[olee2222]

When I was thinking about buying the Blackberry Passport, I looked for video reviews.

I was interested not just in a quick hands-on review, but a more detailed explanation of the features and functioning of the phone. Here are some that I've found useful. Especially if you are coming from a different platform, like iOS, Android, or Symbian, these can give a good insight about the differences.

Background:
Most of the reviews on the net either praise the Blackberry Passport by default (usually by long term Blackberry die hards) or don't spend enough time to go through the learning curve that Blackberry says people need to in order to appreciate the device (like the TheVerge video on the Passport, or Engadget's review).

So, I was looking for reviews that give a balanced picture, with reviewers who acknowledge the good sides, but also to explain the difficulties. Some of these were listed in this forum on separate posts, and I wanted a common post for many Blackberry Passport reviews.

If there are any you think I should totally include in this list, you are welcome to add the link as a reply.

A note for the comparisons:
The Blackberry Passport costs less vs the iPhone Plus. As of Jan 2015: With a 128 GB SD card, it costs 650 Euro, while an iPhone 6 Plus with similar storage (128 GB) costs ~350 Euro more. Amazon.de prices:

• Blackberry Passport 32GB: 550 Euro
• Sandisk 128 GB micro SD Card: ~100 Euro
• Apple iPhone 6 Plus 16 GB: 750 Euro
• Apple iPhone 6 Plus 64 GB: 875 Euro
• Apple iPhone 6 Plus 128 GB: 990 Euro

Also, amazon.de has a large inventory of "used" Blakcberry Passports in Warehouse Deals, which are usually the Christmas returns (devices are often not even turned on), with 30 days return and 2 years warranty, for 444 Euros.


Mega Big List of Blackberry Passport Reviews on Youtube


1. PhoneDog Reviews


BlackBerry Passport challenge: Day 30 - Conclusion by PhoneDog (Published on Dec 3, 2014)
"Cam finishes his 30 day challenge, looking back at some of the things he's liked and giving his opinion on the feasibility of using the Passport as a daily driver."


Former episodes
Day 1 - Switching from an iPhone:


Day 5 - It's all about those apps:


Day 11 - Camera and Story Maker:


Day 17 - 4 frustrations and a surprise:


Day 21 - BlackBerry Assistant:


Day 25 - Three things I'll miss:


BlackBerry Blend overview:


Passport keyboard overview:


BlackBerry Passport unboxing:


BlackBerry Passport review:



2. Starfoxx82's reviews

Starfoxx82 reviews in his channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/starfoxx82
An interview with him on PP: link

Blackberry Passport unboxing and first impressions...


Blackberry passport review (Blackberry Assistant) part 1


Blackberry Passport review (browser, video, music, speakers) part 2


Blackberry Passport Review (keyboard) part 3


Blackberry Passport review (Apps & Games) part 4



3. Other Reviews

3.1 BlackBerry Passport Review (2015) by AgentJucey (Published on Nov 12, 2014)
"BlackBerry Passport is the newest touch enabled QWERTY device for 2014. This Passport review covers Screen quality, Loudspeaker and mic, battery life, camera, speed test, hardware and the keyboard."


3.2 The BlackBerry Passport SUCKS!!! by ItsmeJC (Published on Dec 27, 2014)
An ironic positive tone inventory of the novelties in the Passport.


3.3 Blackberry Passport Review by Gadget Tube (Published Oct 29, 2014)


3.4 Clove Technology's Blackberry Passport Review (Published Oct 14, 2014)


3.5 BlackBerry Passport White HANDS ON by Gizbot (Published Oct 15, 2014)


3.6 Boredatwork.com's Hands-on (Published Sep 29, 2014 - near launch)


3.7 The Verge's critical review of the Passport


3.8 WSJ BlackBerry Passport Review: A Love Story


4. Blackberry Passport vs The Rest...


1. iPhone 6 Plus Vs BlackBerry Passport Full In-Depth Comparison by MW Technology (Published on Sep 30, 2014)
"here is our Full In-Depth Comparison of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus Vs the BlackBerry Passport."


