[CrackBerry Question]

I was very happy user of my HTC Desire Z for 4 years. When i needed to change it i was aware that its impossible to get phys keyboard phone so i looked for small compact but powerfull devices. I was always curious about BB phones but OS popularity and prices always pushed me back. I chose Xiaomi Mi2s. I was happy with it past 2,5 years. An i wouldnt even consider changing it but lack of LTE started to be painfull and i need to change.

I dont play games, dont watch movies, dont take pictures. I use phone as a tool - getting mails, evernote notes, tasks, calendar, youtube tutorials, facebook and sometimes navi. I also have 3 weather widgets and apps to manage my NAS (debian) and Media Center (Raspberry PI and LibreELEC).

I need for sure:
- Wifi AC
- LTE 800MHz band
- good range (decent voice quality)
- snappiness and reliability for 3-4 years

Nice to have:
- LTE-A
- radio (i use it with transmitter FM to watch TV wirelessly on headphones)

In case of classic smartphones alsho size is crucial for me. In my case advantages of large screens are not as much profitable to me as their disadantages are painful. I was looking for a device up to 140x70mm max (optimal up to 135x65).

Because my needs and fact that i want to buy a phone for 3-4 years i throw away from my considerations Huawei Nova, Sony Z3 Compact, Samsung Alpha, Samsung A3 2016 and 2017, Xiaomi Mi4c, Huawei P9 Lite. Also Z5 Compact because of heating and CPU throttling problems and Ip6S because i just dont need bigger Iphone

So on the battlefield there were only two warriors left - Xperia X Compact and Iphone SE. IpSE seems more reliable and iOS with its simplicity more optimised for long run using over 3 years (im taking 5s as example)

BUT...
Recently i saw BB KEYone being annouced, and i saw that recent BBs are with android. This is HUGE turning point to me as the main disadvantage fell and now all my needs seems to fit perfectly to BB phones. I could gladly sacrifice compactibility for phys keyboard, HUB, OS optimisation and best GSM ranges in the market.
But price is too high for me and still there is not much info about this model - build quality, optimisations, possible problems etc.

SO...
Should i buy IphoneSE 64gb for now and wait until KEYone prices drop, resell IpSE and buy K1? Or look arround for other BB model (PLEASE dont suggest Passport!)

[anon(4243545)]

Given that your current phone isn't that old, you have two choices, in my opinion: either waiting another year to get the KEYone at its market price, or buying a PRIV right now. Their dimension are pretty much identical, both way bigger than an iPhone SE. Of course, the SE is a great phone, and every iPhone gets 4 years of software updates (which is almost the double Google or BlackBerry are committed to) but you would miss a physical keyboard and BlackBerry's software. I think the iPhone is a great choice only when you have a Mac and/or an iPad, mainly because of the amazing iCloud. I chose a PRIV, though, one of the best BlackBerrys ever. Performance wise, the aforementioned BlackBerrys are not on par with the iPhone 6S (that is, the SE's hardware), unlike the amazing DTEK 60 (besided, the PRIV is faster on single threaded operations, the KEYone, on the contrary, will handle multitasking better).
The point is: do you need a keyboard? If so, do you want also a full touch phone? If you want a BlackBerry, choose a DroidBerry and you won't repent. You should try out the KEYone keyboard if you decide to go for it though, because the reviews are mixed. I'd buy the PRIV, honestly, but that's my own choice.

[doman180]

Ok, im registered now

4 year of support is only a theory because in practice older devices slow down badly with newest iOS versions . There is a big discussion whether it is normal effect of hardware lifetime or Apple does it on purpose. Anyway this factor is not something to take into consideration.

As for keyboard. Ive noticed that when i was using DesireZ i was more often using text writing and editing tasks. When i switched to mi2s i learned to avoid those activities. I miss hardware keyboard but cant say is it nostalgy or i could really use it everyday again.

As for PRIV is 5mm wider from KEYone which makes him really big. And even though i know slider from DesireZ im little concerned about it. Last thing is quality - ive seen some complaints about breaking plastic.

So the real question is: is HUB, software optimisation, build quality and those gsm range stories are worth giving up compactness.