[anon(5350089)]

I went ahead and picked up a Lumia 950 tonight. I can honestly say as a Microsoft fan that I miss BB OS, and more so the Classic itself. The 950 is great, but it doesn't give me the same enjoyment as the Classic. The 950 allows for a better Microsoft experience with OneNote and OneDrive (horrid experiences on the Classic) and allows me to use my Band again, but something is missing. It's a much more pleasing experience to message, email, and make calls on the BlackBerry. It's also a great size for a phone. I'm going to give it a few days but I might be putting the SIM back in the classic.
P.S. My wife thinks I'm insane to keep switching and putting this much effort into choosing a phone.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

First of all, BlackBerry 10 devices are still being sold new through carriers and BlackBerry itself.

What this means is that BlackBerry will support the OS for AT LEAST 2 years, which is the length of an average phone contract). If they dont, BlackBerry is going to get burned by the carriers, and risk future deals with them.

So no need to worry about the support for the next two years.

Please stop with the whole drama, people. BlackBerry 10 phones will still work, and will still be updated for the next couple years.

Posted via CB10

What does support mean?

What level of usability will there be in the coming months or years? Will Cobalt's hack still work? Will more and more developers use Google Services that require complicated patching... that half the time doesn't work? Will more developers build apps that exclude the 2.5 year old runtime that BlackBerry has choose not to upgrade?

If all you need is email and a basic browser...yeah the BB10 phones will work just fine. But if you want a modern smartphone.... you'll end up wanting modern device running a modern OS with modern features.

[anon(5350089)]

What does support mean?

What level of usability will there be in the coming months or years? Will Cobalt's hack still work? Will more and more developers use Google Services that require complicated patching... that half the time doesn't work? Will more developers build apps that exclude the 2.5 year old runtime that BlackBerry has choose not to upgrade?

If all you need is email and a basic browser...yeah the BB10 phones will work just fine. But if you want a modern smartphone.... you'll end up wanting modern device running a modern OS with modern features.

That is the crux of my issue. Though I enjoy the Classic immensely now, will I feel the same over the next two years? I can get by with the functionality in its current state but am worried the experience will only degrade.

[Davantazh]

CSN&Y said it best. "Love the one your with!"

Posted via CB10

[skstrials]

What does support mean?

What level of usability will there be in the coming months or years? Will Cobalt's hack still work? Will more and more developers use Google Services that require complicated patching... that half the time doesn't work? Will more developers build apps that exclude the 2.5 year old runtime that BlackBerry has choose not to upgrade?

If all you need is email and a basic browser...yeah the BB10 phones will work just fine. But if you want a modern smartphone.... you'll end up wanting modern device running a modern OS with modern features.

Google service is not a requirement to being a modern smartphone. And some Google services such as Youtube actually work better on BlackBerry 10 Youtube apps (play while minimized, no ads, and video download).

And most of the Android apps work currently. For future, one can simply save the current apk files, and choose not to update to the newer Android apps.

Besides, there will still be BlackBerry 10 app store, which has many unique apps that are not found anywhere else.

And the OP was talking about switching to Windows Phone, which does not have Google services anyways.

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

First of all, BlackBerry 10 devices are still being sold new through carriers and BlackBerry itself.

What this means is that BlackBerry will support the OS for AT LEAST 2 years, which is the length of an average phone contract). If they dont, BlackBerry is going to get burned by the carriers, and risk future deals with them.

So no need to worry about the support for the next two years.

BB's support commitment is based on the initial release date of the device (the last one being the Leap), not the date the last device was sold by a retailer, and the normal commitment is 18 months from release. BB has committed to support BB10 to near the end of 2016, in the form of 2 maintenance updates - the first of which is due March 2016, and the latter is likely to be around the end of the year. Don't expect anything after that.

[anon(5350089)]

BB's support commitment is based on the initial release date of the device (the last one being the Leap), not the date the last device was sold by a retailer, and the normal commitment is 18 months from release. BB has committed to support BB10 to near the end of 2016, in the form of 2 maintenance updates - the first of which is due March 2016, and the latter is likely to be around the end of the year. Don't expect anything after that.

