[richard_rsp]

(Disclaimer: I am a Mobile Nations member trying to have an adult conversation about the good and bad of the Z10. If you can’t do that, then please move on to the next post. )

Ok, yes, I know it seems kind of silly presenting a one DAY review of a device… but my reasoning is to let my experience be known, since I feel I am representative of many consumers that may be considering a Z10. (Who knows, perhaps Blackberry will read this and have a better understanding of what is awesome, what is okay, what is disappointing, and what needs to be addressed in future updates).

Background:
First of all, brand name has little to NO bearing on what phone I purchase. I am also not afraid to use the return policy if a device doesn’t meet my basic needs. I will happily buy a device outright and then if it suits my needs better than my current “daily driver” phone, I will gladly swap out and sell my current phone. If not, it is returned. My smartphone daily drivers have included: Motorola Q, Blackberry 8330, Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, iPhone 4, and now and iPhone 5. During that time, I have also tried: Palm Pre 2, Droid Razr, Droid Razr M, Galaxy Note 2, and HTC 8X, all of which were returned for some reason or another.

Currently I have decided to try the Blackberry Z10 (Verizon). I have been looking forward to the release of the Z10; I really enjoyed my old Blackberry 8330 and appreciated its reliability, battery life and its focus on primary functions. So far, the Z10 has been a little bit of a different story…

What is Awesome:
Blackberry Hub - very cool. I love having all of my messages in one place that I can check from any app.

LED notifications – nice to have a quiet, in obtrusive notification of new messages etc.

Data linked across apps – I was impressed when I created a calendar event (hotel stay) and it linked my confirmation email to the event! This is VERY cool!

Screen quality – gorgeous! Colors are vibrant; size is perfect in my mind!

Physical Feel – LOVE the feel of the device. In my opinion, it’s the best feeling device out there.

What is Okay:
Browser – it’s okay. I’m impressed that it can run flash; however, there are some settings (such as Desktop View) that are kind of a pain to activate. Zoom / focus are acceptable, but not great.

Text Entry - The keyboard is pretty good, but editing text takes some effort. I find myself deleting stuff by accident at times.

Voice Assistant – It works, but that’s about as appealing as it gets.

Charging Port on Side – I like that it is Micro USB, however using it with accessories such as the flip cover is awkward. Additionally, to charge the phone while propped up, it places the volume buttons on the bottom (again awkward).

Gestures / multitasking – I really like the ability to slide over and see what notifications are there, however I feel they could have included more gestures (two and three finger swipes?). Multitasking is nice, but doesn’t feel any better than Android .

Stock Maps/Navigation App – It seems to work ok, but it seems slow to come into focus, and the maps lack any sort of aerial view.

Music Player – Sounds pretty decent. Easy to transfer songs. Works with headphones that have controls (such as iPhone headset). Strangely it does not unpause after receiving a phone call via Bluetooth.

What is Disappointing:
Reboot / setup time – This is SLOW compared to other phones these days. Not a deal killer, but disappointing.

App Quantity – This was expected. I don’t use a ton of apps, but there are several that I do use that aren’t available natively (myfitnesspal, bank app, Paypal app, Pandora, Amazon Shopping, etc).

Alarm / Sounds – Only allows for a single alarm; “Snooze” and “Off” buttons are right next to each other; Very limited sounds and ringtones. Yes, I can add more, but this was still a disappointment.

Speed / Smoothness – Overall, the device feels pretty quick. But there are some scrolling situations (such as in Settings) that are subpar.

What needs to be Fixed:
Freezes / Reboots – Since 4pm yesterday, I have had my Z10 freeze up twice: once when having voice assistant search the net and once when connected to Bluetooth in my car. This is not acceptable.

App Quality – This was not expected. My first app purchase was TapaTalk2 for $2.99. It was also my first introduction to “ported apps”. After TWO force closes on Tapatalk, I finally got into the program. That feels unfinished. Overall, I think Blackberry needs to get away from Android apps (ported or sideloaded).

Things I don’t know about yet:
BBM – I have *zero* friends/contacts with Blackberries anymore and therefore I am missing out on the advantages of BBM. This is an issue that anyone who is looking at a new device will consider.

Battery Life – I haven’t ran it through a full charge yet, however I am running it just like I would any other phone – Wifi and Bluetooth on. Not that it matters, because I don’t have the update yet anyway on Verizon. So far, I have gone down 10% in 2.5 hours, which is acceptable.

Overall, I am not sure about the Z10 yet. There are things I like, but others I don’t. The device still feels unfinished, which is not good to be present in direct competition with more refined smartphones. I bought this to be used as a daily driver, so I’m trying to give it a fair shot. Minus the freezing, I can work around the other issues… however, if the freezing continues, it’s going to be returned, too.

I will update this thread as appropriate.

[jesse_h]

To return to a previous screen in an android port either swipe down from the top and press the back arrow, or, swipe from the bottom bezel to the left bezel on an angle and it goes back.




