DTEK Help - Pro's and Con's

Hi,

I have been looking to move into Blackroid after being BB10 for years. I think the DTEK50 looks the right size / price for me, certainly dont want to splash out on a KeyOne until I have played around with the Android version, plus the software aspects are the man reason for me wanting to stick with BB, i.e. Hub etc.

So I have seen some good and bad reports from reviewing YouTube and the usual forums, so just some advice on the below if possible:

1. What is the average battery life you are getting, some say 1.5 days some 6 hours, I am a medium user, some emails and texts / BBM and a little social media now and again.

2. What is the hub like, I know that some apps dont work directly, i.e. it opens the app rather than being able to reply from within the hub, but that does not worry me. But do you get dual notifications, i.e. twitter will ping to say there is a message as well as the hub? Also I read that none BB users who download the Hub etc have to pay a subscription fee, I take it this is not the case with the DTEK50?

3. I saw a video about stickers covering the speakers rather than rubber or plastic, anyone had a problem with these coming away?

4. Do you think it will stay on Marshmallow or with they upgrade it to Nougat?

I think this would be a good step away from BB10, although I love BBOS it is EOL and time to move on.

Cheers Ed

Since last year I own a DTEK 50 and I keep using a Z30, so I have been using both phones and I can say my opinion about their advantages and disadvantages. For DTEK 50 the only big issue is battery duration, that is scarce, as the device is fitted with a 2600 mA battery, that is simply not enough. It is advisable to carry a power bank recharger device with you, as well as a usb cable for your car. If you plan a company use,that is sending mails and answering to at least 20 calls per day, your battery simply won't last. For the rest, Hub is smooth, it allows to get notifications from your account, SMS, Twitter, fb, WhatsApp and all the other social networks. No fee is due, as the phone is a BlackBerry product (you have to pay only if you download Hub Services on another Android phone, and if you accept Ads on it, no fee is required in any case). The new phones just fill the gap induced by the removal of fb (and of WhatsApp from next July) from BB10 devices. You have to root the DTEK 50 by yourself, as it is sold unrooted (there is plenty of filemanagers on playstore, however, I myself downloaded the Asus filemanager and I am quite satisfied with that, at least I can move photos and pdf files from a folder to another). If you wish to use a cam scanner app to make your own pdf, you will have to buy it (I had to do this on BB10 as well, anyway). Camera is quite good, you can do nice photos with that, at least for personal use. Another drawback is that there is no fingerprint sensor, so you must protect your phone with a word, numeric or schematic password, if needed. Finally, no RGB flashlight is available, so all incoming notifications will be announced by a white light. In many threads I read that the phone is midrange, so this function is not supported due to the need to contain costs (you will pay 350-400 USD/€ for a complete package, including the original flip wallet leather case and a power bank, some people say the phone is quite expensive in any case). Until now, I have no news of problems with speakers, as long as the device is safely protected. As far as I have seen, Android 6 Marshmallow is a rather stable OS, that works flawlessly, much of the properties depend on the carrier in any case, to know when the new Android 7 Nougat OS will be available on DTEKs is a million dollar question. I heard informed bloggers say the manufacturer won't update the OS at least until the new Aurora low-price smartphone will reach a sensible number of sold units, the drawback is that this device, equipped with Nougat is available for Indonesian market only. Hoping to have provided a short review

From my awesome Z30

Thanks for the response, have you ever used a Leap? If so is the built quality better with the DTEK, I have used a leap and want to gage if the quality with the DTEK is better or worse.

Cheers Ed

Posted via CB10

OP, with respect to your questions:

1. There are many variables affecting battery life, making it difficult to predict. On my experience, I found it similar to the Z30 on same usage.

2. The Hub works well for me. But integration is not as comprehensive as in BB10.

3. The stick-on grills haven't come off yet on my phone which I've had since the DTEK 50 launch in last August.

4. While there is no definitive information on if and when we will get Nougat, the expectation is that we will get it sometime after the KeyOne launch.

Originally Posted by edhdurham

Thanks for the response, have you ever used a Leap? If so is the built quality better with the DTEK, I have used a leap and want to gage if the quality with the DTEK is better or worse.

Cheers Ed

Posted via CB10

Hi, Ed, thank you for your kind question,

I never used a Leap, but as far as I know, Leap was essentially a downsized Z30, so I reckon it shared the good quality standards of the mother device, that is the Amoled screen and the (then) relatively fast processor

From my awesome Z30

Not a DTEK50 owner but I'll answer the question relevant to me...

