Face-Off: Twitter Apps For BlackBerry

09.09.29

If you’re anything like me, you probably find it easy to burn a lot of time on Twitter. It’s addictive – you get into a conversation and before you know it, it’s 10 or 15 minutes later.

One of the ways I get around Twitter overload is by doing a lot of my tweeting from my BlackBerry – heading to and from meetings; when I’m grabbing lunch; on the way to clients and so on.

Trouble is, there are plenty of these applications around. This is a quick whip-through the best three Twitter applications I’ve used:

TwitterBerry

TwitterBerry was the first Twitter application I tried for the BlackBerry. It had been a little while since I tried it before writing this post, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the changes I observed.

Pros

Single purpose app – does what it says on the tin
Easy to set up and configure
New user interface lets you reply to Tweets without leaving the timeline view
TwitPic integration

Cons

According to reports from other people, TwitterBerry can suck the life out of your BlackBerry’s battery
Slow to refresh updates
TwitPic is only available when viewing pictures – can only push to TwitterBerry, rather than pull photos in

ÜberTwitter

From the moment I installed ÜberTwitter, I enjoyed its streamlined interface and more advanced options. Note: ÜberTwitter made a controversial (in some peoples’ eyes) move to introduce ads into its application a little while back, and has now released a paid ad-free version on top of the free product.

Pros

Scrolling auto-refresh is a nice touch
Support for multiple Twitter accounts (just one at a time)
Allows you to take/post photos and to post videos from within the app
Comprehensive menu options, although it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners
Search function is very handy
Ad-free version available for those wanting to avoid pesky ads
Plenty of configuration options (though see cons for the flip side…)

Cons

Auto-refresh can get irritating when first loading the application
Keeps flipping back to the default Twitter account; irritating if you’re trying to stick with one for a bit
ÜberTwitter can be a big memory suck on the BlackBerry – I found my device crashed or hang frequently, requiring a hard reset. Only avoided by setting the app to not run in the background (nullifying the option to have notifications of new Tweets)
GPS enabled on posts by default; unaware users may not like this
Configuration options seem to go on for ever – overwhelming for new users

SocialScope

SocialScope is the new kid on the block. Still in closed beta testing (and tightly controlled – they wouldn’t give me any invites to hand out along with this post), access is limited right now but will hopefully open up soon. SocialScope currently integrates with Twitter and Facebook, but bills itself as “a mobile inbox for your social networks” so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more tools added.

Pros

Tabbed interface keeps you organized and allows access to screens without needing to use the menu
Facebook and Twitter integrated in one interface
Support for multiple Twitter accounts
Less of a memory hog than ÜberTwitter – my BlackBerry has rarely crashed since switching
Lets you easily associate a Twitter account with a BlackBerry contact – adds the username to that person’s address book entry
Replying to messages takes you to a threaded view which lets you easily track conversations
Search option is useful
Notification of new Tweets means it’s easy to know if you should check in to view conversations involving you
Intuitive, context-sensitive menu makes navigation through the app a breeze

Cons

Facebook integration can be irritating – re-authentication bug means you need to log out then back in rather than just re-entering password
Only supports a single Twitter account
Has a habit of hanging while uploading photos, requiring a full (i.e. remove the battery) reset of the device to access the app again
Access is limited right now during the closed beta testing, but that won’t be the case forever

Conclusion

Each of the applications has their pluses:

TwitterBerry’s simplicity makes it a reasonable option for beginners;
ÜberTwitter’s multiple accounts and comprehensive options make it a good choice for power users;
SocialScope integrates Twitter and Facebook in an easy-to-use application.

For me, though, SocialScope wins the battle hands down. The intuitive interface, the user-friendly layout, the integration of Facebook and the easy access to photos makes it an easy winner.

ÜberTwitter certainly puts up a good fight, as evidenced by the response to my quick Twitter query (below). However, for me the additional functionality provided by SocialScope is overwhelming.

There are lots of other mobile interfaces for Twitter out there – Slandr and Dabr (hat tip: Mathew Ingram) – both web-based interfaces – are two examples. Do you use a different way of accessing Twitter on the go?

What do you think?

Twitter friends' favourite BlackBerry Apps for Twitter

Response to question: "What's your favourite Twitter application for the BlackBerry?"

Posted in: tools, Twitter

Tags: mobile, tools, Twitter

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USB 3G

Nice, that's helpful for me!