[conbrio29]

I have been happily using my BlackBerry Classic for the last two years and am very satisfied with it; however, the idea of being able to BBM video chat with family is appealing to me. That, plus the ability to keep using WhatsApp indefinitely is also tempting me to try the KEYone. I am looking to hear from people that have made the switch from the Classic to the KEYone. For those people I have some specific areas I would like them to comment on:

Is there a significant difference in form factor? KEYone measures just a tad taller than the Classic, so is there any noticeable difference in, say, pocketability?

Is there a noticeable difference in speed? No, the Classic isn't considered a snappy device; however, having been used to it already, as long as the KEYone is no slower than the Classic then I could live with that.

Is there a difference in typing experience? The sculpted keys on the Classic are very nice, but does having flat and slightly smaller keys make any kind of difference, good or bad?

Is there a difference in call signal reception? What about sound quality in terms of hearing your caller and them hearing you?

Any other areas you wish to comment on would also be appreciated. I'm not looking for someone to just throw out the specs of both devices and tell me to make my own conclusions. I'm looking for someone with real world experience in using the two devices. Thanks in advance!

Posted via CB10

[anon(870071)]

Woww the classic seems so old and ancient now! it was one of the last BB devices ever to be made after the dissolution of the company known as RIM!!!! jump forward a few years and now we were seeing the android runtime trying to get android apps to actually work on previous generation BB device like Q10, PRIV,
and passport!? The way that android apps run on the K1 is so much faster and smoother than the few years ago devices running android apps! Today it is so much smoother and faster to load!

[postrgp]

Both are good devices. classic is really good and ditched due to OS. keyone is atpar to classic. u dont have much difference interms of feel.

[anon(9710967)]

I have used both and I must say the KEYone is far superior (mainly due to it being a 2017 phone compared to a 2014 phone) but it has bigger screen and faster browser and apps the only downside is for those who are loyal to BB10 they probably don't wanna switch and the Keyboard was reduced in size but is still about the same size as the Bold 9900 just now a straight line instead of the smile curve

[gareth3685]

Own both, main thing for me is that the Classic is perfect dimensions in my eyes - Keyone is too big.

[h16]

Due to unavailability of communication apps for work, switched from BB Classic to Sony Xperia X Compact to Iphone SE to Iphone 7 to K1.

Had screen lifted issue, solved with adhesive tape at a local repair shop, no cost.

Never had a single moment thinking about going back to previous listed phones.

Form factor, kb, battery, all is way more than ok.

Only hope for future K2 IMHO is AMOLED display.

P.S. and, also, fixed f***in notification bug, but this will happen with September update we all hope.

[jfalkingham]

Keyone all the way. I used them side by side and the keyboard on the att keyone is better in my opinion

[dxvigne]

I got my Classic when it came out and now semi-retired in June when I got my Keyone.

the KEYone is a great phone, much faster, better resolution, holds its charge, excellent keyboard. the overall phone and technology offers more flexibility to do more on both business and personal level. what I do notice is a difference with the speaker / sound; I don't know what it is, but I find the Classic sounds better for calls, speaker phone.

[megafan2000]

I went to a Priv because the Classic could no longer keep up with what I needed app wise. I had to go back to my Classic at the end of March while waiting out the delays of the release of KEYone when my Priv went on the fritz. Most of the apps worked even worse than it did the year before, so at that point it was basically just a caller and a texter which the Classic does phenomenally, possibly the best that I've ever owned in that sense. Other than this ridiculous app notification bug which hopefully gets resolved with the next update any day now, and releasing the 4 GB RAM/64 GB internal version after the fact, this is basically the phone I've been waiting for.

[undefinederror]

I have been happily using my BlackBerry Classic for the last two years and am very satisfied with it; however, the idea of being able to BBM video chat with family is appealing to me. That, plus the ability to keep using WhatsApp indefinitely is also tempting me to try the KEYone. I am looking to hear from people that have made the switch from the Classic to the KEYone. For those people I have some specific areas I would like them to comment on:

Is there a significant difference in form factor? KEYone measures just a tad taller than the Classic, so is there any noticeable difference in, say, pocketability?

Is there a noticeable difference in speed? No, the Classic isn't considered a snappy device; however, having been used to it already, as long as the KEYone is no slower than the Classic then I could live with that.

Is there a difference in typing experience? The sculpted keys on the Classic are very nice, but does having flat and slightly smaller keys make any kind of difference, good or bad?

Is there a difference in call signal reception? What about sound quality in terms of hearing your caller and them hearing you?

Any other areas you wish to comment on would also be appreciated. I'm not looking for someone to just throw out the specs of both devices and tell me to make my own conclusions. I'm looking for someone with real world experience in using the two devices. Thanks in advance!

Posted via CB10

Hey Conbrio!

1: reaching the top of the screen is a pain. I have shortcuts assigned to the keys to open the notification tray/settings. You can then pull that down to bring the notifications even closer to your thumbs.
In other screens, if I have to hit buttons at the top, I have to let go of the phone with my non-dominant hand and select the icon.
The default web browser, chrome, has a setting to bring the URL bar and navigation icons to the bottom of the screen. That's a nice touch.

For pocketability, I've always kept both phones in my breast pocket. So there is no difference there.


