[eclef]

Hello,
I've been a BB user for many years, but the last couple of phones I've owned have been so faulty, that many times I've ended up angrily saying to myself "NEVER get another blackberry, just get a normal phone next time".

The problems and bugs with BB10 have been seriously frustrating, but I'm aware newer BBs use Android now.

The hardware problems have also been really frustrating - so far I've had, on fairly new phones (which I generally look after):
Screen coming away from the phone, keyboard lights going off for no good reason, phones that can't charge because the USB port goes bad (that's a main one), speakers that suddenly become distorted, cameras that can't focus, misaligned cases, and other things that I can't remember.

On the forums, people have put many problems down to "oh it's a bad batch of phones, some have the XYZ problem", which is the most ridiculous thing to hear.

So the time has come around again for a new phone, and while looking at refurbed Samsungs, I started to reconsider the blackberry Keyone (BLACK version). But, new or used, it's a lot of money to spend on a phone that might cause me the same issues and stress as previous ones.

So I am asking for genuine, honest, non-emotional advice regarding the physical quality of the blackberry Keyone (black). I need to know if this comes with it's own faults and dodgy temperaments that people have had to deal with.

By non-emotional, I mean please don't just stick up for the phone, turning a blind eye to /making excuses for faults, just because you bought one, and because you're a BB fan on principle.

However if the Keyone Black is genuinely well built, with attention to detail, and little to no common complaints, and the software is just as good as Android on any other phone, then I'll be open to giving Blackberry another chance.

Thanks very much in advance for understanding and offering any advice.
Cheers

[Edietel]

I'm not a BlackBerry fan on principle. KeyOne is my first. I love this phone. Built well, easy to use, Android is as good as you'll find almost anywhere.

I'd give 'em a chance. If they ever decide to release a Key2 that works with Verizon, I might make my next phone a BlackBerry as well.

[Sporkguy3]

I'm not a BlackBerry fan on principle. KeyOne is my first. I love this phone. Built well, easy to use, Android is as good as you'll find almost anywhere.

I'd give 'em a chance. If they ever decide to release a Key2 that works with Verizon, I might make my next phone a BlackBerry as well.

I'm considering a KeyOne if Key2 doesn't come to Verizon. How do you feel about the phone speed. I hear that it lags and slows down. I already deal with bad lag with the Priv, and I understand the KeyOne is faster. How has it been for you?

[Edietel]

It depends, I think, on how you use it. I tend to have less than 5 or 6 apps open at a time, and Twitter is my only social media. I hear that resource-heavy users deal with lag, but that's not me. I have had some noticeable lag a few times, but that typically goes away after clearing the cache and restarting. I have owned the phone for a year now, and have done the cache/restart thing perhaps...5 times?...in the last year. it's not common, and not a big deal when it happens.

Just my take. I'm sure if it's different for others, you'll hear about it here.

Just remember that, like all things these days, happy and content people are less likely to post/review online. If you are reading lots of negative reviews, chances are good that most people who have had a positive experience are not putting in the time to post their thoughts.

[Edietel]

I should add that the battery doesn't last like it used to. It's still awesome, but I charge every night now (when the phone was new, I didn't necessarily have to do that).

This doesn't bother me. I still get great battery life. I wouldn't expect to get 1.5 or 2 days out of a charge like the reviews last summer suggested. KeyOne should last into the evening, though, which is fantastic.

[shandy-R2D2]

Dropped my Black Edition one like 5 times with no case on a concrete floor, nothing ever happened, IMHO this thing is built like a tank, the additional adhesive they started putting following the display pop up issue probably adds so much structural strength that it further underlines the aluminum frame's robustness. As for lagging it only happened to me like twice that the phone would have troubles reacting to my 'OK Google' unlocking command. Have over 90 apps installed, 4 email accounts one of which is an Exchange Active Sync (i.e. calendar, contacts, tasks, notes...) plus most of the major social media and VOIP apps (WhatsApp, Viber, F-book messenger, Twitter, Instagram), sending tens of emails, texts and other messages a day, working with documents and pdf's extensively (including editing, rearranging and exporting excerpts of pdf's in Xodo) and let me tell you - can't thank God enough for having taken the plunge with this phone. 1.5 - 1.75 days battery life easily. Once you customize the phone so that it meets your exact needs there are no limits at least in my case as for what the phone can do for me - no matter what I throw at it, it never chokes.

