I started my Blackberry obsession with the Blackberry 7103e this phone was a decent size; kind of like a brick in comparison to the Bold 9700, however and was one of the first with SureType. Everybody asked "How can you type with two letters to a key?!" Honestly it took a little adjusting but it worked very well.
Then I upgraded to the original Blackberry Storm 9530. The phone that wanted to be an Apple iPhone and everybody thought was an Apple iPhone, but wasn't. I was very pleased with this model and loved the BIG screen. It was an easy device to learn because it too used SureType. But, then I changed carriers.
And with a change in carriers came a change in handset. No more could I indulge in beautiful large video and photos on the Blackberry Storm.The storm downloaded data quickly utilizing a CDMA/1xEVDO cellular network. Rarely did I have a dropped call, however I always had a fear that if I broke the screen I'd be done for.
In November 2009 Bell and Telus launched the even FASTER HSPA+ network across Canada. Knowing that this network should make a phone compatible with GSM/GPRS/HSPA networks that are popular outside of North America and that it was technically faster, I was set on going with a device that would work on this network.
The only choice when I changed carriers was the Bold 9700. I'd never had a full keyboard on a Blackberry before, so it was going to be interesting to see what it was like to type on. Plus instead of touch or a thumb-wheel I would now have the ultra sensitive optical trackpad! A 5 Megapixel camera instead of a 3 Megapixel camera, as well as a video camera and a flash; which the Storm also included! Eat that Apple iPhone 3GS.
Not that I don't like the Apple iPhone. I was rather torn when I chose the Bold 9700; truly I was. I believe the iPhone is an extremely competent device, it has some amazing features and the user interface is very slick; Blackberry take note. As of this writing I am anxiously waiting Blackberry OS 6 to be released for the Bold 9700 as it should give Blackberry some of the finesse that people are in love with on the iPhone.
I have got to say, I truly love Blackerry smartphones. The Bold 9700 in particular is darn near perfect in size and weight. The screen while smaller than the Storm's displays everything very well, and as someone who can touch type the full QWERTY keyboard is AMAZING.
Combine this with the fact that I can now Tether my Blackberry to my computer and use it as a modem while I am out and about AND that I can talk on the phone AT THE SAME TIME! I am amazed at the ability of this phone.
I also have it connected to my own Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) so my e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and memos are all synchronized in real-time with my Exchange server that I use with Outlook on my notebook computer. And with the just released BIS 3.2 in North America I can now synchronize my Gmail and Google Apps e-mail using IMAP, the contacts, and the calendar! Note to Blackberry: Get this synchronizing tasks and notes to Google Apps and I will be ditching my BES/Exchange combination in a heartbeat! Although the BES/Exchange combination provides the best options for any government organization that might want to ensure mobile devices are secured; its not something that most businesses require.
But I fear RIM may have some trouble leaping at it like a group of Lions. The Lions are Apple iPhone and iPad, Android, and now Windows Phone 7. The iPhone has been slowly eating away Blackberry's previous successes and almost everybody wants an iPhone! I've never used an Android based phone but it seems good as well. Now, Microsoft has started to put its money and might behind Windows Phone 7, marketing it as a get in and get out software package, and it runs on so many devices. RIM at current as 7 different handsets, and is set to release a new flip/clam-shell phone as well. In my opinion RIM needs to concentrate on 2-3 handsets and make them the best they can be; and make sure their OS is always ahead of the curve. Maybe even license the Blackberry OS for use on other devices... Nokia, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, and LG might all jump at that opportunity. It would allow multiple users access to Blackberry Messenger which is FAR superior to any other method of chat on a mobile device.
So, for the time being I'm going to continue BBMing with a Blackberry, and looking forward to the launch of OS 6 for the Bold 9700.
If you are considering a Blackberry or are thinking of switching to another device such as an Apple iPhone, or something else; go someplace with demo models that really work. Try it out and see how each device feels to use. If you get a device you cannot work with you're stuck with it for the the length of your contract unless you are willing to pay the $700+ for a new device. And don't get me started on handset pricing and subsidies.
