1. Jim Robins's Avatar
    Hi, after many years and many different brands of mobile phones I decided to buy a Blackberry, due mainly to a physical keyboard. My first Blackberry was a Passport, which turned out to be an awesome phone.
    I live and work in regional Australia and often have serious issues with getting cell reception. It is something that most Australians that live in regional areas have learnt to deal with.
    I did as much research as i could before buying my first Blackberry which was when i discovered Crackberry! The Passport had not been released when I started researching so I had to wait several months before it became available. The Passport was everything I hoped it would be as far as useability and reliability and the physical keyboard was exactly what I hoped it would be. The real bonus with the Passport was that the cell reception was exceptional. I had far superior phone reception than anyone else I knew. I was always able to make calls when everyone else around me had zero reception. I regularly make a 200 kilometer trip through regional Australia and I became used to the fact that I could talk on my phone the whole way! The best thing was that as long as the Passport had some sort of signal reception then I could make or receive a call and call quality was perfect. Unfortunately as most people have discovered, although the Blackberry operating system was awesome, there wasn't the support for App's that the ios and android users enjoy. So when I learned that Blackberry were coming out with an android version I was keen to jump on board. I resisted buying a Priv and eagerly awaited the release of the Keyone. Having purchased a Keyone as soon as it became available in Australia, I was at first delighted with all the things that I could now do on my Keyone that I couldn't do on my Passport. But that initial pleasure turned to extreme disappointment due entirely to the pathetic mobile signal reception. I genuinely love everything about my Keyone except the one thing that it is supposed to be and that is a phone first and foremost.
    Being a businessman and commercial pilot in regional Australia I need to have a reliable mobile phone. So before I throw my Keyone in the garbage can anyone with any genuine knowledge tell me if the Keyone Black edition has fixed the cell reception issues or should I abandon Blackberry and reluctantly start my search for a new phone provider? Cheers Jim
    11-02-17 01:53 AM
  2. Big_Ern's Avatar
    I would be interested to hear this as well

    I do a lot of remote trips in BC Canada where having good cell reception is important to me. I spent quite a bit of time 4x4ing regional Australia with my Z10 which also had great service, so I know where you're coming from. I too have a Passport now which I love the reception of!

    I've heard rumors that the Black edition reception is better. Is this true? Is service good enough? How does it compare to other devices like the good ol bb10 phones that came with the Paratek antenna

    I would really like to get a KeyONE but I'm having second thoughts...

    Posted via CB10
    11-02-17 02:40 AM
  3. John Vieira's Avatar
    Thee keyone's reception is trash and will always be trash.

    It's a design flaw, and the black edition is the exact same, just with more RAM and actual glue on the screen.

    Remember, it's not BlackBerry making these devices, it's a Chinese manufacturer, TCL.

    You'll have to look for something from a company that makes decent phones. Unfortunately i think reception as good as the BB10 devices will be hard to come by.

    Consider using one for calls and texts, and maybe pair it with a tablet for apps and games?
    rbtg, Flatman and anon(870071) like this.
    11-02-17 02:53 AM
  4. Jim Robins's Avatar
    Hi John, yes agreed. I had certainly considered going back to my passport for use as a phone and using my Samsung tablet for all the apps and other programs that I regularly use! But obviously carrying a tablet around in the top pocket of my work shirt is not convenient! I guess it is just disappointing that TCL has not considered phone reception as big a priority that perhaps I was accustomed to with my passport!
    anon(870071) and portplayer like this.
    11-02-17 04:33 AM
  5. AmritD's Avatar
    Don't expect the BB10 reception levels unless TCL starts using Paratek Antenna and stops making rookie mistakes like incorrect placement of Antenna lines.
    I remember reading in another thread that putting a plastic case helped.
    Why don't you try that? Worth a shot!

