(For details on the phones being reviewed, visit BlackBerry v iPhone: Introductions.)

Round 1 compares these two “smart phones” with respect to their core function, as phones. Both are far more than mere phones; they are communications devices. However, their principal function is still to make and receive calls. One may imagine them to have more in common regarding such a core function, but I found many differences in my use of these two devices as phones.

My Blackberry provides out of the box voice recognition that is impressive. I never had to program the pronunciation for any name. The phone’s numbers are differentiated from their alphabetical counterparts by shading that is subtle and effective.

Initiating a call is also extremely simple. I simply begin to dial a number or a letter. The phone directs me to the proper screen and dynamically filters my address book to help me expedite finding the correct phone number.

The iPhone’s phone functionality leaves much to be desired. There is no voice recognition software on the phone, a pretty standard feature on even the most basic feature phones. This really annoyed me last winter in NYC. To make a phone call while outside, I had to find the desired person using a sub-optimal address book that does not even have a search box. This was exacerbated by having to remove my gloves in the cold weather to navigate the address book, as the touch screen required what little heat remained from my cold, bare fingers.

The omission of a search field in the Address Book, looks to be addressed in v2.0 of the firmware, scheduled for release next month; however, this should never have been a problem, especially on a phone at this price point. There is no word of speech recognition, but hopefully something will be rolled out before next winter. On the positive side, speaking to someone and hearing them speak in both ears feels more natural. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only good aspect of the Apple product as a phone. 

The winner of round 1 … BlackBerry!

Up next, the providers of those phone services, AT&T and Verizon Wireless

I have owned and used both phones for an extended period now. I have also been putting off an article / entry for a review of these 2 products for quite some time. In an effort to move that process along, I will be posting some feature-by-feature reviews here on cynical planet. Now, let’s get ready to ruuuuuumble!

In the first corner, hailing from Canada. Created by Research in Motion (RIM). It is the reigning champion of business (smart) phones …

the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition Phone

• Verizon Wireless
• 3G Network
• Owned since August 2007

In the other corner, hailing from Cupertino. Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China. Having taken over 27% bite out of the US market in it’s first quarter of sales (Q3 2007), it is the challenger to BlackBerry’s market supremacy …

the iPhone

• 8 GB
• AT&T
• EDGE Network
• Owned since March 2008

Let’s get it on!