Top 10 Reasons the iPhone is STILL NO BlackBerry

Back in April our CrackBerry.com correspondent Al Sacco wrote an article entitled Top 10 Reasons Why the iPhone is NO BlackBerry. If you haven't read that masterpiece yet, be sure to check it out. It caused quite a stir and received a ton of feedback from the smartphone community. In that article, Al made note that the release of the iPhone 2.0 would likely address a few of the original Top 10 Reasons stated, and yesterday that was proven to be true.

Stuff They Fixed: The new iPhone is more affordable, has GPS, will have greater availability from carriers and there should be a big selection of 3rd party apps available soon. And though it was left off the original list of the iPhone's shortcomings, with the announcement of the 3G iPhone Apple has also ramped up it's Enterprise play, clearly making RIM their target and setting their sights on them. I'll be fair and give Apple a nod for job well done.

THAT BEING SAID, a BlackBerry is a BlackBerry and an Apple is an Apple and there are STILL 10 Reasons why the iPhone is NO BlackBerry (we left a few in reserve the first time around) and why I'm still excited as all hell for the BlackBerry Bold to hit the market.

Top 10 Reasons Why the iPhone is STILL NO BlackBerry 

10. No Removable Battery
Steve Jobs is big into looks and wants the iPhone to be an 'object' instead of an electronic gadget, but there is a time and a place for everything and when it comes to smartphone batteries they neeeed to be replaceable. Sure, iPhone users can pick themselves up an extended case battery like the Mophie Juice Pack Battery Pack / Case for the iPhone, but this is a bandaid solution for an issue that shouldn't exist. 

9. Still No Native Video Recording / No Camera Flash
Maybe a 3rd party application will bring out the video recording capabilities of the iPhone, but until it happens this is one for the list. All new camera equipped smartphones from RIM can record video, and with the release of OS4.5 even older models (Pearl 8100 excluded) will get the goods to. While were at it, let's remember that the iPhone still has no camera flash.

8. Still No Voice Dialing
Voice dialing on a touchscreen phone seems like an absolute no brainer. It was shocking when the original iPhone did not have it, and it's even more shocking to see this missing from the next-generation iPhone. Come on Apple, even Microsoft can do this with their Windows Mobile phones. One thing is for sure, it's a safe bet Voice Dialing will not be missing from the BlackBerry "Thunder" when it is launched.

7. No Memory Expansion
8GB and 16GB versions are decent, but what you buy is what you get. Having the option to swap out microSDHC cards provides unlimited storage. 

6. Still No MMS
Pretty much every phone on the market does this. What up Apple? 

5. No CDMA Version Available
Looks like Apple still doesn't like any of you Verizon/Alltel, Sprint, Telus, Bell, MTS, Cellular South, etc. users. 

4. No UMA 
3rd party apps may hit the market that will allow for calling via WiFi (a la Skype for iPhone), but you won't be seeing unlimited calling via UMA a la T-Mobile or Rogers coe to the iPhone anytime soon. 

3. Still No A2DP Stereo Bluetooth
WTF?! It's a wireless world, yet Apple still wants you to plug in headphones. Earth to Apple - Stereo Bluetooth is where it's at. 

2. Still No Copy & Paste
No comments required on this one. Just start laughing. :-)

1. Still Lacks the Crack!!!
While the nine reasons above are factual "What's Lacking on the iPhone" statements, this final and most important reason is a combination of factors. The BlackBerry earned the name CrackBerry for a reason... it's Addictive. It's not that BlackBerry users pick up their device and use it for thirty minutes and put it back down and pick it up a few hours later when they are bored and use it again. The BlackBerry compells its owner to use it.

BlackBerry owners reach for their BlackBerry frequently throughout the day (count it one day - don't be surprised if you exceed 100) and there are reasons for that: the one-handed ease of use allows you to BlackBerry it up anywhere; the LED notifier lets you know something is up and draws you back; the "always on" nature of the device makes turning it on pain-free - you can be in and out in couple of seconds; the easy-to-type-on physical keyboard allows you fire off messages in a jiffy. These factors combined contribute to a winning user experience, especially for those who USE their smartphones...not just PLAY with them.

iPhone in Enterprise: Speaking of PLAYing with smartphones, Steve Jobs mentioned during yesterday's announcement that Apple beta tested the new iPhone with a number of Fortune 500 companies. It'll be interesting to see if any of these companies fully adopt the iPhone into their workforce. If so, I want to know who they are so I can short their stock... Enterprise productivity is about to take a down turn!! Seriously, the iPhone does not even have a key to take you directly into the phone app!

YOUR TURN! 

So those are the updated Top 10 Reasons why I won't be trading in my BlackBerry for a 3G iPhone when it hits stores on July 11th. What do you all think? Agree? Disagree? Did I miss a reason why your BlackBerry is better than the iPhone? Voice your opinions in the comments!

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