    Posted via CB10
    11-02-17 07:51 AM
  6. mrsimon's Avatar
    Can't compare, but my black edition works fine
    11-02-17 03:47 PM
  7. DanielDallas's Avatar
    i'm mainly on 3G in urban environment, so really can't say how it is in rural environments. but haven't noticed anything in my switch from passport to keyone in normal daily use.
    11-02-17 04:39 PM
  8. Rick-TJR's Avatar
    This is my concern also and I would have bought one already if it wasn't coming up so often as complaint. So thanks for all who chime in here about this. But it looks like it is either hit or miss with which copy you get. I guess I'll have to take a chance to find out. But my PRIV works so well right at the moment, that I'm too afraid to take a chance on spending $600 dollars to end up being disappointed. I'll keep watching this post to see how the Black Edition ranks. Thanks everyone.
    11-02-17 04:52 PM
  9. anon(10268214)'s Avatar
    Thee keyone's reception is trash and will always be trash.

    It's a design flaw, and the black edition is the exact same, just with more RAM and actual glue on the screen.

    Remember, it's not BlackBerry making these devices, it's a Chinese manufacturer, TCL.

    You'll have to look for something from a company that makes decent phones. Unfortunately i think reception as good as the BB10 devices will be hard to come by.

    Consider using one for calls and texts, and maybe pair it with a tablet for apps and games?
    Wrong. Lol. This ain't TCL's first rodeo.
    11-02-17 05:06 PM
  10. John Vieira's Avatar
    Wrong. Lol. This ain't TCL's first rodeo.
    Oh, I'm well aware.

    Although one would certainly be hard pressed to know with the multitude of design and build quality flaws on the Keyone.
    rbtg and Flatman like this.
    11-02-17 08:12 PM
  11. anon(10268214)'s Avatar
    Oh, I'm well aware.

    Although one would certainly be hard pressed to know with the multitude of design and build quality flaws on the Keyone.
    Really? Do you own one?
    11-02-17 08:20 PM
  12. Michael Saxon's Avatar
    Really? Do you own one?
    I do. Two actually. The Black edition is easily the best phone I've owned. Solves the two issues with the Silver; more RAM, and a stickier screen.
    11-02-17 10:34 PM
  13. anon(10268214)'s Avatar
    I do. Two actually. The Black edition is easily the best phone I've owned. Solves the two issues with the Silver; more RAM, and a stickier screen.
    I own a Black edition as well, and I think it's fantastic. That's why I was asking John. He seems to have an axe to grind when it comes to the KEYone, for some reason.
    11-02-17 10:39 PM
  14. mrsimon's Avatar
    This was a reason I waited so long to take the plunge. The phone is OK to buy if you like a PKB. I get 4G the same as my Samsungs.
    In my flat where reception can drop. Here's a screenshot to show you reception.
    11-03-17 12:07 AM
  15. mhw100's Avatar
    I note an extra bar on the black compared to the silver in a bad spot in my house.
    11-03-17 12:29 AM
  16. valer466's Avatar
    I note an extra bar on the black compared to the silver in a bad spot in my house.
    Is it the same network? Does the extra bar help in making and recieving a call easier compared to your silver.
    11-03-17 12:57 AM
  17. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    Wrong. Lol. This ain't TCL's first rodeo.
    Nor is TCL Communication known for quality devices... even in China. Thus the reason their sales have tanked and they just had to sell off a 49% stake in the company for about $65 Million US. You do the math on what that means the company is worth in total at this point (huge drop from even when they were delisted from the market back at the first of the year).

    Reception is a strange issue.... many have no problems at all, where a few others have bought two or three devices and had the same issues. It's been GSM, CDMA, USA, Canadian, GB....
    11-03-17 07:50 AM
  18. Emaderton3's Avatar
    I note an extra bar on the black compared to the silver in a bad spot in my house.
    What is the actual signal though? Bars are not accurate.

