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Honestly, do you guys think the Blackberry Bold is 3G iPhone competition?

newyorksole

newyorksole

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 2, 2008
5,328
6,626
New York.
The phone does look very nice in pictures, however does it really have features and ease-of-use that will draw iPhone users towards it? I have read several websites where analysists say that the iPhone better catch up or the Bold proves to be a true competitor.

IMO I don't think Apple should be worried. The iPhone is very attractive to millions of people and with 3G and probably more hardware upgrades, I doubt the Bold will pull ahead in sales. The hype of the new iPhone (with 3G and all)+the features/apps store for the iPhone are going to draw even more people away from the Blackberry. Thus making the Bold, no competition at all except for the people who love their Blackberrys and need that physical keyboard?
 
Software wise, the iPhone with firmware 2.0 will crush any phone. There's no doubt about it.

Now hardware wise...

You compared to 3G iPhone? Well rumors are that there's GPS. If that's so, the only thing the Blackberry Bold will have over the iPhone is the presence of real keys...and the fact that they run on their own network (dunno if that's good or bad).
 
It's an attractive unit, but it's still a Blackberry. With the release of the iPhone 2.0 upgrade along with the support for third party apps, the amazing capabilities on the horizon will put the iPhone on another level.
 
To paraphrase a well-known campaign slogan: "It's the user interface, stupid"

I don't think the Bold is any competition to the iPod. Sure, it'll grab those who prefer "real" keys, or who are upgrading, but that's about all. It's not a sea change like the iPhone was.

I'm eagerly awaiting the next official iPhone update. In the meantime, enjoying all the speculation and rumor... :D
 
Blackberry Bold: True Competitor

(Someone can post up a pic for people).

My thoughts: The Blackberry line has been established for a while now and has thus found its niche (its benefits, limitations, etc.) The iPhone is still new and people don't exactly know where the device is headed. It could change cellular phones the way Microsoft changed the home computer. It could also be isolated to the Mac-friendly fanbase, suitable for the 18-35 year old market. I believe the new Blackberry Bold is the best device that RIM can come out with. I think they're working to make their e-mail and internet capabilities perfect so that their market of "business professionals" have no choice but to choose their product. Apple (as I've said) is still searching for the type of impact, still looking for their precise identity of what the iPhone will eventually become. The new 3G iPhone is expected to be a subtle step up from the previous version while the coming few years will truly tell where the iPhone stands.

The point i'm making here is that RIM looks like they've done a terrific job in forcing people to choose the device that is best given their needs. It's not the same as the computer market today where most people who buy a PC over a Mac know that they might have buyer's remorse. The Blackberry Bold is sleek, sexy, and stylish and the interface looks to be simple, efficient, and as close to flawless as a device can get. RIM has proven with this new device that they are a true competitor and Apple needs to continue to step up and prove the ways in which their iPhone will beat the competition.
 
I admit the blackberry bold is SEXXYYYY, BUT the iPhone's UI is still easier to use and the iPhone has a much bigger screen. Those 2 things IMO are 2 great selling points that the iPhone has.
 
RIM does make great products, but
MetBook said:
the way Microsoft changed the home computer.
Click to expand...

I'd argue that

MetBook said:
Apple needs to continue to step up and prove the ways in which their iPhone will beat the competition.
Click to expand...

I think this is backwards...I think RIM needs to continue to step it up...I see the Bold as a direct push to compete with the iPhone...even look at the marketing and typefaces they are showing off.

I wonder when the bold would have been unveiled if the iPhone never existed.
 
stevehp said:
RIM does make great products, but

I'd argue that



I think this is backwards...I think RIM needs to continue to step it up...I see the Bold as a direct push to compete with the iPhone...even look at the marketing and typefaces they are showing off.

I wonder when the bold would have been unveiled if the iPhone never existed.
Click to expand...

to contest your argument... blackberry knows what they're good at... they have the market of business professionals... its 100% understandable... apple knows this... apple chose to not have a keyboard on the phone and they believe its best for them... the world disagrees - its widely known that they keyboard is easier to use... people love to be able to touch a button and feel themselves typing... apple believes in time this could change however apple isnt targetting business professionals yet.... blackberry just needs to make the best device they can for wat their market is.... apple is the one that has to win peoples hearts... apple needs to improve this aspect or else no business professional will switch over... (im making some slight generalizations so dont pick a part each sentence out of context... my point is even the biggest apple advocate must admit when theres a portion of the market another company attracts better)
 
If you're a serious business person, get a Blackberry.

If you do light business work / consumer, get an iPhone. There is nothing better that has the functionality and ease of use.
 
