BlackBerry Bold stands as 3G iPhone's chief rival

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 79
    The Blackberry Bold looks awesome. Very nice styling with a full QWERTY. I wonder how it will sync with iTunes... More importantly, I wonder how it will sync with Entourage, the Address Book and iCal. That's the one thing pulling me to the iPhone this year -- I want my contact information effortlessly fed to my phone. If there was a Gmail contacts auto-sync (that worked) for either phone, that would be a major win.
  • Reply 62 of 79
    bavlondon2bavlondon2 Posts: 694member
    Yeah it looks really great. OS looks as fast as even iphone and the build and design look of the highest quality. Im seriously considering this phone. Also I read they will soon hook up some sort of partnership with Microsoft for Windows live Hotmail and messenger services.
  • Reply 63 of 79
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Seems like they have something else up their sleeve: http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/13/b...ubbed-thunder/
  • Reply 64 of 79
    tbagginstbaggins Posts: 2,306member
    The BB Bold looks nice, but the BB Thunder may be even cooler... full-touchscreen Crackberry!:





    Are you ready? The BlackBerry Thunder, as it is codenamed now, (all you "reporting" on it as the Storm are incorrect) will launch in Q3 of this year. It is a full touchscreen BlackBerry — no slide out keyboard — with only 4 physical keys. Those are the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key. Here is the most interesting part, though: it will launch as a worldwide lifetime exclusive on Verizon and Vodafone.





    Here's a pic of what it might look like... repeat, there's no real pics yet, AFAIK:























    http://gizmodo.com/389923/touchscree...ely-to-verizon

    http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/...-for/#comments






    Interesting that it's a VZW & Vodaphone exclusive (for those who don't know, Voda owns 45 percent of Verizon).









    .
  • Reply 65 of 79
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TBaggins View Post


    The BB Bold is very nice, but the BB Thunder may be outta this world... full-touchscreen Crackberry!.\\



    If it does look like then we can cry foul on RiM for coping the iPhone.
  • Reply 66 of 79
    tbagginstbaggins Posts: 2,306member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    If it does look like then we can cry foul on RiM for coping the iPhone.





    I agree.



    The funny part was that ppl were crying about the Bold copying the iPhone (the Bold actually looks more like past BBs than it does an iPhone), when they hadn't even seen THIS yet!





    .
  • Reply 67 of 79
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Elixir View Post


    wooo i like this phone.



    seriously, if blackberrys could run OSX i'd never even bother with an iphone. i dont need the features the iphone offers, and i cant stand texting on it. that is the edge the blackberry gets with me over the iphone-typing on it is flawless.



    Yeah I guess I kinda agree iphone ui with a tactile keyboard would be kinda nice. It'd be cool to have options, but whatever, the iphone does what it does well.
  • Reply 68 of 79
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    If it does look like then we can cry foul on RiM for coping the iPhone.



    I already cry foul with the Blackberry Bold. Lets list the similarities:
    • Tall, rounded rectangular shape. All of the Blackberries I saw prior to the release of the iPhone were short and wide.

    • Shiny black face with metallic trim (as has been mentioned numerous times).

    • Speaker hole styling.

    • Date and time on screen use very similar font and styling.

    • Major function icons on the bottom of the screen with black background.

    • I'll venture a guess: the button in the middle takes you back to the main screen?

    Seeing the Blackberry Bold makes me feel like RIM is becoming more like a knockoff manufacturer than an innovator (as they were when the Blackberry first came out). For me, it's important to recognize and put my money behind other companies which innovate given that my line of work also requires technical innovation.
  • Reply 69 of 79
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    Seeing this phone makes me feel like RIM is becoming more like a knockoff manufacturer than an innovator (as they were when the Blackberry first came out).



    Note that the mockup mage above is not done by RiM.
  • Reply 70 of 79
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Note that the mockup mage above is not done by RiM.



    Yeah, I know. I'm talking about the Blackberry Bold. To me, it basically looks like an iPhone with a keyboard.
  • Reply 71 of 79
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    Yeah, I know. I'm talking about the Blackberry Bold. To me, it basically looks like an iPhone with a keyboard.



