Before Apple dominated the smartphone market, BlackBerry was the king of mobile handsets. Back then, touchscreens were rare, and the alphanumeric “qwerty” keyboard of Blackberry phone was the industry standard for input and navigation. With the emergence of iPhones and other touchscreen-equipped devices from Android, the QWERTY lost its appeal and functionality: it would be unwise to waste the face of a mobile device with a permanent keyboard fixture. The end became apparent for the once-loved mobile phone keyboard when virtual keyboards evolved to become more tactile and intuitive, giving rise to haptic feedback, type-and-swipe, and auto-correct features, among others. But with BlackBerry’s latest attempt to salvage its brand, we see new smartphones sporting the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. One of these devices is the Q10, a full-fledged smartphone running the new BlackBerry OS 10. With the lukewarm reception of BlackBerry’s first OS 10 gadget, the Z10, the future of the Q10 is highly questionable. Is this device really worth the time, money, and attention? Does adding a full QWERTY keyboard enough to convince everyone to bite into the “other fruit” of the smartphone market? Read more to find out.
Tag: blackberry
The following is a review written by a 74-year-old Blackberry user who is quite convinced that her smart phone is the greatest, for reasons that are both practical and heartwarming.
Hello, dears. My name is Mrs. Katherine Andersson; but my friends call me Kathy. I have just turned 74 on my last birthday and I feel great about that. I am writing this review of The Blackberry because I heard on the news that the makers of my phone, whose company is called Research in Motion (RIM), are in serious financial trouble, and I guess I want to help them convince people that their product is very good. I also learned that they are from Canada, and I have many Canadian friends whom I play canasta with, and I know they are good people.
Take a peek at some of the most circulated stories this week in a brief wrap-up concerning BlackBerry’s pullout from the Japanese market, the Dell buyout, GoDaddy’s racy Super Bowl ad, and Facebook’s 25-minute glitch.
And Blackberry is back at the game. After some delays, the much awaited Blackberry Z10 that features the new Blackberry 10 OS is here. The phone is now available in UK and Canada, and will be officially available in US soil this March.
Now the question is should you buy it? The problem in addressing this question is that the expectations for the latest incarnation of this device are very high. After all, the brand has been languishing in the cellar for quite some time now, and was thoroughly overtaken by the iPhone and other Android phones in the market. As a result, there is more riding in this phone than just being a solid smartphone option in the market.
Is it a good phone? It definitely is. But is it good enough to redeem the Blackberry brand? That we do not know.
But to help consumers decide, here are the top reasons why you should buy this phone:
You are a Blackberry fan
Even with the rise of the iPhone and Android phones, and the lack of innovations from Blackberry itself the last few years, there has still been a loyal market to the brand that stayed on waiting for RIM to get its act together and redeem their beloved phone.
For the loyal fans, this is the phone that they have been waiting for. It has the sleek and professional look that the phone has always been known for, the voice chats flow seamlessly in a central messaging hub, and the gesture-based OS is something that separates it from the iPhone and the Androids of the world. What’s more important is that, spec-wise, it is able to stand up to other phones with its 1,280×768-pixel WXGA HD resolution LCD display, dual-core Snapdragon S4 chip, 8mp camera, 4G LTE, HSPA+, and global roaming.
You want a secure phone to use for business
Blackberry has been the premier business phone before it was overtaken by the iPhone. But the Z10 looks to regain its status in the professional world with a phone that has some pretty neat security features. First, it lets you use multiple accounts for work and personal mode, allowing you to separate sensitive business apps from personal ones. Second, RIM employs their signature encrypted servers. Third, there is a couple of interesting privacy settings, including parental controls. Lastly, RIM has what they call Blackberry Protect, which allows remote wiping. IT administrators who are strict about the devices that connect to their network can find this very appealing.
You Want Great Email and Messaging Features
Another reason why the Blackberry was once the top business phone is its email and messaging features. Both are improved in the Z10. The Z10 allows you to do so much with your email like flagging, marking unread messages, changing urgency status, creating a folder system, and inviting colleagues to a meeting. It also allows you to include attachments, and has good contact recognition so that when you type a few letters in the contacts section, and it will already suggest possible names.
BBM or Blackberry Messenger also got an upgrade. You can now send files like images through it, do voice and video chat, share your screen, and add contacts through NFC.
You want something different from the iPhone and other Android devices
If you want variety and something that separates you from the other smartphone users, then the Z10 gives you an opportunity to try out a completely new OS. It will take some time to learn, however, especially if you are used to button-based phones. As said above, the OS lets you use multiple accounts and the phone is pretty handy for multi-tasking through its VPN ability.
Not everyone will love this phone. Android and iPhone users will probably see nothing new to make them even consider a switch. But if you are one of those above, the Blackberry Z10 might be the business phone for you.