BB PP: Blackberrys Peer-Pressure

Hey guys,

I have to say that this is one topic I have been wanting to get off my chest for ages!

Currently we are going through the Mobile Phone era and have been for the past 10 years or so. Everyone I personally know above the age of 10 has a mobile phone of some sort and it has become one hell of a phenomenon and has now become a fashion statement to have a mobile that can do certain things. Looking over the past few years you can see why people have been getting certain phones that can do certain things:

  1. Year 2000 – 2003: Having a phone was apparently necessary for anyone above the age of 12. You really couldn’t do much apart from being able to change your phone covers to make it look like you have a super brand new phone every-time you spent a fiver getting the a new trendy phone cover. Nokia 5110, 3210, 3310 etc. No one actually used it for their specific functions such as making calls and texting people as there wasn’t really many people to text and it cost an arm and a leg just to say ‘Hi’.
  2. Year 2004 – 2006: Ringtones and Games! Simple, you just weren’t cool enough if you had the default ringtone on your phone. You had to have the hottest ringtone going, monophonic but preferably polyphonic. If your phone could play colour games, wow!
  3. Year 2007 – 2008: Megapixels and texting. If your phone didn’t have anything above 2 megapixels then your phone was s*** – simple as! At this time people started to get free/unlimited texting making this the main form of communication for youngsters especially.
  4. Year 2009 – present: “Give us your BB Pin”

“Give us your BB Pin” – This is now a common statement in today’s society. Despite the lack of grammar (‘us’ rather than ‘me’), this is silliest thing anyone has ever asked me. However not just one person has asked me for “my bb pin” but many people do since a lot people have it and think it’s the best phone on the market! It has become a culture of its own. People have become oblivious to the fact that there are actually many other phones on the market. Not only other phones but better phones!

After having a discussion like this with a few BB owners, they always ask me the same standard questions so they can try and prove it is better than any other phone:

  • They say “BB has BBM (Blackberry messaging) and not other phones do”. I say “actually phones like the android have Google chat which is compatible on many other devices and computers”
  • They say “BB lets you check your email easily and pops up whenever I have email”. I say “phones have been doing that for the past few years now and phones like android also support push email anyway”
  • They say “BB lets you download apps so you can do other things like twittering”. I say “iPhone and android have bigger app markets and twittering is now coming as standard on many android phones”
  • They say “BB has a physical keyboard, I don’t like touch screens”. I say “BB have released the ‘Blackberry Storm’ which is all touchscreen; also there are many android phones with a keyboard anyway such as G1, dext, milestone”

After those standard statement/questions, they fail to ask any other questions. Also the more technical I go as to why other phones are better, the more confused BB users become. Personally I do see BBs as lifeless devices in todays age and I as much as I don’t love many iPhone users, at least iPhones have more purpose than BBs. The reason why I ain’t too fond on iPhone users is because I am an android fan and there is a lot of rivalry between the two platforms. Like Manchester united and Manchester city fans.

To be fair, I do understand how BBs are different as they have exclusivity to use the RIM servers (servers for push email and BBM) but for every blackberry feature, there is always an alternative equivalent feature on iPhone OS, Android or even Microsoft Windows Mobile 7 now. Also, another thing is that BB users need to have a BB account with their cellular network and I know T-mobile UK will charge you extra for this if you don’t already have one.

BB once was a high end business phone and now it’s a low end social phone in my opinion. I wonder what do BB users say to those people who ask you for your BB pin and you have to be kind to them but you know that by giving them your BB pin is the end of your privacy.

Much Love!

P.S. Another thing I find quite amusing is that a lot BB users ask for me technology advice however when I say something technologically negative about a blackberry, it becomes a crime! Everyone uses Google, why not use Google Android!

Blackberry bold
Typical Blackberry

Comments

4 responses to “BB PP: Blackberrys Peer-Pressure”

  1. Gary M avatar
    Gary M

    I think you make some really good points here and I agree wholeheartedly!

    I don’t really participate in the “Brand Wars” relating to technology, I have a IPhone because it was a convenient choice for me; I was never without an IPod so it made sense to buy a phone with one in-built, however, I never buy apple products for the sake of it! I don’t think I will ever use a Mac and I definitely won’t shell out for an IPad(which is a different story altogether).
    I am also a big fan of the Nexus and Android-based phones in general, I would have no problem swapping in my IPhone, I think the features are similar and its just a matter of personal choice.
    However, when it comes to the Blackberry I’m at a loss. When someone has decided to spend a good amount of money on a smart phone, why would someone choose something with less functionality, just for the name “Blackberry” ? Plus I’m really not a big fan of the aesthetics of both the phone and the user interface, which I know is just opinion but it really isn’t up to the standard.
    I don’t know which is worse, when people bought a Blackberry because it was a status symbol, or the people now who buy it because they think it still is a status symbol!

    Anyway, thats just my opinion on the matter, I really don’t care what phone someone has as long as they don’t try to convince me that I have bought the wrong one!

    1. Raj Chevli avatar

      I’m glad you agree with me and I know a lot of other people who have also agreed with me including those odd Blackberry users. However, some blackberry users are still taking it hard. Don’t worry, it is perfectly understandable why you use an iPhone. They’re a powerful piece of equipment.

  2. Janak avatar

    I agree that when teenagers buy BBs for BBM its usually an uneducated choice and only made because “all my friends have one.” But the reason BBs have gained so much market control is simple business. All BB did was say to massive corporations, we’ll give you as many BBs as you want for a super cheap price and they’ll let your employees be reachable 24/7. And suddenly everyone working in the city has a BB, and they’re stuck with it even if they want something else like android, BB’s cornering of the market and rock-bottom wholesale prices mean that employers aren’t willing to switch. Want Android? Get another job!

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