Android Vs Blackberry

Are you looking for a new phone and wondering whether you should go for an Android or a BlackBerry? Well lucky for you we’ve run a quick Android Vs BlackBerry comparison on some of the key features of these operating systems. We will be exposing the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and in turn hopefully making your decision a little bit easier.


Hardware

These days many smartphones, whether it be their glitzy touchscreens, funky QWERTY keyboards or build materials have a lot of similarities.

So where do Android devices and BlackBerrys differ? Well since BlackBerry phones are all made by one company (RIM) there is only realistically ever only six or seven models in circulation at any one time. Some of these models may be part of the same series or category of phones as well, for example the BlackBerry ‘Bold’ or ‘Curve’.

Depending on which way you look at it this is a positive or negative thing for BlackBerry as many of their phones look the same. This means they may lack the huge range of diversity offered by Androids countless manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC but it does mean continuity of BlackBerrys much loved and iconic features such as the renowned QWERTY keyboard.

 
OS design

OS for those of you that don’t know stands for operating system and it’s a fair assessment to say that these days many operating systems share one major common design element and that is that they all display a page or pages of listed apps (applications) which in essence are the phones features and functions.

BlackBerry and Android are no exception. However Android (being a newer OS) was designed from the ground up with touchscreens in mind, so it tends to work seamlessly with new touchscreen only devices. On the other hand BlackBerry with the iconic QWERTY and trackpad means its OS until recently is almost completely reliant on physical buttons. For this reason I have to say personally that navigating through Androids versatile layout and design is just a little bit simpler and slicker but then again I suppose it comes down to personal preference.

 
Upgrades

All operating systems at one time or another need an upgrade and Android is a testament to this with its current operating systems ranging from 1.6 to 2.4.

Whilst some phones get upgraded to later versions of the software many do not as Androids huge reach and product portfolio make it logistically so difficult. Some phones cannot upgrade because they simply aren’t good enough to support the new software and others that may be able to run it can sometimes be waiting for months or even years due to manufacturers having to alter their personal overlays to approve the latest software.

BlackBerrys smaller and more similar range of phones means they can implement upgrades far more easily. By keeping everything ‘under one roof’ plans can be made for upgrades onto new and existing phones long before the software is even released. BlackBerry clearly have the edge when it comes to upgrading your phone and keeping you up to date with the latest software releases.

Networking

With cheaper data packages and increasing access to Wi-Fi hotspots when you’re out and about the ability to network is becoming a more and more viable option to all smartphone users.

BlackBerry has always had an ace up its sleeve in this department with BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). This free messaging service allows you to contact any other BlackBerry user via instant messaging. However with the emergence of free messaging apps such as What’s app on Android doing the same thing this advantage has now started to disappear.

Its not just about instant messaging though, BlackBerry has always been the king of email especially corporate email. And on the other side of the spectrum Android excels in collaborating with social media programs like Twitter and Facebook. Both operating systems also give you the option to have a combined inbox for all your messaging and emails with their own social feed applications.

 
Apps

Many operating systems these days can be decided on purely by the popularity of its app store. Android Vs BlackBerry – they both have an online marketplace where you can buy apps, these can be found on your phones directly or you can go straight to the online websites.

Android has recently had a re design which has made it a lot easier to find top apps over many categories instead of its previous single ranking (most popular) category. With the sheer number of apps found on Android market place this update was essential however the same cannot be said for BlackBerry.

Although the BlackBerry app store possesses more than enough apps to keep you happy and content the sad truth is it just doesn’t contain as many apps as Android and with Android now the most popular operating system in the world you can bet that App developers will be working on producing an Android compatible app long before they even think about BlackBerry.
Android Vs BlackBerry final words

So there you have it, we’ve looked into Apps, Hardware, Upgrades, Networking and Design. Hopefully you now have enough information to help you make your choice. And even if you still can’t, remember that these are both two incredibly good and incredibly popular smartphone operating systems and I personally would be happy with either one sat in my pocket.

If you don’t have a smartphone already then either of these operating systems is guaranteed to blow you away, they offer all your mod cons and features and depending on which one you choose you’re guaranteed to get some market leading good points too. Unfortunately there isn’t one operating system that gives you the best of absolutely everything but if you need a good place to start then Android or BlackBerry should do you just fine.