I have owned a blackberry for my entire working career. I started off with a Blackberry Bold, switched to a Blackberry Torch, and then got the Blackberry Z10. I was pretty content with all of them. But it seemed like there was something missing. Oh yeah, I know what it was: the apps. I really liked the email functionality, and the web browser was OK too. I used to put movies (like Wreck It Ralph and Tintin) on for my little guy to watch. I somehow felt the screen was too small. But that was pretty much it. Blackberry creates business phones.
So I finally decided to make the switch to iphone. I had been waiting for the iphone 6 (I had been reading that it was going to be revolutionary). The salesperson at Rogers asked me if I was sure about switching over, given that most Blackberry users are very loyal. I said yes. I ended up going from a 4.2″ Blackberry Z10 (all touch screen) to an iPhone 6 Plus (5.7 inches) “phablet”. I didn’t know if I’d like it. But I just said: “I’m going to make this work”. So here are my reflections on the new phone and changing over:
- No it doesn’t bend. I didn’t really try to bend it. Yes, I have put it in all my pockets (it fits fine in all but one jacket pocket), including tight jeans. I eventually bought a sturdy cover for it. I don’t think bending is an issue.
- Super Simple Software. Yup. Apple’s operating system is super simple to use. No more hack and slash. Just navigate and play around. It took some getting used to. IBMs, PCs, and Blackberrys are not sleek, simple, sexy machines. They are work-horses. They’re not meant for graphics or mixing music/videos. They just do the basic functions that are required in the workplace.
- Tons of awesome apps. The only two apps that I had on my blackberry was Daily Horoscope and the Weather Network. I have those plus a gazillion others (dealing with stocks, weather, working out, counting calories, games, movies, etc.).
- I still have BBM on my iPhone. Yeah!
- I must say that I miss predictive typing on my Blackberry. It’s not as good on my iPhone because of where the predictive text ends up (way too high), but typing on the keyboard itself is better on the iPhone is better than on the Blackberry.
- Surfing the web: ultra fast, great rendering, best browsing experience to date.
- My biggest complaints: the Apple Maps suck (they got me lost twice) and the email client isn’t as good as Blackberry. But once I downloaded Google Maps (awesome!), I felt better.
- More complaints: it’s way easier to delete text on a blackberry (swipe right to left on the keyboard) than on an iPhone (shake the phone repeatedly).
So, in a nutshell, I’m happy that I switched over. I would definitely go for the iPhone 6 Plus again (my wife has the regular iPhone 6 and I find it too small – although it is 5.2 inches and much bigger than my previously owned Blackberry Z10 – which I gave to my dad). All in all, I think I’m an iPhone guy from here on in.
FYI, I just heard that BlackBerry is trying to go after iPhone users by offering $400 and a $150 gift card if iPhone 6 users switch to BlackBerry Passport. I won’t be switching, but thanks for the offer.
