BlackBerry® Smartphone Siddur Comparison

(For BlackBerry OS 7 and earlier)

Last update: June 26, 2012

Use the following list to compare features of three available weekday siddurim designed for BlackBerry smartphones and one full siddur that is available as part of a “minyan finder” app. (This same information can also be viewed in a side-by-side comparison format.) Only the “minyan finder” app is in BlackBerry App World™; the others can be downloaded directly from their creators’ websites. Note: Some J2ME siddurim may also run on BlackBerry smartphones.

• Chabad
  • Link
    http://www.jewishcontent.org/pda/blackberry/
  • Description
    Chabad has separate downloads for complete weekday siddurim for Nusach Ari (Chabad), Nusach Sefard (Classic), Nusach Sfard (Ari Zal), Eidus Hamizrach and Nusach Ashkenaz, along with another download for the Monday and Thursday Torah readings. Many other texts are available, including Tanach and Chumash with Onkelos.
  • Cost
    Free
  • Hebrew support
    Hebrew support is provided in a separate download. There is a single font with two sizes. Text includes nekudot (vowels). App is entirely in Hebrew.
  • User interface
    Scroll through text. Keyboard shortcuts to move to next or previous section of the service, and to re-size text.
  • Touch screen support
    No touch screen support.
  • Screenshots
    from simulator

    Large
    

    Small
    

• Hebrew in Hand
  • Link
    http://www.hebrewinhand.com/
  • Description
    Hebrew in Hand has separate downloads for each of the weekday prayers, in Nusach Ashkenaz, Minhag haSephardim, Nusach Ari, and Nusach Sefard. You can download just the texts that you want. The Monday and Thursday Torah readings and Tehillim are also available, as are many other texts, including all of the Torah (divided by parasha and aliyah), and all of the haftarot. Rashi commentary on Torah in progress.
  • Cost
    The app is free. Siddur texts can be purchased individually using Hebrew in Hand points (H-points); siddur texts are available for a free two-day trial. With a purchase of 40 H-points (US $4.99), you will be able to buy all of the siddur texts for a single nusach with points left over for other texts as well. Alternatively, yearly subscriptions to the entire Hebrew in Hand catalog of texts costs US $15.99. Torah and haftarah downloads are available both for free and for purchase, depending on the desired font.
  • Hebrew support
    Hebrew support is included. There are two font faces, Plain (in 4 sizes) and Traditional (in 7 sizes). Texts include nekudot (vowels), metagim (stress marks), and te'amim (trop/cantillation marks). Most siddur texts are only available in the Traditional font. Catalogs of texts are in English, texts are in Hebrew, with some instructions for prayers in mixed Hebrew and English.
  • User interface
    Scroll through text. Text includes “expandable sections” for prayers that are only said on specific occasions (e.g. al hanissim is said only on Chanukah and Purim). Keyboard shortcuts to move forward or back one screen and to open/close expandable text sections. Use menu to change text size.
  • Touch screen support
    Touch screen version available.
  • Screenshots
    from simulator

    Third largest
    

    Middle size
    

    Smallest
    

• Jewberry
  • Link
    http://www.jewberry.com/
    Note: site has been unavailable for over a year
  • Description
    Jewberry has separate downloads for each of the weekday prayers in Nusach Ashkenaz, Nusach Sefard, Nusach Edut haMizrach and Nusach Ari. You can download just the texts that you want. Tehillim are also available.
  • Cost
    US $29.95
    No free trial.
  • Hebrew support
    Hebrew support is included. Texts include nekudot (vowels). No information about font faces or sizes at Jewberry website. Screenshots at website show only one font face and size. List of texts is in English, texts themselves are in Hebrew only.
  • User interface
    Scroll through text. Keyboard shortcuts to move forward or back one screen.
  • Touch screen support
    Storm version available.
  • Screenshots
    from website

    

• mMinyan
  • Link
    http://m-minyan.com/
  • Description
    The primary purpose of the app is to help users locate Jewish institutions in a geographic area. The app provides on-line access to weekday siddur texts for Nosach Ashkenaz, Nosach Sefarad, and Nosach Edot Mizrah.
  • Cost
    Free. Supported by advertising and donations.
  • Hebrew support
    No direct Hebrew support. The Hebrew pages can be resized, but the text does not re-flow. That is, the image of a page can be magnified, but the layout for the words on each line is fixed. Text includes vowels.
  • User interface
    Scroll through the text. If text does not fit horizontally, scroll horizontally to see full line.
  • Touch screen support
    Scrolling works on touch screen devices.
  • Screenshots
    screenshot from iOS version