[Joseph Santostefano]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping that you are able to offer me some of your experiences using the Q10.

For a bit of background, I have used many Blackberry models before. My first model was the 8830, then 8330, 9630, and then 9650 (this was when Verizon had the 1yr contract option). After RIM lost traction with apps, I switched to the iPhone 4 and have been and iPhone user ever since).

At this point, I am looking to switch to AT&T prepaid and I have begun to consider cost effective alternatives to the iPhone. Currently, I am considering the Nexus 5, Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, and Blackberry Q10. I have a few questions about the Q10 that I am hoping that you could answer for me.

1) How is your battery life? I would like a phone with a battery that would easily last through the day. I have never expected my smartphones to give me days of use, however I need something that has a more reliable battery than the iPhone 5.

2) What is your experience side-loading Android applications? I am sure that I will be able to handle the actual process. What I am wondering about is how the apps actually perform. Are there some apps that don't work? Does the keyboard hinder app performance?

3) How is the build quality? Is there any reason (besides the obvious) that I should be weary about buying a Q10 off of eBay? Are there any prevailing build issues or common defects?

4) Tell me about the keyboard. Just tell me about it.

5) How easy is it to purchase music? What is your experience using the phone as an mp3 player? This is one of the primary ways that I use my iPhone. How is playback?

6) Is there anything else based on my background that I should know? Anyone coming from another device/mobile ecosystem? Why do you love your Q10? Are there any things about it that you hate?

Thank you so much for your help - very much appreciated!

[Elite1]

First off, welcome to CrackBerry!
Either now or after you make your swap, please update your profile to include device, carrier, and location. This makes it easier for others to help you.

I'll tackle some of your questions for you.

1. Battery life is terrific, should be an improvement over iPhone. The OLED screen saves extra power due to the Dark Theme of several stock apps too, like Calendar & Contacts.

2. Sideloading is super easy using a free desktop program called Sachesi.
However with the just released OS 10.2.1, Android apps can now be directly loaded to device. You can download any of several Android app stores such as Amazon Appstore, 1Mobile, Good eReader, Mobogenie, or dozens others. The best is a native BB10 client for Google Play called Snap, available free.
I'll leave it to others who have a Q10 to comment on whether the 720x720 screen or physical keyboard get in the way of any Android apps, but in my experience on both Z10 & Z30 the vast majority of Android apps work very, very well on BB10.

3. Build quality is very nice. It feels like a solid, premium device.

5. BB10 is an excellent music player and music is now easily purchased from BlackBerry World. You can also download it from other sources too in a variety of formats.

[ep1]

All has been covered search the forums more then enough info here.

[OneofLittleHarmony]

If you are used to the iPhone you will want a z30. Mostly for screen size. A lot of people have felt cramped with the q10
screen size.

Posted via CB10

[lcchick]

If you don't have to return/sell your iphone, why not just keep that ans use it as an ipod?

The keyboard is everything you remember from the other BBs you've had, easy to get used to again.

Battery life is much better than IP5, it should easily last you a day (mine can last a day and a half easily, but i'm not a power user.).

I have installed the 10.2.1.1925 leak and have only downloaded apps from amazons store. Waze works well, which is really the only app i wanted!! Other apps do have a problem with the keyboard being there, some give you a small viewable area like when the virtual keyboard is on the screen on an android. But sometimes you cant scroll the screen well, and if there is an app with ads in the bottom, then you are REALLY looking at a small area. I havent sideloaded any apps, so i cant say if that works better or worse.
HTH!

[CarGuy1368]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping that you are able to offer me some of your experiences using the Q10.

For a bit of background, I have used many Blackberry models before. My first model was the 8830, then 8330, 9630, and then 9650 (this was when Verizon had the 1yr contract option). After RIM lost traction with apps, I switched to the iPhone 4 and have been and iPhone user ever since).

At this point, I am looking to switch to AT&T prepaid and I have begun to consider cost effective alternatives to the iPhone. Currently, I am considering the Nexus 5, Moto X, Nokia Lumia 1020, and Blackberry Q10. I have a few questions about the Q10 that I am hoping that you could answer for me.

1) How is your battery life?

2) What is your experience side-loading Android applications?

3) How is the build quality?

4) Tell me about the keyboard.

5) How easy is it to purchase music?

6) Is there anything else based on my background that I should know? Anyone coming from another device/mobile ecosystem? Why do you love your Q10? Are there any things about it that you hate?

Thank you so much for your help - very much appreciated!

1) Battery life is fine. It isn't stellar, but it will definitely get you through the day.