Is that confirmed? Will BB OS cease to be a supported product in only a year? Man, just when I had myself convinced to switch back to the Classic.

[skstrials]

Is that confirmed? Will BB OS cease to be a supported product in only a year? Man, just when I had myself convinced to switch back to the Classic.

Nope, it is not confirmed.



Posted via CB10

[anon(5350089)]

My wife is going to bludgeon me if I don't decide soon.

[ohaiguise]

Stop worrying and enjoy using your new Classic. Buy a second phone for when this one eventually dies in 5 - 10 years.

[Elephant_Canyon]

Nope, it is not confirmed.

Nothing is confirmed. Which should worry you just as much.

[BB-JAM215]

Is that confirmed? Will BB OS cease to be a supported product in only a year? Man, just when I had myself convinced to switch back to the Classic.

BB10 is not going to suddenly stop working even if BlackBerry continues to provide minimal support or at some point it is no longer officially supported. I'm still looking forward to purchasing a Classic when it eventually gets to a clearance sale price.

[DrBoomBotz]

BB10 is not going to suddenly stop working even if BlackBerry continues to provide minimal support or at some point it is no longer officially supported. I'm still looking forward to purchasing a Classic when it eventually gets to a clearance sale price.

That's the bright side.
I wonder about this though. There is not a huge glut of inventory in the channel and there is a small but committed group who will be thinking like you are.

[Vistaus]

For what it is worth, Clewly stated in tweet that BB10 is not dead and he does not understand where people got that idea. BlackBerry World now indicates its apps as being for Business/Enterprise although there are still plenty of other apps available; Amazon App is listed for Android and Entertainment apps; Play, for BlackBerry Android/Priv apps. On both the Inside BlackBerry and BlackBerry Developer blogs there is zero indication that BB10 is EOL, in fact, BB10 is still showcased (from a business perspective, mind you) on IBB and the Dev blog still shows support for BB10. Yeah, yeah, yeah, ART is not going to updated--which is further evidence of BB10 going for business/enterprise. They seem to be pushing for native development now.

So, based on everything (including what Chen has been saying, among others) it seems most likely that as of this point BB10 is shifting to become the business/enterprise OS with Android on BlackBerry for the masses. I think it is also clear that Chen eventually wants to manage only one OS but whether that is BB10, Android, or a hybrid of the two (or keeping both if financially viable), is unknown. All we know is that Chen is going to "...let the market decide".

So as long as you are cool with no native Instagram, SnapChat, likely Netflix, Uber and a few other big name apps ever coming to BB10 you should find that it is ultimately to your liking. It is still up in the air over whether or not Facebook or Twitter will be updated. I think they will be eventually but because of APIs and BB10 they both will likely always be crippled compared to the real deals.

Here is another way to think about it: some of us diehard BB10ers have considered switching to Windows Phone if/when BB10 is absolutely EOL--which is still likely to happen in a year or two (or not) depending on what route Chen decides to go. Some have stated they are committed to riding it out to its ultimate bitter end; and others to this day are still buying new BB10 handsets or considering buys in the face of all of this "BB10 is dead"/Priv hoopla. Sure, some staunchly believe that BB10 is now EOL or was even DOA at launch, but whatever; those users I mentioned should be indicative of just how awesome BB10 truly is and in the least should give you two years of enjoyment if that is worth it to you.

Once again, if you expect some sort of true consumer's experience with BB10 you will be sorely disappointed but there are some work arounds and 3rd Party apps to help ease the pain. If you accept BB10s limitations and your own needs do not fall to far outside of those limitations than you are most likely to find the BB10 experience to be second to none.

