Take, for example, the newly released and much hyped BlackBerry Torch. Read the specs. Now read the review. Choice quotes:
If you don't already own a BlackBerry, you will not want this phone. And if you do, you still might not want it, even if it may very well be the "best BlackBerry ever."... and ...
BlackBerry isn't good enough anymore if you're comparing it to other smartphones. What does it do better than the rest? That's the fundamental question. And the answer is that for most people, in most situations, compared to Android and iPhone, not a whole lot.
Ouch! I've been using a BlackBerry Bold 9000 for a while now, and while it gets the job done, I can't help noticing that the real party is happening in the Android and iPhone camps. Is it time to switch?
I called up AT&T (my carrier) and got the details of my plan and extras. The kicker is my unlimited international data plan, which is BlackBerry specific--and no longer offered. The rep told me if I ever canceled it, I'd never get it back. Yikes.
So I spent some of yesterday going from provider to provider and seeing if they can offer me something competitive. Here's what I want: an Android GSM phone with an unlimited international data plan. One by one, every provider turned me away: Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile. The closest I came was Sprint, which just canceled its unlimited international data plan about a month ago--and it was only for BlackBerrys. Bah.
Incidentally, AT&T doesn't even have any Android phones yet. When they get them later this year(?) I'd have to give up my magical BlackBerry-specific data plan to get one. No deal.
So BlackBerry, it looks like I'm stuck with you.
3 comments:
You knew I had to comment.. If you can get the torch on your current plan it may be a huge upgrade just because of the browser.
ATT has several android phones...
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/06/samsung-android-phone-heads-to-att/
And yes, its all about that plan. There is simply no equivalent.
Damn that AT&T sales rep. He told me there were NO Android phones on their network. Not that it matters; I still couldn't switch without losing my plan.
I could get the Torch. It'd be better than what I have. But I might wait for the successor which is likely to have a higher res display and a faster processor. My next post will be about making the BlackBerry suck less. That includes installing Opera Mini, so the browser isn't an issue for me.
(This comment entered from my BB using Opera.)
I use my BB to the point where my plan looks very, very cheap to everyone -- not just me. Especially the LD minutes, which has come in very handy of late! I agree with Brian, it's all about the plan.
I'm much faster on the iPod Touch device than the BB, but for me it comes down to costs when talking mobile devices rather than how feature-rich they are. If we were talking about a computer that I use for many hours a day, then it's a different story.
Post a Comment