BurpusMe

No contest – iPhone.

Purdey

The other view:

I had an iPhone and it was OK but it isn't a very good phone (IMO), inputting (intelligible) text is horrible and (big problem) they are mostly locked to a provider which is alright if you never travel overseas but if you do then it's a very expensive hassle. I gave it away....

I think it depends on what you mainly do on a mobile - if you email, text and message then you cannot beat a BlackBerry. If you web browse (in your home network or wifi), play games and do media then it's an iPhone.

Dunno about the N97 - I'd go for the iPhone if it was a choice between the two but do not underestimate the locked and roaming problem with the iPhone if you travel, And, yes I know you can unlock iPhone thru software but that is also a PITA which you need to go thru everytime the s/w updates.

Could be that Du's iPhones are factory unlocked but not sure.

NorthernLad

Buy an iPhone originated from somewhere like Italy - unlocked. You can check on Apple website and they have a list of countries where phones have to be unlocked due to local laws.

iPhone is far, far better than BlackBerry - I have both, BB is work issue and I hate it. Everyone I know with iPhones, without exception, have said they will never go back to other mobiles.

norsk

Hence why I gave mine away when I left for Saudi, but now O2 will unlock it for you even within contract. Something to do with competition as there is now more than one provider in the UK. Or you could do what also suggested; buy one from France/Italy/Australia where they are unlocked in the first place.

I feel I have to defend the iPhone (and I am not a fanboi - far from it), but the issue relating to inputting intelligible text is the biggest misconception ever unless you have the biggest treetrunk fingers known to man. This was in fact one of the early rumours amongst people who were against the iPhone at any cost, and I was actually worried about before getting one but it is a myth. You can write as fast on an iPhone as a BB once you get used to the different technique. Also I like the word suggestion / spelling correction (i can't remember what the correct term is), but again only once you get used to it.

Oh yes it has some issues on the phone side. Crashes, screen won't react whilst your phone is ringing, random reboots, calls being routed straight to voicemail while you had full signal etc etc but to be fair every Nokia/Sony Ericsson/BB/Motorola did the same things (and they never issued software upgrades so if you had an issue then you were stuck with it)...

I agree with one thing you said above and only then with a caveat; the BB is better at email, but only if you're talking about business email. The iPhone is far superior if you are going to use it for personal email. I don't understand why being on wifi is a requirement for surfing or playing games on the iPhone. Get a proper phone tariff and it isn't a problem that you're using a bit of data...

BurpusMe

For heavy users nothing beats Blackberry.
I love the new Bold, it's a huge improvement over the ancient BBs. Nice camera, nice keyboard, best email and calendar service and a far better PHONE than iPhone eg. the speakerphone is actually usable. Cheaper dataplans, unlimited BBM.

The features you'd miss on iPhone could be more than compensated for by getting iPad. ; )

Millhouse

I have a blackberry and swear by (and at) it. I see no reason to ever change - especially all the time someone else pays for it.

However, I have just bought a fake iphone (we call it the ifoney) - 250dh from a chinese chap in Hamdan Street. Quite a bargin I thought - seems to have most of the features and is dual sim!!

co durham boy

: 'ifoney'...quality!!