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[richard_rsp]

To return to a previous screen in an android port either swipe down from the top and press the back arrow, or, swipe from the bottom bezel to the left bezel on an angle and it goes back.

Ok, thank you! The swipe down / back arrow doesnt work on my Tapatalk2, but the swipe along the bezel did.

[RossyBoy92]

Nice summary I've never had my Z10 freeze in the 2 months I've had it. Also have you upgraded the Facebook app? The latest version allows you to view Events in the app. Hope this helps and you enjoy your Z10 in the coming weeks

[Wigley458]

OK. Just so u know. There has been many comments on other threads bout Verizon issues with side loaded apps not working right. There are tricks to making them work relatively good. But until Verizon had Givin the update there will be issues. Btw. Almost all of the issues u presented have been fixed on the update. I don't have any of them on mine. I'm on Rogers network.

Posted from the best phone ever my Z10

[Wigley458]

Also. There ARE music controls from anywhere in any app. Just touch the volume up or down and it pops up when playing a song or in pause mode

Posted from the best phone ever my Z10

[Wigley458]

Lol. And if u want a bbm friend. To try out. Then u can add me. Pin:24C0C034

Posted from the best phone ever my Z10

[j8298c]

I also agree with the fact that blackberry should just get rid of the android apps keep it native and just keep trying to get the big names on board, cause native will always be a lot better than some ported app. Everyone should know by now the limitations of apps on the blackberry eco system by now it should be a i can deal with it and wait or i should just wait until they are made.

[HartfordWhalers]

Welcome and nice post. You need to experience the time shift camera, storymaker (which my 9 year old created in 5 mins with NO instruction from me). Must apps for me are Magellen Compass (5 stars), and Apollo


Browser for me is so good, the mobile version of some sites is better than their crappy apps

Text Entry - Good point. Once I got used to it, I'm now working faster than on my 9930

Voice Assistant � Agreed

Rebooting is an issue and you can make the case that its similar to early versions of iOS and Android in looking a bit "unfinished". Overall I am thrilled with the email handling, Evernote and Box integration and browser. Hope it all works well for ya.

[richard_rsp]

OK. Just so u know. There has been many comments on other threads bout Verizon issues with side loaded apps not working right. There are tricks to making them work relatively good. But until Verizon had Givin the update there will be issues. Btw. Almost all of the issues u presented have been fixed on the update. I don't have any of them on mine. I'm on Rogers network.

This is REALLY good to know that most issues have been addressed in the update! Im not really interested in side loading, but still I guess thats good to know its fixed.

Nice summary I've never had my Z10 freeze in the 2 months I've had it. Also have you upgraded the Facebook app? The latest version allows you to view Events in the app. Hope this helps and you enjoy your Z10 in the coming weeks

I just downloaded it yesterday evening (since I got the phone yesterday), so I assumed it was the latest version... however, when i checked for updates, it and about 10 other updates became available... strange.... Thank you!

Also. There ARE music controls from anywhere in any app. Just touch the volume up or down and it pops up when playing a song or in pause mode

Wow.. totally didnt even notice that... Thanks!

[LordCrankypants]

The issues with Jetpack Joyride are not problems with the phone, but with the app itself. I don't get that experience when I play games that require even more power from the phone to play them properly.

JB

[SirJes]

For the GESTURES,there are two finger swipes for things such as getting to the top/bottom of pages,bringing up the keyboard and a few other things,you should check out the user guide,

For the jetpack joyride,its not the phones fault its actually the game itself so that falls on the developer,

The reboot time is actually very fast,my phone boots up in under 20seconds, is that much slower than android/ios?
Also,the only time a reboot is actually needed is after a software upgrade,so not much rebooting to do.(Maybe Defective Unit/Or needs upgrade)

And the settings was fixed in a 6mb update like 1 week ago,it opens and works as snappy as the rest of the phone,

As for freezing,hmm im not sure i have not had freeze ups or lag since i received my phone (And i won one at the launch in NY so thats a long time) are you on verizon by chance? if so then verizon customers have been experiencing some errors (reboot,freeze ups,lags etc) and these should be fixed in an update thats soon to come, if not then maybe you should look into having it replaced with another Z10 unit just as you said to give it a fair shot,

Overall this is one of the better reviews ive seen compared to those that just jump in bashing left to right without any information what so ever,and its good to see your taking suggestions and giving it a chance.

[RoboticGolem]

Nice review. It shows that you've actually used the phone. And played around with it.

Everything seems pretty on par with what I've experienced, with the exception of the freeze / reboot problem. I'm on t-mo, and havent had to reboot the thing since I've turned it on. Rock solid as far as I've seen. I did have a browser crash the other day loading a cached web bookmark that was transferred from my old 9780... but *meh* I cant even be upset about that.


I too have noticed the lag issue with jet pack joyride. Frustrating, but I'm hoping it gets fixed with an update.

