This is the first of a series called “iPhone vs All”, giving comparative between the iPhone and other major market smartphones.

Its important to recognize that the iPhone and the BlackBerry series are the ones more important in today smartphones market, in relation to customer satisfaction and positioning.
This comparative analysis between the iPhone and BlackBerry is the result of an exhaustive study of the capabilities and advantages of each device. Although this site is devoted to iPhone, I have covered the topic from a neutral position showing advantages or disadvantages that can be found on each smartphone.
I’ve developed this analysis to explore several important points of both smartphones as usability, storage capacity, user interface, price and other topics using the BlackBerry Curve, BlackBerry 8800, BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8700 series.

Functionality

The BlackBerry has the functionality of phone, camera 1Mpx with balance control (only on models Curve and Pearl) and handheld PDA, while the iPhone is a camera of 2Mpx in which we can not record video, audio iPod and video, phone and handheld PDAs. The important point is to find the best features of each device and get the most out of it. Starting with the BlackBerry, it has several important features such as data compression and a long battery life; the iPhone has been a 4 in 1 where you can send and receive emails, watch videos and listen to music, take pictures and of course call your clients and friends.

Organizer

The BlackBerry and the iPhone are at the same level in terms of organizational applications as both have application for managing contacts, calendar and tasks to organize daily activities efficiently, notepad and calculator. The iPhone has no task list.

Synchronization
iPhone sync is done through the iTunes system in either Windows or Mac, iTunes allows to synchronize music, videos, podcasts and markers, while synchronizing contacts and calendars can be done with Outlook on Windows 2003 and 2007 and iCal 2004 or Entourage on Mac via iTunes. The iPhone calendar don’t have todo lists, it couldn’t handle tasks categories, nor colors that identify different tasks, however it has sufficient features to help us keep our tasks ordered.
The blackberry use the BlackBerry Desktop Software as an integrated suite of applications that handles synchronization. Version 4.3 of BlackBerry Desktop Software that is the last until today, allows synchronization with the following applications: Lotus Notes ® 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 8.0, MS Outlook ® 2002, 2003, 2007, MS Outlook Express 6, Windows Contacts (Vista Address Book), Novell GroupWise ® ® 6.5, 7.0, Yahoo! ® PIM and their push/pop integration with Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5SP4, 2000, 2003.
The iPhone sync with the push/pop functionalities with Microsoft Exchange Server will come with version 2 of software this year (2008). It is also possible to synchronize the BlackBerry calendar with the google calendar via Google Sync for BlackBerry.

Size and Weight

Memory
Despite some complaints that the iPhone memory is not expandable, it in their presentations of 8GB and 16GB of integrated memory far exceeds the 16MB memory of the BlackBerry. The BlackBerry has microSD expansion slot, but now the Micro SD with more capacity that exists in the market is of 4GB.

Bluetooth

Both devices have bluetooth, but the iPhone bluetooth can only be used for hands-free.

Keyboard and User Interface

Although the user interface has been improved in the BlackBerry, their little buttons make difficult to write for those who have prominent fingers. The iPhone has a touch-screen that becomes a virtual keyboard that magnifies their letters to improve visibility, which is equally, hard to tap if have not enough practice.

The iPhone has a very intuitive interface while the BlackBerry offers a very friendly navigation system through its trackball.

Data compression

The BlackBerry have the ability to compress content. When this option is enable the device compresses all data, including messages, contacts, calendar events, tasks and memos.

Data encryption

The data encryption is a very important point to consider, mainly enterprises. Only the BlackBerry models have the possibility to encrypt data on the device. If you have enabled data compression and encryption of data simultaneously, the BlackBerry first compresses data and then encrypt it. Enabling data encryption, will sacrifice a little performance of the device to maintain a persistent security.