CrackBerry Asks: What features are most important in your BlackBerry smartphone?

The selling point for me with the Storm 2 was the fact that I could use the keyboard in a horizontal position. Secondly, I am able to receive my emails and respond to them from my BB. I also enjoy the fact that my BB works well with my computer at the office. For the icing on the cake, there are some really useful apps. Last, but not least, there is Crackberry, which has served as an educational tool to someone who was ignorant about smart phones. Thanks guys, keep educating me.

There are many reasons I stick with my Blackberry. Keyboard, Autotype, touchscreen (torch), security, customazation of entire phone to your liking, push emails *broke my torch, went crazy with my old pantech waiting for replacement :)* data compression (great for us costomers of AT&T who have the 2gb package). There are many more, but I'm just to tired to type them. I bought the iphone *god I hate admitting that xD* but soon there after upgraded another line to get my torch and will never go back. Yes, Blackberry has its flaws, but ill stick with reliability over newcomers speed anyday.

socialscope

I picked keyboard & I have a Pearl 3G 9100

Messaging, qwerty keyboard, BIS, push e-mail. BBM is minor, apps not so much at all. Google/BBMaps are a [b]PLUS[/b] when cycling out of the area or finding obscure addresses. One more thing: Battery life. It wins with everything else this marvelous device has to offer.

while for the most part cosmetic, I thought "themeses" would rank higher. I'm loathe to uptdate to O6 much less os 7 because of it. Not that I use them much, Classique is my mainstay and I don't see it for either of the new os's. Just a bunch icon's all over the place. Minimalism is what I'm interested,

Wow, you all bring some good points to the table.
For me, the Pearl was my first smartphone ever. Therefore, I had no idea how spoiled I am with a BB - other phones don't have notification profiles - really? No other BBM type platform - really? No AUTO TEXT - really? I will have to mention all of these features to my iphone/andriod loving friends.
The ability to hit the steering wheel (from being attached to my hip) and be dropped repeatedly on a tile floor without so much as a skip in the software or without breaking the screen is priceless. BBs are the first phones that have lasted longer than one physical year with me and yes, I am clutzy and hard on my phones. It sucks to have to constantly replace phones when you are not ready for an upgrade.
The only time I switch BBs is to upgrade (or when my 8330 got stolen).

As for BBM I had no idea of its capabilites until recently and I have had 3 BBs for almost three years now. Ive had to train other people how to use BBM - Kevin do a video on how to use BBM.....
thanks.

The main reason I have a BB (9630) is that it is the only smartphone I can get without a camera. Don't see much point in having one if I can't bring it into my workplace.

How about the actual phone part of the smartPHONE!! That's why I like my BlackBerry - a great caller experience, with all the other stuff as a great bonus.

What's the point in a smartphone that isn't great at making calls?

What I most want from my device is simple. It had better work.

I am a tech geek and nerd at heart, but I am not being overly simplistic when I say that for any device I use the only measure that means anything is that it works. Fail that and nothing else matters.

Trolls and haters, ask yourself this before you flame me. I use my device daily as a tool for my business. Bottom line if it did not make me money, I would not use it. Can you truly say the same of yours. Because if you cannot then your device is nothing more than a nice shiny piece of tinsel to me.

I am shocked (shocked I say) that no one has mentioned the highly under-rated (IMHO) AutoText.

AutoText is a feature that is so basic and integral to efficient smartphone use that you would think iOS, Android and webOS would have it baked into each, yet they do not. I think AutoText is an essential feature on any small form device because it simplifies typing particular repetitive words and phrases. I use it so much that I have to add the same shortcuts to Word on any computer I use because I reflexively type the abbreviate word.

5 things keep me with BB

Keyboard
---- best keyboard on the market hands down

BBM
---- it's the little things, location sending. Status / picture updates, NO stupid fonts, always on, D&R,

Data compession
----1/4 Data compared to other platforms with similar usage while traveling means lower cost bills when I get home

Battery (life + charge speed + replacable)
---- lasts all day, charges super fast, and can pocket a battery or 3 for long trips

LED notification
---- Passive notification!!!! My bb sits in my breast pocket I don't want it making sounds or noise, but after talking I can glace see if something else requires my attention or do I stay in the pitch I am in

Above I wrote 4 things. Then as I hit post my LED told me I had a new email.

Facebook, GetGlue, MY TASKS, email my games and I love the way a theme personalizes bb just for me. So much more I can't think of right now.