2. Hub does not duplicate notifications, it pulls from the apps notifications actually for things like Twitter or Messenger, which isn't as good as BB10 is which updates live. SMS is updated though so changes in app are reflected in Hub.

I may not have made sense but basically I'm trying to say that Hub aggregates push notifications for some third-party apps which don't reflect your activity in app. So say you got a notification in FB Messenger from Fred saying "Hey". That'll appear in the Hub. If you reply and stuff, that Hub entry won't include your response or otherwise update beyond "Hey" until the next push notification.

BlackBerry devices get Hub 100% free.

4. It's likely to get Nougat but I don't think we have official word, the general assessment is that it'll appear some time after KeyOne's launch.

Originally Posted by xandros9

Not a DTEK50 owner but I'll answer the question relevant to me...

2. Hub does not duplicate notifications, it pulls from the apps notifications actually for things like Twitter or Messenger, which isn't as good as BB10 is which updates live. SMS is updated though so changes in app are reflected in Hub.

I may not have made sense but basically I'm trying to say that Hub aggregates push notifications for some third-party apps which don't reflect your activity in app. So say you got a notification in FB Messenger from Fred saying "Hey". That'll appear in the Hub. If you reply and stuff, that Hub entry won't include your response or otherwise update beyond "Hey" until the next push notification.

BlackBerry devices get Hub 100% free.

4. It's likely to get Nougat but I don't think we have official word, the general assessment is that it'll appear some time after KeyOne's launch.

Yep I see what you mean, so instead of direct notifications, it pulls from the APP.

I am not sure what to do at the moment, I have a Passport which I love, but Android is the way BB are going so I need to switch at some point, the DTEK50 looks good, but with the Keyone around the corner, but its double the price of the DTEK50!

I got a DTEK50 as a way to learn Android in advance of possibly getting the Key One.

I don't use the DTEK yet. as my main device, but I might give it a try. But I have used it a lot at home on WiFi so I am getting quite familiar with how it works.

As for the battery, here's what I've noticed. When I'm on the phone browsing, the battery drains quite quickly. When I'm doing email on it, it seems to hold up better for some reason. And when I'm not using the phone for anything, it goes into 'doze' mode and really conserves battery life. So overall, it's not bad, but as has been said earlier, carrying around a portable charge pack would be a good idea.

I actually like the phone a lot. But I'm really a pkb user, so that's why I haven't put it into full use as my work phone.

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by edhdurham

Hi,

I have been looking to move into Blackroid after being BB10 for years. I think the DTEK50 looks the right size / price for me, certainly dont want to splash out on a KeyOne until I have played around with the Android version, plus the software aspects are the man reason for me wanting to stick with BB, i.e. Hub etc.

So I have seen some good and bad reports from reviewing YouTube and the usual forums, so just some advice on the below if possible:

1. What is the average battery life you are getting, some say 1.5 days some 6 hours, I am a medium user, some emails and texts / BBM and a little social media now and again.

2. What is the hub like, I know that some apps dont work directly, i.e. it opens the app rather than being able to reply from within the hub, but that does not worry me. But do you get dual notifications, i.e. twitter will ping to say there is a message as well as the hub? Also I read that none BB users who download the Hub etc have to pay a subscription fee, I take it this is not the case with the DTEK50?

3. I saw a video about stickers covering the speakers rather than rubber or plastic, anyone had a problem with these coming away?

4. Do you think it will stay on Marshmallow or with they upgrade it to Nougat?

I think this would be a good step away from BB10, although I love BBOS it is EOL and time to move on.

Cheers Ed

1. I can managed to get 1 day usage with this phone.

2. Only whatsapp that bugged in BlackBerry hub. No subscription to be paid or something else.

3. I've been using this for arround 5 months and no issue with that, you know this issue from jerryrigeverything?

4. Don't get your hopes too high.

I've had the 50 now since launch and I can say not only is it my everyday phone it's my everything phone. I do everything on it from the usual Web, email, social media, to music, podcasts (55 and counting), and live TV (mostly news). It's a phone that has checked all the boxes for me and a phone that has exceeded my expectations.

As for the battery, yes it can drain quickly when you're using it a lot and hardly any when you're not. A few weeks back I did an experiment. Charged the phone before going to bed. Took the phone off charge and went to bed. Looked at the phone 8.5 hours later -- 99% charge left. I was one of the ones who got the free mobile charger when I bought the phone. Have never had to use it to get phone through a day.

