[milkpowder]

I have a Storm running hybrid .151/5.0 firmware and it's really quite good. I will only recommend it to others if they are willing to play the lottery with build quality (my friend has had two exchanges, and is about to go for a third) and also don't mind messing around with firmware. I'm lucky to have gotten a good example first time. Right now, there are better running phones out there. It's really not a phone that you can pick up and use. It takes a while to get used to the clicky screen and unique interface but once you get passed the initial learning period, it is a fantastic phone. You'll find unhappy users with every phone, it just seems to me the Storm has more and that is RIM's fault because the firmware the phone was released with is pretty poor. Anyhow, I wouldn't get the Storm now, even if you can find a perfectly functioning handset. I would hold out and see what the second generation has to offer, as well as when they finally release version 5 firmware officially. As good as the current leaked firmware is, I still feel the Storm is in beta, albeit a fairly stable one. People who say this phone is garbage either hasn't used one properly (trying it at a shop does not count), or used one that has diseased firmware (ie firmware that shipped with the phone).

I also use an iPhone 3G and it's much less of a hassle. Works straight out of the box with no need for any tinkering with the firmware. It just feels more polished than the Storm from the very start. Now it doesn't do as much as the Storm (no multi-tasking for example) but it does what it can do with great efficiency. The 3G version definitely lags at times, but the 3G S should correct those issues. The Safari browser would be the main strength of the iPhone as it delivers full HTML with great speed and the touch input integration is well thought out. Then there is the amazing app store with apps that are actually well designed and run well on the phone. The BB App World is still in its infancy and only very recently have well-designed apps started to appear.

If I were to get a phone at this very moment, I would seriously consider the Blackberry Tour, or wait for the Onyx. The keyboards on those BBs are amazing and make typing a breeze. It takes a little bit of getting used to at the very beginning but once you do you'll literally be churning out essays in no time. If you don't really need 3G, then the Curve is really the phone to beat. It's slim, and perfectly designed for texting and emailing. The screen is wonderfully vibrant and sharp thanks to the high pixel density. I've said this before: If you don't mind carrying around two phones, I would recommend an iPhone 3G S for internet and a BB Curve 8900 for emails and texting. Both are very capable as media players/browsers. Another 8900-like phone is the Nokia E71. Ultra-classy-looking and very well conceived. Its interface is not quite as good as Blackberry's though.

The N97 really didn't impress. The S60 system is the most advanced I've used, but I feel it still has a way to go. For a premium phone, it deserves a flashier looking interface and the S60 system looks cheap. The screen is very nice though. Build quality is good, but it feels plasticky compared to some other phones. The same can be said of the 5800, with its slightly less sophisticated S60 OS, but any of the criticisms I have for the N97 cannot really be applied to the 5800 because it wasn't marketed as a top-of-the-line phone. The 5800 is a superb value and I like how it is so slim. Sure, I'm not crazy about the S60, but it is very functional and the occasional slow-downs are just about acceptable. I would take a 5800 over a N97 simply because it is going for very little at the moment (especially on contract but I guess that's not what you're after) and shares a lot with the N97. I have not used the internet browser extensively but I do prefer Opera Mini on the Storm and of course, the iPhone's Safari browser.

Not much experience with any of the newer LGs or Samsungs, but they seem to be churning out new phones every other month. Then there's Android and Windows Mobile. I've used Windows Mobile phones before and they have been lacklustre in terms of reliability/stability. The Touch HD is probably the one I would get if I had to get one. Re: Android, I'd wait a little longer for the platform to mature as it has so much potential. The current Android handsets look a little "stupid" (for lack of a better word), but beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

No idea about the Palm Pre because I haven't used one, ever. Very nice specifications and video reviews look awesome. It has a blazing fast processor (same as 3G S) so I would expect it to be similar to the Apple in terms of raw performance.

 