2) Sideloading applications was a breeze for me. I followed the steps from CrackBerry (including a guide on how to get myself 10.2.1 since AT&T hasn't released it yet) and now I have all the Android apps I could ever want now that I have Snap installed (Snap is an app that gives you access to every application in the Google Play store). However, the experience isn't completely fluid on the Q10. Most Android applications are built for larger screens, so some applications are difficult to use, lose functions, or don't work at all. Some applications also require Google Play Services, but sometimes the prompt can easily be dismissed and you can still use the app. Right now though, I have Snapchat (I can't input text and the pictures don't always fit), Starbucks, and Ultimate Puzzle running fine. Downloading APKs off the internet is easy too. My friend sent me a link off his Android for Flappy Bird, I hit download, and it worked!

3) Build quality is fantastic. The glass-weave back is soft to the touch and is also scratch/dent proof. The materials used on it feel fantastic. One thing that some people have been having problems with is something called the "double-typing issue." I'd rather not go into depth about it here, but if you scroll down in the forums here you can read about it. I haven't had this problem anyways.

4) I love this keyboard. I can type on it with my eyes closed (as I could with all my BlackBerry phones!). Personally, I think it's better than that of my 9900. I've been typing this entire post on my Q10!

5) It is very easy to purchase music. Not only is there music on BlackBerry World (the selection may be slim, but I'm not sure. I've never checked), but if you connect your phone up to BlackBerry Link you can download music from iTunes. It is a very easy thing to do.

6) Remember that it can a while to get used to the new operating system. It took me a week to get used to gestures and the menus coming from my BlackBerry 9900 running BBOS7. BlackBerry 10 is very different from Android, iOS7, and BBOS.

Also, if you're buying it off eBay, I would also recommend buying it straight from the BlackBerry website. Make sure whatever device you buy works with your carrier and if you don't want to go through the trouble of downloading 10.2.1 using Sachesi or an autoloader since you're on AT&T, make sure the device comes preloaded with it already.

Posted via the super amazing BlackBerry Q10

[Lefty724]

Elite1 pretty much summed it up Imo.

Coming from an iPhones literally 2 weeks ago, maybe I can help?

I run my business from my phones and need to talk, text, and email most importantly. I first tried to use a Q10 about 7 months ago but couldn't because of certain apps that I needed weren't available. I only need reading apps, I do no social media....

Now that 10.2 and Snap are available the Q10 can get basically anything from the Google play store. I love it.

The Q10 is awesome! It's small, tough, and the keyboard is amazing. Where the Q10 lacks is the screen department. I have come to the conclusion that for work and typing there is no better phone than the Q10.

So during the week I use my Q10 and on the weekends I pop my sim into my galaxy note 3. That's if I'm going out to do things.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

[Joseph Santostefano]

Hi everyone, thank you for your responses. It was particularly interesting to hear people's experiences with getting Android applications onto the device. For now I'm going to be swapping my Verizon iPhone 5 for the AT&T variant - I don't want to make any compromises with applications (and I don't want to lose Flappy Bird ). I will keep my eye out for Blackberry, hopefully things will improve a bit in the future.

[CarGuy1368]

Hi everyone, thank you for your responses. It was particularly interesting to hear people's experiences with getting Android applications onto the device. For now I'm going to be swapping my Verizon iPhone 5 for the AT&T variant - I don't want to make any compromises with applications (and I don't want to lose Flappy Bird ). I will keep my eye out for Blackberry, hopefully things will improve a bit in the future.

If Flappy Bird was the dealbreaker...



Like I said before, I have it running well on my Q10

Posted via the super amazing BlackBerry Q10

[nucks26]

For the music side of things I loooooove being able to load a song via Dropbox without even having to connect my device. This feature did not work with Dropbox for my iPhone. Very convenient

Posted via CB10 for Z10

[Nemory Studios]

Just get the Q10, and you will forget your iPhone 5. I can guarantee that.

Posted via CB10

[Lefty724]

Just get the Q10, and you will forget your iPhone 5. I can guarantee that.

Posted via CB10

I agree. My gold iphone has been in the box since I got my Q10!

Love this phone....

Sent from my BlackBeezy Q10

[MartyMcfly]

For the music side of things I loooooove being able to load a song via Dropbox without even having to connect my device. This feature did not work with Dropbox for my iPhone. Very convenient

Posted via CB10 for Z10

Works fine.


Sent from my  using Tapatalk

[JDRiggs]

I switched from iPhone 5s to Q10. Had the 4, 4s, and 5.

Don't regret it at all! BlackBerry OS10 is highly underrated. And the Q10 is just an awesome business machine.

One pleasant surprise was that all of my iTunes music transferred right over through BlackBerry Link. I didn't know it did that.

I would recommend going to the Q10 if your primary need is business communication. It simply rocks!

Posted via CB10

[Tamellingham]

Hello mate,

I got a q10 a few weeks ago, and, after after a short learning curve, I find it's one of the best (if not the best) phone I've ever used.