Funny, a few years ago it was speculated that WinPhone could become the #1 mobile OS in the world. Never happened, of course, but considering their new partnership with Xioami and a billion Chinese, as well as the rumored Surface Phone (been rumored for years, current rumors indicate that under Nadella it might actually see the light of day), MSs fortunes in mobile are very likely to change to the positive. It is however not likely they will overtake Android or iOS but they do stand the chance to severely close the 3rd place gap.

Native Instagram is possible, although unofficial with iGrann Pro and, native but less BB10 looking, Inst10.

Posted via CB10 on BlackBerry Passport (OG Red)

[anon(5350089)]

To clarify, I couldn't care less about Instagram, Google apps, games, Facebook, Snapchat (or any chat client), or anything similar. I DO care about OneDrive, OneNote, LinkedIn, phone quality/reception (imagine using a phone as a phone!), email, text, music, podcasts, and camera (I have a 3 year old son). I am sure you can see the dilemma given what I want to do with a phone. The BlackBerry handles some things better than the Lumia and vice versa. However, the Lumia is likely to improve in the areas it is weaker, whereas the BlackBerry is likely to stand still at best and degrade at worst. I have never experienced this level of indecisiveness in regards to a buying decision; hell, I bought my home hours after it being shown.

[skstrials]

To clarify, I couldn't care less about Instagram, Google apps, games, Facebook, Snapchat (or any chat client), or anything similar. I DO care about OneDrive, OneNote, LinkedIn, phone quality/reception (imagine using a phone as a phone!), email, text, music, podcasts, and camera (I have a 3 year old son). I am sure you can see the dilemma given what I want to do with a phone. The BlackBerry handles some things better than the Lumia and vice versa. However, the Lumia is likely to improve in the areas it is weaker, whereas the BlackBerry is likely to stand still at best and degrade at worst. I have never experienced this level of indecisiveness in regards to a buying decision; hell, I bought my home hours after it being shown.

BlackBerry 10 experience is not going to degrade as you say
- Its reception is not going to decrease just because it feels like it.
- All the core apps, music, email, text, maps, and camera will still work fine.
- BlackBerry 10 has native support for Onedrive.
- Onenote also works great with Android version.
- The Hub will still work very well. This is the best communication management solution in any mobile OS imo.

The Lumia will have a better camera than the Classic, but for an everyday, non professional usage, the Classic camera will work fine.

With Android apps, just make sure that you do not update the apps just for the sake of it.

I did go to a Microsoft store the other day, and held the phone. While it is a nice phone, it is not worth the price it is going for now. It is unwise to buy a fresh new phone at a full price when it is going to be cheaper even just a few months from now.

Even though you say you do not care about apps now, it is nice having the Android compatibility with BlackBerry 10. I have four Android apps that run perfectly on my Q10.

Posted via CB10

[anon(5350089)]

BlackBerry 10 experience is not going to degrade as you say
- Its reception is not going to decrease just because it feels like it.
- All the core apps, music, email, text, maps, and camera will still work fine.
- BlackBerry 10 has native support for Onedrive.
- Onenote also works great with Android version.
- The Hub will still work very well. This is the best communication management solution in any mobile OS imo.

The Lumia will have a better camera than the Classic, but for an everyday, non professional usage, the Classic camera will work fine.

With Android apps, just make sure that you do not update the apps just for the sake of it.

I did go to a Microsoft store the other day, and held the phone. While it is a nice phone, it is not worth the price it is going for now. It is unwise to buy a fresh new phone at a full price when it is going to be cheaper even just a few months from now.

Even though you say you do not care about apps now, it is nice having the Android compatibility with BlackBerry 10. I have four Android apps that run perfectly on my Q10.

Posted via CB10

I found OneDrive lacking, and OneNote unusable (slow to launch, horrible lag, limited editing options, zero integration). Both of these are far better on the 950 and will likely to be consistently improved thereon. For reference, I was running the OneNote application that is available in the Amazon store. As I understand there is a way to run the Google Play version. Even so, I do not want to commit if a single update can render it incompatible. I don't want to have to dismiss application updates and possibly new features in an effort to keep something just barely functional. As I stated previously, Remember is an acceptable alternative as long as I can share/access the notes with other devices, namely my desktops and Surfaces. So far I have been unsuccessful in discovering a way.
The bottom line is that while BlackBerry has some nice features now, who's to say that Windows Mobile (or any other platform) won't meet or exceed these features? From my perspective this seems far more reasonable to contemplate than the contrary.

