[rotorwrench]

I was going to post this in an existing Z30 thread but it had turned toxic, so here I go.

Went to our local VZW this evening to finally check out the Z30 that I've been waiting for since the Q10 came out. Me and one other are the last holdouts in my company as everyone else has upgraded to Q10s and a couple of Z10s. I was all set and had even ordered a Q10, but when the leaks and announcements of the Z30 came out I decided to wait, just to try it. No problem as I still love my trusty 9930.

As I walked in and headed to the BlackBerry display I was approached by a rep. I said I wanted to see the Z30 and surprisingly the guy actually said "Oh man, excellent! You need to check it out. Let me show you some stuff." This guy actually had spent some time and study on the Z30 as he was navigating around and demonstrating the UI, apps and Hub like he'd been on it for months. After his being carried away playing on it I realized that he was really excited about this phone, so making an assumption I asked if he was a BB owner. He smiled and said no, he was an android guy, currently using a G4 but will be taking a Z30 home this weekend.

My experience with the Z30 was a good one,such that I have decided to get it, even over the excellent Q10. This from a hard core touchscreen hating qwerty guy. To be brief, since there have been many reviews and experiences already posted, I was very impressed. The size was one of the biggest surprises for me as based on some comments on this forum I expected it to be a very large phone and probably not practical for my needs. Definitely not my opinion. I don't have large hands but I found the Z30 very comfortable to hold and use one handed and comparable in actual feel to using a HTC One or G4. It has a nice feel and balance to it, better to me than the G4, which actually feels too light, go figure. While the Z10 and Q10 are more practical in size I believe the display real estate may be worth the larger size. I tried the display on different settings and various apps,photos and video and was pleased with it's sharpness and vibrant colors, not noticing any pixelation nor lack of brightness, at least in the environment I was using it in. Landscape and portrait were both great and the orientation sensor was very responsive. The typing was an amazing experience for me as I normally hate touchscreens. Sold. The rep demonstrated the voice recognition dictating which was amazingly accurate. Sold.

The audio quality was another wow moment. Definitely as good as the PBs and better than the HTC One we compared it to. Loud, clear, balanced and quality audio for any compact electronic device. As to the size again, while not as compact as my 9930, it is definitely holster useable, which is a must for me and my work. The back was easily removable while still being secure while installed. The build quality as well as fit and finish was very good on the phone I was handling. Overall a great looking, handling, performing and well made phone, at least in my opinion and based on the time I had with it.

The phone as well as the OS is new to me so while I found the navigation relatively intuitive and user friendly, I was obviously slower than when I'm on my 9930. That being said, I realize that I will become faster and more proficient the more I use it, as true with any new device, although as fast as my 9930 is doubtful in my mind.

That was my 15-20 minutes with the Z30 as they were closing up while I was there, but nevertheless, it was sufficient time for me to make my decision on telling my boss I want the Z30.

[aha]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing.

[aha]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing.

Damn! Should have said "First!".

[Aljean Thein]

Damn! Should have said "First!".

You're able to edit your post lol

[aha]

You're able to edit your post lol

Haha ... was joking.

[TrueKulcha]

Excellent story and welcome to the growing club.

Posted via CB10

[sonicpix]

Nice to hear.

BB Proud

[Cozz4ever]

Im here in Austin TX for F1 weekend and had a chance to go to the vzw store. The rep actually knew about the phone and she loves it. Very odd coming from a vzw rep. I wanted to buy it but I wouldn't see it until Tuesday. Its $550 out right. I think it's a fair price and the screen is better than some of you guys have been saying in these forums. You really need to focus hard to see any pixelation at all. And the brightness isn't that bad at all. I'm a z10 user and comparing this phone against many phones on the shelves, there's a very good chance the Z10 is going to win.

In short, the Z30 is a fabulous phone and really does shine against many others at the store. I won't be able to order it until I get back to NJ next week. Its stupid not having a few in stock.



Posted via CB10

[KidB]

Glad to hear. I was going to order on-line but held off to try it in the store first. I haven't had a chance to go to my local vzw yet and was half-maybe more than half-expecting them not to stock it at all.

[hrim5493]

Hm stick with my Q or get the Z30...oh the dilemma lol

[AfterHoursWelds]

My friend sells phones and is kind of the same way about the Z30.

He wasn't excited about the Z10 or Q10 but was telling me about how great the Z30 was.

I think his words were that it had the best touch screen of any phone. I'm assuming he meant how responsive it is.

Posted via CB10

[Cozz4ever]

My friend sells phones and is kind of the same way about the Z30.

He wasn't excited about the Z10 or Q10 but was telling me about how great the Z30 was.

I think his words were that it had the best touch screen of any phone. I'm assuming he meant how responsive it is.

Posted via CB10

After trying it out, I know what he's saying. Its iphone smooth but even smoother

Posted via CB10

[kbz1960]

Thanks rotor. I've been considering changing carriers and getting a Z30 so it's nice to see a well done review even if you only had a short time on it.