There are more positive points to the phone than negatives, and because of this, everyone will correctly be telling you how good it is. So I'll tell you the only things I took issue with:

Struggling without a trackpad to go back and correct text after I've written it. I'm sure I'll master this in time.

Contacts are sometimes difficult to search. For example, I have a contact 'mum', and also about a dozen contacts such as 'suzie's mum, Liam's mum, Dave's mum', etc. Whenever I want to sent a text to mum, for example, and I type in 'mum' return, it won't let me, I have to physically scroll around and pick 'mum', which is always at the bottom of the list.

The default currency is a $ sign, and there's no way to change it. This is handy if you're currency is a $, and not so handy if your local currency isn't. The only workaround is to go to 'word substitution', and change the $ sign to your local currency. Got help you if you are a currency dealer.

That's about it. It's a brilliant device, and in my opinion, much more useful than any other device I have used before.
I had the same dilemma as you, and it was a toss-up between a q10 and a lumia 1020. The Lumia is also an exceptionally brilliant device, largely down to Nokia maps and the absolutely fantastic camera, but the BlackBerry won overall, and I am happy I made the right decision.
Battery life is brilliant. You'll squeeze out a day even if you take it out of your pocket every ten minutes and play with it.



Posted via CB10

[takuma089]

Switch. I have both, since I got the Q10, I haven't touched my iPhone as often as before. Loving my Q10

Posted via CB10

[rawat_sandip]

Go ahead for Q10...I too hav kept aside my nexus 5 & only using Q10 ...great machine!!

Posted via CB10

[waterfrontmgmt]

I still use my 5 and a 4S at times...for music, GPS, etc. But neither can touch my Q when it comes to organization and productivity.

[nucks26]

Certainly a huge upgrade from the iphone 5

Posted via CB10 for Q10

[skstrials]

I want to recommend the q10 and I bought one myself, but after returning it for faulty spacebar (wobbly and squeaky) and a clicking left edge of the screen when pressed down, I am not sure if I can recommend it.
The keyboard is the reason I got this device and while the design itself is great, I am not sure if it would be reliable enough over time. Many of the users are reporting double type issues as well as other keyboard malfunctions. And after having to report my one day old q10 for a "dead on arrival" claim through Rogers, I am not sure if I have made the right decision on getting the Q10.

I think the Q10 build quality could have been a lot better. Things like squeaky keyboard and "clicking" screen are not acceptable on such a premium device. I could also press down on the battery cover and it would push down to the battery as well.

To sum up, it seems that a considerable amount of Q10s have the double type issues as well as other keyboard build quality issues and I'm not sure if BB is acknowledging these problems.

[nucks26]

I want to recommend the q10 and I bought one myself, but after returning it for faulty spacebar (wobbly and squeaky) and a clicking left edge of the screen when pressed down, I am not sure if I can recommend it.
The keyboard is the reason I got this device and while the design itself is great, I am not sure if it would be reliable enough over time. Many of the users are reporting double type issues as well as other keyboard malfunctions. And after having to report my one day old q10 for a "dead on arrival" claim through Rogers, I am not sure if I have made the right decision on getting the Q10.

I think the Q10 build quality could have been a lot better. Things like squeaky keyboard and "clicking" screen are not acceptable on such a premium device. I could also press down on the battery cover and it would push down to the battery as well.

To sum up, it seems that a considerable amount of Q10s have the double type issues as well as other keyboard build quality issues and I'm not sure if BB is acknowledging these problems.

Have not had either of those issues you are talking about. The Q10 has been a flawless device for me

Posted via CB10 for Q10

[skstrials]

Good to hear mate.

I will be receiving a new Q10 in a couple weeks. I really hope my handset would be free of any issues too.

Q10 is a great device IF your phone does not have any build quality issues and it stays that way.

[Jenny-V]

If your someone who loves a physical keyboard you should definitely get a q10
It has time sift mode in cameras and a hole lot of other features included in the device.
The battery life is amazing, you can get over 20 hours on it, including heavy usage.
And the fact that you can now sideload android apps on to the q10 makes it much better.
You can multitask better, you can have YouTube playing your favourite song while you play on Subway Surfers

I seriously would recommend it to you

Posted via CB10

[jimutley]

Choose your pill, me I'm in business and BlackBerry is a beast on productivity! Sent from my Q10

Posted via CB10

[AlrightAlrightAlright]

I recently left my iPhone 5 for the Q10.

You'll find that the iPhone 5 screen is much better. The battery life on the Q10 is amazing though. It's also great to have a physical keyboard and notification light. Build quality is good on the Q10 but you'll find the iPhone's is better. You'll likely miss the iOS app ecosystem but you can make do by side loading android apps. The Q10 is a device built for productivity.

All that said, I'm really enjoying the BB10 experience, although I may be picking up a Z10 soon. I miss the screen quality and size.

Hope that helps.

Posted via Q10