[hbelkin]

I've been a BlackBerry power user since their first pagers. Had many devices over the years. Bought a Z10 as soon as it was released. Still using it very heavily.

However, as much as I agree that BB10 is the best designed OS out there, it simply doesn't cut it any more, and the market didn't accept it. Doesn't matter if that was lack of marketing, app gap, etc. It's just reality.

Fact is, at least 60% of the apps I use are Android apps. (I have and use well over 100 apps). While most of the apps I needed do run on BB10 (went from side loading, to Snap, to Cobalt's Google store). But none of them run well. They are sluggish. When switching from one to another the wrong app screen sometimes shows up for a few seconds. I OFTEN get all not responding message (hitting wait usually works). Some crash occasionally.

Even within BB10, I've experienced lots of issues with the contacts app, some with the hub. I've experienced screen freezes, inability to answer a call, extra vibrations after answering call, ... I could go on and on. And yet, if BB10 had made it commercially I'd likely stay with it -- because there would be updates that fix the problems; because more app developers would port to BlackBerry. But that didn't happen. Sometimes the best design just doesn't make it (remember BetaMax video format?)

I will not move to an iOS device because I hate closed ecosystems with the manufacturer deciding how I should use their device.

To move to a Z30 or Passport just delays the inevitable, and won't solve my app performance troubles.

I've played with the Priv at AT&T. I'm not a huge fan of Android, but it gets the job done and it's very configurable. A very healthy app store means I can find a good app for just about any functionality I want. The BlackBerry enhancements are good, and I expect will get better with time. The Priv feels good, works smoothly. I won't lack for much, even though I will miss mostly the tight integration that was in BB10.

I'm a Verizon customer, so I'm waiting for the Priv. Already bought my Priv holster! I know there will be some issues with the Priv simply because it's something new for BlackBerry. I'm going with it because I like the physical phone, may like going back to a pkb for heavy typing, like the BlackBerry enhancements... and most importantly because I support BlackBerry as a company. I'm willing to put up with a few glitches that I might not have on a Samsung device.

Posted via CB10

[bobby1966]

Next month I will be switching to Samsung.

I really don't think that BB10 will any real further development after then next update in March.

Posted via CB10

[PHughes]

The Priv gets the job done, but many people do t want the privacy issues related to Google. It is a shame BlackBerry dropped the ball with BB10. There isn't another IS that works as well for messaging. The lack of ability to easily save any file and manage files is another issue with other options. BB10 simply works better in that regard.

I hate Android, and Apple is worse with regard to messaging. It simply doesn't work well for my needs, BB10 does. I am searching for something to replace it eventually, but at the moment, nothing compares.

Posted via CB10

[dangerousfen]

The Priv gets the job done, but many people do t want the privacy issues related to Google. It is a shame BlackBerry dropped the ball with BB10. There isn't another IS that works as well for messaging. The lack of ability to easily save any file and manage files is another issue with other options. BB10 simply works better in that regard.

I hate Android, and Apple is worse with regard to messaging. It simply doesn't work well for my needs, BB10 does. I am searching for something to replace it eventually, but at the moment, nothing compares.

Posted via CB10

Exactly. Oh, which way to go?

Nothing else out there as yet.

"Z30 STA100-2 UK" 10.3.2.2474 Get's a Ten from Fen.

[hbelkin]

The Priv gets the job done, but many people do t want the privacy issues related to Google. It is a shame BlackBerry dropped the ball with BB10. There isn't another IS that works as well for messaging. The lack of ability to easily save any file and manage files is another issue with other options. BB10 simply works better in that regard.

I hate Android, and Apple is worse with regard to messaging. It simply doesn't work well for my needs, BB10 does. I am searching for something to replace it eventually, but at the moment, nothing compares.

Posted via CB10

There are many good file managers on Android. Maybe not quite like BB10, but quite capable.

As for privacy issues, get used to it or become a hermit. If you think that only Google collects information you're in denial. Do they try to collect more? Maybe. But the reality of everyone wanting great services and free apps means everything has to be paid for through advertising. I haven't seen too many people offering to pay $100 a year for email services, or $35 for an app... on the contrary, people actually complain when they have to pay 0.99 for an app!

You'd be amazed how much info is collected.. if you use a credit or debit card, store loyalty card, accept cookies on Web sites, use a non-private search engine (as most are not), subscribe to a magazine, use a navigation system, own a home, apply for a car loan, register your car license, etc etc. Info is being collected.

Google doesn't want to know about YOU. That doesn't give them anything.. they want to know how to market things you are more likely to be interested in. Or to give you a more relevant search experience. That allows them to charge advertisers a premium price because they are getting a larger percentage of interested consumers. It's the price of getting all this stuff for free!

