[mootsy]

I have the opportunity to get the Z10 relatively cheaply (under $300 Australian dollars for a short time). I am just wondering whether the Z10 has the ability to do 3 basic things:

~~~~
* call recording ability (I need to record every call automatically in my work)
* ability to block certain callers (phone gives the caller an engaged signal and my phone doesn't ring)
* offline profiles at night (10pm, phone goes offline and doesn't allow anyone to ring it until 7am the next day, that sort of thing).
~~~~

That's it. Just those 3 basic things. Appreciate any help from Z10 users.
This will be my first Blackberry.

[stabstabdie]

There is call blocking in the phone settings menu, night profiles is similar to bedside mode, but it doesn't engage at a certain time as far as I know, and you can get call recording apps, the best ones may need to be side loaded

[Elite1]

Hi, and welcome to CrackBerry!

I have the opportunity to get the Z10 relatively cheaply (under $300 Australian dollars for a short time).

Sounds like a good deal for off-contract price on a brand-new device.

I am just wondering whether the Z10 has the ability to do 3 basic things:

* call recording ability (I need to record every call automatically in my work)

No, this is not built into the OS, supposedly because it's not legal in so many places.
There are several call recorder apps in BlackBerry World; however, without having used them I couldn't say if they have ability to record every call.

* ability to block certain callers (phone gives the caller an engaged signal and my phone doesn't ring)

Again, not natively included in the OS, but several apps in BB World.

* offline profiles at night (10pm, phone goes offline and doesn't allow anyone to ring it until 7am the next day, that sort of thing).

Not included in the OS as an automated function, but you can basically flick the device into "Bedside Mode." There is a setting for whether Bedside Mode allows phone calls or not, but it automatically blocks audible/vibrate alerts of all message types.

This will be my first BlackBerry.

I don't know if the above 3 functions being included in the OS is a dealbreaker for you. I also have no idea which other can do those things, if any.

Overall, I really like my Z10.
Sorting messages or seeing them all together is a breeze and a huge convenience, i.e. the Hub. I'm very pleased with the day-to-day usage of the BB10 OS vs other platforms. I also love the virtual keyboard, and a year ago I would have sworn up and down that I'd never use a touchscreen keyboard.

Will there be any return period during which you can still get a refund if you didn't like it? Do note that you should give yourself the first few days to get used to the UI before really judging it. Plus we're here to answer whatever questions you've got!
Good luck!

[Elite1]

There is call blocking in the phone settings menu

Oh is there? I don't use it... Serves me right for answering without my Z10 in front of me.

PS Congrats on your new CB Master status!

[stabstabdie]

Oh is there? I don't use it... Serves me right for answering without my Z10 in front of me.

PS Congrats on your new CB Master status!

Why thank you
I didn't even realize!
I'm actually giddy

[Anonymous2039]

Oh is there? I don't use it... Serves me right for answering without my Z10 in front of me.

PS Congrats on your new CB Master status!

Not fully functional. It's all or nothing. However, I think if you enable Parental Controls you can restrict incoming calls to just those numbers in the address book.



Posted via CB10

[BravoZuluDelta]

Call recording, as far as I know, is currently done with apps by placing the call in speakerphone mode while whilst the recorder records using a microphone. This may not be ideal for privacy reasons.

There is no blocking of specific numbers, nor is an app available. An alternative is to turn off notifications on specific blocked numbers, in which case they would silently ring until voicemail (or hang up if you don't have voicemail).

Bedside mode is an awesome feature, but as of now it can't be scheduled to automatically turn on.

Posted via CB10 on Q10

[devin266]

I've been able to record phone calls using an app called ' Parrot - voice recorder ' found in the BlackBerry App World. Hope that helps

Posted via CB10

[Anonymous2039]

I've been able to record phone calls using an app called ' Parrot - voice recorder ' found in the BlackBerry App World. Hope that helps

Posted via CB10

Yes, but only when on speakerphone. BB hasn't provided an API to record calls directly as far as I'm aware.

Posted via CB10

[stabstabdie]

There's a thread in here that says which android side load works without speaker. I can't remember what app.
I'll put the thread in an edit when I find it.

Here it is:
http://forums.crackberry.com/showthread.php?t=804665

[mootsy]

Guys,
Thanks a lot for your remarks. I am currently using a NOKIA phone from 3 years ago that in many areas is sub-par but does all this, albeit with the aid of apps.

Currently I'm recording phone calls (without resorting to speakerphone) with an app called Total Recall. Best Blacklist is used to silence my phone and send the other party an engaged signal. Finally, an app called Profile Scheduler switches the phone to General profile during the day and Offline profile during the night.

I might give the Z10 a miss for now, even though I find the screen tempting, and everyone says texting on the thing is superior to other platforms. I'm a bit concerned about other areas, including the wi-fi issues I've been reading about.

I might steer clear, unless someone can convince me otherwise.
Any other input is of course appreciated.

[Anonymous2039]

Guys,
Thanks a lot for your remarks. I am currently using a NOKIA phone from 3 years ago that in many areas is sub-par but does all this, albeit with the aid of apps.

Currently I'm recording phone calls (without resorting to speakerphone) with an app called Total Recall. Best Blacklist is used to silence my phone and send the other party an engaged signal. Finally, an app called Profile Scheduler switches the phone to General profile during the day and Offline profile during the night.

I might give the Z10 a miss for now, even though I find the screen tempting, and everyone says texting on the thing is superior to other platforms. I'm a bit concerned about other areas, including the wi-fi issues I've been reading about.

I might steer clear, unless someone can convince me otherwise.
Any other input is of course appreciated.

As far as I know, nobody who's not on the leaked operating systems is having problems with Wi-Fi.

Posted via CB10

[spacemanspork]

I might give the Z10 a miss for now, even though I find the screen tempting, and everyone says texting on the thing is superior to other platforms. I'm a bit concerned about other areas, including the wi-fi issues I've been reading about.

I might steer clear, unless someone can convince me otherwise.
Any other input is of course appreciated.

Steer clear.

Your criteria isn't where BB10 excels. You're better off going Android. It can do those things without a hitch and you have your choice of hardware. The Nexus phones are cheap if you want to go cheap. The Samsung Galaxy S4/Note 3, HTC One, LG G2 are great high end Android devices (with fantastic hardware) if you're willing to pay a bit more. I think Apple might also be able to do do the same too.

If you had said "I don't care about apps, and I just need the device with the best multitasking, security, and/or notifications", I would say get the Z10. But since you said you wanted 3 things that aren't native to BB10, you shouldn't get the Z10.

Finally a few notes. The virtual keyboard on the Z10 is great, but I don't think it's all that much better than Swype or Swiftkey. And the iPhone keyboard is pretty darn good too. It's quite good even when you have a 3.5" screen. Also foreign language support is better on iPhone and Android.

Finally, I've very rarely had problems with WiFi on my Z10. I had an issue once but it was really more of a fluke I think.

The screens of the higher end Android phones are better than the Z10. Also while the iPhone has slightly worse resolution, I think overall the viewing angles and color accuracy is better than the Z10. Don't get me wrong; the Z10's screen looks great, but if you want the best screen, you shouldn't be getting the Z10.

[PostMortem]

Just get Google voice and call it a day.

Posted via CB10