[Aiml3ss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkpowder /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a Storm running hybrid .151/5.0 firmware and it's really quite good. I will only recommend it to others if they are willing to play the lottery with build quality (my friend has had two exchanges, and is about to go for a third) and also don't mind messing around with firmware. I'm lucky to have gotten a good example first time. Right now, there are better running phones out there. It's really not a phone that you can pick up and use. It takes a while to get used to the clicky screen and unique interface but once you get passed the initial learning period, it is a fantastic phone. You'll find unhappy users with every phone, it just seems to me the Storm has more and that is RIM's fault because the firmware the phone was released with is pretty poor. Anyhow, I wouldn't get the Storm now, even if you can find a perfectly functioning handset. I would hold out and see what the second generation has to offer, as well as when they finally release version 5 firmware officially. As good as the current leaked firmware is, I still feel the Storm is in beta, albeit a fairly stable one. People who say this phone is garbage either hasn't used one properly (trying it at a shop does not count), or used one that has diseased firmware (ie firmware that shipped with the phone). I also use an iPhone 3G and it's much less of a hassle. Works straight out of the box with no need for any tinkering with the firmware. It just feels more polished than the Storm from the very start. Now it doesn't do as much as the Storm (no multi-tasking for example) but it does what it can do with great efficiency. The 3G version definitely lags at times, but the 3G S should correct those issues. The Safari browser would be the main strength of the iPhone as it delivers full HTML with great speed and the touch input integration is well thought out. Then there is the amazing app store with apps that are actually well designed and run well on the phone. The BB App World is still in its infancy and only very recently have well-designed apps started to appear. If I were to get a phone at this very moment, I would seriously consider the Blackberry Tour, or wait for the Onyx. The keyboards on those BBs are amazing and make typing a breeze. It takes a little bit of getting used to at the very beginning but once you do you'll literally be churning out essays in no time. If you don't really need 3G, then the Curve is really the phone to beat. It's slim, and perfectly designed for texting and emailing. The screen is wonderfully vibrant and sharp thanks to the high pixel density. I've said this before: If you don't mind carrying around two phones, I would recommend an iPhone 3G S for internet and a BB Curve 8900 for emails and texting. Both are very capable as media players/browsers. Another 8900-like phone is the Nokia E71. Ultra-classy-looking and very well conceived. Its interface is not quite as good as Blackberry's though. The N97 really didn't impress. The S60 system is the most advanced I've used, but I feel it still has a way to go. For a premium phone, it deserves a flashier looking interface and the S60 system looks cheap. The screen is very nice though. Build quality is good, but it feels plasticky compared to some other phones. The same can be said of the 5800, with its slightly less sophisticated S60 OS, but any of the criticisms I have for the N97 cannot really be applied to the 5800 because it wasn't marketed as a top-of-the-line phone. The 5800 is a superb value and I like how it is so slim. Sure, I'm not crazy about the S60, but it is very functional and the occasional slow-downs are just about acceptable. I would take a 5800 over a N97 simply because it is going for very little at the moment (especially on contract but I guess that's not what you're after) and shares a lot with the N97. I have not used the internet browser extensively but I do prefer Opera Mini on the Storm and of course, the iPhone's Safari browser. Not much experience with any of the newer LGs or Samsungs, but they seem to be churning out new phones every other month. Then there's Android and Windows Mobile. I've used Windows Mobile phones before and they have been lacklustre in terms of reliability/stability. The Touch HD is probably the one I would get if I had to get one. Re: Android, I'd wait a little longer for the platform to mature as it has so much potential. The current Android handsets look a little "stupid" (for lack of a better word), but beauty is in the eye of the beholder! No idea about the Palm Pre because I haven't used one, ever. Very nice specifications and video reviews look awesome. It has a blazing fast processor (same as 3G S) so I would expect it to be similar to the Apple in terms of raw performance.

Wow. What a great post! This has helped me tremendously! I cannot thank you enough.

Your thoughts on the s60 system is exactly what I thought. Its a great platform but it feels "cheap" and not well developed. So, any Nokia right now is out of the picture for me.

The blackberry onyx looks really cool exceptionally its optical trackpad/ball that it is going to have. To bad there is no release date as of now (rumored has it, its coming out in November or October). The blackberry tour is definetly what I am leaning towards most, besides the iphone. I'll have to compare the unlocked prices of both and phones and see which would be a better buy.

The only concern I have for getting the tour is that the iphone has sooo many more tools and apps.

 

[Aiml3ss]

Hello everyone!

Thanks for all the reccomendations and comments for my quest to find a phone. I appreciate it!

So, I have decided to go with an iPhone. It just seems the most practical for my situation and you cannot beat the amount of options it has when it comes to apps and what not.

Milkpowder, I was actually at a toss up at one point between the Blackberry Tour and iPhone. The reason why I am picking the iphone over the tour is because I could not find a good deal on an unlocked tour. The average price for one on Ebay is over $400! I could almost buy 2 iPhone 3g for that price. Anyways, thanks for your help! Maybe I will get one once the prices go down, or wait for the Onyx!

Again, thanks to everyone! I love this forum!

 

[Gbjerke]

Blackberry bold. Or if you're hardcore enough HTC Touch Pro 2. Supposed to have one of, if not the best, mobile qwerties in the world.

 

[yuckymucky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aiml3ss /img/forum/go_quote.gif Milkpowder, I was actually at a toss up at one point between the Blackberry Tour and iPhone. The reason why I am picking the iphone over the tour is because I could not find a good deal on an unlocked tour. The average price for one on Ebay is over $400! I could almost buy 2 iPhone 3g for that price. Anyways, thanks for your help! Maybe I will get one once the prices go down, or wait for the Onyx!

The tour is still that expensive as it is pretty much still a brand new phone. I think that it has been out just over a month at this point. Hope you like your iPhone though, I would probably have one if I was on AT&T.

 

[milkpowder]

The Tour (a 100% functional one) is probably the best Blackberry out right now. It's inbetween the Curve and the Bold in terms of size and has practically all the goodies of the Bold plus optical trackpad and an updated system. Until the Onyx and the next-gen Storm appear, it is probably the Blackberry to get. If you're already the owner of one of the newer Blackberry models (Storm, Bold, Curve), then I would wait for the Onyx.

