This post will sound like it’s all about cell phones, but it’s much more about the way we should all approach life. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up.
To me, life is all about perspective. There is no one true reality, because your sense of reality will bend according to how you perceive it. What may appear to be bad news may not really be that bad. Every decision that you make and every product that you buy will come with a series of pros and cons, because there is no such thing as the perfect one-size-fits-all solution for everyone.
This is partly why it irks me when I see some of the discussions like the recent poll question on John Chow’s blog. He asks which is the best smartphone, but we already know that he is leaning heavily toward the iPhone 3G S. Even the poll post uses terms like “BitterBerry” to refer to the BlackBerry. Several of the options in the poll are even misnamed.
John says that he’s trying to be fair by clumping all the BlackBerry devices into one option, but he does not do the same for phones powered by Google Android. Similarly, he includes the Nokia N97, but does not clump it together with the rest of Nokia and the Symbian smartphone lineup. What about the Nokia E71? The Nokia N95?
On Facebook and Twitter, he calls it “Nokia crap.” Oh, is that so? Nokia just so happens to be the number one cell phone company in the world. Apparently, John’s perspective on smartphones is bordered by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Further still, the Samsung Instinct somehow makes the poll (even though it’s not a smartphone at all), yet there is nary a mention of a phone with Windows Mobile.
On Twitter, you may have noticed the ongoing battle between Stephen Fung and Gary Ng over smartphone supremacy. Stephen loves his BlackBerry and iPhone Gary, as his nickname implies, loves his iPhone. Are either of them correct? Are they both right?
When I choose to participate in said debate, I inevitably end up going after Gary more than anyone. This isn’t because I dislike the iPhone (I don’t); it’s because I dislike the mentality that the iPhone is the be-all and end-all of smartphones and that Apple can do no wrong. This is the wrong perspective to take, especially if so many of these iPhone enthusiasts have never given a fair shake to the other options out there. How can you say it’s the best if you’ve never really tried the rest?
In the end, there is no such thing as the best smartphone. There is such a thing, however, as one of the best smartphones for you. It will depend on your specific needs and what you value the most. The iPhone, as it stands, will not be able to compete with the BlackBerry’s level of enterprise security. The BlackBerry, as it stands, does not offer as strong a “fun” and media-centric experience as the iPhone. Choose the phone that best suits your needs, preferences, and personality, but keep an open mind about what the other options can bring. Value the strengths, but recognize the weaknesses.
There are two sides to every coin. Look at both.
I think you need to buy yourself the iPhone 3GS…you know you want it, especially if you’re looking for the best internet experience on a phone, ever. 😀
*facepalm*
Ever! Eeeeevvvvveeeerrrrr!
You know I have an 8310 Curve for personal use and an 8330 Curve from work. I like the qwerty keyboard, I’ve tried the keyboard on the Storm and the iPhone and do not like the amount of precision I need to type.
On the other hand I love the speed of the iPhone and hate the slowness and poor internet quality of the Curve. I like the amount of what I can do with the iPhone and hate the pain of the hoops you have to jump through to get good apps for the BB.
I’m coming up on my upgrade time on the 15th of July and I’ve pared the list down to the Bold and the iPhone. I’ve been watching with interest all the discussion on Twitter between Stephen and Gary. I read John’s post/poll and Facebook status. I take them all with a grain of salt. I tend to throw out John’s poll because of the reasons that Michael points out. I feel that it is just an iPhone plug and slanted based on John’s love of the iPhone.
While Gary and Stephen go back and forth they do have fun and they also have points to make from their own perspective.
I’ve got about 3 weeks to make a decision, lets see how it goes.
If you already have a BB, then I do recommend giving something else a try to gain perspective. I have an iPhone 3G and use it on and off. But it is no replacement for my BB. If I had to choose ONE phone, I would pick the BB simply because at the end of the day, work over fun, just like you would choose your work van over your convertible if you needed to make a choice. The 3G is my weekend toy.
The Storm, by RIM’s admission, was a bit of an experiment. As a BB user, I dislike that phone, personally. But it is clear that people want that and RIM will respond with the Storm 2 which has all the kinks ironed out, but I wouldn’t wait around for it. The Bold is better than the Curve for Internet, but not a huge amount. It is being addressed and who knows, might make it into the next 5.0 firmware as the improvement we’ve been looking for.
Did you consider the Pre or Android?
I haven’t considered either the Pre or Android just from the perspective that Google just got into the field and I haven’t heard enough good things yet about the Pre that would make me leave my BB.
I won’t wait for the Storm 2, but I still have 3 weeks before I can upgrade and at that I still don’t have to make a decision right away. I am considering that I use one BB for work with Exchange Server Enterprise and the personal BB I use for play and my 2nd job for dispatches via email. So, the new phone would be a best of both worlds, where I believe the iPhone is winning except for the keyboard.
We just got a iPhone, mainly because the sales guy was actually drooling. It is a pain to type. For business, I would not replace my antique PocketPC phone with the slide out keyboard and large screen. It still matches the BB, beats the iPhone and the Pre is starting to look like it is getting close.
Looking at the title of the post, I thought it was one of your ‘personal development’ post.
Having read the article, I thought it was a tad too much of a rant on cell phones, but then I realized about the “disclaimer” at the beginning of the post.
I don’t think it was a rant on cell phones. The topic could have been Starbucks against Dunkin’ Doughnuts and everyone else or HP versus everyone else.
I see it as pointing out the prejudices of people and our different views of the same things.