HTC Sensation vs BlackBerry 9780

I’ve recently been comparing a HTC Sensation with a BlackBerry 9780. There are plenty of reviews and comparisons on the web about the merits of various devices. I am going to list the pros and cons I have noticed of the above two devices:

BlackBerry 9780

Pros:

• More business oriented with associated security policies and features
• Tight MS Exchange and Lotus Domino integration
• Actual keyboard makes typing easier

Cons:

• Small screen and keyboard
• Relies on centralised server model – BlackBerry and carrier infrastrcture

HTC Sensation

Pros:

• Larger screen and touch sensitive makes application usage easier
• Larger application market place and hence more functionality on the go
• Inbuilt IMAP / POP client

Cons:

• Large screen makes single-handed handling difficult
• Touch screen results in error touches esp with using the camera
• Poor battery life
• No alarm functionality to wake phone when turned off (I’d like to be able to turn off to save battery overnight)
• No “always on” or “auto-reconnect” VPN option. You need to re-authenticate to VPN server frequently
• No task list / notes synchronisation with MS Exchange
• Inbuilt IMAP client does not support the INBOX prefix option (work around possible)
• Large market place results in many gimmicky apps
• No sync of Exchange tasks or Exchange notes
• Not possible to create repeating appointments with an end date

Overall I like the HTC. That said, it’s clearly not designed as a “phone and mobile Outlook” device with apps as second priority like the BlackBerry. The HTC (and most Android devices to be fair) are clearly about applications and “the cloud”*. The HTC Sensation is a little big for sticking in a pocket and the battery life is worrying – having to charge it every day with not much usage is a tough sell.

So for the moment I am sticking with the 9780 as my “main device” for phone etc but I am still evaluating the HTC

* I hate the term “The Cloud” – it’s just a new word for the Internet really….