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| Bye Bye Old Faithful |
Well I’ve done it…I’ve taken the leap. I am a Blackberry user
no more.
I’m not sure what made me decide to leave the Blackberry
world…or why I chose to do it when I did. Was it the recurring tiny black clock
(say that 5 times fast) of doom and the resulting bi-weekly battery pull? Was
it the frustrating browser interface that constantly shifted essential parts of
a webpage off the screen, never to be seen again? Was it the incredible lack of
well-performing apps?
I don’t know. All I know is sometimes you just know when it’s
time to move on…
And move on I did…to a shiny new white (I really wanted
black but beggars can’t be choosers) iPhone 4s on the bMobile network. bMobile,
being the consummate pain in the ass that it always is, didn’t spare me any
stress trying to acquire this phone. First they had run out of Hotspot devices
(which happened to be an essential part of the plan that I wanted) and couldn’t
inform me when they would be restocking. As fate would have it, their
authorized dealer Cellular Planet still had Hotspot devices (I found that out
on my own, not through Bmobile’s less than helpful customer service reps) and I
managed to get the last Hotspot and the last iPhone 4s available, it seemed, in
the entire country.
Flaws with the Hotspot and the iPhone itself had me biting
my nails for a week, wondering whether I’d made a huge mistake switching from
my flawed but ever-loyal Blackberry Torch. Following the assistance of a wonderful
bMobile technician (they do exist) who went to no ends to get me a new
functioning Hotspot, and after scouring the Apple forums to solve the issue of
iMessage and push notification failure, I finally was able to settle in and see
what all the Apple fuss is about.
iPhone has, in short, revolutionized the way I look at
mobile phones. Don’t get me wrong…I’m no Apple fan-girl. I’m not a loyalist to
any particular operating system or brand of phone – there are some designs and
brands I’d be reluctant to choose (like Sony Ericsson, ew) but for the most
part I’m relatively open-minded. iPhone has shown me that phones can have
functions that extend far beyond their instant messaging service. Basically I
have always taken it for granted that my phone was more than just a device I
could use to message other people…it’s an organizational and functional tool.
Applications can really influence the way you carry about your business on a
day to day basis. For example, I keep track of my expenses using Evernote and
Mint, and will eventually (when the thought of checking how much money I *actually*
spend doesn’t make me wee myself) use that to come up with a budget I can
follow. I use Flipboard to keep track of news, articles and snippets from the
web, revolving around my interests like Design, Style, Politics, Architecture,
etc. For the most part they pull articles at random, but I can also sync my
Google Reader account and have my specific blogs and sites just a flip away. The
TED app gives me access to the video and audio files from various TED talks, an
incredible resource if you’re just looking for a constructive way to pass the
time. I haven’t fully explored that particular app yet but in theory, it’s
brilliant. I‘ve begun to warm to the idea of sharing my life in pictures and
naturally Instagram is the go-to application for that. I’m not a natural
shutterbug…oddly enough since I own a vast array of cameras; but the camera on
the iPhone 4s is so good I don’t have an excuse not to take photos on a regular
basis now. I won’t go into detail on the games…just know that Temple Run and Fruit
Ninja have consumed my life and there is no coming back…
There are a number of other less popular apps I won’t go
into, like the ambient noise app I downloaded to put me to sleep at night and
the flashlight app that saves my life at 2am.
Apps aside, and apart from the amazing camera I spoke about
earlier, the browser on this phone is a million times better than the browser
on Blackberry. Like…no contest.
At first I loathed the idea of an on screen keyboard, even with my Torch I used the physical keyboard exclusively to type. But I will say that transitioning to the on screen keyboard has been seamless, pretty much...auto correct makes it a lot easier for you to type quickly and while there is the inevitable faux pas due to colloquial words and expressions, the phone eventually 'remembers' your commonly used terms like 'allyuh' and 'lime' and stops correcting it in appropriate context. One you get the hang of dismissing suggested corrections, it's pretty easy to get your message typed quickly and effectively.
It’s just a really easy, manageable phone and I’m really happy with the transition.
Now I’m fully aware that you can get the same functionality
out of an Android phone. I haven’t delved deeply into the negative elements of
Android, or iOs for that matter. The worst thing I’ve noticed about this phone
is that the iTunes store is incredibly restricting when it comes to purchasing
outside of your region, or even utilizing gift cards purchased outside of your
region. I have to jump through a lot of hoops to get what I want sometimes, and
that’s pretty annoying. Android strikes me as a little less secure by way of
viruses etc but I assume that there are ways to prevent infections as much as
possible. But I think a lot of apps I pay for on the iPhone are actually free
for Android (at least they’re free on my Android tablet). Aesthetically I’m yet
to find an Android phone I like as much as the relatively more compact iPhone
design. Big phones don’t suit me. I have small hands.
Giving up Blackberry Messenger has been the only real
challenge in the whole process…of course; it was the only thing the Blackberry
was good for. Whats App suffices although not everyone I want to speak to has
jumped on the Whats App train, like my little brother, for example. I do miss
being able to pick up on the latest bacchanal through BBM statuses and pictures,
and I do miss the access it gives me to a large number of people (mainly for
promotional purposes) but when I really think about it, that’s a small
sacrifice to make for a phone that can basically change my life. Ok..maybe I’m
exaggerating. It can make my life a little easier, a little more organized, and
a little less swearing at the tiny rotating…always rotating clock of death.
So if you’re considering the leap…close your eyes, take a
deep, deep breath, and jump. The landing is soft…and has a considerably less
shitty browser.
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| The case I eventually ended up with...for now |
PS. I really don't advise getting this phone unless you have constant access to wifi. the iPhone running on Edge alone is an incredibly frustrating process...and it in no way reflects the true potential of this device. I was fortunate to get one of the last Hotspots on the island. If bMobile doesn't restock soon then I advise calling around to authorised dealers and trying your luck.
