Slide Show: iPhone And Blackberry Curve 8310 Side By Side

As part of an upcoming feature in CRNtech that takes a deep look at handheld technology, we're taking a gander at several devices, their functionality and how they fit into solutions that VARs and integrators can deploy. But we couldn't resist giving you a sneak look at the iPhone and the new Blackberry Curve 8310 side-by-side.

Looking at the iPhone next to the Blackberry Curve 8310, announced last week by Research in Motion, is like looking at a track star next to a rugby player. iPhone is taller and thin, the 8310 is shorter and stouter.

Both devices weigh about the same; if there is a difference in weight, it's negligible. The 8310 is smaller than earlier Blackberry models.

The first thing you might notice when holding each device, out of the box, is that the iPhone feels much more likely to slip out of your hand and crash onto the floor than the stouter 8310. (Which may explain the brisk business third parties are doing selling iPhone cases and skins.)

On the iPhone, the keyboard just seems, well, friendlier than on the 8310. If you're a Blackberry veteran, though, your thumbs will probably fit the keyboard on the 8310 like a, er, glove.

The 8310's camera was a little clunky to use, and the desktop sync software isn't as user-friendly as iTunes. But the photo itself is clear, and the green background color is right on.

The iPhone camera is simply a breeze to use, and photos can be imported to the desktop via iTunes or, in a snap, sent to your email account. But the color of the wall in the background here is way off and, in real life, tinted greener than this image.