    Posted via CB10
    11-03-17 07:59 AM
  19. anon(10268214)'s Avatar
    Nor is TCL Communication known for quality devices... even in China. Thus the reason their sales have tanked and they just had to sell off a 49% stake in the company for about $65 Million US. You do the math on what that means the company is worth in total at this point (huge drop from even when they were delisted from the market back at the first of the year).

    Reception is a strange issue.... many have no problems at all, where a few others have bought two or three devices and had the same issues. It's been GSM, CDMA, USA, Canadian, GB....
    Not even in China? Lol. Every phone is a Chinese phone these days.

    I do agree, reception is a strange issue indeed.

    So is the fact that most carriers do not support all devices equally, such as restricting their high bandwidth VoLTE frequencies for exclusive use of certain popular models such as iPhones and Samsungs and leaving their other customers feeling second rate...even though they are paying for the exact same service.
    Last edited by panopticon; 11-03-17 at 08:16 AM.
    11-03-17 08:01 AM
  20. mrsimon's Avatar
    Nor is TCL Communication known for quality devices... even in China. Thus the reason their sales have tanked and they just had to sell off a 49% stake in the company for about $65 Million US. You do the math on what that means the company is worth in total at this point (huge drop from even when they were delisted from the market back at the first of the year).

    Reception is a strange issue.... many have no problems at all, where a few others have bought two or three devices and had the same issues. It's been GSM, CDMA, USA, Canadian, GB....
    Bodes well for future BBMs then !!!!
    11-03-17 08:05 AM
  21. mhw100's Avatar
    Is it the same network? Does the extra bar help in making and recieving a call easier compared to your silver.
    Same network. I don't notice any difference in call quality.
    11-03-17 09:39 AM
  22. mhw100's Avatar
    What is the actual signal though? Bars are not accurate.

    Posted via CB10
    That's a good question. I should have measured it before I sold my silver.
    11-03-17 09:40 AM
  23. anon(10268214)'s Avatar
    That's a good question. I should have measured it before I sold my silver.
    I have an iPhone 7 plus in my household as well as an iPhone 6s, and both routinely display the same signal levels as my K1 indoors. The only difference was with the dropped calls. I can't explain the reason that happened on my first KEYone back in May (silver) but I can say the issue has been remedied one way or another, and my Black Edition has performed flawlessly for more than a month.
    11-03-17 11:24 AM
  24. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    One thing that everyone needs to realize is that you can't compare YOUR performance with someone else's in a different area on a different carrier. Radio bands play a huge part of the reception equation, with some bands traveling further and penetrating better than others - that's especially important in rural areas, vs. urban areas where there will be several small and medium cell points within a block of you at all times, probably on different bands that are fast but short-range only. The carriers carefully analyze locations and usage patterns and use different radio bands and tower configurations to best serve each zone. And do I even need to mention the big difference from carrier to carrier?

    Even two people standing right next to each other and using the same carrier could get different performance on two different phones because one has a key radio band that the other lacks, forcing the second phone to use a "backup" connection that won't give the same performance, or perhaps not get a signal at all.

    Having said that, it seems clear that the K1's antenna/radio performance is lacking for many people, which likely means that the antenna doesn't work well with some bands while working adequately on others. That is a design flaw, but not one that end-users will be able to correct with any ease. I'm sure TCL has heard the complaints and should do better with future devices (the Motion likely wasn't changed from whatever the initial plans were, if in fact there might have been a problem with it, due to the likelihood that it was too far along in the process - we'll have to see what users report).
    valer466 likes this.
    11-03-17 08:12 PM
  25. nbaliga's Avatar
    Reception was my biggest concern before buying. I took the plunge and my fears were definitely overblown.

    I don't have any issue with reception with my Black Edition KeyONE on AT&T in the US.

    I also carry an LG G6 and reception is the same, sometimes better (bars). Call quality is definitely better versus the G6 which is strange because the G6 has HD voice, whereas the K1 does not support it since this is an imported model.
    11-03-17 08:45 PM
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