[Plummerdc88]

So, last month i received a promotion at work that put me in charge of my companies social media presence and online marketing. Very quickly after getting setup i realized that my Blackberry Z30 was not up to the task from an apps standpoint and social media to be able to handle this job on the run as i spend a lot of time on the road. After careful consideration i decided to sell my Blackberry Z30 and pick up a Huawei Ascend Mate 2 feeling that android would be better for keeping tabs on social media for business as well as monitoring our web analytic.

At first i was excited to be using an android device, the apps were a plenty and the social media apps are far superior on android than on Blackberry 10. However very quickly i began to regret my decision. To me the Android platform just doesn't "flow" its not as fluent and not as intuitive in navigating the OS. Below are some of the points i noticed while using Android.

What I hated

1) Notifications: Notifications on android suck, its hard to explain if you have never used a BB10 device, but it really made me appreciate how awesome the Blackberry Hub really is. There were so many times that i would dismiss a notification from the pull down tray and than forget that i had received the message or received the email.

2) Email: I just didn't like the options available for email. There is always one app that does one thing you want but not another, or apps are missing features like HTML email support or universal search. Again it made me appreciate the quality of the BB10 Hub system.

3) Ads: There are ads everywhere in android, i suppose for longtime android users they get used to them, but i was amazed and dismayed by the amount of ads there are in browsing and apps. It it quiet annoying

4) Typing: I tried a variety of keyboards, but for whatever reason i was just not able to be as accurate at typing as i had been on my Blackberry Z30

5) Privacy: Google = Privacy ****** when i stopped to take a look at how many permissions i had granted for the apps on my Huwaei i was shocked. Enough said really

What I Loved

Basically it comes down to one thing, the selection and quality of apps. Many apps for Android are beautiful and function much better than their Blackberry 10 counterparts. One good example of this is Evernote.

I use evernote a ton, and the Android version of this app is much more attractive and fluid than on BB10.

For many other apps Material Design is very attractive and makes many of the apps quiet appealing visually.

At the end of the day, i am switching back to Blackberry 10 because Blackberry is centered around communication. After 3 weeks with an Android device i have had to ask myself what is my smartphone really for if not for communicating? And despite the lack of social media or convenience for people working in marketing Blackberry 10 is a far superior "communication" tool than Android.

When i think of Android i will think of apps, not of efficiency or communication, and that is why i am switching back. For now i have sold my Huawei and picked up and unlocked Q10 just to get threw for a month until i can pick up a Classic or Passport.

Anyways that is the story of my experience, thanks for reading and i would be interested in hearing others feedback

[kvpiet2011]

good review

[Plummerdc88]

Thanks, its tough really. I cant seem to find a smartphone that can do all the things i want it to do. But at the end of the day i need my phone to be a communication tool. And for me, Android just wasn't that, so i am back

[Henry Jr]

Thanks OP. I appreciate the insight.

Posted via CB10

[howarmat]

html email support? it had that before bb supported it

[CharlieV]

OP, nice post.

When I switched to BlackBerry� I did a thread on my observations coming from Android. My big problems with Android were the typing experience that often made me look unprofessional, and the number of steps to do simple things like find a contact and make a call.

For a few weeks after I got my Passport I carried both phones, but my Note 3 has been relegated to being a small tablet, and it will be retired when I figure out that canceling the line won't cost me anything.

Sadly I think it takes a few weeks to figure out what the best fit is and carriers aren't really set up that way, plus phones are very expensive. If we could try them out I think a lot more Blackberries would be in people's hands.

Posted via CB 10 on my Passport SQW100-1 sporting 10.3.1.2582

[blee4]

I guess if the only form of communication you use is email than BlackBerry is fine. But if your job requires you to use social media to answer customer complaints or promotion than BlackBerry is definitely not the device to goto.

I wish more developers would build native apps even if it was just for productivity.

Basic things like TomTom/Navigon for offline maps is not available or even basic transit apps for navigating city transit systems like MTA, NJTransit,LIRR Amtrak etc. These are all tools than any traveling business person would use.

