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13 May 2008
The 3G version of Apple's iPhone could be set for a showdown with the new BlackBerry handset, according to one industry analyst.
Rob Enderle, founder and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, said that the new BlackBerry Bold stacks up well against the 3G iPhone.
Research in Motion unveiled the BlackBerry Bold on Monday. The redesigned handset sports a smaller design and revamped multimedia features.
Apple, meanwhile, has let supplies of the existing iPhone line dry up, fuelling speculation that a new model is on the way.
Apple chief Steve Jobs is widely expected to announce the 3G iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference on 9 June.
Enderle warned that in slimming down the traditionally clunky BlackBerry, Research in Motion must balance style and functionality.
"BlackBerrys have historically not been particularly attractive, although this changed with the BlackBerry Pearl," he wrote.
"Many found it much more attractive but it was not as easy to use for email, and it traded size for capability and multi-media features.
"The BlackBerry Bold uses iPhone design elements to create a sexy device that appears solidly focused on the traditional BlackBerry strength of email."
Apple, meanwhile, faces the challenge of proving its worth in a business world that has consistently embraced the BlackBerry and largely shunned the iPhone.
"Unlike the BlackBerry Bold, which is rooted in years of BlackBerry products, the iPhone has its roots in the iPod," wrote Enderle.
"The iPhone 2.0 gains several critical enhancements for business. It should integrate much better than the 1.0 product with enterprise email systems, but it will not work with a BlackBerry server."
For that reason, the analyst sees the traditional BlackBerry user base better served by holding off on the new iPhone and waiting for the new BlackBerry to make its debut later this year.
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Do you agree?
iPhone
Clearly a lot of BlackBerry users who have never used iPhone but need to think their product is "more business like". Same rationale that has kept an over-bloated windows dominant for so long. I have used Palm, the Blackberry, now iPhone. There is no comparison. If all you want is email stick to BB, if you want a truly multipurpose web browser (yes I know, but I mean a real web browser), now with great 3rd party apps iPhone blows BB away.
Posted by: Dave 16 May 2008
Sorry Nic
"every cell phone uses a different kind of server to get email. windows mobile thought they had a good idea when they used their own stuff, so did palm. it didn't work " Just stating something does not make it so. Every phone does not need an intermediate middleware to access mail servers. RIM's claim to fame was PUSH email. They have no particular sterling reputation for reliability. Their handsets do require middleware. The iPhone's lack of a need for middleware is MAJOR plus. At AT&T's discounted 2 year plan, a person who gets an iPhone saves more than $400 in the first year, even factoring in cost of the iPhone. If you run your own Blarryberry server, that means one less license both for BS and for Win. I have used the Blackberry extensively and the people who work at my company used to have BBs. They now all have iPhones. The Bold will not switch us back.
Posted by: CEO 14 May 2008
Bold is Gold Standard
Any serious business/recreational communicator who has experienced both devices (as I have) knows that the Iphone is a beautiful and fun and easy "second" device. The chief issue is the balance of the device while trying to type on its key board and there is no way anybody can convince me that the faster Blackberry savvy qwerty typists wouldn't blow away the fastest Iphonees. Too much productivity gain in using the blackberry and direct to corporate server benefits of Iphone and all the bells and whistles still don't stack up against business might and recreational/personal functions of Blackberry Bold. Bold is going to be gold.
Posted by: Luke 14 May 2008
iPhone 2.0 for the win
Actually, the fact that the forthcoming iPhone 2.0 doesn't use Blackberry servers is its greatest advantage. The iPhone's Exchange support allows it to access corporate email directly from the server, thus not having to rely on a "middle man" NOC sever, like the system RIM uses. Given the recent string of outages that RIM has encountered in the last year or so, I see the Apple way as being much more user (enterprise) friendly.
Posted by: G-Zero 13 May 2008
blackberry server
every cell phone uses a different kind of server to get email. windows mobile thought they had a good idea when they used their own stuff, so did palm. it didn't work. it's too unreliable, no one has what blackberry offers. apple won't be able to bring it home either. the system is too messy. to the previous post: you clearly have never used a blackberry for email. it's reliable.
Posted by: nik 13 May 2008