Gadget: Unlocked iPhone 16GB versus Blackberry 8700g

So I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to cell phones, just ask my girlfriend, co-workers, or parents… and that means I jump from unlocked iPhones to Blackberry 8700Gs in a heartbeat. But this past week, it wasn’t my decision to make the jump.

You see, I was traveling on the bus to Miami to check up on Grooveshark’s asian connections, and my iPhone suddenly LOCKED itself, ie it stopped working on T-mobile. After struggling with it for 30 minutes, I somehow managed to bugger it up so badly that the WiFi stopped working, yay !

So what would happen?

Apple releases a 16GB iPhone — perfect timing !

When my 16GB iPhone arrives, I find out that there isn’t yet an unlock for the brand new phone, but patiently waiting 2 days, an unlock arrives, I spend the next 24 straight hours unlocking, and I’m back in my comfort zone.

Now I can say I didn’t mind the experience of the Blackberry, but there were a number of issues I didn’t like:

Pros

PUSH email is amazing, and it really makes you feel like you’re keeping on top of things
The scroll wheel is amazing, I hate the new balls they have in the Pearls/Curves
The keyboard is plush, responsive, and physical
Battery life is seemingly endless, and there’s a USB port for charging

Cons

HTML rendering in emails is HORRIBLE, all my emails look look like ascii art
The browser is worthless, it’s like browsing the web in the 90s
There’s no dedicated headset like the iPhone headphones
The phone is a BRICK, it tilted my body 5 degrees when I sat down
Pictures, movies, music? Nah
No polish for applications — weather is hard to do, stocks, notes, just an uncomfortable experience

It’s really amazing that the few features the iPhone has that the Blackberry doesn’t make such a BIG difference. The keyboard on the iPhone might actually be a little faster than the blackberry for me, given you trust it to figure out what words you’re trying to spell and also you have enough time training with it.

The one really big factor that pisses me off is the fact that you can’t EASILY unlock the device. The blackberry just works, any carrier, no matter what, and they WANT you to unlock it. The iPhone obviously is a closed device because Apple has too much revenue on the line, but come on– it’s ridiculous to force people into a certain software when they’re purchased the hardware free and clear.