    Gotcha.
  • Reply 72 of 79
    murphywebmurphyweb Posts: 295member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio View Post


    I already cry foul with the Blackberry Bold. Lets list the similarities:
    • Tall, rounded rectangular shape. All of the Blackberries I saw prior to the release of the iPhone were short and wide.

    • Shiny black face with metallic trim (as has been mentioned numerous times).

    • Speaker hole styling.

    • Date and time on screen use very similar font and styling.

    • Major function icons on the bottom of the screen with black background.

    • I'll venture a guess: the button in the middle takes you back to the main screen?

    Seeing the Blackberry Bold makes me feel like RIM is becoming more like a knockoff manufacturer than an innovator (as they were when the Blackberry first came out). For me, it's important to recognize and put my money behind other companies which innovate given that my line of work also requires technical innovation.



    So this post tells me you never saw the Pearl?



    You don't half talk some rubbish, companies have been making phones for many years without Apples help. My Nokia I had in 1996 looked kind of like an iPhone, there is only so much you can do with phone design. A speaker at one end, a microphone at the other, a screen and some kind of user interface. Usability dictates that it must be a rectangle shape. How many ways can this basic phone design be altered? Not very many.



    Back when Apple were designing white boxes there were phone companies making black phones, some of these had metallic trim. Did I hear you complain that the iPhone was ripping of other ideas when it was released? Don't think so.



    You want to talk about innovation? Then talk about Nokia and Ericcson who transformed the communications market, building a new business and more or less being responsible for the way mobile phone networks have grown over the years. I know they were not as big in the US but in reality the US was late to the party on mobile phones and have been playing catch-up ever since, hence why Europe and Japan have always had better and more sophisticated mobile devices.



    *Nokia and Erricson also design and manufacture the core network technology that forms the mobile voice networks.



    Talk about Blackberry who pioneered a secure, stable and smart method for enterprise communications and then proceeded to build a business worth $80billion by giving people exactly what they wanted.



    Apple have just come along and entered a ready made market with a single product offering that does not really compare with many of the devices already available on mobile features. Yes it is a better ipod/browser/ fun device etc.. But it does not come close to a fully featured Nokia or Blackberry in terms of being a mobile phone. Not yet anyway.



    Apple have a long way to go if they are dreaming of taking Nokia or RIM's crown, they have a lot to learn about designing mobile phones. I am not saying they cannot do it, it depends on how serious they are and how much money they are prepared to throw at it. But it is far too early for anybody to be saying some of the things that you have said with regard to Apples Innovative design approach.



    Apple's design is not that brilliant, I know, I have enough Apple products to know that they are good but not as good as what many people on here seem to think. But the one thing Apple has got going for them is Steve Jobs, the man is the greatest salesman in the world. Apple are nothing more than a marketing company, Job's convinces people that this stuff is so fantastic and they fall for it. That is a huge advantage to Apple in whatever they decide to do.



    I am not saying Apple stuff is rubbish, but it certainly is not as great as what you seem to think. There are some great products out there from other vendors and the people who shut themselves out because they are not Apple are not really qualified enough to enter a discussion on the matter.
  • Reply 73 of 79
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    The Blackberry Bold isn't a copy of the iPhone by any means.



    RIM's devices went from Blue to Black a long time ago, and the device still has clear design cues from past RIM devices. Apple did not invent sleek black phones, or a Home button on the screen.



    The iPhone vs Blackberry boils down to a simple question: email or web-browsing?



    Apple has bet that the web is the future of the phone, and so went for a larger screen (text retrieval) with less focus on text input (real keyboard). It's a good bet.



    RIM predates the affordable mobile web, and focuses on connectivity over web experience.



    If you're a rabid texter, the Bold will be the better device for you. But the iPhone is built for general use, and will likely dominate.



