I am currently looking at the Blackberry 8830 and the Motorola Q as I want a phone that I can use a bluetooth GPS system on. My friend has Cingular (AT&T) and runs Destinator with a HOLUX GPS 236 receiver. I have been reading a bit about how Verizon has disabled GPS on the 8830? is that the Bluetooth GPS programs that everyone is talking about or something totally different?

I know the Q runs windows mobile so It would probably be easy to put programs on it for the bluetooth GPS to work. But I really like the looks of the Blackberry a lot more, so will the blackberry run a GPS that isnt verizons?

Also can you mess around with blackberry's or are they like apple computers and you really cant do to much to them?

Oh yeah and is there a future model coming out for Verizon of the 8830 with a Camera in it?

8830 has built in GPS so you wouldnt need a bluetooth reciver, however Verizion has disabled it but there are talks now that they will send a patch to enable it because people are complaining. but either way it should work fine with your bluetooth reciver if they dont enable the internal one. also the same device on Sprint has enabled GPS but you probably want Verizon right?

For the second question, there is a lot you can do and can be found on these forums but I'm sure its not as much as people do the Windows Mobile platform.

The 8830 has Blackberry Maps installed on it. You can also use Google Maps, Mapquest, and Yahoo Go! as well and pair it up to the GPS receiver to get GPS tracking. With the GPS receiver you could also use TeleNav and get voice turn by turn directions.

With the MotoQ, you could also use Google Maps, Mapquest, and Yahoo Go! as well. You may even be able to use TeleNav as well after pairing it up to the GPS receiver.

Overall, I think that the BB has a more stable OS and will require less reboots. But you may be able to get a few more 3rd party full GPS (voice activated) software solutions for a WM device at this present time.

Hope this helps.

tomtheguitarguy

Also, you will be required to get a BB Data plan. This is more of a business device and it sounds like you are more concerned about non-businessy features. BB's maps are streamed and not stored on a microSD card.