I for one am willing to put up with it; the alternative is to step back about 50 years.




Posted via CB10

[Richard Buckley]

When you decide that you don't really need the applications, are willing to pay for services you want or need rather than what someone is willing to provide in exchange for directed advertising, you may find like I did that BB10 needs no defence.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[PHughes]

There are many good file managers on Android. Maybe not quite like BB10, but quite capable.

As for privacy issues, get used to it or become a hermit. If you think that only Google collects information you're in denial. Do they try to collect more? Maybe. But the reality of everyone wanting great services and free apps means everything has to be paid for through advertising. I haven't seen too many people offering to pay $100 a year for email services, or $35 for an app... on the contrary, people actually complain when they have to pay 0.99 for an app!

You'd be amazed how much info is collected.. if you use a credit or debit card, store loyalty card, accept cookies on Web sites, use a non-private search engine (as most are not), subscribe to a magazine, use a navigation system, own a home, apply for a car loan, register your car license, etc etc. Info is being collected.

Google doesn't want to know about YOU. That doesn't give them anything.. they want to know how to market things you are more likely to be interested in. Or to give you a more relevant search experience. That allows them to charge advertisers a premium price because they are getting a larger percentage of interested consumers. It's the price of getting all this stuff for free!

I for one am willing to put up with it; the alternative is to step back about 50 years.




Posted via CB10

Do what you want, but I don't want a company snooping on my phone, for legitimate reasons. I am fully aware there are privacy issues with other things as well, but my phone has more sensitive information, and some people's phone numbers who wish to remain private.

You are free to do whatever you want though. I do use android as well, but I have a rooted tablet and I use it for only a very specific purpose, and I don't have sensitive information on it. The file managers available still do not match what you can do on BB10 with the inured file manager. Android is a clunky cobbled together OS. I have the tablet, and my wife has an S4. Overall, the s4 is nice, but it is easier to do basically everything on my Z10.

I choose to keep as much privacy as possible. With Android, you pay to be their product.

Posted via CB10

[anon(1723145)]

Do what you want, but I don't want a company snooping on my phone, for legitimate reasons. I am fully aware there are privacy issues with other things as well, but my phone has more sensitive information, and some people's phone numbers who wish to remain private.

You are free to do whatever you want though. I do use android as well, but I have a rooted tablet and I use it for only a very specific purpose, and I don't have sensitive information on it. The file managers available still do not match what you can do on BB10 with the inured file manager. Android is a clunky cobbled together OS. I have the tablet, and my wife has an S4. Overall, the s4 is nice, but it is easier to do basically everything on my Z10.

I choose to keep as much privacy as possible. With Android, you pay to be their product.

Posted via CB10

I agree with you 100% Even a "little" more privacy is better than giving Google TOTAL access to my information.

ClassicSQC100-3/10.3.2.858

[mad_mdx]

2016, still using a z10, and I'm assuming you're not in Jakarta, that must be terrible. Battery life alone almost made me dump BlackBerry back then when I had a z10.

Now I have a passport. There's no need to defend BlackBerry 10, it just works for us. It's unfortunately not getting the nicer updates we all wished for, but for now it's still good.
As you mentioned you use mostly android apps. I think it's a no brainer for you then. Move to the priv or other device. I use the hub and the browser almost 90% of the time. BlackBerry 10 is the only OS right now which can do what I want. So I use it

[jope28]

I've been a BlackBerry power user since their first pagers. Had many devices over the years. Bought a Z10 as soon as it was released. Still using it very heavily.

However, as much as I agree that BB10 is the best designed OS out there, it simply doesn't cut it any more, and the market didn't accept it. Doesn't matter if that was lack of marketing, app gap, etc. It's just reality.

Fact is, at least 60% of the apps I use are Android apps. (I have and use well over 100 apps). While most of the apps I needed do run on BB10 (went from side loading, to Snap, to Cobalt's Google store). But none of them run well. They are sluggish. When switching from one to another the wrong app screen sometimes shows up for a few seconds. I OFTEN get all not responding message (hitting wait usually works). Some crash occasionally.

Even within BB10, I've experienced lots of issues with the contacts app, some with the hub. I've experienced screen freezes, inability to answer a call, extra vibrations after answering call, ... I could go on and on. And yet, if BB10 had made it commercially I'd likely stay with it -- because there would be updates that fix the problems; because more app developers would port to BlackBerry. But that didn't happen. Sometimes the best design just doesn't make it (remember BetaMax video format?)

I will not move to an iOS device because I hate closed ecosystems with the manufacturer deciding how I should use their device.

To move to a Z30 or Passport just delays the inevitable, and won't solve my app performance troubles.

I've played with the Priv at AT&T. I'm not a huge fan of Android, but it gets the job done and it's very configurable. A very healthy app store means I can find a good app for just about any functionality I want. The BlackBerry enhancements are good, and I expect will get better with time. The Priv feels good, works smoothly. I won't lack for much, even though I will miss mostly the tight integration that was in BB10.

I'm a Verizon customer, so I'm waiting for the Priv. Already bought my Priv holster! I know there will be some issues with the Priv simply because it's something new for BlackBerry. I'm going with it because I like the physical phone, may like going back to a pkb for heavy typing, like the BlackBerry enhancements... and most importantly because I support BlackBerry as a company. I'm willing to put up with a few glitches that I might not have on a Samsung device.

Posted via CB10

If you have a bunch of Android apps, then you should move to Android. Makes more sense.
I could understand maybe one or two, but more than that is probably a sign that BB10 isn't practical for you.

I just haven't caught the "app bug". I function very well with my BB10 and physical keyboard and have quite of few native apps that I've purchased and have greatly enhanced the experience on the device. I don't miss "apps", but then again, my use case is probably very different from others.

But if you are going to use a bunch of Android Apps and must have those apps, I really don't see the point of you owning a BB10 phone.

BB10 works great for me though.
Dual wielding Passport and Q10 in 2016!


 Frosty White Q10/.2876 CB10 

[daveycrocket]

In the UK we have to abide by EU rules concerned with data protection and we can be prosecuted if we allow that data to be seen or used by a third party. BlackBerry is the only OS that can provide the security that I need including data backup maintained by link on my PC, not cloud. Apps themselves present a security risk, therefore I'm very happy with my Z30. BlackBerry said that it would focus on business use as it accepted it that the consumer market wasn't working for them. I think that folk should use whatever suits them which is what I do.

Posted via CB10

[GadgetTravel]

In the UK we have to abide by EU rules concerned with data protection and we can be prosecuted if we allow that data to be seen or used by a third party. BlackBerry is the only OS that can provide the security that I need including data backup maintained by link on my PC, not cloud. Apps themselves present a security risk, therefore I'm very happy with my Z30. BlackBerry said that it would focus on business use as it accepted it that the consumer market wasn't working for them. I think that folk should use whatever suits them which is what I do.

Posted via CB10

BB10 has less than 1% of the U.K. market. Are there that many scofflaws there?

[mikeydodds]

Thing is bb10's qnx hypervisor allows it to run android in a container seperate to the critical functions of the phone.

It makes sense for people to want BlackBerry 10 to extend on its android runtime, stick with the micro kernel and add the option for google play services.

That said there are some BlackBerry apps that should be android native instead of bb10 native, that's because they need to work alongside other android apps, eg the BlackBerry hub needs to be native android to start working with apps like google hangouts, viber and Facebook messenger etc. The BlackBerry launcher needs to be native android to make it possible to do things like create hangouts, facebook messenger, google map/navigation shortcuts etc, same goes for the camera app.

The only things I want to be bb10 is the file manager, work space, work space app store, user interface and quick settings.

I guess that means i'm pretty much hoping they run the qnx hypervisor backwards.

The BlackBerry browser is available on the bes10 workspace for ios and android. I would like for the BlackBerry browser made available for android outside of the bes workspace also. Chrome sucks so has been deleted, opera is better but also without reader mode so I find myself using firefox on android which is fairly sub optimal.


Posted via CB10

[mikeydodds]

Thing is bb10's qnx hypervisor allows it to run android in a container seperate to the critical functions of the phone.

It makes sense for people to want BlackBerry 10 to extend on its android runtime, stick with the micro kernel and add the option for google play services.

That said there are some BlackBerry apps that should be android native instead of bb10 native, that's because they need to work alongside other android apps, eg the BlackBerry hub needs to be native android to start working with apps like google hangouts, viber and Facebook messenger etc. The BlackBerry launcher needs to be native android to make it possible to do things like create hangouts, facebook messenger, google map/navigation shortcuts etc, same goes for the camera app.

The only things I want to be bb10 is the file manager, work space, work space app store, user interface and quick settings.

I guess that means i'm pretty much hoping they run the qnx hypervisor backwards.

The BlackBerry browser is available on the bes10 workspace for ios and android. I would like for the BlackBerry browser made available for android outside of the bes workspace also. Chrome sucks so has been deleted, opera is better but also without reader mode so I find myself using firefox on android which is fairly sub optimal.

For me bb10 defends itself. I have a q10 a passport and a new sony xperia z5 with the BlackBerry launcher and keyboard installed.
I use the z5 as a weekender device, but at work it simply just doesn't cut it. The q10 is unrivalled for quick messages, emails and phone calls and the passport is unrivalled for making my office mobile.