2. iPhone 6 Plus vs. BlackBerry Passport - Dogfight! by PhoneDog (Published Nov 7, 2014)

"Can you compare a BlackBerry with an iPhone? Of course you can! Cam goes over the benefits of both phones and compares their design, display, camera and other features that make each great, and not so great. Which is the best?"

3. BlackBerry Passport vs Samsung Galaxy S5 by MW Technology (Published Sep 30, 2014)

"Comparison of the new Blackberry Passport with the Samsung Galaxy S5. Subscribe for more videos!!" More info on the Samsung S5: Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900H 16GB Factory Unlocked Americas Region (BLACK) NO WARRANTY


4. Voice Command Battle: BlackBerry Assistant vs Siri vs Google Now by N4BB.com (Published Sep 26, 2014)
Blackberry Assistant is close to Siri, slower, but otherwise gets the job done.

[olee2222]

Thanks a lot, I've added his videos!

[raqball]

Thanks for the comprehensive list! I watched almost all of those videos before buying so it's nice to see them all listed in one place.

I take many reviews with a grain of salt as in my opinion most don't spend enough time with a device to have an unbiased opinion.

Also, many of the so called 'expert' reviewers are Apple biased and if it's not made by Apple they dismiss it. I honestly believe that if Apple released a brick (an iBrick) that many of the so called 'expert' reviewers would go online and post a video saying it's the best brick ever made.

Another to look at is Erica Griffin as she does some nice unbiased reviews and I believe she is doing a 30 day challenge right now with the Passport. Her videos are usually very long but at least she is easy on the eyes.

[olee2222]

I've added Erica Griffin to the list.

I watched a couple of her other reviews, great job on revealing the real factors that matter for users. Like for the Surface Pro 3.

I wish tech reviewers would focus more on such things vs. comparing brute specs.

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[olee2222]

So I watched these again, and a few things become clear:

1. There are three big things to get familiar with in the passport:
- three row physical keyboard,
- big square high resolution screen,
- BlackBerry 10 OS.

2. These perform to a varying degree:
- the keyboard is nice, but speed wise it's not as fast as the 4 row keyboard of the Q10,
- the screen is loved by everybody,
- BB10 has some nice features that help, lacks native apps for meny popular services (Skype, Netflix, Spotify, Uber, and anything with Google Play services is a no go, many fitness, banking, local apps), and the current version, 10.3.0.908, has still a number of bugs to iron out that shouldn't be on a product available to the market (camera, keyboard

3. My suggestion to those who think about buying a passport:
- wait for the firmware/software update for bug improvement (maybe Feb 2015)

My Suggestions for Passport 2.0:
1. Four row keyboard with symbols and numbers
2. Removable battery
3. Native Skype client, that doesn't drain battery (not an android port)

Note:
Skype is a priority among the many apps, as it is a key communication channel for international calls, and in the current form it is buggy, slows down, and drains the battery. If the BlackBerry passport is a productivity tool, this is a must.


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[BACK-2-BLACK]

Wow olee2225, great post!!!

This should be a sticky.

Thank you for posting and taking the time to put the links in the post. This should definitely help more people decide!!!

(the 3 row is ideal once you become a PP pro. )

For an update, would love to see an All Touch PP!

[dale-c]

Skype does need a better version. For me though, my Dell tablet is a good option for skype.

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[GeoK]

Thanks!

[olee2222]

Thanks!

Also, I've found it helps to learn more about the device myself.

How to make it sticky?

As for the four rows vs three rows, I use the pp for a month now, and I'm quite fast with the keyboard. However, I also ordered the Classic, and I was faster on that. Entering numbers and punctuation really does slows down my flow on the PP.

The lack of the dedicated number keys are especially annoying for logins and password data, enetering finances, AND when using EXCEL sheets (which is an andvertised / intended use of the Passport).

Otherwise, as PhoneDog reports, I've found my usage habits changed with the Passport. Like now I type on the Passport, while even with swipe I would have never typed this text on my Acer phone. I use my laptop less, I'm not sure it is good or bad.

Otherwise, I found the Passport is great for Skype video calls. The screen is big enogh to see the other person, call video quality is great, and it's easy to place on the table. However it drains the battery, and when I switch to another app during a call, it turns off my camera, so people on the other side say 'it turned Black!'.

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