How about the Google Authenticator for 2 step authentication lots off sites outside of Google use it even Microsoft allows you to use it for outlook.com

Posted via CB10

[DINGSTER1]

Im with blee on this. If all my communication was email based BB would be fine. However, I manage social media for several entities and use mobile church apps for them as well. BB fails here as sideloading and fooling with apks does not fit into my flow. I keep a Q10 for nostalgia but my N3 is my tool.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[quizm]

Nice review. If only BlackBerry would get the essential message from this assessment. Their biggest criticism all along has been apps. They have not done enough to bridge this gap. Amazon does not do it. Neither does snap.

Posted via CB10

[Zeridialous]

My experience with Android has been similar to this in a lot of ways. While I'm not managing social media nearly as much as the original poster, I have to agree that the way notifications work in Android leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, your notifications should show up in the notification shade, but it's all too easy to accidentally dismiss one and sometimes if an app crashes or the device itself crashes, you can lose those notifications.

The other thing, and this kind of builds on what the OP had stated, is that the flow between applications can be a royal pain in the rear. Writing a text message and you get a notification that an important email has come in and you need to reply to it? Taking action on that notification will kick you out to the e-mail app. Then you have to go back to the home screen and open your text messages app again to continue composing your text message. With the BlackBerry Hub, everything is in one convenient place.

As far as multitasking, compared to BlackBerry 10 where your Active Frames are easily accessible at any time, in Android you have to bring up the task switcher that can be accessed in different ways depending on the device. When you minimize out of an Android app for a period of time sometimes the OS will kill the app in the background and just leave the placeholder of where it was running, so when you open it up again it has to load everything back up and may not remember where you left off.

The other thing that really irritates me with Android? OEM's seem to have this thing for providing two of everything. On most Samsung devices, you have two e-mail clients, two or three text messaging apps, two browsers, you get the idea. It's needless clutter and bloat and just complicates the user experience in my opinion.

Just my two cents...

[Plummerdc88]

html email support? it had that before bb supported it

Sorry i meant HTML signatures. Because i could not find a way from any email app except aqua mail to do an HTML signature. I realize Blackberry doesn't do this either but it is a feature i was hoping to have

[howarmat]

Sorry i meant HTML signatures. Because i could not find a way from any email app except aqua mail to do an HTML signature. I realize Blackberry doesn't do this either but it is a feature i was hoping to have

ah yes I dont think the stock email apps can do this. Good point

[Plummerdc88]

Nice review. If only BlackBerry would get the essential message from this assessment. Their biggest criticism all along has been apps. They have not done enough to bridge this gap. Amazon does not do it. Neither does snap.

Posted via CB10

Your definitely right about that, Amazon doesn't cut it. The sad thing is that with Blackberry Hub and other features BB10 could be a social media powerhouse, but it just isn't. Like when comparing the BB10 Facebook app to the Android facebook app its shameful. These are things that can be fixed but just aren't. I to hope someday Blackberry figures out that social media is becoming a big part of business. I know for our business it certainly is. And it is effective

[Plummerdc88]

ah yes I dont think the stock email apps can do this. Good point

Yeah its unfortunate. I was surprised the Gmail app doesn't do this. Oh well i guess

[CharlieV]

I guess if the only form of communication you use is email than BlackBerry is fine. But if your job requires you to use social media to answer customer complaints or promotion than BlackBerry is definitely not the device to goto.

I wish more developers would build native apps even if it was just for productivity.

Basic things like TomTom/Navigon for offline maps is not available or even basic transit apps for navigating city transit systems like MTA, NJTransit,LIRR Amtrak etc. These are all tools than any traveling business person would use.

How about the Google Authenticator for 2 step authentication lots off sites outside of Google use it even Microsoft allows you to use it for outlook.com

Posted via CB10

I use Google authenticator on my Passport. Can't speak to the other stuff except that I have not found any Android apps, other than some Google apps, that don't work. If you get Google Play on your phone the sky is the limit.

