Blackberry vs. iPhone for Business Users

BlackBerry vs. iPhone

Is the BlackBerry better than the iPhone for business use? The debate continues as both providers struggle for market share. The iPhone is looking to expand its business and enterprise presence while RIM is looking to enhance their business usage and expand their personal communications presence. Both phones have great features but there are a few critical features included with the BlackBerry that are not present on the iPhone.

Variety and Keyboard

One of the most notable differences in the BlackBerry vs. iPhone battle is the number of styles that the BlackBerry has and the physical keyboard. The BlackBerry has 5 major phone styles to choose from. Depending on features needed and preference, the BlackBerry Bold, Curve, Pearl, Storm and Tour are available. With the exception of the BlackBerry Storm, they all have the physical keyboard. This has been a keynote feature for many enterprise users of the BlackBerry over the iPhone for business use. Many users are not ready, or do not wish to use a touchpad and virtual keyboard and they find them to be difficult to use. If they do like the touchpad design then they also have the option of the BlackBerry Storm. This is one of the biggest reasons for going with a BlackBerry smartphone. There are also a number of BlackBerry shortcuts that can be used with the keyboard.

Side Hotkeys

This feature is not a necessity but, when it comes to enterprise use, simplicity and speed are critical. Not many people want to spend time during a meeting or conference paging through menus. Being able to program a side key shortcut saves time and looks professional in business situations. If you are giving a presentation in front of a group and you need to bring up PowerPoint from your phone, being able to program a shortcut key and open “sheet to go” with the push of a button, looks professional. This does seem like a very simple difference, however, it provides an extra feature that BlackBerry business users can take advantage of for various purposes. In the BlackBerry vs. iPhone debate these extra features highlight the experience that BlackBerry has over the iPhone in the business world.

Removable Battery

Having a removable battery with a phone is a simple concept and necessity for the enterprise user. Although it is possible to charge the iPhone from any computer with a USB port this is not always a practical means from a business standpoint. Traveling around the country or even the globe will often times prove the necessity of needing an extra battery and the ability to change these out. Plugging in the phone to a USB port sometimes just is not possible. BlackBerry does also have a reputation for longer battery life than the iPhone. The iPhone may be getting better with the 4G version. Here is another fact to consider. The battery of the iPhone is designed to go through 400 charge and discarge cycles. That is over one years time technically if you recharge the phone once a day. The original warranty is only for one year which could mean that in order to replace the iPhone battery one may need to pay to have it sent in for repair. With a BlackBerry, new batteries can be purchased at little cost and replaced by the owner in minutes.

Here are some tips to get the most from the battery of your BlackBerry device.

Multiple Carriers

Last, but certainly not least, is the BlackBerry’s ability to work with multiple cellular providers. Having a choice is a necessity. Not all companies work with AT&T and as such being limited to one carrier severely limits the ability to grow into the business marketplace. Business users are all about choice and if they cannot choose the iPhone because their company does not work with AT&T then you can probably guess who they are going to buy from.

Overall, RIM and the BlackBerry devices have been in the smartphone and business markets for a while and the experience shows. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference and the pretty package may not be as important as usability and a backup plan in a crunch. In the BlackBerry vs. iPhone debate, the BlackBerry excels in a number of ways and proves why they have such a strong business market presence.