    For RIM to do well, they must not fall into the trap that Corel and others fell into and program for Windows only. Microsoft understood the need for cross-platform solutions and dominated office productivity for a long time. Ditto for Apple and the iPod.



    If RIM is to survive the war (and not get bought out) they need to ensure the Blackberry works on the Mac well enough to be taken seriously. Otherwise, they are just handing 20-30% of the market (Mac and Linux-on-Mac users and their circle of influence) to the iPhone, and they will lose ground steadily.
  • Reply 74 of 79
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by winterspan View Post


    ... without a 3.5" screen, however, who would want to even dare use that for web browsing or watching video.



    How about all those people who have the iPod Nano? Granted you're not surfing the web, but I have seen people use it to watch movies and shows.







    As for this topic, I think it's great that this phone has come out. Whatever competition can match Apple, Apple will do it's hardest to compete. I don't think it's great, I just like the physical nature of the keyboard on it, even though my fingers usually hit like two or three keys at once.
  • Reply 75 of 79
    murphywebmurphyweb Posts: 295member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Frank777 View Post


    If RIM is to survive the war (and not get bought out) they need to ensure the Blackberry works on the Mac well enough to be taken seriously. Otherwise, they are just handing 20-30% of the market (Mac and Linux-on-Mac users and their circle of influence) to the iPhone, and they will lose ground steadily.



    Simply not true. There is no war. Blackberry's core business is the Enterprise, they dominate that market and sales are going through the roof. The only place that Iphone is taking market share is in the home user market and small to medium business market, and with that the iPhone is not really taking market share but creating market share.



    The Enterprise is never going to be a mac playing field, It just is not going to happen anytime soon but I doubt ever at all.



    So the only way that supporting Mac OS becomes important to the future of RIM is if they want to significantly grow their home userbase, some people claim the Pearl was an attempt at this. I am not so sure. While I am sure RIM would like a bigger customer base of home users it certainly is not nor ever will be their core business. They have little to fear from Apple on that front while at the same time Apple have little to fear from RIM in the home space.



    This is just business as usual.
  • Reply 76 of 79
    murphywebmurphyweb Posts: 295member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rnaoncfixd View Post


    As for this topic, I think it's great that this phone has come out. Whatever competition can match Apple, Apple will do it's hardest to compete. I don't think it's great, I just like the physical nature of the keyboard on it, even though my fingers usually hit like two or three keys at once.



    Damn right, that is why I would never buy an iPhone. I like to feel my keys when I am texting or typing. Despite what Apple think hard keys are never going out of fashion, the vast majority of mobile phones sold for the next 10 years will have hard keys. I doubt that touch screen devices will even make for 1% of mobiles sold in 10 years time.



    RIM are so big because they make such great, perfect devices. They make what the customer wants. It is important to remember this. Despite how great OSX is and how nice my MBP looks on my desk nobody has ever accused Apple of listening to their customers and building what they want. I am not even sure they do any market research at all. They just build something and tell you that you need it.
  • Reply 77 of 79
    thomprthompr Posts: 1,521member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    They're putting a $150M incentive for new apps and I'm sure they will hiring a large number of software engineers or buying a firm like Nokia did to step up their game.



    But look at the constraints that the RIM application developers will be saddled with. All input must be assigned to physical buttons... no screen interaction that the developer is free to configure for the most pleasant (and intuitive) interface. And the Apple iPhone SDK is truly a marvelous development platform. Neither of these observations should be under-appreciated, nor are they easy to overcome by a company like RIM.



    This "bold" move by RIM is a necessary, but not sufficient, move to remain relevant. So kudos to them. But if they cannot push further into the realm of the iPhone, or better yet, beyond, then I agree with others. They are not dead yet, but they are on death row and hoping for a pardon. I give them 3-5 years before death unless they go well beyond the "Bold".



    Thompson
  • Reply 78 of 79
    columbuscolumbus Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by murphyweb View Post


    They make what the customer wants. It is important to remember this. Despite how great OSX is and how nice my MBP looks on my desk nobody has ever accused Apple of listening to their customers and building what they want. I am not even sure they do any market research at all. They just build something and tell you that you need it.



