Recently I've been getting some emails from readers asking for my opinion between a Blackberry and the P1i. Since the introduction of Blackberries, many companies, including SE, have pitted their own versions of smart phones against them to try and challenge the 'big brother' and cut a lucrative share in the business market. With the P1i's release a couple of months ago, it seems as though the tide has turned slightly to glance at this feature packed phone that most Blackberries (okay not the latest one, the Curve) lack.

Basically I find that the most important aspect business users require is a QWERTY keyboard. Normal phones don't suffice here as typing becomes a real pain with T9. The Blackberry phones, with the exception of the Pearl, offers a fully fledged keyboard for users to type with. Very easy to use, and anyone who's slightly familiar with a computer will find it simple enough to type in QWERTY on the Blackberry. On the other hand, the P1i uses a unique keyboard system, where each button can turn left or right for QWERTY input. Not that it is bad - but it does take a while to getting used to. It all boils down to personal preference I believe.

On the other hand, Blackberries are noted for their amazing push email feature - which is no longer only featured on Blackberry phones. The P1i sports the Blackberry Mobile Connect software, which allows for Blackberry push email support on the phone, as well as having a built in email client. In terms of speed, most P1i users will acknowledge that split second lag in opening and closing messages, as opposed to the Blackberries which open messages instantaneously. So if messaging is the top priority, the Blackberry is probably the phone for you.

On the other hand, the Blackberry definitely lacks the 3G connection (excluding the BB Curve and newer BBs), the Wi-Fi, the autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera, the multimedia support, etc. The P1i surely has an edge of Blackberry in terms of multimedia and software - there just seems to be much more UIQ support from the masses compared to software for the P1i. And not to mention many more blogs, such as this one, that offer support for P1i users.

In general, if you turn out to be a hardcore texter and require the best of the best messaging services, you probably wouldn't consider the P1i, as the speed and the time it takes to adapt to the messaging would waste a lot of your precious time. On the other hand, if you just need to send the daily email, and also desire the multimedia features, you should definitely think about the P1i, considering that the price of the unit and the option for expandability makes this a very attractive phone indeed.

This is my personal view on the matter, but feel free to leave comments.