[hobbstc]

Hey everyone, I know there seems to be a lot of these type threads asking about switching from the iPhone to the Q10, so I figured I would post my impressions a week after doing it. Just so you know my phone lineage, my first and only BB prior was a Pearl, then iPhone 3GS, then Droid X, then iPhone 4S, and now Q10.

So first, why switch? Well, in my normal day-to-day job I'm a lobbyist. Communication is everything. While the 4S did a decent job at it, I hated the onscreen keyboard and the autocorrect. I would spend half my time undoing what it thought I meant to say. In addition the email was somewhat frustrating and the battery life during legislative session couldn't get me through a day. I would have to recharge by 4pm and that was using wifi most of the time. I took a look back and figured out that communication was most important (phone, e-mail, text) followed by Facebook and Twitter. I hardly played any games and with my iPad I could still use the apps that I wanted to.

1. Hardware - it's a very well put together phone. Feels very sturdy in the hand, perfect weight, and can still use it one handed. You never notice it doesn't have a four core processor, etc. The only complaint is the spacebar is a little wobbly. I went back to Verizon and checked and they all did it to some degree. The rest of the phone is perfect, so i can live with it as long as it doesn't get worse. I did some snooping and found out what the issue is. If you look at this link BlackBerry Q10 QWERTY Keypad and look at the underneath photo, the spacebar has one peg right in the center just like the rest of the keys and that's it, even though it's three keys wide. Probably should have one peg at each end. It works perfectly and in all honesty I don't even notice it when I'm typing. The screen is plenty bright for me. I keep it around 35-40%.

2. Software: the good - I'll start with BB10. Coming from the iPhone, yes thing do work a bit differently. However, once you get the hang of it, its actually pretty simple to use. Its very stable, I haven't had anything crash or hang. I had one anomaly where overnight the battery went from 50% to under 5%. I reset the phone and its been fine since. I have to say it, I love the hub! It's such a simple idea, I don't know why it's taken so long for someone to come up with it. I could go on and on, but it's been beat to death already. In addition I love the shortcuts like typing "text wife" and it's ready to go. I've had no problems ending calls, or accidentally closing apps, etc. I just learned where the sensitivity starts for each swipe. Took around 2-3 times to get it right and haven't had an issue since.

3. Software: the bad - Nothing that's terrible. There are some design features that haven't been implemented yet that I would like to see. I would like to be able to turn off what is searched in the universal search. I don't want to pull up all of my Facebook and LinkedIn contacts. I think it should be tied to what you have turned on and off in contacts. The next thing I did like about the iPhone was how it was "smart" when it came to appointments in e-mails and texts. Let's say my wife sent me a text to be at XYZ at 12pm. BB10 doesn't recognize this as an appointment, so unlike the iPhone I can't just click it and have an appointment set. Another thing my wife hates is that she can't send me Emoji's from her iPhone 5. It is kind of annoying and hopefully some developer will address this.

4. Apps - easy one, go to BBworld and search for your apps before you switch. If you see enough that work, get the Q10. If there are some you can't live without that aren't there, don't get the Q10. There are some good substitute apps out there too, so look for those.

5. Conclusion - after one week, I still love it. I'm glad I made the switch. I wouldn't say the iPhone is a toy, it worked well for me when I had it, but the OS became stale and iOS7 didn't really impress me at all. For a workhorse phone, it works great and I highly recommend you give it a try.


**EDIT: forgot to talk about battery life. Right now is the off season for me and work, so I would say I'm a light to moderate user right now, depending on the day. So far I am charging every 2.5 days, which in coming from the iPhone, is remarkable.

[slagman5]

I've read a lot of complaints about the spacebar that got me worried, but mine is rock solid, not sure if they changed or fixed it or I got lucky. It's not squishy, doesn't squeak, nothing.

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[slagman5]

Oh, about the search thing, you actually can turn off some of those categories, I did it yesterday, don't remember exactly where it was. Let me look for it and I'll get back with you.