[whatsever]

I almost bought the z30 this afternoon but comparing with my z10 and price tag of 599 euro I get some doubt. I tested the phone before and I know I like it before but gone think it over this weekend.

Also love my Z10

Posted via CB10

[rotorwrench]

Glad to hear. I was going to order on-line but held off to try it in the store first. I haven't had a chance to go to my local vzw yet and was half-maybe more than half-expecting them not to stock it at all.

Speaking as long time BB user where my phones are primarily work/productivity tools, I always recommend trying the device first, regardless of brand or platform. You have the right idea. You should never decide solely on the opinions you read in a forum, even here. There are excellent reviews and opinions from members of this forum on devices but in the end they are still subjective opinions from people with different, albeit similar, but still different needs or preferences than you. You are the only one to determine if a given device is for you, BB or not.

I liked the Z30 display, others may not. I don't think the size is an issue, others may disagree, etc... The point being I'm not wrong and neither are they, as far as their preferences and needs go. That being said, there's nothing wrong with buying a device based on the opinions of others as long as you're prepared to risk still not liking the device and not blaming the device or others for your disappointment.

I had 20min with the Z30 and found I disagreed with some opinions I have read here and agreed with others. I went into that store already thinking the phone wasn't for me and found that not to be true and will get it. My decision.

[rotorwrench]

I almost bought the z30 this afternoon but comparing with my z10 and price tag of 599 euro I get some doubt. I tested the phone before and I know I like it before but gone think it over this weekend.

Also love my Z10


Posted via CB10

That's the problem, I like all three LOL

[whatsever]

The z30 looks great and it's not to big for me to use it and that's what I know from testing in august. But I checked some site and find one for 522 euro. Like that price more

Posted via CB10

[toneytone]

It is pretty odd to finally get good a rep excited about a blackberry product. I too witnessed good enough service that I switched all my lines from t-mobile to verizon. The rep even did a excellent enough job that my partner skipped getting a G2 and also ordered a Z30.

[Anon_M_Lee]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I think I might go to Verizon and experience the device myself. I would like to get the device with Verizon but their plans are too expensive.

[rotorwrench]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I think I might go to Verizon and experience the device myself. I would like to get the device with Verizon but their plans are too expensive.

We're locked into to a pretty good family plan and I still have my unlimited but we're also stuck with VZW as CDMA signals are all that are worth having here in the mountains. AT&T isn't too popular here as the coverage and signal strength sucks. We've tried them several times but we're lucky to get even one bar at the house whereas with VZW phones we get three. Their plans are priced better but bad connections and dropped calls aren't worth the savings for us. Work is all VZW as well.

[Jimberry Storm]

So I'm at BJ's wholesale (Norristown PA), witch has a Verizon store inside. I ask the clerk to see the new Z30 he says oh you mean the Z10, I say no Z30 he says oh must be at&t exclusive. I say no Verizon exclusive, he says oh we stopped selling BlackBerry. WTF no wonder BlackBerry is struggling in US.

Posted via CB10

[rotorwrench]

Back to VZW tonight to get some more time on the Z30. I have over an hour on the thing now and although hate giving up a qwerty since I spend more time on the kb than anything else, I'm overwhelmed with the kb and typing experience. So tonight was the deciding factor.

I have been reading some opinions that you can't type well one handed on the Z30, so I went in and must have typed half a novel, mixed between demo emails and sms and can state, as a guy with average to smaller hands (I am proof that large hands indicate nothing but large hands) I had no issues typing onehanded and that was with the stupid security device on the the backcover. I did have problems with the upper left corner of the screen if I needed to reach it easily, but I didn't encounter a scenario where I did after accumulating more than an hour of mixed use.

In photos it does appear much larger than the Q but it really is not much wider (1/4") just taller and handles like a smaller phone. If size is preventing anyone from considering a Z30, I definitely recommend trying one first before you cross it off your list, as I almost did. You may change your mind, as I did.

[A895]

Back to VZW tonight to get some more time on the Z30. I have over an hour on the thing now and although hate giving up a qwerty since I spend more time on the kb than anything else, I'm overwhelmed with the kb and typing experience. So tonight was the deciding factor.

I have been reading some opinions that you can't type well one handed on the Z30, so I went in and must have typed half a novel, mixed between demo emails and sms and can state, as a guy with average to smaller hands (I am proof that large hands indicate nothing but large hands) I had no issues typing onehanded and that was with the stupid security device on the the backcover. I did have problems with the upper right corner of the screen if I needed to reach it easily, but I didn't encounter a scenario where I did after accumulating more than an hour of mixed use.

In photos it does appear much larger than the Q but it really is not much wider (1/4") just taller and handles like a smaller phone. If size is preventing anyone from considering a Z30, I definitely recommend trying one first before you cross it off your list, as I almost did. You may change your mind, as I did.

The date for your post reads 12/31/1969.

Sent from my XT907 using CB Forums mobile app

[rotorwrench]

Must be a CB glitch. I don't see it. Where is that date?

[A895]

Must be a CB glitch. I don't see it. Where is that date?

It has now changed. I did see it for a while.

Sent from my XT907 using CB Forums mobile app