I'm expecting the priv to be up to speed soon but not expecting much until it's first or second major update.

Other android devices simply just aren't good enough yet.


Posted via CB10

Posted via CB10

[duboisstephane0]

I'm an IT guy without many needs.
BlackBerry is perfect for what I want to do.
I can't be bothered with tech other than Blackberry.

I watch movies, listen to songs, edit pics and even create music with my BlackBerry devices during my leisure.
File transfer is so simple it's ridiculous.

Browsing is fast and I find what I search for.
I am 1% of the market.

I adhere to the pragmatic and don't believe I need to be force-fed what I think I should have.
So no thanks Apple, Google or Windows.

And thank you to the developers who still maintain and update apps for BlackBerry.
Some still appreciate the hard work and you haven't let me down.



Posted via BlackBerry Passport

[Elephant_Canyon]

I will not move to an iOS device because I hate closed ecosystems with the manufacturer deciding how I should use their device.

Then why did you ever use a Blackberry? Its systems aren't any more open than Apple's.

[Richard Buckley]

Then why did you ever use a Blackberry? Its systems aren't any more open than Apple's.

I understand where you are coming from, but this is not really true. BlackBerry is not as open as Android, but it is far more open than Apple. How many third party app stores does iOS come with for example? What devices can you use facetime on, iMessage?

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[daveycrocket]

BB10 has less than 1% of the U.K. market. Are there that many scofflaws there?

What is a scofflaws, and I wonder what the % is for Europe.

Posted via CB10

[Elephant_Canyon]

What devices can you use facetime on, iMessage?

What devices can you use BBM Video on? And BBM was only developed for other platforms because it was either that, or death.

[early2bed]

Thing is bb10's qnx hypervisor allows it to run android in a container seperate to the critical functions of the phone.
It makes sense for people to want BlackBerry 10 to extend on its android runtime, stick with the micro kernel and add the option for google play services.

You can't put out a device, in a sea of Android flagship phones, that doesn't do Android as well in terms of speed, battery life, connectivity, etc and expect it to be competitive. Also, you still have to enable all sorts of permissions to get most apps to work unless you want to just use it in airplane mode all the time.

That's a lot of extra complexity and inefficiency just to shoe-horn Android into an OS that less that 1% of users have ever tried more care about.

[David Tyler]

As for privacy issues, get used to it or become a hermit... If you think that only Google collects information you're in denial... I haven't seen too many people offering to pay $100 a year for email services, or $35 for an app... on the contrary, people actually complain when they have to pay 0.99 for an app!

You'd be amazed how much info is collected... It's the price of getting all this stuff for free!

I for one am willing to put up with it; the alternative is to step back about 50 years.

You're correct about who collects information and why; but you pose a false dilemma: The alternative to starring in your own little Truman Show for Google's profit is not "becoming a hermit" or "stepping back about 50 years." The alternative, to which you yourself allude, is to _pay_ for what you use. As any 4-year-old should know, nothing -- NOTHING -- is "free." Even now, a growing minority of people are getting sick of being advertised to at every turn and growing wary of the information collected and stored about their personal lives, their every coming and going. Alternatives to sharing so much information are are out there; and, yes, sometimes those alternatives mean simply not sharing pictures of every meal or transient voltage that crosses the gap between your ears. Sometimes, the alternatives mean paying for services like email; in any case, those choices are value judgements, and choosing increased privacy hardly means becoming a hermit.

Passport SE: All the snooty prestige of a device with a precious metal in the name at less than half the price!

[RichardHBB]

As for privacy issues, get used to it or become a hermit. If you think that only Google collects information you're in denial.

If you doubt they're the most aggressive at it (barring perhaps the N.S.A.) then I'd say you're the one in denial.

Almost every decision in life is a trade-off. If you're happy with yours, fine. Why bother to question others', since your mind is clearly already made up?

Richard

[Tre Lawrence]

I understand where you are coming from, but this is not really true. BlackBerry is not as open as Android, but it is far more open than Apple. How many third party app stores does iOS come with for example? What devices can you use facetime on, iMessage?

To be fair, iMessage is extra, in that almost every other messaging system is available on iOS. Also, per discussion, Apple doesn't need any other appstores.

[David Tyler]

BB10 has less than 1% of the U.K. market. Are there that many scofflaws there?

I think the poster means businesses are obliged to follow EU data protection rules, not individuals.

[Bluenoser63]

Then why did you ever use a Blackberry? Its systems aren't any more open than Apple's.

Does Apple support the full NFC standard? Does Apple support Miracast? WiFi Direct? SD cards? USB OTG? Standard connectors? There are many things that BlackBerry 10 devices support that are standards that Apple doesn't support. BlackBerry is far more open than Apple.