Amortized over the equipment life cycle, the cost advantage of the Classic is minimal.

I found the Classic camera to be less than "fine". Image blur caused me to delete 80% of the photos I had taken. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a musical legend over the weekend but ended up deleting the photos that were taken of us. Meanwhile the Lumia was able to take very nice photos of my son sprinting across the room as fast as I could push the button.

I know this sounds like I am only defending the 950, and not the Classic. I am drawn to the Classic for reasons far less objective. Considering all of the evidence in front of me, the thought of picking up the Classic with the little red light blinking at me is far more pleasing than the slab of fingerprint covered glass that is the 950.

[skstrials]

I found OneDrive lacking, and OneNote unusable (slow to launch, horrible lag, limited editing options, zero integration). Both of these are far better on the 950 and will likely to be consistently improved thereon. For reference, I was running the OneNote application that is available in the Amazon store. As I understand there is a way to run the Google Play version. Even so, I do not want to commit if a single update can render it incompatible. I don't want to have to dismiss application updates and possibly new features in an effort to keep something just barely functional. As I stated previously, Remember is an acceptable alternative as long as I can share/access the notes with other devices, namely my desktops and Surfaces. So far I have been unsuccessful in discovering a way.
The bottom line is that while BlackBerry has some nice features now, who's to say that Windows Mobile (or any other platform) won't meet or exceed these features? From my perspective this seems far more reasonable to contemplate than the contrary.

Amortized over the equipment life cycle, the cost advantage of the Classic is minimal.

I found the Classic camera to be less than "fine". Image blur caused me to delete 80% of the photos I had taken. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a musical legend over the weekend but ended up deleting the photos that were taken of us. Meanwhile the Lumia was able to take very nice photos of my son sprinting across the room as fast as I could push the button.

I know this sounds like I am only defending the 950, and not the Classic. I am drawn to the Classic for reasons far less objective. Considering all of the evidence in front of me, the thought of picking up the Classic with the little red light blinking at me is far more pleasing than the slab of fingerprint covered glass that is the 950.

May I ask what the issue is BlackBerry 10 Onedrive?

It auto syncs when connected to WiFi. And I am not sure what more You want from that. As for accessing files in Onedrive, you can use the file manager. And since it is integrated with the phone files and Micro SD files, that means you can freely copy and paste between them.

I have Office 365 subscription; and I have it synced with my BlackBerry 10 phones.



And I do agree that there is lag in opening Onenote and within the usage, but for me this is far from unbearable. I actually use it for my work too.

The Onenote changes I make on my phones directly sync with the server, across all of my Windows devices.



If I need something quick such as call notes, or a shopping list, I can use Remember.

As for the future, like I said, you can choose not to update. And it is likely to work in the future too since it does not rely on Google services. My version is the latest Onenote on Google store.


Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

Is that confirmed? Will BB OS cease to be a supported product in only a year? Man, just when I had myself convinced to switch back to the Classic.

No, it's not officially confirmed (it would go against BB's best interest to confirm that right now) - they haven't given a timeline for the 10.3.4 update either - but based on everything else they've said and done, that is easily the most likely scenario.

[anon(5350089)]

May I ask what the issue is BlackBerry 10 Onedrive?

It auto syncs when connected to WiFi. And I am not sure what more You want from that. As for accessing files in Onedrive, you can use the file manager. And since it is integrated with the phone files and Micro SD files, that means you can freely copy and paste between them.

I have Office 365 subscription; and I have it synced with my BlackBerry 10 phones.



And I do agree that there is lag in opening Onenote and within the usage, but for me this is far from unbearable. I actually use it for my work too.



If I need something quick such as call notes, or a shopping list, I can use Remember.

