SteveGrayFTW

It seems like just a few weeks ago (oh wait…it was) that I was gushing about my new and awesome Blackberry Torch.

Well…that didn’t last long.

There were a few small problems from the getgo, and they only grew as the days went by.  I had to remove just about any app I downloaded on it because they would slow down the system.  It had to worst lock button ever, which basically allowed for it to be accidentally unlocked if I ever put my hand in my pocket (and I downloaded a Pattern lock app, but that slowed it down too!).  The Facebook app caused it to crash whenever I tried to upload a picture.  It held a charge for MAYBE 12 hours, and that was with minimal use.  It also got hot from time to time, which drained the battery almost immediately.  The proximity sensor also sucked, so I’d still be hitting buttons while the phone was up against my ear.  That was fun :/

So with all that said, I made the decision to return it, and got myself a spiffy new iPhone 4.  And I know I said it before, but I really am in love…for real this time!  

Even so, there are a few things that I miss about the Torch, and a few of these things are things I wouldn’t mind seeing on the iPhone 6 (since I probably won’t be eligible for an upgrade in the iPhone 5s lifetime).  I think some of these things could be accomplished by jailbreaking, but I really don’t want to do that.

• An LED indicatior light.  I loved being able to look at my phone, even if the screen was black, and knowing if I had a new message, whether it be a text, an email, a facebook/twitter update, whatever.  This is probably the thing I miss the most, and I am catching myself glancing at the phone alot to see if there is a new message.
• The Twitter app.  I loved the Blackberry Twitter app.  It was pretty, and it let you RT the old way (via the “quote tweet” option).  I like the the Apple twitter app lets new mentions pop up on the screen, but everything else about it is pretty abysmal.  I’m sure there is a third party app that’ll give me what I want, but I am still going to miss the Blackberry app.
• Email.  The iPhone does email, but the Blackberry did it better, I think.  Seperate email accounts could each have an icon on the homepage, and there wasn’t much by means of configuration involved when setting up a new email address.
• The clock.  It was right on my main page, not hidden behind a “utilities” icon.  Small thing, but still.
• The main screen.  I could hide icons, I can move them to folders, I could rearrange them in general.  I hate that the iPhone weather app icon says its 73 degrees and Sunny, and I want to get rid of it, especially since I have the Weather Channel app!
• An actual keyboard.  Now, typing on the iPhone isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but I still liked having an actual physical keyboard.

So yeah, there ya go.  If any Apple iPhone decisions are reading this, I hope you’ll take these things to heart