So which one to choose

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saixbot

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I am due for an upgrade and been a Nokia user since the mid 90's. I've pretty much done my home work for my next upgrade and decided upon a Black Berry, but which one? My options are:

Bold 9780
Curve 9300
Curve 8520
Torch (dont like it - slide phone, sick of dem)

Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on my options, thanks :)
 
saixbot said:
I am due for an upgrade and been a Nokia user since the mid 90's. I've pretty much done my home work for my next upgrade and decided upon a Black Berry, but which one? My options are:

Bold 9780
Curve 9300
Curve 8520
Torch (dont like it - slide phone, sick of dem)

Would anyone mind sharing their thoughts on my options, thanks :)
Click to expand...

The Curve 8520(the phone most students have) is very old! The phone was released in August 2009 and also doesn't have 3G only GPRS and EDGE and also doesn't have GPS which is standard for most phones these days.
 
Torch is the best n that bunch. But it's terrible when compared to competing phones in the price range. My dad has one.
Compared the web browsing to my Galaxy S. It's laughable.

The Curve 8520 is very dated. The screen looks terrible, even text is pixellated because of the low resolution.

The 9300 is probably a good middle-ground though I have not tried one personally.
 
None of the above.
Try something new. You can just aswell buy a nokia 5110 if you go for one of those.
 
I wouldn't get a bold,dad had to replace it like 3 times due to software issues.
 
I figured there would be some neg comments but thats expected and relevant because its all about the experience right.

So if I may be so bold (sic)to ask, what should I get.
My current contract is a Talk 130 and costs me about R315.00p/m for the contract excluding calls. I have used Nokia for ever but am prepared to learn a new OS if needs be.

My needs are:
Phone Calls (duh :))
Email - (I get about 500mb a month in mail - and should synch with my Outlook - home network)
IM chat (I was thinking WhatsApp or the like?)
Tweets/FB mail
Maaaaybe Online Banking - I'm still to nervous about taking that step just yet.
And a data bundle to cover my mail, I wont use the phone for browsing

With the above in mind I see on page 10 of the mag I got from Vodacom [June issue] today they have an iPhone4 16GB for309p/m, would that improve my standing with my contemporaries?

Fire away ---> :) thanks guys.
 
saixbot said:
I figured there would be some neg comments but thats expected and relevant because its all about the experience right.

So if I may be so bold (sic)to ask, what should I get.
My current contract is a Talk 130 and costs me about R315.00p/m for the contract excluding calls. I have used Nokia for ever but am prepared to learn a new OS if needs be.

My needs are:
Phone Calls (duh :))
Email - (I get about 500mb a month in mail - and should synch with my Outlook - home network)
IM chat (I was thinking WhatsApp or the like?)
Tweets/FB mail
Maaaaybe Online Banking - I'm still to nervous about taking that step just yet.
And a data bundle to cover my mail, I wont use the phone for browsing

With the above in mind I see on page 10 of the mag I got from Vodacom [June issue] today they have an iPhone4 16GB for309p/m, would that improve my standing with my contemporaries?

Fire away ---> :) thanks guys.
Click to expand...
My missus just got the Curve 9300 and she's loving it. It's got many of the same features (HSDPA and GPS) as the Bold but more reasonably priced. It came with OS6.

Mod_note: thread moved to Blackberry sub-forum.
 
If that's your kind of budget, a Samsung Galaxy S would be a better choice than any BB.
You may want to rather wait for the Galaxy S2 or HTC Sensation though.

iPhone 4... well I wouldn't touch it because of the Apple limitations and how incredibly easily the glass cover (yes, glass cover) cracks.
But it's not a bad choice if you know what you're getting and the limitations don't bother you.
 
If it's going to be BlackBerry then I would look not further than the Bold series. The 9780 is an awesome device.
 
Maddmatt said:
If that's your kind of budget, a Samsung Galaxy S would be a better choice than any BB.
You may want to rather wait for the Galaxy S2 or HTC Sensation though.

iPhone 4... well I wouldn't touch it because of the Apple limitations and how incredibly easily the glass cover (yes, glass cover) cracks.
But it's not a bad choice if you know what you're getting and the limitations don't bother you.
Click to expand...

