WHAT'S AHEAD FOR BLACKBERRY SUFFERERS (CUSTOMERS)

The demise/death spiral of RIM, maker of Blackberry smartphones, has been well-chronicled in the business press. It has gotten so bad that even in the corporate world, where Blackberry had been entrenched, Blackberry's hold is starting to crumble.  The so-called "BYOD" or Bring Your Own Device movement, is catching on, and corporate IT departments are beginning to allow non-Blackberry smartphones to be deployed.  This trend will only accelerate, and those of us with aging Blackberry smartphones are faced with the dilemma of what to do next.

There are three options:  1.  Wait it out with Blackberry.  2.  Switch to iPhone, or 3. Switch to Android. 

The first option, sticking with Blackberry means waiting for RIM to come out with its new Blackberry 10 series of phones. I can't recommend this approach.  However, this may have appeal to a small subset of customers.  People who are happy with their current Blackberry, even if it is several years old.  People who hate virtual keyboards.  The problem with this approach is that there is substantial risk that RIM will go the way of Palm and other once-popular tech products that eventually wither and die off.  How many platforms/operating systems will the market support?  Two, maybe, just maybe, three.  That means Apple and Android occupying the first two slots.  Fighting it out for the number three spot are RIM and Microsoft/Nokia.  That is even assuming there is room for a third player.  This is a little like hanging on to the deck of the Titanic in the hopes that it won't sink.   You are simply postponing the inevitable transition from a doomed, orphaned platform. 

The other two options are to switch to Android or iPhone.  If you are thinking of switching to the iPhone, I suggest you wait until later this year.  Sometime around October or November, Apple will likely come out with the iPhone 5.  It will finally have 4G/LTE technology, which is worth the wait, particularly if you are a Verizon customer.

The biggest complaint I hear from iPhone users who are former Blackerry users is the virtual keyboard.  Especially the dreaded Auto-Correction feature.  My advice to anyone who has an iPhone and who hates the Auto-Correction feature is to disable it.  Here's how:  Go into Settings, and under General, scroll down to near the bottom of the list of options.  Near the bottom you will see buried the word "Keyboard".  If you touch the word "Keyboard", the iPhone will display a list of options, the second one being "Auto-Correction".  Turn it off by pressing the On/Off toggle switch with your finger.

For Blackberry users who hate virtual keyboards, the Android world offers more options.  The Verizon store I visited had two Android phones with slide out keyboards.  Unfortunately, neither had the beveled keys that you find with Blackberry phones, but rather a flat keyboard that I found tricky/difficult to use.  More models may be coming out shortly, and perhaps you can find one that works for you.  If you get an Android phone with a keyboard because you value that feature so much, be sure that the phone has the latest version of Android (currently the so-called "Ice Cream Sandwich" version), and that it is an LTE 4G phone.

For the rest of us Blackberry customers who prefer a keyboard but will grudgingly adapt to a virtual keyboard, I suggest the iPhone platform over Android.  Assuming you are willing to wait for the iPhone 5 so that you get the 4G/LTE experience.  Why iPhone over Android?  The biggest reason is Siri.  Siri is sensational, a real game changer.  Instead of typing, your voice becomes the interface.  Here's the anecdote that sold me:  we are having dinner at a restaurant after seeing the movie "The Descendants."  I wonder how old George Clooney is.  Someone at the table had an iPhone 4S.  I borrow it, press the Siri button and say, "Siri, how old is George Clooney?"  Siri comes back with an excerpt from an online source (Wikipedia perhaps) that gives his exact birthdate.  I was impressed.  Imagine driving to work, and you have a thought and you simply speak to your phone and say, "Siri, remind me after work to pick up my drycleaning."  And that evening, before you leave the office, Siri reminds you to pick up the drycleaning. 

I can't wait for the iPhone 5.