On what grounds is the Bold a true competitor?
Let's be specific :)

We do know where it's headed, and the stuff we don't know is an expansion on what we do know. It is already changing cellular phones - look at the rate of copycat touch screen phones coming out!
It isn't isolated to mac fans to my knowledge - i know several women with it, and have seen people of all ages buy it at Apple stores and at O2. Apple will have the data, but suffice to say it's appealing to a broader range than you make out.
RIM is between a rock and a hard place, as Apple has shown Enterprise they are serious in taking RIM on, and they're outgunning RIM's Blackberry handsets (Bar heavy keyboard usage). Business professionals have more of a choice very soon, and Apple has taken a lot of excuses away from any IT department (Microsoft Exchange support, remote wiping, VPN, etc etc).

The new 3G iPhone isn't going to be a "subtle step" at all. Evolutionary rather than revolutionary perhaps - but it's going to have a HELL of a lot of evolution in all areas, and a lot added that isn't in the current version. By July we'll see what :D

RIM has had a captive market, and been market leader primarily as there hasn't been anyone competing against them. That's going to change sharpish.
People's expectations for business will be raised by Apple's entrance into the area, and that's a good thing.

For RIM to prove it's a worthy competitor to Apple - the proof is keeping it's marketshare in the next 6- 12 months, and not have it taken away by Apple.



PS You may be able to add pics yourself (Edit your post, advanced edit, manage attachments, add a photo from google image perhaps).
 
The Blackberry is a definitely competition for the 3G iPhone simply because of one reason, it's a 3G Blackberry.

Blackberry's are the most used Enterprise phones in the world. As it stands right now Apple have 0% of the Enterprise market simply because v2.0 is not commercially available.

But it's the Enterprise market that Apple really want - that's where the money is to be made. Companies with hundreds of people each needing an Enterprise handset.

Blackberry's are used heavily in the corporate world by all sorts of businesses (as is Windows Exchange).

I'm a little disappointed that iPhone 2.0 doesn't yet have the possibility of using it's own version of Blackberry Connect - just like some Symbian phones can do.
 
Ninja Dom said:
As it stands right now Apple have 0% of the Enterprise market simply because v2.0 is not commercially available.
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I'd bet you a fair few in the Enterprise have an iPhone already. CEO/Boss privileges, or just for private use. Others will have a 3G version very very soon.

Expect that %age to change within the week. (I thought it was already in part of some "organizations created for business ventures" anyhow?)
E.g. From this article:

Apple isn't just plotting out a way to enter big organizations. The iPhone is already there, having grabbed 28% market share in just eight months on the market. In addition, the phone has also become the most popular way to access the mobile web, swallowing up 71% of the US mobile browser market.

Apple introduced representatives from a series of major companies and institutions, including Todd Pierce, a VP of Genentech, who stated that “the iPhone is a watershed event in mobile computing for corporations” and has deployed thousands of iPhones within the company. The CIO of Nike called the iPhone a “plug-and-play enterprise solution.”

The senior VP of IT at Disney also endorsed Apple's enterprise strategy on the iPhone, stating "Apple has really done their homework, addressing issues of security, manageability, and integration. We currently have hundreds of iPhone users and expect the demand to grow significantly with this release."

Stanford University also reported having deployed hundreds of iPhones on its campus. Bill Clebsch, Stanford's CIO, reported, "The iPhone has worked effortlessly at Stanford and the user acceptance has just astounded us. We have been inundated with orders."
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Another counterpoint would be Apple's iPhone Enterprise Beta Program - which allows IT departments to try iPhone 2.0 software before its general release.
 
Ninja Dom said:
The Blackberry is a definitely competition for the 3G iPhone simply because of one reason, it's a 3G Blackberry.

Blackberry's are the most used Enterprise phones in the world. As it stands right now Apple have 0% of the Enterprise market simply because v2.0 is not commercially available.

But it's the Enterprise market that Apple really want - that's where the money is to be made. Companies with hundreds of people each needing an Enterprise handset.

Blackberry's are used heavily in the corporate world by all sorts of businesses (as is Windows Exchange).

I'm a little disappointed that iPhone 2.0 doesn't yet have the possibility of using it's own version of Blackberry Connect - just like some Symbian phones can do.
Click to expand...
I echo this statement. However, in my experience BBs have made some piss poor phones. At least my 8700 series have sucked badly.
 
jessica. said:
I echo this statement. However, in my experience BBs have made some piss poor phones. At least my 8700 series have sucked badly.
Click to expand...

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/ataglance/connect/

BlackBerry® Connect™ technology keeps mobile professionals connected to colleagues, clients and information using proven BlackBerry push technology* on their choice of devices. With BlackBerry Connect technology, users can connect to BlackBerry® Internet Service and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server on their preferred device and organizations can standardize on the award-winning BlackBerry platform.
Click to expand...


http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/enabled/

How exactly does this relate to Apple, seeing as Apple is solely interested in getting push to Apple products?
 