[danfrancisco]

I've had all three KEYones (silver, black and now using bronze) so here's my experience:

The silver is definitely the first gen lag-fast that everyone says it is. Beautiful piece of hardware that looks great on my shelf, but not something that I use as a daily driver. Oh and btw, I don't even have it right now as the screen popped off a couple of weeks ago and it's now with TCL awaiting repair/replacement.

The black edition (dual Sim imported from India) definitely steps it up a notch in terms of performance. No lag and it was my workhorse. Build quality also feels excellent. Not sure what it is, but it doesn't feel fragile like the silver one. No case needed. I only stopped using it as my daily driver because of...

The gorgeous bronze edition (dual Sim imported from the UAE). I fell in love with it as soon as TCL released and just had to have it! Build quality and performance is the same as the black. I am also rocking it naked but paid the price when I dropped it getting out of my car, resulting in a couple of nicks in the finish. I did notice last week that the battery was draining a bit faster than usual, but after rebooting it, it seems to be back to its marathon self.

[anon(2695703)]

I understand where you're coming from. 9000 battery door creaking, screen lift, keys coming out.

I went to iOS when apps came and took over the world.

Now I have a Black Edition K1. I have had none of the "typical" complaints... screen lift, WiFi problems, device lag.

I would stay away from newly released devices as the device build quality seems to improve over time.

my battery easily gives me two full days of use. (the only social media I have is LinkedIn. I hear that the FB app is a power hog, even when not in use).

I would say if you want a physical keyboard device, you have two options. one a little bit better tested than another. based on my experiences, I'd give a thumbs-up on Black Edition K1.

if I were in your position, I'd wait a bit for production to stabilize and then consider a K2. That device feels amazing, stepped up spec sheet and improved call quality and the addition of HD audio might be worth it.

[mikeath]

KEYᵒⁿᵉ is one of the best Android devices I've had - solid for business, Android Auto, takes decent pictures and VERY customisable, and now, quite affordable.

I wouldn't bother with the K2, incremental update and slightly better keyboard.

[eclef]

Thanks very much for these detailed responses. Much appreciated. Given the information above regarding the quality, I probably will get the Keyone and test it out.

If anyone's still here, I am a bit torn over whether the extra screen size of a vkb phone makes web browsing and youtube videos *significantly* nicer than on the Keyone.
Do the majority of websites look nice on the Keyone? As opposed to say my Q10 where menus and banners often take over, leaving a central 'letterbox' containing the actual webpage.

And if you watch a lengthy video in landscape mode, is it a comfortable size screen to watch?

Cheers

[pantagruel_bb]

I have had my K1 for 6 months and haven't had any issues with it. My only complaint is the lack of really secure cases (not a fault of the phone). I wish there was a K1 case that provided an Otter Box Defender type of protection.

[anon(2695703)]

Thanks very much for these detailed responses. Much appreciated. Given the information above regarding the quality, I probably will get the Keyone and test it out.

If anyone's still here, I am a bit torn over whether the extra screen size of a vkb phone makes web browsing and youtube videos *significantly* nicer than on the Keyone.
Do the majority of websites look nice on the Keyone? As opposed to say my Q10 where menus and banners often take over, leaving a central 'letterbox' containing the actual webpage.

And if you watch a lengthy video in landscape mode, is it a comfortable size screen to watch?

Cheers

The screen size is roughly the same as some older iPhone models, with the addition of a keyboard below.

Haven't had any problems turning the device on its side and watching landscape mode. You'll just have a keyboard sticking out of the side...

Where are you geographically? If in North America, head over to a Best Buy and check it out for yourself. Watch a YouTube video on it while you're there.

