[cigarsandtanks]

I am typing this from my beloved Passport.
I have two mobiles, one is an old Curve that I keep forwarded to my Passport. So recently I decided to get a nice Android POS and carry two phones. So I went and ordered the Blackview 9900 Pro (rugged phone and it has FLIR infrared). I paid the $20 for DHL and it arrives three days after it ships, so nice.
I've been playing with it for a couple of days now and I'm not thrilled with Android Pie sucking me into its eco system. I'm trying hard not to have to root this phone but I may eventually just because I hate all things Google.
My first gripe was with the big Google bar on the home screen. You can't get rid of it. So I installed Microsoft Launcher which put their own overlay over it which seems to be a bit better.
Then I start setting up my email accounts, of which I have around six. Android Pie has a lousy hub and they all start to blend together and there is no options for a compact look or changing background colors. Hate it. So I download BlackBerry Hub Plus. Well that was disappointing. Does it get any better for 99 cents a month?
Another thing I can't stand is the icons by each email with either a picture or an initial. When was it decided that email needed to look like a third graders coloring book?
I'll keep playing with it before I break out the fine tuning hammer. In the mean time, I will keep my Passport as my primary mobile email and tech xt messaging device. Android can't touch it.
And oh yes, I despise Android. I don't ever log in to play store ( I get Apk's elsewhere). At least I was able to disable the microphone for Android.
Hopefully I will be able to find a good hub to manage emails on it.

Posted via CB10

[brookie229]

look like a third graders coloring book?

That's Material Design - you will have to get used to it until real artists/designers are back in vogue.

[Chuck Finley69]

I am typing this from my beloved Passport.
I have two mobiles, one is an old Curve that I keep forwarded to my Passport. So recently I decided to get a nice Android POS and carry two phones. So I went and ordered the Blackview 9900 Pro (rugged phone and it has FLIR infrared). I paid the $20 for DHL and it arrives three days after it ships, so nice.
I've been playing with it for a couple of days now and I'm not thrilled with Android Pie sucking me into its eco system. I'm trying hard not to have to root this phone but I may eventually just because I hate all things Google.
My first gripe was with the big Google bar on the home screen. You can't get rid of it. So I installed Microsoft Launcher which put their own overlay over it which seems to be a bit better.
Then I start setting up my email accounts, of which I have around six. Android Pie has a lousy hub and they all start to blend together and there is no options for a compact look or changing background colors. Hate it. So I download BlackBerry Hub Plus. Well that was disappointing. Does it get any better for 99 cents a month?
Another thing I can't stand is the icons by each email with either a picture or an initial. When was it decided that email needed to look like a third graders coloring book?
I'll keep playing with it before I break out the fine tuning hammer. In the mean time, I will keep my Passport as my primary mobile email and tech xt messaging device. Android can't touch it.
And oh yes, I despise Android. I don't ever log in to play store ( I get Apk's elsewhere). At least I was able to disable the microphone for Android.
Hopefully I will be able to find a good hub to manage emails on it.

Posted via CB10

I’m using LG standard interchangeable with BB Launcher with BBAppSuite on my V30 and Microsoft Launcher on KEYone and Motion interchangeably with BBAndroid standard.

Best way to manage emails are native apps for hosted domains and proprietary freemail apps respectively. Android notifications are quick directly into apps individually.

Don’t waste time attempting to recreate BB10 as it wasn’t possible on BBAndroid ever and now that’s basically over.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I am typing this from my beloved Passport.
I have two mobiles, one is an old Curve that I keep forwarded to my Passport. So recently I decided to get a nice Android POS and carry two phones. So I went and ordered the Blackview 9900 Pro (rugged phone and it has FLIR infrared). I paid the $20 for DHL and it arrives three days after it ships, so nice.
I've been playing with it for a couple of days now and I'm not thrilled with Android Pie sucking me into its eco system. I'm trying hard not to have to root this phone but I may eventually just because I hate all things Google.
My first gripe was with the big Google bar on the home screen. You can't get rid of it. So I installed Microsoft Launcher which put their own overlay over it which seems to be a bit better.
Then I start setting up my email accounts, of which I have around six. Android Pie has a lousy hub and they all start to blend together and there is no options for a compact look or changing background colors. Hate it. So I download BlackBerry Hub Plus. Well that was disappointing. Does it get any better for 99 cents a month?
Another thing I can't stand is the icons by each email with either a picture or an initial. When was it decided that email needed to look like a third graders coloring book?
I'll keep playing with it before I break out the fine tuning hammer. In the mean time, I will keep my Passport as my primary mobile email and tech xt messaging device. Android can't touch it.
And oh yes, I despise Android. I don't ever log in to play store ( I get Apk's elsewhere). At least I was able to disable the microphone for Android.
Hopefully I will be able to find a good hub to manage emails on it.

Posted via CB10

Well there is always Apple.....

Thing about Android... is you can make it what you want. Don't like the "google"... lot's of tweaks to change that. I found much of Microsoft's app selections for Android to be pretty good... Launcher, Outlook, Office Apps, OneDrive...

Rooting.... it's still going to run Android, unless you are talking about installing a custom ROM based on something else. Sadly with a fringe phone, I doubt you'll find a ROM that will support all the hardware, especially the FLIR Camera.

[Troy Tiscareno]

Android is not BB10, and if you start with the premise that it MUST be like BB10, then you're going to be disappointed and frustrated. The reality is that it's a different OS and does things a different way, and at some point, you're going to have to get used to the differences. Most of the differences are there for a reason - even if you haven't figured out the reason yet or even if the reason isn't specifically useful to you. But the more you try to force it to be like BB10, the more difficult you'll probably make it on yourself, because it's never going to be BB10. Nothing will.

iOS would be even worse, given its limitations on being able to customize things - Apple really insists you do most things the Apple way. At least with Android you do have options and alternatives for most things. But at some point, you have to embrace the changes and focus on all the things a new phone can do that a 6-year-old phone can't, and stop focusing on the WAY the old one did things. Otherwise, you'll just be frustrated forever.

[cigarsandtanks]

I have no intention of rooting the blackview or loading a custom ROM. It is what it is. Like my other android devices, I just de-google them as much as possible. I still run my Passport primarily. The browser has about 90% functionality/practicality and it can't be beat for emails and texting. Maps is still rocking strong. The phone will probably work until the end of 2021 when T-Mobile will drop it off the list of network supported phones (engineer friend told me). So if it is still intact by then it will just be a wifi device. The blackview is dual sim so I'll just jump over.
In the meantime, no... I'm not trying to turn the blackview into a blackberry.
The hardest part about the whole transition is going from the PKB and large Passport screen to the standard, soul less rectangle of the android borg collective. Talk about getting the Crackberry Jimmies...


Posted via CB10