Aiml3ss, good luck with the iPhone. It's fantastic, and OS 3.0 is a step up too. The availability of good apps is certainly a strength of the iPhone system. The reason why Blackberry may have a little problem catching up is because programmes designed for them have to work for both touch and non-touch phones, plus backward compatibility with earlier OSes. This means we won't really get a lot of dedicated apps for the Storm for a long time to come.

 

[bobglaub]

tmobile mytouch3g here. cant say enough good things about it. love it.

 

[rhythmdevils]

I have this phone, and you can't beat it for 15 bucks with no plan!



no, you can. it's pretty awful.

 

[milkpowder]

LOL I have an even more basic phone, a Nokia 1208. It's got some form of a colour display, but that's about it. Nice a durable, through-around type of phone.

 

[Nigel79]

iPhone 3gs is my most favorite thing I own. All these other companies come out with a new phone every day and there is hardly any research and development. Apple put way more time in than any other company. I know a guy that put his through the wash twice and still works and a girl i dated who dropped hers in the pisser and it still works..Thats Apple Quality for ya!

 

[LordofDoom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel79 /img/forum/go_quote.gif iPhone 3gs is my most favorite thing I own. All these other companies come out with a new phone every day and there is hardly any research and development. Apple put way more time in than any other company. I know a guy that put his through the wash twice and still works and a girl i dated who dropped hers in the pisser and it still works..Thats Apple Quality for ya!

What about the ones that exploded and injured people or property?

 

[Kirosia]

Pretty much all the new phones have build quality issues. The Palm Pre, the new HTCs, the Iphone, et al. Pick your poison.

 

[DeusEx]

3GS!

 

[.coco]

I have owned the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, Blackberry Storm, Blackberry Curve, and HTC G1 (Google phone), along with many other smart phones.

I rate them in this order:

iPhone 3G - Great overall performance, once you go iPhone you never go back.

iPhone 3GS - Very nice, but in my opinion, not worth the price over the iPhone 3G. Best reason to get this phone is for the compass, which makes the GPS actually usable, and the better camera. If you dont care about those two things, go for the 3G. I still own this.

iPhone - Like an iPhone 3G but lacking. It was good when it came out, but the 3G is better.

Blackberry Curve - Decent utility phone, not fun compared to the iPhone by all means. I use it for overseas travel, as the international plan is amazing. I still own this (work pays for it).

HTC G1 - Pretty weak. This phone would have been impressive 4 years ago, but now it feels behind the time. Everything is a little too slow, the touch sensitivity is not very good, the screen does not look good, and the design is not great. People who recommend this phone tend to be people who dismissed the iPhone before ever really trying it out, probably because they hate Apple for some reason. The only people who I know who kept this phone are Google fanboys.

Blackberry Storm - The worst phone I have ever ever owned. It is terrible. It is obvious that Blackberry scrambled to get this phone out to compete with the iPhone. I feel bad for people when I see them holding the phone. Out work phones are all Blackberries, and initially most of us chose the Storm. We ALL ended up changing them, mostly to the Curve.

 

[Aiml3ss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by .coco /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have owned the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, Blackberry Storm, Blackberry Curve, and HTC G1 (Google phone), along with many other smart phones. I rate them in this order: iPhone 3G - Great overall performance, once you go iPhone you never go back. iPhone 3GS - Very nice, but in my opinion, not worth the price over the iPhone 3G. Best reason to get this phone is for the compass, which makes the GPS actually usable, and the better camera. If you dont care about those two things, go for the 3G. I still own this. iPhone - Like an iPhone 3G but lacking. It was good when it came out, but the 3G is better. Blackberry Curve - Decent utility phone, not fun compared to the iPhone by all means. I use it for overseas travel, as the international plan is amazing. I still own this (work pays for it). HTC G1 - Pretty weak. This phone would have been impressive 4 years ago, but now it feels behind the time. Everything is a little too slow, the touch sensitivity is not very good, the screen does not look good, and the design is not great. People who recommend this phone tend to be people who dismissed the iPhone before ever really trying it out, probably because they hate Apple for some reason. The only people who I know who kept this phone are Google fanboys. Blackberry Storm - The worst phone I have ever ever owned. It is terrible. It is obvious that Blackberry scrambled to get this phone out to compete with the iPhone. I feel bad for people when I see them holding the phone. Out work phones are all Blackberries, and initially most of us chose the Storm. We ALL ended up changing them, mostly to the Curve.

Very nice write up!

I went ahead and bought a used iPhone 2G from a member on this board. I should be receiving it today!

I figured, why would I get the 3G if I am not even going to be using the data plan? So, the 2G just fit my needs better.

My dad is going to be buying an iPhone soon and I'm pretty sure I'll lead him to the 3g. Is the 3GS speed REALLY that much different then the 3G? Is it worth double the price?

Thanks