Once upon a time, Apple unseated BlackBerry as king of the smartphones. Could BlackBerry return the favor by switching to Android? Check out a surprisingly close battle that comes down to intangibles.

David Wagner, Executive Editor, Community & IT Life

September 27, 2015

3 Min Read
<p align="left">(Image: Tinhte)</p>

iPhone 6s Debut: 7 Tips For Buyers

iPhone 6s Debut: 7 Tips For Buyers


iPhone 6s Debut: 7 Tips For Buyers (Click image for larger view and slideshow.)

BlackBerry's back, baby! Put on your Sean John Jeans and Lugz because it feels like 2007 all over again.

Remember when you owned a BlackBerry and were deciding between keeping it or heading to the iPhone? Now you can make that decision all over again, because BlackBerry has a new Android phone called the Priv. Ordinarily, if a publication like ours was going to discuss the new iPhone we'd compare it to the flagship Android phone like a Galaxy. In fact, we did.

But let's not forget that iPhone vs. BlackBerry was once the battle in the heavyweight division. And now that BlackBerry has jumped on the Android bandwagon, it could be again. Let's check out the tale of the tape:

The typical stuff such as specs are more even than you'd think. We don't know all the details, but rumors say the screen size on the BlackBerry Priv should be about the size of the iPhone 6s Plus with comparable resolution. Storage space is comparable to the lower-end models of the iPhone, and more than adequate for most uses. The chip and other stuff is close enough.

[ Of course, we know in sales there will be no contest. Read IPhone 6s, 6 Plus Pre-orders Could Set Record. ]

That means we get to judge on the intangibles. Is there anything (serious or less serious) that we can use to separate them? We'll try.

Apple: The iPhone doesn't have a name that sounds like a 19th century name for the bathroom.

BlackBerry: But Priv has a keyboard!

Apple: iPhone comes in multiple colors, including rose gold and space gray.

BlackBerry: Priv comes in black. Because black is the color of business!

Apple: iPhone is such an iconic look, its style hasn't changed in eight years.

BlackBerry: The Priv keyboard makes it super thick. You'll never forget it is in your pocket… if it fits.

Apple: iPhone has 3D touch.

BlackBerry: You wouldn't need 3D touch if your keys were actually in three dimensions, like they are on the Priv.

Apple: iPhone has a fingerprint scanner.

BlackBerry: BlackBerry has never lost a bunch of celebrity pictures.

Apple: No celebrities took pictures of themselves with a BlackBerry.

BlackBerry: But seriously, BlackBerry privacy is really good.

Apple: Apple convinced Taylor Swift to like Apple Music.

BlackBerry: Alicia Keys worked for BlackBerry. OK, she didn't last long, but she's way cooler than Taylor Swift.

Apple: iPhones will someday work with your Apple Car.

BlackBerry: There are 8.4 mg of Vitamin C in an Apple, and 30.2 mg in a serving of Blackberries. Talk about what keeps the doctor away.

Apple: All the hipsters love it.

BlackBerry: All the hipsters love it.

Hrmm… in the end, it is just too close to call. Maybe I'll just stick with this baby.

old-phone.jpg

About the Author(s)

David Wagner

Executive Editor, Community & IT Life

David has been writing on business and technology for over 10 years and was most recently Managing Editor at Enterpriseefficiency.com. Before that he was an Assistant Editor at MIT Sloan Management Review, where he covered a wide range of business topics including IT, leadership, and innovation. He has also been a freelance writer for many top consulting firms and academics in the business and technology sectors. Born in Silver Spring, Md., he grew up doodling on the back of used punch cards from the data center his father ran for over 25 years. In his spare time, he loses golf balls (and occasionally puts one in a hole), posts too often on Facebook, and teaches his two kids to take the zombie apocalypse just a little too seriously. 

Never Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights