[AAG64]

Having been a Blackberry users for many years until I bought my first iPhone (second generation), I was hugely excited at the prospect of going back to Blackberry with the release of Z10.

I liked what I heard in pre-release reports so much, I actually bought a few RIMM stock.

I should note I am a geek at heart and love technology. I am also a Canadian and badly want Blackberry to flourish again as it is a hugely important to the Canadian technology sector.

I live in the UK now and was able to get one of the first new Z10 units on their release.

This post is to explain why I think that the Z10 will struggle to entice iPhone users and might alienate some current Blackberry users.

To explain my conclusion, let me describe my experience with the device:

The Z10 is well built and feels great. The back cover seems very thin but it is a good surface that does not slide around which is a bonus.

Set up was easy. I was able to connect to Exchange server (owa) as well as a couple of IMAP accounts. All work well. My .me account (or iCloud) set up easily too but I am experiencing a problem with it... the Z10 keeps asking for me to re-enter the password several times a day and it is an annoying issue as you can not do anything with the device until you re-enter the password.

A significant limitation is the maximum of 30 days sync email accounts including Exchange. This is a show stopper. My IPhone also connects over owa but can access all emails on the server so I do not know why Blackberry has this limitation. I believe that once my company�s BES server is upgraded, I will be able to access older emails; not sure if I am stuck with 30 days with other email accounts.

The address book is a wonder. It sucked photos, Twitter accounts, LinkedIn and other information automatically. Very impressive, although the down side is that my address book suddenly included those I follow on Twitter and LinkedIn connections which made it very crowded. I have now changed the settings to exclude contact sources I don't want so this is not an issue but an option which some might like.

The calendar is clever too. It aggregates information about meetings (related emails etc) which is handy. Impressive.

The browser is fast but not faster than the iPhone. The iPhone seems to fill the real estate better when playing videos and the Reader option on the iPhone is a great feature that makes reading some web pages easier than on the Z10.

The virtual keyboard takes a while to get used to. Flicking words is an innovation but I find that it can slow you down as you pause to look for the right word to show up (if they show up). I am sure it gets better with use. I think as an iPhone user, it is an improvement but I wonder if those current Blackberry users will find it a suitable substitute to their beloved Blackberry physical keyboard. Of course they have the Q10 as an alternative but that device will have a smaller screen so it might be a compromise for some.

Screen rotation lag on the Z10 is huge. It is so slow to be annoying. Blackberry needs to fix this fast.

Bluetooth; paired with my car easily enough but it drops every 10 minutes (same car with iPhone = no issues). Seems to be a bug that needs to be fixed. I am also dropping calls but I can not blame the Z10 in good conscious. It might be a coincidence that I am experiencing more dropped calls.

Some attachments (which happily open on the emails received on my iPhone) do not open on the Z10. Sometimes it is photos and sometimes it is Office documents. Same format files open on other occasions so I am not sure what the issue is.

Battery life is woeful. Noticeably worse that the iPhone. I had hoped it will get better after a few cycles but it has not improved. I know you can replace the battery but it is pain to be worried about how much juice you have left by lunch time and have to carry a second battery.

Blackberry Link is temperamental. It fails to connect to the device frequently and transferring files is awkward. I found myself reaching for the iPhone instead to take a photo I need to transfer to my laptop rather than the Z10 because with the iPhone photos sync automatically. iTune match and cloud based access to my music, books etc is something I miss as well. Luckily, there is a Dropbox app for the Z10 so that helps somewhat.

I could not find a podcast app. Maybe one is coming but it is an issue in the short term for me. Also, I miss Skype (which I know is also coming). In fact the lack of apps is the biggest problem for me. I have many apps which I use infrequently but when I need them, they are much better than going through a browser.

I have many friends who have Blackberrys and they all tell me that they have all of the apps they need. But when I ask what apps they actually have and use, mostly they answer is very few. Perhaps the reason they do not use many apps is the limited choice they have in the first place. Perhaps they truly have no use for as many apps as I do but having used an iPhone for years now, I find this a huge gap on the Z10. For now.

If you are not bothered with apps that much then what does the Z10 offer compared to older Blackberrys? As a mainly email device, the Z10 is not as good as any of the older, cheaper devices, in my view.

BBM is a huge Blackberry feature. I used to use it and loved it. Now I have it back... but has it changed my life? No. I find no difference in using it compared to iMessage or texting (perhaps unlimited text plans are more of a European thing but that is what I have). BBM, today, is yet another �account� in the tray and as not all of my contacts are on Blackberry, why would I use BBM for Blackberry users and text or iMessage for others? And my texts show when they are delivered and read... a feature that was a BBM exclusive at one time.

Maps. Not as good as the iPhone Google Maps app. Probably better than the native iPhone mapping app which is a beautifully rendered but inaccurate.

Voice control. Probably as good as Siri but neither is a feature I find I used extensively.

Camera. The burst feature is clever but as I find it messy to get photos off the Z10, I am not using the Z10 much for taking photos.

So... a device that does many things well. In some cases it does some things better. If I was not an iPhone user, I would find it a viable, quality device. But for iPhone users, especially those who use the Apple family of products, it does not do enough things better to compensate for the lack of apps and the added complexity of managing music, photos and documents outside the iCloud eco-system.

Apple�s closed system brings a safety net that ensures that apps work, and means you can easily move from one device to another with your content following you. If you have a philosophical problem with Apple�s approach then this is not an issue for you... but if Blackberry is looking to attract Apple users back, I think it will struggle in this regard.

With this device, Blackberry has caught up with the best available smart phones. But has it surpassed the, enough to attract someone like me? I think not.

For current Blackberry users, I think many will love the device many will miss a few things from older Blackberrys. This is a power hungry device. It also uses much more data than older Blackberrys that use compression to transmit data did. They might also miss their physical keyboard until the Q10 comes out. But the Q10 will likely suffer from the same issues (power, data) so I am not convinced that they will love the Q10 either. Maybe they will.

For Blackberrys huge markets in emerging markets, this might be an expensive device that will eat up a lot of expensive data to be a big seller.

Overall, Blackberry did a good job with the Z10 and I wish the company all the best. Most of the issues I have outlined here will be fixed, I have no doubt, in future updates... except a critical mass point in terms of app choice will take a long time.

Having come to a point where I have to decide which device to keep, I came to the conclusion that the most important thing for me is the overall experience. I do not want to side load apps or manually transfer photos and music... the convenience and safety offered by Apple is slick... I do not need more hassle in my life so I think I will stick with the iPhone. I am happy that Blackberry fans now have a device worthy of Blackberry�s heritage and innovation. Enjoy the Z10.

One Z10 used for 10 days is coming soon to an eBay store near you.

[Lumute]

Lol, you may have good points somewhere in that wall of text, but I'll wait for the movie...

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[Gnomesane]

They won me over, I had an iPhone 3G and a 4S, vastly prefer the UI of BB10 over iOS. But each to their own, whatever you're comfortable with!

[kevinnugent]

I won't quote it all, for brevity's sake, but thank you for what appears to be a very good summation of where the Z10 is now. I say "now" because I think most of the issues will be fixed by Blackberry or third party developers. If they don't, this will be the Playbook all over again. I'm sure they will.

[stabstabdie]

Actually the browser does have a reader function. And I fine the browser faster than the iphone 5. And my bluetooth has never dropped. I use it along with MyProfilePro and an nfc tag when u get in and out of my car.

[stabstabdie]

And I'm sure I could find more to dispute but you talk too much so I didn't get through it all

[AAG64]

Actually the browser does have a reader function. And I fine the browser faster than the iphone 5. And my bluetooth has never dropped. I use it along with MyProfilePro and an nfc tag when u get in and out of my car.

Thanks for pointing out the Reader feature. You are right… just found it.

[Desktoper]

Having been a Blackberry users for many years until I bought my first iPhone (second generation), I was hugely excited at the prospect of going back to Blackberry with the release of Z10.

I liked what I heard in pre-release reports so much, I actually bought a few RIMM stock....
One Z10 used for 10 days is coming soon to an eBay store near you.

Another War and Peace length troll post. They all have the same script, written by newbie accounts, cover the same tired points, possibly generated by a bot. Hey, OP, watch out for the big Billy Goat Gruff, the one that butts you off the bridge.

[cwoodffr]

Another War and Peace length troll post. They all have the same script, written by newbie accounts, cover the same tired points, possibly generated by a bot. Hey, OP, watch out for the big Billy Goat Gruff, the one that butts you off the bridge.

Give it a rest fella...I know the OP and he had one in his hands basically on launch day with a legitimate intent to get back on the band wagon....just as he described. He and I have jousted over the BB vs Apple thing for years. It is an honest and frank review as he experienced it. Get over it.

And lest you suggest I am a hairy troll too.....I bleed blackberry and have owned every generation from the early pagers. The OP was a coworker and was along with me for most of that time before he went to the dark side.

For the record I am liking my Z

[lwaysluking]

AAG64's post was not "too long". It was detailed, and certainly had a sincere feel to it. If I'm not delusional, it looked like constructive criticism to me.
People don't seem to have a tolerance nowadays for anything more than 160 characters long.

[dbmalloy]

Its actually more a battle of the "walled garden" between Apple and BB.... Apple has so integrated all things "I" together so tightly that if you want to leave you need to give up a lot of Apple services.... To users with a lot of investment in Icloud.. I Calendar, Itunes etc...the switch will be painful...as they will not have access to their information...Some will absolutley find this a deal breaker... what I question is how many Apple users are actually affected by this..... most users I know and I know many just simply use email... the bigger issue for these users is Itunes...As their content is protected by DRM... this is a major issue.... many will find this a reason not to switch... It will be the rest of the users that may not have an issue switching.... and there are many of them out there....

[colorwatch2000]

Good point of view. I like the fact that you're still objective. Good post.

[Cozmik]

I for one like and appreciate the OP's review. After 7 years on BlackBerry I was given an iPhone about 7 months ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Z10 came out and I was at a Rogers store release day. I wanted to love it. I wanted to want it. After a ~30 min demo it seemed that my recently purchased iPhone 5 was able to equal or surpass anything the BlackBerry rep tried to show me. I was not inspired. I was not woooooed or awed. I was let down.

I'm now waiting for a friend to get one so I can get some real hands on time with one and really get a feel for it. I want to come back to BlackBerry, I really do. But I'm not sacrificing anything I have now to do it.

[kevinnugent]

Another War and Peace length troll post. They all have the same script, written by newbie accounts, cover the same tired points, possibly generated by a bot. Hey, OP, watch out for the big Billy Goat Gruff, the one that butts you off the bridge.

You forgot to mention being paid by Apple or Google.

[TorontoWireless]

I for one like and appreciate the OP's review. After 7 years on BlackBerry I was given an iPhone about 7 months ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Z10 came out and I was at a Rogers store release day. I wanted to love it. I wanted to want it. After a ~30 min demo it seemed that my recently purchased iPhone 5 was able to equal or surpass anything the BlackBerry rep tried to show me. I was not inspired. I was not woooooed or awed. I was let down.

I'm now waiting for a friend to get one so I can get some real hands on time with one and real get a feel for it. I want to come back to BlackBerry, I really do. But I'm not sacrificing anything I have now to do it.

I feel for you. I am in the same boat


Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[SnoozerBold]

Another War and Peace length troll post. They all have the same script, written by newbie accounts, cover the same tired points, possibly generated by a bot. Hey, OP, watch out for the big Billy Goat Gruff, the one that butts you off the bridge.

I disagree. I'm also sick and tire of many of the troll and flame baiting threads that have been posted since the Z10 was released. I feel the OP was just giving his honest review. It didn't come of biased to me and he gave examples and reasons. What he liked and what he didn't.
While I don't agree with everything (like the iphone keyboard being better, I totally disagree. But it's a matter of opinion)

Seemed like a good review to me and there are some issues he wrote about that I'm sure people here will be happy to help him with and maybe we can keep a new blackberry user? I'm going to try and help if I can. I'm beat from work so I'm going to reread his post in the morning.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[SnoozerBold]

Also, I own a Z10. Love it, plan on keeping it. I'm also no fan of iphones, I've used them and just don't like them. But I do feel the OP was objective and fair in his review. I just think many here have short fuses because we do get many troll threads

Let's try and help him out and hopefully he'll keep the z10.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[Bbnivende]

The following concerns would be concerns for me too:


Screen rotation lag on the Z10 is huge. It is so slow to be annoying. Blackberry needs to fix this fast.

Bluetooth; paired with my car easily enough but it drops every 10 minutes (same car with iPhone = no issues).

Some attachments (which happily open on the emails received on my iPhone) do not open on the Z10.

Battery life is woeful.

Not really showstoppers for me but I guess I would be buying the phone on the basis that I could return it if it was not satisfactory. I would be making sure with Bell their returns policy. I have Apple PC's now and I can't be bothered with the cloud etc. So I am OK.

The slow screen rotation I have seen for myself but I guess if I get an Q10 that would not be an issue. The battery should be good on the Q10 as well.

[miketko]

ONe Z10 used for 10 days is coming soon to an eBay store near you.[/QUOTE]

Think it was this last sentence which kinda put a negative spin on your thread Imo.

Posted using CrackBerry App on BB10

[MattUK]

A great post, thank you.

Like you, I have been a fan of BlackBerry since the early devices, always was impressed how they worked, how good they were with mail before apps became the thing they are today. I managed to remain a BlackBerry owner, but I ended up with an iPhone for personal use and the BlackBerry for work because the device was locked down and I couldn't do anything.

