Blackberry vs. Iphone

During a recent weekend getaway with the family, I took the opportunity to do some smart phone testing in real life scenarios. We were in downtown San Antonio, Texas, me with my Blackberry Curve and My wife with her 3G Iphone.

I should point out two background facts: 1)I have been a Blackberry user since 2004 and my wife has utilized the Iphone since October 2009 and 2) I tend to embrace technology and my wife tends to avoid it at nearly all cost. That being said, the test was simple. all we had to do was navigate downtown on foot and by vehicle. We had to visit the Alamo, Fuddruckers (yes I’m addicted to Fuds, you should try it), Alamodome, and the Riverwalk. In addition we needed to identify and locate some additional eating places, including local favorites and tourist attractions. At the end of the day, we had to make it back to the hotel.

To keep things balanced and fair, the test would focus more on accuracy and detail and less on speed of the devices. This was also not a competition between people but solely the devices.

On a side note, TomTom got us to the hotel without any problems! I’ve used several different brands of GPS devices over the years and I love the way TomTom tells you not only the direction, but what lane to stay in as well. Cross country that's not an issue, but going thru a major metropolitan area is another story and I find this function a major benefit.

Back to the smart phone test. Okay we are at the hotel and its time to eat lunch at Fuddruckers! Phones to the ready and we are off. Within seconds Iphone has our location flashing and Fudds marked. Whoops, the Blackberry server not available at this time. Wasn’t expecting that. I took out the battery and restated just in case. Server still not available. The Iphone whens by default! Sorry Blackberry, but no do overs in the real world.

The next stop was the Alamo. Lucky for me, the Alamo was just a couple of blocks from Fudds. Both devices came up with the correct information and location. I have to admit that the Iphone screen makes for easier navigation then the Curve. Both devices allow for input on the mode of travel, allowing us to select the walking option.

From the Alamo we walked to the Alamodome to watch a some high school championship football. Both devices found the Alamodome, however the Blackberry did not recognize the pedestrian overpass and had us walking along some major traffic and the interstate. Two thumbs up for the Iphone as it had the most direct route.

Okay time to head back to the hotel for the night. Once again the Blackberry had us walking a tenth of a mile more and sticking to the major traffic ways. For the next day, I can confirm similar results. Both devices provided what we ask of them. Routes were almost identical.

The Blackberry offered some nice street views via Google Maps, but buy the end of the day, our trust went with the Iphone. The Iphone just seemed to be more intuitive of what we were wanting and needing. The screen provided for a wider area of view and also as an additional benefit provided more detail of the area. For this test, speed was not a factor considered, however if it had been, the Iphone would have easily won hands down. The only thing that could have tilted the scale in the other direction was battery life. The Iphone did survive until we made it back to the hotel the first night, but just barely! My wife had to charge it immediately upon return. The Blackberry on the other hand was good to go and went without a charge until the next night. Had our feet not given out first, this ending could have been different.

As we go along, there seems to be that perfect app for the Iphone that makes life a little easier. As a result, in our family, I see the Iphone being used for more and the Blackberry’s use being narrowed to the basic function of company emails! Just a year ago, I would have never seen that coming.