Core Issues/Flaws which need to be fixed on 10.3/10.3.1
*UPDATE: I forgot to mention that these observations are based on 10.2.1, the current official OS. Some of these might have already been resolved in 10.3 and we are thankful for that, but the list needs to be a reference as a lot of things are important.*
I have complied a list of issues or flaws which needs to be addressed by BlackBerry before they release 10.3 or 10.3.1. These have been part of my own experiences, and some of the points have been sourced from the forums itself.
CONTACTS
This app has been one of the biggest source of irritation to most of the users. The reason is that it is cluttered, flawed and incomplete. The issues need to be fixed. Some of the issues are:
a. Contacts disappear randomly.
b. Contact linking sometimes duplicates the contacts.
c. Very unintuitive UI and complex methods of adding a contact, and why does the number default to work? Why can't we customise that?
d. No way to manage contacts through BlackBerry link.
e. A lot of the contact pictures keep disappearing, sometimes wrong pictures appear in toast notifications as well.
f. Very inefficient UI for quick search, and quickly manage contacts, can't shift contacts from facebook to local!
g. Very unreliable app, any information can get lost, disappear, gets deleted or wrongly linked anytime!
h. UPDATE FROM THREAD: True caller can ge integrated with this app, so when we add a contact the name suggestions can be implemented.
CORE APPS FUNCTIONALITY
Most of the core apps have a lot of basic features missing:
a. Camera app has missing features like timer, focus and exposure settings for front camera, face recognition in front camera, better HDR, low light performance is bad, panaroma, slo-mo options and so on. We need more filters (including blurring) and edit options for pictures (including different file formats). Maybe more features like offline timeshift, more white balance options, better stabilisers are needed
b. Calenders app needs to have multiple alarms, more options for reminders, better UI for calenders and markings for seperate calenders. Better system for integrating remember app and this. (FROM THE THREAD: ) Calendar updates need work badly, The 24 hour wait to get the calender to respond to inputs is out of line.
c. Music app needs a proper UI upgrade. It needs basic tools like equalisation, control on the lockscreen, edit options, visualisations, maybe some way if it can be launched as soon as i connect my car to it, or some setting for default acton when it connects to car/stereo or someother stuff like a headset...Music app also needs a better, more sorted, simpler UI.
c1. Radio: one cannot enter a radio station manually, which is really illogical, what if you don't want to use data to listen to a basic feature like FM! This needs to be corrected. (from the thread)
d. BBM needs a lot of improvement! Simplification of UI, more functionality in Groups, multiple images sharing, less jargonised notifications, simplification of the channels (right now it is too unintuitive to search for a channel and see what unread posts lie there. (UPDATE: The loading time if BBM needs to.improve, even the loading of chats and lists)
e. Facebook looks outdated and clunky, period. It looks very old, unituitive and very non-BB10 like. It needs a revamp. The facebook app for windows looks much better than the one we have!
f. Maps needs a lot of functionality added, saving locations, POI, offline maps, pedestrian mode, loading times need to be much better.
g. BlackBerry Protect needs to atleast be as feature rich as its BBOS version.
h. Many other apps like Print to go needs to what it is called, Docstogo need a lot of functions, Express needs to support powerpoint, and so on..
i. HUB needs more functionality, maybe the hub needs to be able to launch some apps, like voice recorder, camera, remember, or anyother communication app, as hub is the communication hub!
j. Phone app: A complete revamp Phone app. The access must be unique: tap phone icon, open the dialpad, tap predictable letters ( as T9) and build predicted contacts, pick the targeted and call. After call the return must be made again into dial pad. (Updated from the posts) (ANOTHER UPDATE: The call end takes some time, it needs to be instant)
j. (Another one from the thread) Browser needs to have more functions, better bookmarking function, maybe Pocket integration, more privacy options and so on. (ANOTHER UPDATE) There is a need to fix the bug when restoring saved tabs in the browser. It's frustrating beyond belief to have an external link open the browser and override all of your previous tabs. The browser should atleast warn when closing multiple tans. It needs an ad blocker as well.
k. Reintroduction of Social Feeds App, Call block App? (From the thread)
ANDROID APPS MULTITASKING
Since BB is going full throttle with the Android apps and Amazon app support, the following needs to be ensured:
a. Android apps needs to launch faster.
b. Multitasking is right now a huge problem, apps crash, freeze or work slowly when more than one android app is open.
c. When an android app is minimised it is frozen till you resume it and it starts from the beginning mostly...
d. There needs to be a better navigation system for android apps, maybe instead of the diagonal swipe from the bottom it can be a left swipe.
e. Accounts integration, atleast the facebook account should be available to the whole of the runtime, so if you choose login through facebook, you dont have to login again and again...
f. Better hub integration, share framework and yes, headless capabilities or ability to run in background!
g. Android Data Backup (from the thread)
h. Possibility of ART? and/or Google Play Services (although it is a completely different topic, and it is just a suggestion, i very well know what BB has to give up to gain that, so not arguing for it)
DETAILING
A lot of small things need to be corrected as in the long run they become a hassle to the users.
a. Lockscreen needs a flashlight and music controls, and maybe customisable controls (updated from the posts)
b. Ability to password lock with one click, not with the holding the power button for 3 secs and pressing the lock icon.
c. Ability to arrange apps independently (without the snapping to grid)
d. When a folder is open and an app is launched, the folder should remain open and should not go back to the homepage.
e. Ability to lock individual apps or folders or pictures
f. Maybe the quick seeing can have music controls (Updated from thread)
g. "Play on" feature should be opened to 3rd party apps.
h. There are a lot more, if you want to add some, feel free.
PERFORMANCE
1. The PIM Services need to really be sorted out.
2. System needs to be optimised to use less memory and battery.
3. Android apps need to be made less memory and CPU consuming.
4. There should be an option to reset PIM services.
(Some more changes suggested in this thread are listed below:)
5. ACTIVE FRAMES need to be more interactive, may acti like widgets, can have the ability to be pinned.
6. UI should be be consistent. (Eg. In browser the settings can be accessed by pressing the more (...) button, but for the rest of the apps, you need to swipe down from top, for some apps, like facebook, it is further more confusing. This needs to be fixed)
7. BlackBerry Link needs a lot of more functions, like contact management, calender management (including editing them), app data backup, sms/mms backups, call logs backup, Calls, BBM functionality as well.
8. (From the threads) BBM Channels needs a desktop site, for viewing or posting as well, to make it more relevant. There should be post to BBM channel buttons to make it into a much more happening network.
9. Sometimes emails keep showing up on the lock screen even after deleting them. This bug needs to be looked at.
PS: Please don't justify the flaws here, that's not the point of this thread. Please feel free to add your requests, ideas to the list. Thanks.