[eclef]

Thanks, I'm in the UK. I have actually watched Youtube videos, but it's not quite the same as real users, who after a decent amount of time, can state whether a percentage of websites don't show correctly, or if they eventually found the screen too uncomfortable to watch after some time (as I did with the Passport), not to mention how the hardware lasts over time. Actually maybe I didn't search deep enough, but most of the Youtube videos seem to be superficial, semi-professional reviewers, regurgitating the spec sheet after having used the phone, on the side, for a couple of days.

But it's interesting that the screen size is similar to the old iphones. There's lots of food for thought here, thanks again.

[eclef]

Sorry bud, I misinterpreted your message to mean that I should research into the phone on Youtube etc, rather than ask people here... and I think my response was a little defensive....
Great idea, thanks again!

[Adam Frix]

The silver is definitely the first gen lag-fast that everyone says it is. Beautiful piece of hardware that looks great on my shelf, but not something that I use as a daily driver. Oh and btw, I don't even have it right now as the screen popped off a couple of weeks ago and it's now with TCL awaiting repair/replacement.

This is EXACTLY my experience. I've lived with it for a year, but grumbled about the overall performance (not battery, the battery life is superb) the whole time.

While I'm waiting for my repaired unit to come back, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S9+. I don't know if I'll ever turn the K1 back on, frankly. I am happy to give up the physical keyboard for a phone that works as well as the S9+.

I'm still hoping that maybe at some point the K2 will work this well, AND give me a physical keyboard. I'd buy one. But the S9+ sets a pretty high bar.

[Adam Frix]

KEYᵒⁿᵉ is one of the best Android devices I've had - solid for business, Android Auto, takes decent pictures and VERY customisable, and now, quite affordable.

I wouldn't bother with the K2, incremental update and slightly better keyboard.

You must have a later K1, maybe even a black one.

You are absolutely wrong when it comes to the silver one. It's a laggy piece that, frankly, barely works for its intended use. I used it for a year simply because I was hoping updates would make it better, plus I spent $550 on that sucker!

The S9+ that I just spent $650 on (Costco deal) is a dream. I can't imagine a $650 K2 being as good, but I'm willing to be convinced. I may even buy one, just to see. But the silver K1 will never hold a candle to a quality Android phone.

[supertom]

You must have a later K1, maybe even a black one.

You are absolutely wrong when it comes to the silver one. It's a laggy piece that, frankly, barely works for its intended use. I used it for a year simply because I was hoping updates would make it better, plus I spent $550 on that sucker!

The S9+ that I just spent $650 on (Costco deal) is a dream. I can't imagine a $650 K2 being as good, but I'm willing to be convinced. I may even buy one, just to see. But the silver K1 will never hold a candle to a quality Android phone.

I am currently using a North American LAUNCH DAY silver KEYone from best buy. The only lag i've experienced over a year now has been when I have Google Maps GPS going with Google Play Music and I try to do a 3rd thing. Other than that, it's buttery smooth.

Granted I usually only have 4 apps open at a time and I use Chrome for my Facebook, Amazon, eBay, Crackberry, Android Central, Android Authority, and not using their own dedicated apps. The only social media app I have installed is Instagram, FB Messenger Lite, and Skype.

Build quality is also excellent... probably have dropped it over 10 times during the year on all sorts of surfaces, but I had it in a case since day 1 so there are no scuffs, scratches, or any cosmetic damage whatsoever on it. I keep it in my pocket when i'm out and about and I've had no issues.

The only common "bug" is the sd card re-mounting at random times which turns on the screen, and the fact that "double-tap to wake" doesn't work when it's too bright (like outside in the sun).

Never had an issue with reception or call quality (in fact, a lot of folks have mentioned I sound much more clear than when I had my galaxy s5 even in loud environments)

[qwerty4ever]

Thanks, I'm in the UK. I have actually watched Youtube videos, but it's not quite the same as real users, who after a decent amount of time, can state whether a percentage of websites don't show correctly, or if they eventually found the screen too uncomfortable to watch after some time (as I did with the Passport), not to mention how the hardware lasts over time. Actually maybe I didn't search deep enough, but most of the Youtube videos seem to be superficial, semi-professional reviewers, regurgitating the spec sheet after having used the phone, on the side, for a couple of days.