Ninja Dom said:
I'm a little disappointed that iPhone 2.0 doesn't yet have the possibility of using it's own version of Blackberry Connect - just like some Symbian phones can do.[/COLOR][/FONT]
Click to expand...
That'd be cool for the shops that run Notes or Groupwise, but for the huge amount of Exchange shops, the Exchange Activesync that Apple licensed from Microsoft for the iPhone 2.0 provides similar results without the overhead and expense of a RIM BES, no?
 
The Blackberry Curve series and Pearl series are good phones.

My work phone is a Blackberry Curve 8310 while my personal phone is an iPhone (8 months now).

The reason why Blackberry Connect would be great on the iPhone is that all you would have to do is download the Blackberry Connect software for the iPhone and get your service provider to add the Blackberry Internet Service on your price plan (non-iPhone price plan's only).

This would then get you push email using Blackberry's well established and reliable push email system without having to have either a Blackberry Enterprise Server (expensive) or Windows Exchange server (awkward for Mac OS X users).

I really hope that the iPhone makes some serious headway into the Enterprise sector of the mobile market as I love my iPhone. But in order for it to do that Apple will first have to stop any network exclusivity.

aristobrat said:
That'd be cool for the shops that run Notes or Groupwise, but for the huge amount of Exchange shops, the Exchange Activesync that Apple licensed from Microsoft for the iPhone 2.0 provides similar results without the overhead and expense of a RIM BES, no?
Click to expand...

In the UK adding the Blackberry Enterprise Server option onto an individual price plan (on Vodafone) costs an extra £28 a month on your price plan. This requires that you or your company has a Blackberry Enterprise server in the home/business. This gives you full Enterprise/Exchange integration.

Adding the Blackberry Internet Service on your price plan (on Vodafone) is only an extra £5 a month on our new May 2008 price plans. This doesn't require the user to have access to a Blackberry server as the service is provided over the air from Blackberry & Vodafone, themselves. This is a much cheaper option for individuals that provides push email & internet - but not full Exchange integration.

Blackberry Connect software supports both BES and BIS and would be a welcome option on iPhone 2.0, especially if provided by RIM Blackberry themselves. BIS makes things even easier and cheaper than Activesync, I believe.
 
There is No Real Competition with the iPhone.

Has anyone noticed how every new smartphone on the market has a chrome frame just like the iPhone? What's up with originality? It's all about copying the iPhone from here on out.

Until a company can create something as attractive, feature packed and user friendly there will be no real competition.
 
The Crackberry will only be a true challenger to the iPhone when the press starts calling the iPhone a Blackberry killer.:eek:
 
Oh no, it's not competition.

It's a killer.

Seriously, instead of talking about v2.0 vapourware and a unit that hasn't been released yet you should actually consider what the Bold offers.
 
One thing I hope is that Apple irons out some severe connectivity issues with ActiveSync. I have had a hell of a time getting the 2.0 betas to work with the Exchange server at work and I'm definitely not alone. Some people have no problems, some have zero connectivity, like me.

While the iPhone, which I love by the way, has gobbled up a lot of the smart phone market, I'd be curious what percentage of that market share is in the Enterprise sector. Obviously, 2.0 is going to bring some sweeping changes, but so far at my company, Push email and the iPhone are not best friends.
 
SFgadgetman said:
Has anyone noticed how every new smartphone on the market has a chrome frame just like the iPhone? What's up with originality? It's all about copying the iPhone from here on out.

Until a company can create something as attractive, feature packed and user friendly there will be no real competition.
Click to expand...

you might want to check your dates, brushed aluminum and chrome trims have been on windows mobile phones since 2003
 
Niiro13 said:
Software wise, the iPhone with firmware 2.0 will crush any phone. There's no doubt about it.

Now hardware wise...

You compared to 3G iPhone? Well rumors are that there's GPS. If that's so, the only thing the Blackberry Bold will have over the iPhone is the presence of real keys...and the fact that they run on their own network (dunno if that's good or bad).
Click to expand...

LOL the 3G iphone is just barely getting on par with phones 2 years old

GPS, A-GPS, VGA, 3.5G Video calling have all been out for more than 3+ years

hell the HTC Universal had a VGA (640x480) Touch screen, 3G Video calling and a full sized keyboard from 2005.

right now as it currently stands, the iphone is the most crippled phone ever to be released, it does so little in terms of software functionality that the Razr V3x can slaughter it in alot of areas. the HW on the other hand is decent.
 
pr5owner said:
LOL the 3G iphone is just barely getting on par with phones 2 years old
Click to expand...
LOL maybe if you hang out on howardforums.com, but for the majority of the rest of America, this will be one of their first real chances to try out a lot of these technologies without having to pay $600+ for a phone imported by Expansys that their carrier won't support.
 
I have to say, I like the Blackberry Bold. I looks pretty impressive. I look forward to actually seeing one. Most reviews so far are impressed.
 
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