Google the phrase, “iPhone vs. BlackBerry” and you’ll be presented with upwards of 150 million results. So why read on? What makes this blog unique? This post outlines a more real world approach versus a play-by-play comparison between Apple and RIM (Blackberry).

So is it time to hit the Apple store and swap your “hard” keyboard for the touchscreen? The iPhone 5 is certainly sleek, elegant and almost mocks you and the old-school “corporate” Blackberry in your hand, as if taunting you saying, “You still using that thing?”

This topic never stays quiet for long as clients, friends and family members continually touch base with me asking about the iPhone, whether the Blackberry is dead, and should they consider the iPhone or a Droid (and more specifically the Samsung Note 2). Let’s put the Droid (short for Android – Google’s mobile operating system) aside for the sake of this blog as even though their numbers are strong and the security is improving on devices from vendors such as Samsung. And I’m still setting this aside for now even though in the corporate environment, the Droid is just starting to make its way into (or through) IT departments and possibly into the hands of staff. With Blackberry, most corporate IT departments have an all-in-one solution – handling /redirecting email/messaging, pushing out policies and allowing for remote management of all Blackberry phones, etc. Looking for that same coverage on the iPhone or Droid side is still not comparable. But as everyone is waiting for the death of RIM, we can’t stop but to keep our options open.

Don’t Believe the Hype

Estimates have the Blackberry subscriber base at roughly 70+ million users globally, and in some markets they dominate (but their grasp is slipping fast). Blackberry isn’t disappearing, which is a key point in this discussion. Then there’s “BES” – Blackberry Enterprise Server – in short, it’s the corporate software solution to phone (mobile device) management in terms of email, messaging, security, and deployment. It’s got serious traction and also isn’t going away any time soon. This isn’t to say that RIM will be here in ten years, but don’t make your decision because you think RIM is dead long-term. Focus on what’s going to work in the short-term and provide maximum productivity.

Make your decision based on how you use the device, your preferences and what works best for your specific situation. Next, keep in mind that now is Blackberry’s time – lifting their one foot from the grave and launching up to six (yes, that’s six) new devices across all price points built upon the new Blackberry 10 operating system, over the next year. Still love that keyboard? You may not want to jump ship just yet.

Hate the Game, Don’t Hate the Players

Quite honestly, when comparing the iPhone 5 and the available Blackberry devices, both phones have a long way to go before reaching a point where I would be thrilled to get a new cell phone. We’ve all been there – your device dies, falls in a toilet, or you leave it on an airplane. And migrating to a new (or replacement) cell phone is a pain (the word “dread” comes to mind). Wait, I hear some of you continue to yell out “Droid!” as a third option (you probably own Google stock, right?) – forget it. I won’t even get into it, but for now let’s just all agree that Droid is a leader, but still not a serious contender for many of us. There are just too many different, watered down flavors of the Android, so I’ll save that discussion for a future blog.