Edit: ok, just go to settings, and scroll down to search, and hit the tabs for categories and extended. I do wish they add more categories for extended search though. I used to use the youtube one on my bold 9900 all of the time...

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[ezapper2]

Great story!

I don't use it but I thought u could enable/disable what is found in universal search

Posted via CB10 on Z10

[hobbstc]

Great story!

I don't use it but I thought u could enable/disable what is found in universal search

Posted via CB10 on Z10

You can to a point, but all it offers is Contacts, and with the integration of FB and TW and LinkedIn, even though you can turn off them showing up in your contacts they are still there in the background and universal search finds them.

[smertz]

Agreed, wish it was like this everywhere in the OS. If they are off in contacts I don't want them showing.

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[kazn3r]

Great post. I too agree that much is missing, but as you said, theres a lot to get used to. They will release more customization options in new OS releases, but for now, everyone needs to just get used to the OS we've been given before we are overwhelmed with so many options. I came from 9930-iphone4s-Q and I am very satisfied thus far. ALSO, BBM VIDEO IS FAR SUPERIOR TO FACETIME. They both share one characteristic, the more you move the phone, the choppier the signal gets, but I have video'd multiple times and have not had a dropped call yet--not to mention, the quality is above par.

*i also agree that the recognition of appt's should be added, as blackberry travel picks up itineraries...

Another thing, an easier way to change ringer--the side keys should be customizable, so I can change ringer volume in the same way I would for iPhone. And, the vibrate mode has to be more accessible--IMO. And, the camera noise must go mute when in vibrate...what's the point of vibrate and alerting us that "all sounds will be silenced" or whatever it says.

[That70sGAdawg]

Great post OP, and thanks for the tip for everyone on search categories slagman5 !

[cespinal]

Another thing, an easier way to change ringer--the side keys should be customizable, so I can change ringer volume in the same way I would for iPhone. And, the vibrate mode has to be more accessible--IMO. .[/QUOTE]

Do you mean just raising and lowering the volume on your current tones? If so you can do that now, you have to turn on the setting under Sounds.

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[Statehouse]

Somewhere out there, I have a twin lobbyist that summed up everything I've been saying about iPhone for a while.

[pcguy514]

Emojis should be native in 10.2
thanks for the review, will check out my spacebar before purchase...

[fwhiteman]

I've had Q10 for 4 days and I'm enjoying my phone. I use mostly text and fb so the keyboard is a necessity. I'd take security over apps everytime. BTW, upgraded from Bold9700. It was an easy transition.

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[bcuffy]

Using q10 for a week now and still cannot let go of my 9900. Notes category and todo category is killing me. Email integration with notes task and calendar is also causing me to hold my 9900 tight.

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[rudyalexc]

Similar story to yours, OP. I had a white 32gb iPhone 4S. My friend got the new Q10 when it came out, and I fell in love. I got it, and do not regret it. I had a minor mishap with my first one (would have something loose internally), replaced it the second day, and I love it! I have my mom's old iPhone 4 that I use as an iPod touch right now. It suffices my entertainment app needs. I bought this phone because it doesn't advertise the BS gestures/unnecessary gimmicks of phones like iPhone5 and GalaxyS4. It is a phone first, through and through. Perfect for calls, e-mail, texts, and almost every form of communication. The hub makes multi-tasking a breeze, and I have no problem with current features, but knowing better stuff comes with later OS is a bonus! The app market doesn't bother me, as I'm lucky enough to have an iPhone for that. The apps that you will need for day-to-day use are perfect, what most people complain about are more entertainment/social apps, like Instagram, which I admit I'd love to see on the BB10 phones, but in the meantime, I'll just use my iPhone for it. I LOVE the Q10 as a phone, and would never go back. I have been through 5 iPhones within my 1-year warranty period, hopefully this was the only problem I'll ever have with the Q10. The build quality on these phones are amazing.