[richard_rsp]

For the GESTURES,there are two finger swipes for things such as getting to the top/bottom of pages,bringing up the keyboard and a few other things,you should check out the user guide,

Ok I will check it out a bit more. I knew about the keyboard, but not about the top/bottom of page stuff...

For the jetpack joyride,its not the phones fault its actually the game itself so that falls on the developer,

Others have said the same. That is good to know.

The reboot time is actually very fast,my phone boots up in under 20seconds, is that much slower than android/ios?
Also,the only time a reboot is actually needed is after a software upgrade,so not much rebooting to do.(Maybe Defective Unit/Or needs upgrade)

Hmm. Mine takes a significantly longer time than that, but it may be because I haven't gotten the update yet (Yes I am on Verizon). Hopefully if the freezing/rebooting issues are fixed, I wont have to worry about rebooting often.

And the settings was fixed in a 6mb update like 1 week ago,it opens and works as snappy as the rest of the phone,

As for freezing,hmm im not sure i have not had freeze ups or lag since i received my phone (And i won one at the launch in NY so thats a long time) are you on verizon by chance? if so then verizon customers have been experiencing some errors (reboot,freeze ups,lags etc) and these should be fixed in an update thats soon to come, if not then maybe you should look into having it replaced with another Z10 unit just as you said to give it a fair shot,

Yes, Verizon. So no (big) updates yet. I am keeping an eye out.

Overall this is one of the better reviews ive seen compared to those that just jump in bashing left to right without any information what so ever,and its good to see your taking suggestions and giving it a chance.

Thank you! I really hope that the update fixes these issues; it seems like it could be a great phone!

[jrohland]

Again this may be the update (I'm on AT&T) but, my Bluetooth has been excellent. Apps (BlackBerry Radio), music and video player pause when a call comes in and restart exactly as they should when the call ends.

The keyboard does take some practice (true of all new devices) but some people find it [almost scarily] intuitive after a few days.

I'm not sure how the GPS (location services) could be any better. It found me at the gates of heII 500 miles underground and brought me home. Well, maybe not quite that far. Now if you are talking about the built-in maps app, that is not location services, that is just one of several apps that use location services. It would be nice if you made a distinction between the two. Try the BlackBerry Protect app and Web page. It has been extremely accurate in locating mine and my ladies Z10s.

[reversekcid]

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[jdhooghe]

I do experience the extremely long bootup time. It's like 45 seconds to a minute. Everything else has been great

[blel]

I do experience the extremely long bootup time. It's like 45 seconds to a minute. Everything else has been great

It's been talked about in other threads that the longer boot time for the Z10 is because of all the extra security features that are being loaded.

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[richard_rsp]

Again this may be the update (I'm on AT&T) but, my Bluetooth has been excellent. Apps (BlackBerry Radio), music and video player pause when a call comes in and restart exactly as they should when the call ends.

Mine worked fine when calling out at lunch today, but when receiving a call this morning, the music didn't start back. However, I had a freeze up after this occurred, so it probably is related.

I'm not sure how the GPS (location services) could be any better....Now if you are talking about the built-in maps app, that is not location services, that is just one of several apps that use location services. It would be nice if you made a distinction between the two....

I apologize for the confusion; By "Navigation", I was referring to the stock Maps app, not location services. No problems with location services or any GPS related activity; They work as advertised. Just referring to the Maps app and its a) ability to find Points of Interest, and b) lack of aerial view.

[dbmalloy]

Thanks to the OP for sharing... love your disclaimer.... The one thing I would suggest ... if the phone continues to freeze. I would return it for a different one... If you look at the various posts on the board... the phone freezing is not a common occurrence and may mean you have a faulty device.... as for keyboard... it is just a matter of getting use to it... took me a week or so as I had a bad habit of deleting text... When I first got my Z10 the only time it took a long time to boot was initial setup and OS updates.... again.. could mean a hardware issue...

[PedanticUser]

Hey, great review so far. I hope you enjoy your phone.

Anyways, I just thought I'd add that the settings and phone apps are both written in Adobe Air before Cascades was finalized, and that's why both are slow. I don't think it's right to judge the smoothness of the entire OS based on these two apps. There have been several hints (including one from today) that BB is currently working on native apps to replace these. I do agree that this needs to happen, but I can also appreciate why their engineers prioritized more frequently used areas of the OS over these two specific apps.

[DocDRM]

OP - sent you a PM.

[jrohland]

...I apologize for the confusion; By "Navigation", I was referring to the stock Maps app, not location services. No problems with location services or any GPS related activity; They work as advertised. Just referring to the Maps app and its a) ability to find Points of Interest, and b) lack of aerial view.

I'm not going to defend the Maps app. It is what I would call adequate for the task. However, POI does work through the search option in the app. It may not have everything but it does have everything I've looked for. Anyway, there are excellent navigation apps starting to show up in BlackBerry World.

[joski]

Your disclaimer made me lose interest in your review. Sorry.

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