Attachment 425848
Okay, I said I would never own another Android - it was so long ago that I can't even remember the sugar-laden OS version that quickly made me want to give up sweets! And I admit that I may have said that I would never buy another BlackBerry after getting screwed on the PlayBook and BlackBerry's decision to abandon BB10 after a few short years.
Well, hey, I also said I would never move from Betamax to VHS, from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and that I would never give up my LP records for those damn tinny sounding CD's. If you haven't figured it out yet, you can't believe anything I say!
After searching months to find the eventual successor to my Passport and Z30, I purchased a KEYone with the dreaded Android OS. Why? I have helped support a number of iPhones over the years and have never really cared for the fruity OS. Windows Mobile seemed to have stalled and appeared to be going the way of the Zune Media Player (the iPod killer).
It appeared that Android was a "lesser of the evils" choice. However, the Priv was reported to have too many issues and was getting long in the tooth, try to get your hands on a Dtek60 to examine and test it before purchase, Samsung just got caught with their hand in the privacy cookie jar again, I swore off Motorola with my last Android (maybe sometimes you can believe what I say), and I haven't really been blown away by any of the other devices I have tested using Android.
Well, the KEYone isn't so bad and Android has grown up a lot since I last threw my phone against the wall (just like CBK's recent video, but without the humour). Do I like KEYone as much as my Passport? Truthfully, the answer is no and it all comes down to the fact that having used the BB10 OS for the past three-and-a-half years makes Android look a little immature (okay, so even BlackBerry had silly BBM stickers) and feel a little clumsy. However, BB10 has become the OS version of Betamax and eventually, just like Betamax, it will quickly fade away into the tech history books as a woulda, coulda, shoulda - sad, but true.
I am getting used to using the sickly sweet Android again and realize I'll be going to the dentist a lot more often and knowing full well that it might be painful. Be that as it may, I appreciate KEYone's decent hardware (not the greatest, but pretty darned good) and solid feel (no screen lift, but I have plenty of duct tape if it ever happens), and I absolutely love KEYone's keyboard - even more than Passport's. There is also enough BlackBerry in the thing to make it seem like a familiar friend recently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Although not perfect, the KEYone is probably a good choice for many BB10 fans who are realizing that it is time to move on.
So, here I sit eating crow. I have set a place for you at the table and there is plenty of crow to go around. Bon Appétit!