It's the phone I've always wanted. No app worries anymore plus BlackBerry security. I always recommend this phone when I'm asked. Couldn't be happier. [emoji4]

Originally Posted by Johnny Dollar

I've had the 50 now since launch and I can say not only is it my everyday phone it's my everything phone. I do everything on it from the usual Web, email, social media, to music, podcasts (55 and counting), and live TV (mostly news). It's a phone that has checked all the boxes for me and a phone that has exceeded my expectations.

As for the battery, yes it can drain quickly when you're using it a lot and hardly any when you're not. A few weeks back I did an experiment. Charged the phone before going to bed. Took the phone off charge and went to bed. Looked at the phone 8.5 hours later -- 99% charge left. I was one of the ones who got the free mobile charger when I bought the phone. Have never had to use it to get phone through a day.

It's the phone I've always wanted. No app worries anymore plus BlackBerry security. I always recommend this phone when I'm asked. Couldn't be happier. [emoji4]

OK cool, have you ever used a Leap? I am trying to gage build quality, so far I have had the Leap, Classic and Passport and I wondered if it was better or worse than the Leap, just in terms of how solid the phone.

Originally Posted by edhdurham

OK cool, have you ever used a Leap? I am trying to gage build quality, so far I have had the Leap, Classic and Passport and I wondered if it was better or worse than the Leap, just in terms of how solid the phone.

Never used a Leap and was never concerned about the build quality of any of my berries, Dtek50 included. Naked the Dtek50 feels light without feeling cheap. You'll notice it when you get one in your hand.

OK cool, so I am going to get a DTEK but the price has gone back up so going to wait and see if BB have another sale or discount event.

OK rather than starting a new post I am putting these probably stupid questions in this thread as its one I started!

So I have ordered a DTEK50, moving from BB10 I thought it would be better to see if I like Blackroid first before spending bigger money on a K1 or any of the other rumoured phones they are bringing out, after I love the BB software but have only used it in BB10.

So the stupid questions:

1. I take it I no longer need my Blackberry ID, I take it Android phones dont need this?
2. Charging - I have the relevant charging cable plugged into my laptop, I take that will be ok to charge my phone through out the day?

Cheers

Originally Posted by edhdurham

Hi,

I have been looking to move into Blackroid after being BB10 for years. I think the DTEK50 looks the right size / price for me, certainly dont want to splash out on a KeyOne until I have played around with the Android version, plus the software aspects are the man reason for me wanting to stick with BB, i.e. Hub etc.

So I have seen some good and bad reports from reviewing YouTube and the usual forums, so just some advice on the below if possible:

1. What is the average battery life you are getting, some say 1.5 days some 6 hours, I am a medium user, some emails and texts / BBM and a little social media now and again.

2. What is the hub like, I know that some apps dont work directly, i.e. it opens the app rather than being able to reply from within the hub, but that does not worry me. But do you get dual notifications, i.e. twitter will ping to say there is a message as well as the hub? Also I read that none BB users who download the Hub etc have to pay a subscription fee, I take it this is not the case with the DTEK50?

3. I saw a video about stickers covering the speakers rather than rubber or plastic, anyone had a problem with these coming away?

4. Do you think it will stay on Marshmallow or with they upgrade it to Nougat?

I think this would be a good step away from BB10, although I love BBOS it is EOL and time to move on.

Cheers Ed

Well I've used the Leap for two years now, and it was a good device, with good battery life, functional and practical. Might not be as flashy as some of its competition, but pared with the awesome BB10 software it turned into a solid device.

Unfortunately, because of soo many apps going dead, and BlackBerry World being a ghost town and the Amazon Appstore being a wasteland, I have little choice but to move on. I'm not someone who needs lots of apps, but even the core apps on BB10, which I actually need, are dying or dead.

Besides, let's not kid ourselves, BB10 itself as an OS is pretty much dead, it's just a matter of time until BlackBerry will announce its EOL.

I've never been an Android fan, and I'm really not happy to leave my Leap and BB10 behind (will keep it as a back-up phone), but I don't have much choice...so I got to go with the least bad choice, so I chose the DTEK50 as soon as I found BlackBerry selling it at a discount. My family already has one (carrier bought) so I'm fairly familiar with it...though I expect I still have to learn some stuff once my own gets here in a few days.

I already have a BlackBerry mobile charger from my Z10 days. I wanted to stick with BlackBerry, as it's a brand I'm now familiar with and I got the DTEK50 because I also don't have to change chargers, so I can still use both my mobile charger and high-speed charger on the phone without needing to get new ones like for the DTEK60.

