iPhone or BlackBerry Pearl?

[Ross Kimes]

I was completely set on buying an iPhone 2.0 when it comes out (hopefully in June). I was kinda counting on GPS and 32GB, but the absence of either one of those would not have kept me from getting the device.

I want the phone because of the coolness factor I guess, but there are some things that I need out of my next phone also. I would use the phone to tether internet to my computer for mobil radar. I was also hoping that the phone would have GPS so I could use that as a GPS antenna for my computer, but if that does not work I do not mind just buying an extra GPS receiver, but the main thing I want from it is mobil internet.

Yesterday, my dad called me and offered to extend (and continue paying for) my US Cellular contract and get me a BlackBerry Pearl, and I could have the phone by next week. The advantages of this is that I would not have to pay anything. For the iPhone, I would pay $500 for the phone itself then pay about $75 a month.

ATT (http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/ )does have much better data coverage than US Cellular (http://www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/x_page.html?p=map_home). I am just worried that I would be stuck without radar in areas in northwestern Oklahoma and western Kansas and almost all of Arkansas. I would not have these problems with ATT, plus I would have 3G. What do you guys think?

[Mikey Gribble]

I would go with the Pearl. I just got one a few weeks ago and like it a lot. I hated it for the first week though lol. I've always had Motorola phones and making the transition to the Blackberry wasn't easy. I had to read the manual three or four times and spend several hours working on it. Once you get it figured out it's great though.
I don't tether from it for internet, but I do have internet access on my phone (and email). This is really nice because I set up a stormnow account, which sends warnings, mesoscale discussions, and anything else you want) to your email as soon as they are issued. Basically my phone works like a weather radio on steroids now. Regular radar sites won't work on your cell phone, but you can subscribe to weather tap (really cheap) and get specialized radar that is made for mobile devices. I would still go with tethering to a laptop for internet, but if I had to I could chase with nothing but my blackberry (without tethering) and be successful. The screen is obviously tiny, but you can still check data, satellite, and anything else you might need to get by.
Anyways, I would go with the Blackberry. If you are going to chase an area that you may not have coverage just get a nowcaster lined up. There are plenty of people on here willing to help out with that. I would definitely get an external antenna for the phone to boost your signal. I'm not sure that the Blackberry has an outlet for an external antenna though so you may be out of luck on that. Hope this helps.
BTW one really cool thing about the blackberry is that you can take a picture with it (the camera is actually really good for a cell phone) and send it in an email. It only takes like 30 seconds. It is incredibly easy and fast. I think it's pretty cool to have the capability of taking a quick picture of a tornado right after it touches down and email it to whoever. I plan on doing it to send pics back to the station this season, but I will also post them on ST for the people that are following the outbreak.

[Roger Brown]

I realize that this isn't about either phone you wanted advice on, but.... Take a look at the Samsung i760 from Verizon. That is going to be my next phone in about 1.5 months when I get my discount. Lots of apps available for WM phones too.

Roger

[Mike Peregrine]

I get asked questions like this almost every day at work. It really depends on what you use your mobile device for more than anything. If you are heavy on using it as a phone, then Pearl is a good choice. Super long battery life, small compact size, with the same Crackberry functionality of its bigger brothers. You can use the Pearl for email reconciliation, getting on the Internet, etc. But the screen is also much smaller, and therefore harder to see detail. If you are really into multimedia, Internet and data use, the iPhone may be a better choice for you. Recently Apple has also upgraded its security features, making iPhone a possibility for enterprise use in larger companies, so we are even looking at it as a possibility these days. I use the 8820 Blackberry and just love it to death because it is sooo reliable, never needs to be reset, and is intuitive. I don't have experience with the iPhone, but several workmates have it and love all the techie, geeky things it can do. And it just looks cool. But it is heavier and bigger than a Pearl. On the Pearl, you will have to get used to the way the keyboard works, since multiple letters are contained on each key. The Pearl can be set to try and guess what you are typing as you go, which can be confusing as you are first using it. Surprisingly, our attorneys have caught on to this pretty fast and seem to love the Pearl anytime I ask them how they are getting along with it. I teach a Blackberry class every Friday now, so feel free to ask any questions and I'll see if I can help.

