Windows Mobile, iPhone, BlackBerry Platform Roundup

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iGlobility Platform Round-Up

This Review Was Originally Posted on iGlobility.com from 20070716 to 20080508.

This Round-Up is based on Device Features AS SHIPPED. We are not comparing the device based on what CAN be installed, or added as an accessory.

Hands-On Research for this Round-Up was done on a T-Mobile Wing, BlackBerry 8700C, and a 4Gb iPhone. Additional information was gathered from manufacturer's sites, and Wikipedia (in the effort to get as unbiased information as possible).

Criteria - Objective	WM	BB	iPhone
Flash	No	No	No
Java	No	No	No
Java Script	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tactile Keyboard	Yes	Yes	No
Touch Screen	Yes	No	Multi
File Explorer - Onboard	Yes	No	No
File Explorer - Outboard	Yes	No	No
View Attachments	Yes	Ltd	Ltd
Edit Attachments	Yes	No	No
Save Attachments	Yes	No	No
Games	2	1	0
Music Player	Yes	No	Yes
Video Player	Yes	No	Yes
Landscape Mode	Yes	No	Yes

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Storage	<1Gb	<1Gb	>1Gb
User Accessible Storage	Yes	No	No
HTML Mail	Yes	No	Yes
Text Mail	Yes	Yes	No
Sync With Outlook	Yes	Yes	Ltd
E-Mail Push	Yes	Yes	Ltd
Calendar Push	Yes	Yes	No
Contact Push	Yes	Yes	No
Task Push	Yes	No	No
Can Accept Meetings	Yes	Yes	No
Modifiable GUI	Yes	Ltd	No
Camera - Photo	Yes	Yes	Yes
Camera - Video	Yes	No	No
Copy Photos To Pc	Yes	No	No
Instant Messaging	Yes	No	No
SMS	Yes	Yes	Yes
MMS	Yes	No	No
Voice Notes	Yes	No	No
Voice Dialing	Yes	No	No
Stereo BT A2DP Profile	Yes	No	No
Settings - General	Yes	Yes	Yes
Settings - Advanced	Yes	No	No
Lanyard	Yes	Yes	No
Configurable Notifications	Yes	Yes	No
Installable Software	Yes	Yes	No
Independent Wireless	Yes	Yes	No
WiFi	Yes	No	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes	Yes
Carrying Case	Yes	Yes	No
Charging/Sync Cradle	No	No	Yes
Removable Battery	Yes	Yes	No
Std. Headphone Jack	No	Yes	Ltd
Total Yes	41	20	13
Total Limited	0	2	4
Total No	5	24	29

Subjective Observations

Windows Mobile:

In the hand, this device feels very nice, yet a bit clunky. What I mean by clunky is the sliding keyboard is a bit loose. This is due to the spring loaded keyboard. Further, it has a no slip type covering which makes a real difference.

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The keyboard works quite well, and provides a very tactile feel. This allows the user an easy way to input data. The CAP and ALT lights on the keyboard are welcome alerts as well.

The buttons on this device are easily accessible, with little need to reach about the device to get to the buttons needed to do the job.

The screen is a bit of a disappointment on this device. While it works just fine, it, and many Windows Mobile screens just do NOT cut it in direct sunlight. As such, it makes the device almost unusable outdoors.

Battery life on these type of devices does not seem to have improved much from WM2003 to WM6. I still get about a day of use from my device before I feel I must plug it in.

Windows Mobile is the most mature platform of all devices compared here. Thus is has had the most time to make advancement in the PDA genre.

BlackBerry:

In the hand, this device feels like a small hockey puck. It is easy to manipulate, and most control buttons are right where they are needed. Some of these control buttons however take a bit of uncomfortable flexing of the fingers to get to if one is using a single hand. If one uses both hands, all buttons are easy to get to.

The keyboard works quite well, but is difficult to type on for an extended period of time. the buttons feel more like mini Chiclets than keyboard keys rather than keyboard keys. I constantly make mistakes when typing on my BlackBerry.

The screen on this device is very nice. It works equally well indoors and outdoors. It does not wash out as with the Windows Mobile device, which makes it a productive device ALL the time, not just when indoors.

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Battery life on the BlackBerry is the best of all devices compared here. I have had it on for three days before I had to plug it in.

The BlackBerry is the second most mature of the devices compared here. It does what it was designed in an excellent way. As a communication and calendaring tool, the BlackBerry has no rivals. As a PDA however, the BlackBerry lacks some basic features that have been found on the Windows Mobile platform since the beginning. Foremost of these is the ability to make simple user modifications to every aspect of the device.

iPhone:

In the hand, the iPhone feels more like an unopened Hershey's Chocolate bar than an expensive piece of electronic technology. It has no rattles, and has a weight to it that contributes in a positive way to the overall feel of the device.

The keyboard on the iPhone is a virtual one. While at first it was difficult to use, time has made it a bit easier to navigate. Even so, I still make several mistakes when I am using it. Also, I am not fond of how I will tap in a word, and it will make a suggestion. Even though the word I want was the one I tapped in it changes to the suggested word when I press the space bar. I find this a bit more than frustrating. Further, the lack of a keyboard when in landscape mode is an unfortunate oversight on the part of Apple.

The screen on the iPhone is the jazziest feature. It feels and works great! When it is used outside, it is almost as clear as when it is inside. The multi touch feature makes it easy, almost natural to use. It is almost like going from a manual transmission to an automatic when it comes to ease of use.

Battery life on the iPhone, for me at least, surpassed my expectations. I have been able to use it for two days without a charge. Initial concerns of a person running out of juice when an important call came in, have been greatly exaggerated (for me at least).

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There are a couple things I have noticed that have given me pause. The first is that for the WiFi or Bluetooth to work, the phone must be on! This seems a bit silly as one might want to surf using WiFi, and not need the phone active. I am not sure why this is, but the cynic in me thinks it is a marketing thing from ATT. Considering that you can only activate on the ATT network, making it impossible to use the wireless feature unless the phone is on, basically makes the device unusable as anything but an iPod. I could be wrong about this of course as I activated my iPhone immediately upon arriving home from the store! The second is the inability of the user to configure the device in a way they like it. not being able to change he home screen, or install apps that I want to use is a bit frustrating. This may change as the field of Web 2.0 apps matures. Currently there are a few apps that can be found on sites like iPhone-TopSites.com

The iPhone is a new device in the genre, and thus the least mature. As such, given that the iPhone is already quite impressive, it is sure to get better as the future unfolds.

Recommendations

I do not have a recommendation because this is a personal preference thing. If you are a person that wants ultimate configuration possibilities, then a Windows Mobile device is probably for you. If you need a device with rock solid email and communication ability, then look to the BlackBerry. If you are looking for a device with a hip interface that does media really well, check out the new iPhone.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by iGlobility for the first of our Round-Up Comparison Reviews. the buzz around the iPhone, and my sweet wife made this one possible. As other opportunities present themselves, we will do more. As always, have a GREAT ride, and stay Globile!

Craig

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