Does holding it make a difference…

We’ve all heard of the controversy around the iPhone 4 and the way you hold it. Recently Steve Jobs stated that not only iPhone’s had this problem but other devices were having the same problem. He basically said that Blackberry has the same issue and loss of signal that the iPhone has.

Xtreme Labs in Partnership with Fixmo have come up with a little app called the “Antenna Meter” and what it basically does is register your signal quality against the way you hold your phone. My signal did change by a couple of dBm but by simply 1 or 2. I deciced to put the phone down on a flat surface like my wooden desk, again slight fluctuation of 2dBm’s. Put it on a Block of Marble and still only that minor 1 – 2dBm variance.

Try the app and see what the hype is about with regards to the signal loss. It offers the ability as well of registering your signal and emailing it to your friends, so spread the word. For myself, I found no difference in the signal quality on my device in whatever position I held it.

To download the app for your Blackberry, simply point the Browser at the following site and download: http://bit.ly/bPehjx

The results I obtained were on my Bold 9700.

Results: -62dBm
Note: Typical values are between -70dBn(good) and -120dBm(poor)

To Blackberry or not to blackberry…

So recently I got asked, should I or should I not use a blackberry. Weigh in on the pro’s and cons.
It Basically comes down to a review of your needs and what is the right tool for you. As a business tool for Email, attachment reading and sheer capability in that space, Blackberry is really second to none.

The addition of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and now the Blackberry Torch (9800), Rim is once again secure in it’s market niche. To say that other phones cannot match the functionality is incorrect, most if not all smartphones have the ability to attach to personal and corporate email. However the Blackberry stands out for it’s speed and efficiency, it’s amazing ability to perform the most complex of tasks and still keep ticking. Not to mention the Garmap for Mobile, the excellent sound for the musically inclined and the great quality video for the more adventurous.

For the corporate and enterprise market, BlackBerry offers a management system and a security control that really places it in the business realm of a device that most managers and executives struggle to do without. this is not to say that the device is trouble free

It’s true what they say, you either love the device or you loath it. There does not seem to be a middleground with the phones, of those I have met with the devices, they all seem to love it. I have met some converts from Nokia’s and Sony Ericsson, now staunch BlackBerry supporters. I’m one myself and I was a Nokia supporter through and through.