[Barbareren]

I just received the Passport on Monday from Shop BlackBerry. Shipping time was actually really great. It shipped on Friday and I received it in Mexico (where I am currently living) on Monday night. So, I haven't really had it for a long time, meaning that this is more of a first impression type of thing.

Unlike other reviews I've read, I immediately loved the Passport's keyboard - it's tactile feedback is far superior to the one on the Q, as well as the keys feeling far less cramped. Getting used to all the gestures and the weird placement of the spacebar is what really takes time getting used to, for me, and I suspect for most people... Being a Norwegian living in Mexico I constantly switch between 3 languages, and that experience alone is far better on the Passport. The predictive words appear instantly on the Passport, unlike on the Q. And swiping up on the keyboard to hit those words works well, although it takes some time getting the hang of it. Also, swiping down on the keyboard will bring up all the numbers and punctuation marks and other characters which can all be typed using the physical keyboard's corresponding letters - meaning that one doesn't have to touch the screen at all to input those things. It truly is an excellent and innovative way of typing. However, like I said, it takes a while to get used to it all. I'm still in the learning process.
Double pressing on the keyboard will bring up the cursor which can also be controlled by the keyboard. Unfortunately, the cursor can be a little jittery at times, but it is just a software thing which I expect will be remedied soon.

As far as the screen is concerned, I feel that most has already been said about it. It is just awesome. You can fit so much information on the screen. It is just not comparable to the Q in any way. It is a whole new experience.

Battery life is truly stunning on the Passport compared to the Q. On the Q I had to turn off my data connection all the time (and only turn it on when needed) in order to make the device last a whole day with heavy use. That is not an issue on the Passport at all. No comparison there either.

Hardware: I used to think the Q was a beautifully designed device with top notch materials. Looking at them side by side, however... I'm sorry to say it, but the Q looks downright ugly and cheap in comparison... the Passport is wide as hell of course, but it is much thinner and really elegant looking. The built quality is superb. I thought the square corners would bother me, but they do not. Surprisingly enough it doesn't really feel heavy neither. It feels just perfect. Pure quality. I should also mention the volume of the speakers - wow, just wow.
All other basic telephone related stuff seems to be basically equal between the two, except for the loudspeaker which is far superior on the Passport. Other than the loudspeaker, everything works great on the Q, from my experience. Can't really think of anything else worth mentioning.

Camera: It has an issue with the focus, but once you get the focus right the pictures look amazing. Just another software issue which I expect to be fixed in an update. There is a little trick one can do though. By pressing down on the focus frame, effectively locking the focus, the pictures will turn out just fine. There are also more options in the camera settings on the Passport versus the Q, but I suspect those features have already been covered by most reviews. Anyway, for my taste, the camera on the Q is decent enough. I cannot honestly say that the Passport's camera is better at this point due to the aforementioned software issue.

Software: Obviously there are some differences from OS version 10.2.x compared to 10.3.x. Many small improvements here and there. I guess one of the biggest ones is the Assistant. Frankly, I find it to be too slow at this time. I prefer writing the keywords just as I did on my Q. It's far faster than using the voice command anyway, although I can see situations where the voice command would come in handy.
Also, I prefer the dark theme on the Q. I hope the Passport will be getting that option in an update.
I also absolutely love the Agenda view in the calendar. It shows so much more information than on the Q (screenshot attached). What I do not love, however, is that they have removed the handy shortcuts on the bottom of the screen in apps like the calendar and the clock - meaning one more press to reach those options. I don't like that one bit, especially considering that there are plenty of space for them (especially in the clock/alarm app). Don't know if that is Passport specific or if it has to do with the OS update. Anyway, it's just por UI design, in my opinion.

That's all I can think of for now. I hope you liked my little first impressions review, and please feel free to ask me any question. I still have my Q alongside my Passport. Other devices I have are: iPad 2, Macbook pro and an old Android slider. I also have access to my wife's iPhone 5. I am a real phone geek. I've basically owned or used most internationally released phones since the 90s, hehe.

Cheers

Posted via CB10

[sedalia066]

Nice review. Happy to see the comparison. Waiting for the Classic myself but sure is nice to see you and others loving the Passport.

[Barbareren]

Nice review. Happy to see the comparison. Waiting for the Classic myself but sure is nice to see you and others loving the Passport.

Thank you. I too was waiting for the Classic. However, after much consideration I decided that the Classic was not a real upgrade from the wonderful Q10. Even though I've been really sceptic about the Passport from the beginning, I took the plunge and I don't regret that decision for a second!

Anyway, I couldn't figure out how to add pictures from the CB10 app, so I'll try to add a couple from my computer.

[Fistmaster]

The comparison picture is SIIIIIIICK!!!

Great review! Passport is a renaissance in mobility!

[dream100cc]

I also love the new features of PP, but sorry to say that it's too big for my asian hand, lol. Btw, congrats you have a good choice, because the Classic is not a valuable upgrade.

Posted via CB10 on my Cute 10