Surprised no one has mentioned shared group calendars. I know iPhone has Google sync but it no where near allows me to have share and wirelessly sync my group calendars the way Blackberry does all while keeping my personal calendar seperate. My husband and I live on it! He adds a kid appointment and "poof" it's on my BB. I can also make a to do list for the family and watch as it's checked off on multiple devices (our teen has a BB too) under BB groups.

I also feel like Blackberries are extremely reliable. I can't tell you how many times I've dropped mine or dropped it and then kicked it under my car! Only to find that thing still working! I guess that's not really a feature--is it?

I can't believe battery life isn't listed here.

Wouldn't it be more telling to know what users find lacking in their BBs that might be driving them to other phones? FWIW, I'm not one of those - I'm very satisfied with everything BBs do, though I won't mind when they do them a little quicker. Can you say 9900? ;)

Pretty sad that it's the presence of a "keyboard" that's keeping people on a BB nowadays...

Personally, if Apple makes an iPhone with a physical keyboard, I'm switching.

I made the jump to iPhone back in February when it became available on the Verizon network. I have to say, I love my iPhone and how convenient the apps make my life. However, I hate the fact that I don't have a physical keyboard, sound profiles and real push notifications. I'm probably switching back to the 9930 when it's released later this year (luckily I'm due for an upgrade in December).

@bgr said he is working on a "big" RIM story with some pretty "wild things". He has peaked my interest - anybody have any ideas? He posted it last night.

Also, like babaloo says, it's not so much a particular feature that is important, because so many different phones can have push email, keyboards, etc. They key is how well it all works together in an efficient and productive device. I choose BB because of how quickly I can get from a locked device to initiating a speed-dial, editing a list, taking a picture, or viewing the "today" info. Keyboard shortcuts are key to this. I can unlock my BB and speed dial my wife by feel before my phone full comes out of my pocket. I can get from home screen to editing my ToDo list in 3 rapid-fire key presses, "d-t-enter" that gets me there before a single animation can execute on a competitive device. Android and iPhone are starting to improve in this area by allowing you to swipe unlock to a particular app, but BB is way ahead of the curve on this IMO.

Durability, instant email, security and cross-network social engagement. For all the rest there are better phones and tablets out there.

Camera. With 2 little rug rats I find that my cell phone is frequently the only camera I have with me when those spontaneous priceless moments happen. I have top-end dslr and vid cam, yet the majority of the family memories are captured with a cell phone cam. I wish RIM would make sure the camera is also best-in-class.

The email is the big thing for me, and the physical keyboard is also enough of a factor to sway me to BB instead of something else (I first had a Storm but didn't like the touch experience). BBM is a nice bonus but I wouldn't consider it an essential.

Notification light!!!! lol. Wow RIM is not looking good.

angry birds?

1. Keyboard, 2.Push email, 3. Ability to FULLY synch (calendar, contacts, tasks, notes) with multiple desktop installations of Outlook, 4. Battery life, 5. Ability to customize options the way I want them.

This might sound jerky, and i don't mean it to be, but I don't find this poll informative.

I want a usable device, one that enhances my communication and information instead of blocking it or slowing me down.

I'm proficient with my storm 9530 keyboard. Email, obviously, is key and it's not going anywhere. Themes aren't completely necessary, but they can be helpful. but the function isn't going anywhere. security, BBS, BBM, again, they're not going anywhere. I want ALL those features and more.

Here's what I want. I want a smooth OS. I want to be able to view a contact card and then swipe to the next one instead of having to go out to the list of contacts and selecting the next. I want to look at a calendar appointment detail card similar to the contact card instead of opening into the edit mode. I want my calculator on my touch screen to be set up in a calculator layout and not a phone layout. I want the function keys for that calculator to have smarter placement. I want my contact list nicknames to be recognized by my voice dialing, which they currently are not. I want to be able to set up a default caller ID display so that when one of my many customers call out from the same main number it just says a company name and not some random contact with a matching phone number.

So that's it. What's my most important feature? To be able to use my device efficiently without it getting in my way.

The only thing that I need from BlackBerry that I can't get on another platform is BBM. With iMessage coming out for iOS, BBM may become antiquated. Then there would be no reason for a BlackBerry at all.

BBM, Push email, Keyboard, Touchscreen, fast Internet Browsing, Angry Birds. in that order

The keyboard, push emails, security, and BBM are critical factors in why I have a BB. Don't forget battery life which excels in BB's also. BBM is becoming less relevant, the only way to fix that is for it to become a cross platform messenger.