Apple, because of their walled garden, and linked to all of their devices wrapped everything up nicely.. they made it so people could buy once, use many and not worry about the stupid licensing restrictions that every other device or software company enforced on people... Apple have a habit of changing the way people think and work, and usually this is by bullying the companies to get their way, and improve their profit. but equally it bought the people in. The biggest thing for me to turn my iPhone off is not that it links in with my other devices, but I've invested in applications that usually I do not pay to upgrade. I love that.

As you, I also invested in BlackBerry because I really feel that this is a good move and that it will improve as they launch new products this year and next, especially when you read and discover some of the stuff that is planned.

Other than getting decent apps on board quick, and convincing developers to code for the phone rather than port.. that can only happen over time, and BB have tried hard to get people to work with them, offering large cash enticements to get done, credit to them.

How do you get the iphone types to move? Thats never going to be easy, a load of iPhone people are Mac fans, and live life to the Macx.. you may never get them.. for me.. do what was done with Angry Birds.. the first 1 million downloads are free.. reward people for coming to the platform.. I think a great way to get someone to at least consider it (once they like the device and functionality) is to say, right Applefans.. we get that you have a great device.. maybe you are getting bored of the OS as its been the same forever (like BlackBerrys before were) and we get that you've probably invested hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars in apps for your phone.. when they are priced at 99c or lower, you don't often think twice about that silly app, which if it was crap you didnt care.. BlackBerry previously charged double or more what you saw on other platforms.. thats not going to get people over.. why not offer migration inventives.. you show us what apps you have bought, and we will give you x number of those apps (once they are available) for free.

Most people have a core of applications that they cannot live without, and would stop them switching (i have a couple that are stopping me) but if a) they were there and b) they were either dirt cheap or an offer to give me 10 free apps of my choice based on proving I had purchased them before, then I am more likely to switch knowing I retain the functions that I NEED daily.

Take the Angry Birds app.. at first on the device it was �5 (Total rip off, and typical of the pricing structure that we saw for a lot of apps), then it dropped to 75p, much more reasonable.. and then.. Rovio at launch made it free to the first million downloads.. great move! it needs this kind of innovation and thinking and partnership with application writers to get the platform moving.

Sure you may say why should a developer have to do that, or want to.. well its a new platform, and someone has to take on the big boys.. I firmly believe BlackBerry are here to stay in the short and medium term.. longer term, who knows.. but who knows that about any company in this day.

[MattUK]

As for the faults of the device, and the annoyances.. well, the problems you are seeing are seen by a mixture of people, some have the problems, some do not.. early Apple devices were full of faults, the forums full of people moaning that basic phone functions were missing from the phone, and they remained missing... even cut and paste was missing on the Windows Phone 8, and Microsoft should know better.. what that says is that early phone despite the testing they do are always going to come up short for someone, its unavoidable. Its how BlackBerry LISTEN and ACT on what people say.

Apple ignore most people and don't confirm anything.. BlackBerry MUST engage with its customers more, and it MUST LISTEN and talk back. My experience of the new BlackBerry leading up to this launch has been one of amazement. At a corporate level it is a different beast. Dealing with the old RIM was awful for us, to the point we got to the decision point of throwing BlackBerry out.. then we saw what was coming, and importantly how badly BlackBerry wanted to work with us, wanted to hear our views, and wanted to be a partner with us rather than just a company.. Brilliant.. for me its about a partnership that goes two ways, and if BlackBerry can maintain that at both corporate and consumer level, then they win in my book.

Ever tried to deal with Apple at a corporate level? They don't care who you are.. they are not interested.. that to me is their failing, and their loss.. using Apple in a corporate world depends on using other products to make theirs secure.. nightmare to support and a PITA.

[geoffsdad]

I am curious about one thing. I have never visited the imore.com forums. When a new iphone rolls out, are there alot of threads like this one. The "I am returning my iphone5" thread disguised as some kind of review. It just seems to me that most of these threads need to be posted in imore as opposed to crackberry. I don't think this one is trolling or anything like that, but oftentimes these threads sound as if they are discouraging others in a Blackberry community to not buy a Blackberry. Just sayin.

[MattUK]

All forums have this, and its down to the moderators to decide where they sit.

I also think sometimes people post long reviews and frustrations saying the phone is going back but really, they are venting and want people to talk them out of it.. I bet you would find a large proportion of people who post up saying they are sending it back don't actually do that.

This post is more thought out, with context and detail.. not 'its crap because it doesn't do a b or c' posts, which are totally pointless and to your point are just to troll and annoy

[Alain_A]

screen attachment not true work just fine...rotation too just fine

[Alain_A]

a real review of iphone versus bb10........Read IPHONE 4S TO Z10 in Z10 forum