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The debate over smartphones has narrowed to a struggle between two titans: the BlackBerry and the iPhone. And it's also a debate within my household: one of us is true-blue to Apple; the other to BlackBerry. On the surface, it looks like a head-to-head matchup, but for my money, one phone does edge ahead: BlackBerry.

I could give you a list of specs, but those are easily Googled at CNET.com, which also combines exhaustive, in-depth productive reviews, but I decided to write about the actual uses of these two phones in my household. Here's how they break down:

Blackberry vs. iPhone

Price: $219-249 (phone upgrade) $399 (Christmas present)
Can read in bed with lights off yes and this happens nightly
Call reception mostly clear drops calls, especially when driving
Camera not so great, barely use snaps decent photos
Music decent, but no iPod iPod built in, but must sync with iTunes
Battery holds charge for days must charge every day; send in to replace
Internet slow over GSM network best feature finds existing wi-fi
Email I can email as fast as I text slower because of virtual keys
One-handed use yes No because of touch screen
Durability- can drop it and it's fine Drop it and you have to send in to Apple for $$

Since this is a review based on price, the BlackBerry wins for me because it offers most of the features of the iPhone without the delicate-flower sensitivity of the iPhone. I've never had to send my BlackBerry for repairs, but we did have to send the iPhone in for expensive repair and eventual replacement simply because it accidentally got bumped off a table. As the repair call center guy said, "It's like dropping a computer." You'll also be paying more for upgrades on the iPhone if you bought one before this year.

Besides price, I also like the BlackBerry's legendary emailing, contacts, and calendar features. On the iPhone you can't do a week-view, but with BlackBerry, you can choose day, week, or month views, which makes it much easier to schedule appointments and tasks with. Best of all, I can use one hand to access most of BlackBerry's functions and you simply can't do that with iPhone because it's touch-screen driven. This is very noticeable whenever the both of us needs to make a call. I can twirl the trackball, push it once for the address, and once again to call. The iPhone requires you to actually look at it for every step. If you're an A.D.D.-squirrel like me, you appreciate the multitasking opportunities of one-handed operation. Also, BlackBerry sends an earbud standard, so you can talk hands-free, but you have to order one from Apple for $20.

Overall, BlackBerry, in my real-life use, beats the iPhone on functionality and price. Sure, it's not as cool or as sleek as the iPhone and you won't get as much attention, but you will save money and get a ton of use out of the humbler BlackBerry.

Learn more about this author, Ms. Peeps.
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