As for the future, like I said, you can choose not to update. And it is likely to work in the future too since it does not rely on Google services.


Posted via CB10

BlackBerry creates its own folder on OneDrive for Pictures and Videos. I then have to go and manually place these in the applicable native OneDrive folders. Not a huge problem but a minor annoyance. There is no option to create new folders on the BlackBerry either. Also, one of the primary features of cloud storage, sharing, is missing entirely on the BlackBerry. I am able to share and modify privileges right from the app on the 950. My experience with OneDrive on BlackBerry is that it is only good for syncing pictures and videos and even this has been buggy. A video taken was uploaded over the network per the usage statistics. I also experienced issues where it seemed to be saving a duplicate copy of what was being uploaded. Again, usage statistics was reporting storage use approximately double what it should have been. Admittedly this may have been a reporting error.

On the 950 I don't have to use two apps (Remember and OneNote) to accomplish one thing. My wife and I share OneNote pages and workbooks, depending on the circumstance. For example, our shopping list is shared. This doesn't seem to be possible with Remember and the OneNote experience is so laggy it reaches obnoxity. I can't even accurately place a cursor or highlight text because of the input delays. Launching and manipulation is instant on the 950. Another example is that we are planning a trip and have a shared section for this. We post ideas, photos, proposed itineraries, etc.. Opening and editing this in OneNote on the BlackBerry is a lesson in patience and perseverance. Meeting functionality and delivering a great experience are two very different things. At a similar price point, why choose the former?

I already stated I am not someone who will forego updates and potentially new features and capabilities for the sake of ensuring compatibility. In 2015 there is no reason to settle for that. On the 950 I have both instant access to quick notes via one swipe and one tap at any time and within any application, and the ability to access and edit more complex notes with ease within the app.

I don't mean to be interrupted as argumentative; merely playing devil's advocate. Thanks for the discussion.

[skstrials]

There is no option to create new folders on the BlackBerry either.

You could create the folder in BlackBerry native file manager. Just navigate to Onedrive and open up the menu low right.

As for the permission, you might have luck with Onedrive Android. I have never tried it. But at the very least, you can try the browser option too.

If you are unhappy with the BlackBerry 10 Onedrive app, there are a number of 3rd party apps that do the syncing.

As for Onenote issue, the latest Onenote that made the app 6.0 Mashmallow compatible works, so it is unlikely that any future update will break the app for a while, since the 6.0 is not even published on most Android phones yet.

If you have issues with the opening time of the app, just have it minimized on the active frame. This is what I do for the calendar and Myfitnesspal app since I use it so often.

Again, I am not saying that MS services will work on a BlackBerry phone as smoothly as on a MS phone, but there are ways to make it work.

The best phone is the one with the best compromise.


Posted via CB10

[thanasi]

To clarify, it's BlackBerry 10. Not BBOS.
BBOS is the discontinued Java platform of the past.

[anon(5350089)]

To clarify, it's BlackBerry 10. Not BBOS.
BBOS is the discontinued Java platform of the past.

Ah thank you. As I said this is my frist BlackBerry in quite a long time.

[NaimNut]

I switched to iP6s and miss nothing from BB. With amazing apps like Outlook, OneDrive, MSOffice, Todoist and PDF Expert all my business needs are met and more.

[anon(5350089)]

I switched to iP6s and miss nothing from BB. With amazing apps like Outlook, OneDrive, MSOffice, Todoist and PDF Expert all my business needs are met and more.

Similarly the Lumia 950 does everything I need a phone to do and then some, and does it well. But there is something about the BB that keeps me second guessing the Lumia. I miss the UI, how it feels when in use, and that beautiful keyboard. Logic screams out to keep the Lumia, but the Classic is something special. I equate it to a motorcycle reference; the Lumia is the Japanese SuperSport - excels on paper and in the real world but offers nothing special beyond an impressive spec sheet, and the Classic is like an older Ducati two valve - terrible performer but an experience drenched in style and design.