Whether you are in a business meeting, sitting in a restaurant or a gathering with friends, you will notice men and women carrying either iPhone or Blackberry smartphones.
Wherever you go, people are holding their phones smiling while reading their messages if they have a Blackberry or sliding their finger on the screen and listening to music on their iPhone. Both Saudi Telecom Company and Mobily provide the Blackberry service which allows the user to stay connected through Blackberry Messenger with anyone anywhere in the world who has the same service. Although Mobily introduced the service before STC did, the popularity of Blackberry phones grew with having another provider in the market.
At the same time, Mobily also introduced iPhone services to the public, thus actually allowing people to utilize the phone, unlike when there was no official provider in the Kingdom. Both services have become revolutionary in the country, increasing sales as well as providing better services, especially when it comes to the third generation service (3G).
iPhone has recently introduced its latest 3GS iPhone, which Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc, described as “a revolutionary mobile phone,” because it combines the iPod, cell phone and Internet features. For consumers, the choice comes down to whether they prefer Blackberry’s keyboard or iPhone’s touchscreen. While iPhone has grabbed the headlines for its sleek design, Blackberry has held its own too.
According to Khalid Khalaf, a customer service employee at Axiom Telecom, the official Blackberry and iPhone providers, girls tend to buy the Blackberry phones more than men. “Our sales of Blackberry Curve or Bold and iPhone are high. However, the new 3GS iPhone is expensive, it ranges between SR4,500 to SR5,000 depending on the phones memory capacity,” he added.
Khalaf also told Arab News the iPhone is known for its Internet browsing features, which he believes is better than Blackberry’s. Arab News visited one of Axiom Telecom stores and asked about the availability of both phones. The Blackberry was available while the iPhone was sold out.
Mona Saeed, 30, works in a private company and received an iPhone as a gift from her husband. She said that she would never consider a Blackberry because it was addictive unlike the iPhone.
“iPhone Internet browsing allows you to surf all sites just like a computer. However, the Blackberry messenger has become an addiction for many,” she added. She described Blackberry users as a kind of “cult” because of their excessive chatting habits on the exclusive Blackberry messenger service known as BBM. In fact, Blackberry has a growing number of addicts, who are nicknamed ‘crackberries’.
Reem Mohammed, who works in a private company and uses both iPhone and Blackberry, said that she prefers iPhone to Blackberry for its user-friendly features and browsing. “I bought the Blackberry first and I like using the messenger to chat with friends and send files. But the iPhone is easier to use,” she said.
Reem also said that iPhone could be used for both work and entertainment while Blackberry is only for the messenger.
“The iPhone browsing is much faster than Blackberry and I can also use Word documents and send e-mails much easier than Blackberry,” she added. However, there are those who would never consider exchanging their Blackberry devices for any other mobile phone.
Ahmed Al-Ali, 25, bought a Blackberry after he heard his friends talking about it. He receives e-mails from three accounts including gmail and hotmail.
“I don’t use the Blackberry messenger a lot. But I love the idea for work purposes of being connected to my e-mails all the time,” he said.
“This device is revolutionary. Everywhere I go, I see people with the colorful phone covers holding one of the devices in their hands,” he said adding that he sees iPhone as an iPod rather than a mobile phone.
At the same time, people are not only using the two devices but debating on which is better. So take a stand: Do you favor Blackberry or iPhone?