But it's interesting that the screen size is similar to the old iphones. There's lots of food for thought here, thanks again.

I have used the BlackBerry Bold Since release in Canada. The screen is easy on the eyes. All websites render in the web browser.

[anon(2695703)]

websites are great. Remember that the screen is basically traditional android 16:9 and the same size as older iPhone. Websites render via Chrome, which is excellent at creating similar experiences, regardless of device.

I didn't sense any negativity... but then I am too hard headed for subtlety. To make my suggestion clear: I suggest you find an electronics shop that has a display model and tinker with it. while you are at the shop, watch movies or some other kind of video to see what the experience of turning the device sideways for film is like.

cheers,
j

[anon(2695703)]

one additional suggestion: if your finances allow, consider a model with increased memory capacity, like black edition. I haven't experienced the lag others with lower memory variants have experienced

[Chuck Finley69]

If your budget and wait time can allow you the Key2, I'd get it over any version of KEYone. I paid $499 USD for KEYone and I'd gladly pay the extra $150 USD for the Key2.

Don't misunderstand. I'm mostly happy with the KEYone but the Key2 has definite improvements and enhancements.

Posted via CB10

[mikeath]

You must have a later K1, maybe even a black one.

You are absolutely wrong when it comes to the silver one. It's a laggy piece that, frankly, barely works for its intended use. I used it for a year simply because I was hoping updates would make it better, plus I spent $550 on that sucker!

The S9+ that I just spent $650 on (Costco deal) is a dream. I can't imagine a $650 K2 being as good, but I'm willing to be convinced. I may even buy one, just to see. But the silver K1 will never hold a candle to a quality Android phone.

You are correct. I am on recent black edition 4gb ram. I wouldn't entertain the notion of using a silver 3gb version now.

The truth is most android hardware has at least a few bugs. I've had a galaxy S3, windows L950, Sony Xperia S, Z2 and Z5c. My wife has stuck with the Samsung, and truthfully they all have various minor issues. The question is whether you can live with them! I haven't had any issues with KEYᵒⁿᵉ thus far.

Android wise the integration will never be as good as ios or bb10 because the software has to cater for a wide variety of hardware and the apps are written generically for all android phones.

KEYᵒⁿᵉ with Android but also BB apps is the best of both worlds for me.

[ALToronto]

I agree with all the positive things that others have been saying about the BE KeyOne. Here is one negative - a banking app that I use requires a 16:9 aspect ratio to render properly. With the 3:2 screen of the K1, the bottom of the app is cut off, and it doesn't allow scrolling. So any buttons on the bottom of the screen show just a thin sliver, and it's difficult to tap them. Even so, it's not enough of an inconvenience for me to access my account via browser.

Everything else is just superb. No degradation in performance in 8 months of use.

[Tim-ANC]

If your budget and wait time can allow you the Key2, I'd get it over any version of KEYone. I paid $499 USD for KEYone and I'd gladly pay the extra $150 USD for the Key2.

Don't misunderstand. I'm mostly happy with the KEYone but the Key2 has definite improvements and enhancements.

Posted via CB10

Agree. Go for the K2. Reports from pre-production users indicate to me that it is a more refined and powerful K1.

I'm a heavy user of K1 and it handles all my work and personal needs quite satisfactorily. BlackBerry android Hub is quite good. I still think Passport is the best device I've ever used but bb10 is fading to obsolescence. That said, I was very reluctant to switch to K1 and expected to hate it. I don't hate the K1. I'll be getting a K2.

[rotorwrench]

I have an early build Silver - 3 VZW compatible unlocked K1, in use very close to a year now. While very hesitant to buy one initially, I would not hesitate to buy another -3 VZW compatible (CDMA) version at all. So far, as my daily driver for work and personal use, I've not experienced noticeable lag, screen lift, poor reception issues nor poor call quality.

If I were on AT&T or another GSM carrier, I would not buy a Silver K1, at least an early build, as from this and other forums I've been on, most complaints appear to be associated with GSM versions/carriers. Maybe the later -1 and -2 Silver or Black builds are better, but I can't speak for them. My experience and opinion.