[J Kinkaid]

It's a no brainer go with the ATT Tilt and dispite what you will read on this site Edge is not that bad

[Mike Peregrine]

I don't know that I would really recommend either as a strong contender when it comes to retrieving chase data on the plains. If you are in or around Edge corridors, then no problem (my Bberry is on ATT Edge), but you will notice dropouts in the middle of nowhere, no doubt. But if you are really wanting data on the road, you really need a good card for your computer ... check out the contract-free Millenicom for two or three months. I have a separate data card for chasing that's hooked up to one of Maximum Signal's units so I can get Sprint coverage out there. It's a pretty unbeatable combination.

[Robert Dewey]

From what I've seen, the iPhone is best for web browsing, media (it's like a video iPod), and e-mail.

However, it lacks MMS, which is a big problem for a lot of people who are into the whole texting thing.

I plan on getting the iPhone, mostly because I'm addicted to the internet and music.

[Ross Kimes]

Well as much as I want an iPhone, I decided to go with the free option. I really like the iPhone, but I could justify the price against the BlackBerry. I have the BlackBerry now and really like it.

[James Siler]

From what I've seen, the iPhone is best for web browsing, media (it's like a video iPod), and e-mail.

However, it lacks MMS, which is a big problem for a lot of people who are into the whole texting thing.

I plan on getting the iPhone, mostly because I'm addicted to the internet and music.

Apple is supposed to be releasing a software update that is going to give the iphone MMS ability. Don't know when but I have heard it is supposed to be by june.

[Ross Kimes]

Well, I have been having trouble getting the BlackBerry to tether to my computer, so I took it to the U.S. Cellular store today to get some help. Their response was that I could not do it. I was a little upset because someone at that same store had told me two weeks ago that I could do it. So it looks like I will be getting a wireless card.

[Mike Peregrine]

Ross - which Crackberry do you have?

Keep in mind that a lot of providers don't publicize how to do it, but it can usually be done (also, half the time the guys in these stores don't have a clue about this stuff). Check out this article (http://mobilewirelessnews.com/2006/10/30/how-to-tether-blackberry-pearl-to-pc-for-use-as-a-modem/). If you Google "how to tether a BlackBerry" you'll come up with lots of instructions.

[mrobinett]

I just switched to the Blackberry from my L2, love the bigger screen. I can see Weathertap mobile MUCH better on the Crackberry! Its a Curve 8310, I use AT&T's media net.

[Ross Kimes]

I have a Pearl (the smaller one). I tested out WeatherTAP yesterday and it worked pretty well.

[Chris Kridler]

I must give a ringing endorsement to the iPhone after using it on my chase trip. Despite possible eye strain from excessive web surfing on the baby screen (which is bright and clear, no complaints), it was awesome. Coverage (including EDGE) was surprisingly good in almost all the places I chased, including the Texas panhandle - enough to pull down a radar image when I really needed it, as well as read outlooks, look at models, surface maps, etc. Only place I experienced some dead spots was SW KS, but then again, I've never had good cell coverage there. Downloads were quick enough for me. I could even tap the "refresh" button on a radar page while mobile to get the latest image without hassle.

More sites are being developed that cater to iPhone ... one I wish I knew about before my trip is iWeathr.com, which has nice ANIMATED radar images for iPhone. Though I can use my full data page on the iPhone (since it's a full web browser), I'm developing a short page of data shortcuts, http://skydiary.com/iphonedata.html. I'd be grateful for iPhone-specific suggestions.

You might also want to look at an earlier thread that touches on this topic:
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=15292

Aside from data, it was also great to check my e-mail, get messages, look at maps etc. on the go. I also took decent pictures of storms and quirky stuff with the iPhone and sent them to a few people "live," which was fun. And I've hardly used the iPod functions so far. The iPhone was a great travel companion. I don't regret getting one before the 3G comes out, but of course, if you can wait for that, do.

Chris K.

[Chris Harrell]

I don't have any experiences with the iPhone, but I would highly recommend against the Blackberry Pearl. We got Blackberry Pearl's where I work about a year ago. Nearly 40% of the Pearl's I distributed to employees has been brought back as defective within a year. Many inhibit the same flaws which seem to come from the area of the trackball. I honestly can't believe BlackBerry released such a poorly designed phone.

