vB Easy Archive - Help me choose: Smartphone or Blackberry?

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Help me choose: Smartphone or Blackberry?
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Posted by: Strygun

Hey folks,

I'm currently having a war inside of which phone to get. Here's the skinny.

I'm a VZW customer. I'm currently on a family share plan with my brother, and we share the Premium 1400 minute plan. I'm using an LG Voyager, and he's on an Orange enV.

The voyager just isn't cutting the mustard anymore. I need a phone that has robust email capabilities. Push email would be great, but at least email that is checked every 15-20 minutes (which I know might kill battery life on a smartphone.) I need robust calendar capabilities. I need robust web browsing (full HTML at least.) The voyager is none of these.

I'm currently looking at two different options. The first is a Motorola Q9C, fresh out from Verizon. It's running WM6, and hopefully it'll get the upgrade to WM6.1 sometime this summer (keep your fingers crossed.) The other option is a Blackberry. I haven't really started researching these intensely, so that's another reason for me creating this thread.

What do you all think? I realize that I'm going to have to pick up a data plan with either one. AFAIK, if I get the Q9C the data plan will only be $30/mo, but if I get the Blackberry it'll be $40/mo. Remember, I'm currently on a Verizon Premium plan (but I'm willing to drop that to a lesser plan if it works out.)

If I get the Q9C, I'll definitely get a 2GB Mini-SD card for it so that I can install other programs and speed it up significantly (I've been reading at www.everythingq.com) If I get the Blackberry, will I need to get anything like that?

Weigh in! I need opinions! Help me choose my next phone! (Obviously, price is a factor. The cheaper the better, but I'm willing to spend a little for quality.)

I look forward to reading the results of this thread! Feel free to ask questions of me in order to better narrow down my options.

Posted by: Strygun

...bump...

Did I do something wrong? Do you all need more information? Which phone is better? I'd like to hear your opinions.

Posted by: npaladin2000

Get the Q9C rather than the Blackberry. Both will give you the robust PIM functions, but I think the Moto is going to give you a better web browser experience. Besides, internet is cheaper on the Moto, and you don't need Blackberry Enterprise Services.

Posted by: lvmychryblsmrzr

I am a BlackBerry user and my husband is angling towards a WM device. The BlackBerry is excellent for push email (instant delivery) and web browsing. AFAIK you can't store apps to a microSD yet but you would need one for pics, MP3s and videos. The Windows Mobile devices we are researching are ok for email, download from server when you check them and web browsing is similar to that of a PC. The benefit of a WM device is the ability to view, edit and download documents which unless you have docs to go ( a 3rd party app) a BB can't do. Overall the BlackBerry OS is more stable than a WM unit because well we've all used Windows on a home PC. : ) hope this offers a little help.

Posted by: Strygun

Yeah, it definitely helps!

I am really hoping to get Push email on the Q9C. I know of a few third party apps that can accomplish this, but I've read that to do this requires a more expensive plan from VZW (more than just the regular unlimited data plan.) Is this true? Even with a 3rd party program for push email, VZW would charge me more?

Posted by: npaladin2000

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strygun

Yeah, it definitely helps!

I am really hoping to get Push email on the Q9C. I know of a few third party apps that can accomplish this, but I've read that to do this requires a more expensive plan from VZW (more than just the regular unlimited data plan.) Is this true? Even with a 3rd party program for push email, VZW would charge me more?

Actually, the BB is the one that charges more for push-style e-mail but only if you need to connect it to a Blackberry Enterprise Server (carriers charge more to enable the Blackberry Enterprise Service on the phones). With the Moto, you'll only get "push" type e-mail with an Exchange server. Everything else would be periodic e-mail checking, though the period might be as short as a minute.

As for as stability, Windows Mobile is pretty stable...I reboot my phone maybe once a month. Not as good as it could be, but you also get the advantage of not needing an addon for Word and Excel files.

Posted by: Sendoh22

mail2web is free push email for windows mobile devices, i have it, you only need the cheapest data plan verizon offers. It syncs contacts, tasks, emails, all that stuff, i have mine on push on my t-zones 5.99 plan and its well worth it.

Posted by: tenorsaw

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sendoh22

mail2web is free push email for windows mobile devices, i have it, you only need the cheapest data plan verizon offers. It syncs contacts, tasks, emails, all that stuff, i have mine on push on my t-zones 5.99 plan and its well worth it.

The free account with Mail2Web is too basic IMO. Also, you cannot access your account using Outlook on your home PC with the free version.

I would go to 1and1.com for exchange. It's $7.99 and you get everything you need.

To the OP, it's a trade-off. The Blackberry's are way more stable, but not as consumer friendly as WM, especially with the lack of HTML email. They are great for what they do. WM does a lot more, but the trade-off is stability.

Posted by: Sendoh22

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenorsaw

The free account with Mail2Web is too basic IMO. Also, you cannot access your account using Outlook on your home PC with the free version.

yeah that is a trade off

Posted by: Dette

From my experience with WM you definitely have to be willing to manage your phone. By manage I mean add apps, watch the task manager A LOT, do some hacks, ect... its not as good at being practical if you dont want to mess around with your phone
I thought that would be fine when I got the Q9c but not I find it a little irritating sometimes... I think I need to do it anyways because I might be switching to a Mogul and that would require a lot of changes to the phone... Anyways Blackberry's just work.. WM does too but it needs help... But WM has a lot more software and you will be able to do more on it then you can on a blackberry thats for sure.