check it out in a couple of days when it’s not so new and shiny.
I’ve got the Torch 9800 and I really like it. Large screen, plus touch screen keyboard, plus slide-out keyboard. I use it for everything. Never lost or dropped a call, but maybe I’m just lucky.
I thought I’d use the slide-out keyboard more, but its keys can stick sideways or the key corners get caught at a downward slant. It’s hard to describe, maybe, but unless you hit the tiny rubber keys on the slide out just so, in the center, they’ll get stuck and you have to pry them up with your fingernail.
Mine is bundled in an AT&T package, and it was the cheapest option available at the time. I was and still am happy with it. Until today.
With the Blackberry outage today, it’s been pretty useless. I’m thinking it might be time to get rid of it and switch to something else. How did RIM let THAT happen?
I’m not sure what the model number is. It has a slide-out keyboard, which seems to be different from the 9850 that Verizon offers. Mine is an AT&T model, similar to this one, but mine is only 3G so it’s obviously an older model. Perhaps they’ve improved in the past year or so since i got this one.
And since the Verizon offering is a *completely *different phone, I’m not sure there is even a comparison. Why would RIM sell two phones that are so markedly different with the same name?