[Ross Kimes]

Well I have had the Pearl now for about a month and I am not too impressed. Having internet is nice, but not at the expense of receiving calls. I knew before I got it that I would not be able receive any calls or texts when using the internet, but there are times when I would not be doing anything with the phone and calls would not come through. It is also very slow and it freezes a lot (talking about the phones UI, not the internet, if I have good coverage the internet is not too bad).

I am thinking that I may pay the cancelation fee for my contract and give this phone to my mom and get the new iPhone when it comes out.

[Mike Peregrine]

One other thing I've noticed on these new Blackberries (maybe I mentioned it already), is how EASY it is to scratch the screens. I scratched the screen up on mine in my pocket the very first week I had it. I bought an Applesauce polishing kit (which works wonders), but I was like COME ON. Now I am careful to carry it in a holster everywhere I go -

Also - on your point about receiving calls ... that sounds like a hardware defect. I'm always on the internet with the 8820 and the calls come right through. Technically speaking, we have actually had very strong success with the Blackberry. Much much better than the previous windows mobile that we supported (6700 and Treo). The Motorola Q running Windows Mobile 6 seems to be doing well.

[Bryan Putnam]

Well, I have been having trouble getting the BlackBerry to tether to my computer, so I took it to the U.S. Cellular store today to get some help. Their response was that I could not do it. I was a little upset because someone at that same store had told me two weeks ago that I could do it. So it looks like I will be getting a wireless card.

I haven't dealt with US Cellular, but my experience has been most phone companies have the tethering ability but have associates (in the store and by phone) that have no clue what they are talking about as Mike P. mentioned. I've spent the past few months with my chase partners trying to get this tethering thing settled and its been a headache. They had a similar experience to yours with AT&T, where one day you could tether, another day you couldn't, one day it cost this much, another day that much, ect. I personally have Sprint and again had a similar experience. I had asked Sprint if you could tether and got several no's or yes's with outrageous payment options before walking into a store last March. I finally found out that not only can you tether, but a lot of phones offer it and it is not that expensive. I ended up with the blackberry pearl because its networking package included tethering. I've had it for a couple of months now and love both the ability to tether and the phone itself.

[Tim Shriver]

Tethering according the US Cellular contracts etc is a no no. The only true
Internet service they have is with their business offering, via card.
They do not offer internet connectivity either via card or tethering
with their regular Joe service, just the business items.

With that being said, you can tether a cell phone to your laptop.
I have a Moto Razor and EasyEdge. In a pinch I can tether the Moto to the
laptop and pull in radar info via the Moto Phone tools. But I would not
recommend streaming video or pulling tons of data in as they could cut you
off.

I have been with USCell for over 5 years. But if they do
not start offering Internet (non-business) I will soon be leaving them.

They simply need to get with the times and stop lagging behind the curve.

Tim

[Brandon Goforth]

I got the Blackberry Curve and love it! And I can turn the tethering plan on and off when I want with AT&T.

[Ross Kimes]

Well after some more use with the Blackberry I am really stating to like to more. I am going to find another way to get data on the road and just keep the Blackberry for normal phone uses and not worry about internet.

[J Kinkaid]

Why not just pay the $20 for unlimited media net from ATT ?

[Alex Goldstein]

I realize that this isn't about either phone you wanted advice on, but.... Take a look at the Samsung i760 from Verizon. That is going to be my next phone in about 1.5 months when I get my discount. Lots of apps available for WM phones too.

Roger

I have had an i760 since November and have had nothing but problems. The phone is buggy and slow and the screen resolution is sub par. While the touchscreen was a huge plus, I find it to to be unresponsive sometimes and super responsive at other times. Overall it wasn't a great phone, though one MAJOR plus was the tethering, which worked with my laptop pretty flawlessly.

I am actually looking at getting a blackberry curve as a replacement from Verizon, as it seems to be a much better phone by all accounts.

Overall if I was to choose between the iPhone or the Blackberry, I'd go with the blackberry.

Alex

[Ross Kimes]

Well when it comes to touch-screens on phones, the iPhone is the only one that I have ever liked our felt comfortable with. My friend had one (I can't remember what it was...something with ATT) that had a terrible touchscreen. The iPhone's screen feels very natural. If money was not an issue, it would be my phone of choice, but free won the BlackBerry over for me.