Yep never hadan Iphone but a couple of my buds who have had Iphones have actually complained about the glass screen and how easy they crack and break.

I have the old Blackberry Curve 8520 and I find it quite nice but it is slow when online as it only uses EDGE. I would rather go for the newer curve version with 3G
 
Given what you're looking for then I would recommend the Torch mostly because you're dealing with a lot of emails (apparently) and it's more pleasent to read emails from the larger screen than the smaller ones of the Curve and Bold. You say you don't like the slide function though so I would then direct you to the Storm...maybe wait a little and you'll get the Storm 2. The Storms have the screen roughly the size of the Torch but are fully touch screen (no slide function). The problem with that is that if your touch screen decides to COSATU on your ass and strike then you're left with a phone you can't use. The Torch has a backup plan to that. I also just found that the Storm and Torch had better picture quality and I anticipate the Storm 2 will keep it up.

Either way you go though, the 'data bundle' to handle your mailing, chatting, Tweeting, Facebooking and all that jazz is BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). BIS is pretty much the main reason why ANYONE gets BlackBerry. It's an additional R59 but some packages have it included.

P.S. My opinion towards the Torch may be bias because I am a Torch user - not so much bias as it is speaking out of experience.

P.S.S. If possible, I'd recommend getting a top-up package and insisting on them placing an Inhibitor on your account if you get BIS. This will stop them from putting in silly data charges the should be carried by BIS. It's a fail safe to make sure Vodacom, Cell C, MTN or 8ta don't try their luck and make you run around like a headless chicken disputing a bill. Again, personal experience/ bias.
 
Thanks so far for the response, and please add more....

... so far though I am still leaning in that Bold direction ....but some comments got me thinking:

This whole BIS thingy, I get it that its BB's Internet gateway yada yada, but the cost factor, its R60-80 bucks a month fixed over and above your monthly contract amount if not bundled right?

As I don't plan to download the internet and go all Chuck Norris on my account with 3G it should not cost more than it says on the sticker, right?

@DarkBlood - sorry I forgot to mention, no touch screen either - old fashioned button ringer for me please :)
 
BeVonk! said:
If it's going to be BlackBerry then I would look not further than the Bold series. The 9780 is an awesome device.
Click to expand...
+1.its as compact as an 8520 but does double the work.
Prices are decent to.
 
No Touch screen? Then Torch and Storm are not for you. I'd then recommend the Curve rather than Bold but since you're looking for simplicity the Bold will suffice. No use paying more for something you won't use.

Regarding BIS, yes, it should not cost more than it says on the sticker unless you stream videos (go on YouTube and all those buggers which it seems you won't from your phone) and other stuff. Your emails (reading and downloading attachments) will be covered by BIS so you won't incurr data charges (unless the attachments and emails are bigger than 5MB and 10MB or something. See the 'BIS - Is it really free' sticky post on this thread).

I'm curious though: Why are you interested in a BlackBerry particularly? It sounds like you can get cheaper packages and phones that have the same capability you are looking for than if you go BlackBerry.
 
Well if I could get me a Nokia that offers the same applications/service I may consider it but to be honest there is nothing I can say I really like from Nokia at the moment. I'm over the whole GPS built-in faze already and most new phones are blooming slippy slidy or have touchy feely stuff going on.

I can use email on my existing phone and contract but I get billed @ like 2 bucks a MB or something silly like that. I don't want to purchase a separate contract just for data bundles, it just gets messy keeping tabs on things. I also want "unlimited" internet access so I can pop my mail to my phone, check me tweets, IM, etc, while I on maneuvers. I doubt any of the attachments I receive are above 10mb, but 5mb maybe... Product PDF's, firmware patches etc, but that I would push to me PC instead anyways,

So that's why I was looking @ BB because of the whole BIS experience...
 
Go to shop. Hold both Curve 9300 and Bold 9780. Before you've even switched them on you'll know why it must be the Bold. Bold costs more for good reasons. Curve is excellent value for money, but Bold is a number of steps up.
 
DarkBlood said:
No Touch screen? Then Torch and Storm are not for you. I'd then recommend the Curve rather than Bold but since you're looking for simplicity the Bold will suffice. No use paying more for something you won't use.
Click to expand...
The bold is generally regarded as a step up from the curve - are you sure you didnt get those two reversed?
 
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