    That's sort of true. But not quite accurate. Apple build products they think people will like and they get judged on whether the public buy them (or not as the case may be). Take MacBook Air — clearly a gamble, a test. Many people liked it and many people brought it. Apple makes blunders and the result is people don't buy. That's far removed on telling someone that they need your products. It's called being judged on your actions.



    The problem with focus groups is that so many of us rarely know what we want and will only ever base our needs on previous experience.



    How many people wanted a GUI in 1983? How many even knew what a GUI was?

    Who wanted in iPod in 2000? Who owned or used a digital music player in 2000?



    Don't get me wrong — good, sometimes great, products come out of focus groups. Revolutionary products never ever come out of focus groups. If you shoot for the moon, you don't start with a focus group or market research.



    Apple uses plenty of market research. When buying my MacBook from the Apple Store I was invited to fill out a feedback form in an email which arrived a few days later. When receiving Apple Care support I was also invited to provide feedback on the experience.



    Apple is not as arrogant as many like to believe — they do listen. They just don't believe that Joe and Joanne Average can do a better job of designing products than their hand picked, immensely talented and well motivated staff. And to be quite frank neither do I.



    The wisdom of many is not always greater than the wisdom of a few.



    Disclaimer:

    I'm not saying every product Apple makes is revolutionary (as no doubt people will misinterpret) or that only Apple makes revolutionary products (as no doubt people will misinterpret).



    And Remember:

    A camel is a horse designed by a committee.
  • Reply 79 of 79
    adjeiadjei Posts: 738member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by murphyweb View Post


    So this post tells me you never saw the Pearl?



    You don't half talk some rubbish, companies have been making phones for many years without Apples help. My Nokia I had in 1996 looked kind of like an iPhone, there is only so much you can do with phone design. A speaker at one end, a microphone at the other, a screen and some kind of user interface. Usability dictates that it must be a rectangle shape. How many ways can this basic phone design be altered? Not very many.



    Back when Apple were designing white boxes there were phone companies making black phones, some of these had metallic trim. Did I hear you complain that the iPhone was ripping of other ideas when it was released? Don't think so.



    You want to talk about innovation? Then talk about Nokia and Ericcson who transformed the communications market, building a new business and more or less being responsible for the way mobile phone networks have grown over the years. I know they were not as big in the US but in reality the US was late to the party on mobile phones and have been playing catch-up ever since, hence why Europe and Japan have always had better and more sophisticated mobile devices.



    *Nokia and Erricson also design and manufacture the core network technology that forms the mobile voice networks.



    Talk about Blackberry who pioneered a secure, stable and smart method for enterprise communications and then proceeded to build a business worth $80billion by giving people exactly what they wanted.



    Apple have just come along and entered a ready made market with a single product offering that does not really compare with many of the devices already available on mobile features. Yes it is a better ipod/browser/ fun device etc.. But it does not come close to a fully featured Nokia or Blackberry in terms of being a mobile phone. Not yet anyway.



    Apple have a long way to go if they are dreaming of taking Nokia or RIM's crown, they have a lot to learn about designing mobile phones. I am not saying they cannot do it, it depends on how serious they are and how much money they are prepared to throw at it. But it is far too early for anybody to be saying some of the things that you have said with regard to Apples Innovative design approach.



    Apple's design is not that brilliant, I know, I have enough Apple products to know that they are good but not as good as what many people on here seem to think. But the one thing Apple has got going for them is Steve Jobs, the man is the greatest salesman in the world. Apple are nothing more than a marketing company, Job's convinces people that this stuff is so fantastic and they fall for it. That is a huge advantage to Apple in whatever they decide to do.



    I am not saying Apple stuff is rubbish, but it certainly is not as great as what you seem to think. There are some great products out there from other vendors and the people who shut themselves out because they are not Apple are not really qualified enough to enter a discussion on the matter.



    Yes we are all complete idiots who have fallen for Apple and Steve Jobs marketing.
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