My family is pleased with the battery life, and I think if you tweek your phone, optimise your apps, use the battery saver, adjust brightness, delete apps you don't need, shut down advanced interactions, use dark themes where possible, you should be OK.

What ticks me off is that it uses a Nano-SIM instead of the Micro one...(had to buy one online). I got my DTEK50 directly from BlackBerry...because as with the Leap, I wanted an unlocked device. Never again will I buy one from the carrier I'm with. That Nano-SIM SIM/Micro Memory Card tray is helluva hard to open...and can get bent if you force it too hard.

Got a BlackBerry case (soft cover) and screen protectors, which for the prices I got them at...they are well worth it to protect the device.

Once I get through my own growing pains with my own device...I'll let you know more...whatever that's worth.

As for the upgrade from the Marshmallow OS to Nougat, I hope it happens, but I've learned my lesson with the PlayBook which was supposed to get a free upgrade to BB10...and didn't. The DTEK50 is not getting any newer and it remains to be seen if it has the technical and processing capacity to handle the new OS. So if it comes I'd be happy. If not, well as long as I get around two years of use from the device, then I'm fine with it (I hope Google and BlackBerry Mobile give me that much...LOL) .


Respect My Autoritah!

Well got my DTEK today and I am really happy with it, feels solid which I was worried about with it being so light and coming from a Passport... its quick and I have seen no lagging. Plus all of the BB apps work well, yes not a integrated as BB10, but still a quality app.

First day but if this is how Blackroid works I am well happy, still curious to see what other phones TCL bring out this year alongside the K1.

One strange message was after the initial phone setup, it said "your priv is now ready for use" so I guess they havent bothered to change the OS from when it was originally released on the priv.

You might try disabling the apps which you are not using. Is the Productivity bar available on dtek50? Once I disabled it on my Priv, it got immediately much faster, cooler and battery life got improved. Personally I keep disabling "Google app" as well, as long I never used it, and I consider it being just a big crap, running in background and being really "hungry" to system resources.
Obvious hints are also disabling "wifi always scanning in the backgroud", location services when unused, and avoiding official FB Apps (both of them are available in reduced forms as FB Lite and Messenger Lite).

I have just continued my threat here rather than starting a new one but I got my DTEK50 maybe 3 weeks ago and thought I would post what I think.

First of all I am hugely impressed with the phone both build and software, which I was concerned about coming from BB10 and a phone like the Passport which I loved.

1. BB software on Android - Really good, yes not fully integrated like BB10 with things like the Hub but I do not see anything that really makes that limited integration a real problem.

2. Hardware - The screen and overall phone quality is really good, yes not as good as the Passport but if you look at the pricing between the two at the time of release the quality is much better than the price differential.

3. Processor - The speed of the phone is really sharp, I have only had lagging on one app which was CNet which I have now removed... I have also put some anti virus on and when that is scanning it can lag, but apart from that its fantastic.

4. Battery - I heard some really bad stories about the battery, it was one of the main reasons I was unsure of getting the phone (just a reminder I started the post as a way of deciding if I liked Blackroid before maybe getting a K1 at some point) but I am getting a day and a half. Now I am a moderate user, I have 20 apps installed in addition to the ones that come with the phone. I have not disabled any of the pre-installed apps, but I have turned off any notifications other than those through the hub.

In addition I love the Productivity Tab, problem use that more than the Hub now (and I love the Hub)... plus the shortcut swipes for great. I have Phone / Contact / Camera setup with the swipes, Calander / Tasks / Email / Contacts via productivty and Hub setup via the convience key... so I have minimal apps / shortcuts on the home screen as I quick access via these options.

Not sure if this has come across in my post, but I think the DTEK50 is a quality device and has defo made me think of getting K1 or one of the future devices...

I thought I would use my Dtek50 for a few months, learn how to use Android, then upgrade. But I'm really liking this phone now, so I'm not in any rush to dump it!!

BB 9000>Q10>Z10>Z30>Z30>
Classic>Dtek50>

Originally Posted by OTCHRussell

I thought I would use my Dtek50 for a few months, learn how to use Android, then upgrade. But I'm really liking this phone now, so I'm not in any rush to dump it!!

BB 9000>Q10>Z10>Z30>Z30>
Classic>Dtek50>

Yeah I feel the same, in no rush for the K1 now to be honest