Just: to show a few... screenshots from my passport:

Authenticator

Attachment 344299

Google Maps

Attachment 344300

Google Earth

Attachment 344301

Roku

Attachment 344302

Onenote

Attachment 344303

Microsoft Office 365

Attachment 344304

Google Voice


Attachment 344307

[blee4]

I use Google authenticator on my Passport. Can't speak to the other stuff except that I have not found any Android apps, other than some Google apps, that don't work. If you get Google Play on your phone the sky is the limit.

I had Snap running on my Q10, while the apps "kind of work" they are slow and unreliable. Also you don't get push notifications for example on my iOS devices I can set spend limits on credit cards so I get a push notification whenever someone goes over those don't translate when you run android apps on Blackberry devices.

While Snap is a great "workaround" for the tech savvy it is definitely NOT an acceptable solution for any consumer. I've also used the Amazon App store and the app selection is paltry compared to Google Play as an example Amex does not have an App on Amazon App store but they do on the Google Play Store.

[CharlieV]

I had Snap running on my Q10, while the apps "kind of work" they are slow and unreliable. Also you don't get push notifications for example on my iOS devices I can set spend limits on credit cards so I get a push notification whenever someone goes over those don't translate when you run android apps on Blackberry devices.

While Snap is a great "workaround" for the tech savvy it is definitely NOT an acceptable solution for any consumer. I've also used the Amazon App store and the app selection is paltry compared to Google Play as an example Amex does not have an App on Amazon App store but they do on the Google Play Store.

Ah. I am using Google Play instead of Snap. But I do get push notifications... at least from an instant messenger I use, 1Mobile Market, Amazon, and eBay. Those are the only Android apps that stay going when not in focus.

I had a q10 and I don't mean to start an argument but I didn't like it. Maybe the newer phones' specs are designed to handle Android better.

Honestly, I don't like Android apps because they seem to drain my battery very quickly. But at least on the Passport they run pretty good.

Posted via CB 10 on my Passport SQW100-1 sporting 10.3.1.2582

[ALLYSON1989]

Get the passport it's awesome and even better then the z30 for reading emails and typing on the hybrid physical kboard is unmatched

Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

Where were you seeing the ads?

I *believe* InoMail does HTML email.

[Thalestr]

Where were you seeing the ads?

I *believe* InoMail does HTML email.

Android has ads pouring out every orifice. It's just how that OS wroks.

Posted via Q5

[Tre Lawrence]

Android has ads pouring out every orifice. It's just how that OS wroks.

Posted via Q5

Incorrect (in my usage). I actually get more ads on my Z10.

It's said quite often, so I'd like to know where they occur. Someone is using an OS, and an ad just pops up?

Now, there are some free apps that are ad-driven, but I don't use fewer apps, and that phenomenon is cross-platform.

[anon(55900)]

I had Snap running on my Q10, while the apps "kind of work" they are slow and unreliable. Also you don't get push notifications for example on my iOS devices I can set spend limits on credit cards so I get a push notification whenever someone goes over those don't translate when you run android apps on Blackberry devices.

While Snap is a great "workaround" for the tech savvy it is definitely NOT an acceptable solution for any consumer. I've also used the Amazon App store and the app selection is paltry compared to Google Play as an example Amex does not have an App on Amazon App store but they do on the Google Play Store.

Snap is for tech savy???? Open sachesi on you PC, plug in your phone via USB, drag snap bar file into scahesi install window, done.

[Tre Lawrence]

Snap is for tech savy???? Open sachesi on you PC, plug in your phone via USB, drag snap bar file into scahesi install window, done.

I think the point stands: it's not the best solution for the average consumer.

[dcorx]

I did the same thing... changed to a galaxy note 3 for about a month or 2 and now I'm back with my z30, installed the Google play store and now I'm not missing anything, have all the apps and fluidity of bb10 all in one. Couldn't ask for more,.. well maybe a passport but my z30 will suffice

Posted via CB10

[sologtr]

There's not a perfect phone - yet. That's why I also use an iPad when I'm on the go, and the computer when I'm desk-bound. But my Z30 is the one I use most for communication.

Zoom Zoom Z30