2: the KEYone is faster. And if you go into the developer settings, you can alter some of the animation speeds. That speeds up the phone even more, and cuts down on how many frames are used when windows appear to slide out of the way during transitions.


3: typing experience on the KEYone is great! The Classic and KEYone are my two favourite keyboards.
the keys are not as pronounced on the KEYone, but I think that helps with the capacitive input. The keys are still slightly raised, so you can feel individual keys easily.
The keys are a smooth plastic, and I think they'll hold up well against wearing any paint off.
I think I type a bit quicker with the KEYone over the Classic. Swiping left to backspace a whole word is awesome. Flicking up to type suggested words is quick too!
You can set up a shift key to act as a CTRL key. I use that every day for copy/paste/undo etc.
The 0 key works differently on the KEYone. On the Classic, you may be used to typing 0 without using the alt key. On the KEYone defaults to speech commands. You can go into the keyboard settings and fix that though, or you can leave it as is, and type 0 with the alt key.
Shift and alt keys also work differently. On the Classic, pressing the key a second time will undo an accidental key press. On the KEYone, if you press alt or shift twice, it will turn on the alt lock, or shift lock. You need to press the key a third time to unlock this.
The shift+backspace to delete text is more consistent on the KEYone.
Then when you double tap the keyboard to enable cursor mode, that's a handy tool! Moving the cursor like this is quick, and for fine movements, there will be arrows on the screen to move a single character at a time.
Also, using cursor control while holding the shift key will highlight text that you can then copy and paste.
With the Classic, I would double tap the space bar to add a period. Then if I didn't want the automatically added space after the period, I could backspace it. The KEYone differs, and if you attempt to backspace the space, you will also delete the period.
I also find the autocorrect on the KEYone to be annoying. it changes too many words. You can turn autocorrect off in the settings. But I've heard that doing so can mess with predictions or learned words. (I'd seek clarification here, as I haven't tested it)

4: sound quality is a bit worse on the KEYone. The earpiece is quieter than the classic.
As for reception, I work in remote areas where the signal is already spotty. So I wouldn't be able to give any quality feedback.

5: firstly, the taller screen is awesome to view more of the email/text that you are replying to.
And if you are viewing images or PDFs, you can use that extra bit of screen to your advantage. Holding the phone in portrate or landscape will show you more of what would have been off the square screen.
you can also go into the settings and change the smallest width settings. ...basically, the way I understand it, is that you're scaling your screen to show constantly display more. It's nice.

I find most programs are designed to have the search bar, or on-screen buttons at the top of their applications. This sucks. I find google maps to be the worst. Especially when trying to zoom in and out all the time. It really makes you wish you could zoom in and out with the I and O buttons.

But, on the flip side, I'm learning more dexterity with the pointer finger on my non-dominant hand


There is a notification issue that is not resolved yet. Sometimes the user is not alerted of new messages received with specific programs. (I'm lucky enough to not use any programs effected by this)


Soon, I'm going to re-install the hub and see how that works(and a 3rd party text message application), but for now I'm testing out the google programs. The notifications produced when receiving a new email or text will disappear if you open either program. Regardless if you open the conversation. This needs to be fixed.

Also, marking things unread does not regenerate the notification. This too, needs to be fixed.

All in all, the Gmail program is a waste of your time. Avoid at all costs.


Do you have any specific quiestions?

What are your typical uses? We can touch more on those topics if we know what you're looking for.

[undefinederror]

Apparently there is also a bug where if you compose a note using the notepad, it will add double spacing when you copy the text into the CB application haha

Actually, that reminds me of another bug that is present in the KEYone. Sometimes auto-capitalization of the first word of a new line or sentence is missed. Keep an eye on that.

[Johberry]

I own both. Before purchasing an unlocked GSM KEYone when it was released in the US, I was using a Classic (also since it's release).

The KEYone has actually exceeded my expectations. Of course, there are aspects of BB10 I do miss. I do prefer the trackpad and call/end buttons (toolbelt) as well as the keyboard and size of the Classic. Despite this, I do not regret the switch. Cheers.

[joewoo]

I just got my keyone today... the build of it is very nice like the classic... I think the keyboard is perfect on the classic whereas the keyone is very very good... you can def feel the separation and the travel is good... the lighting and the space bar needs a little work but no real big issues...

[SK122387]

I got the Classic from t-mobile in May 2017, and then got a blue one that I used until I got my KEYone this past June. I loved the Classic, but the KEYone is better in every way the op has asked about.

the typing is better for me because of the touch capacitive keyboard that I learned to love from when I had a Passport. I love that the KEYone has a "real" keyboard layout like the Classic.

The battery life on the KEYone is much better than the Classic, and the keyboard, while shaped differently, is just as fast to type on for me. I do miss the trackpad for things like selecting text, but after using android for a while (now since May), I've grown used to it.

the form factor is the biggest difference, as it is noticeably taller than the Classic, but really the Classic was small by comparison to most phones these days. the KEYone doesn't feel unwieldy or anything, and no one will ask you, "what is that thing?!" the way they did when I had a Passport.

if you love your Classic like I loved mine, then the KEYone is the logical next step. the camera is great, phone calls are great. the screen isn't going to blow anyone's mind, it's no "infinity screen" but it's nice still. I don't know why people complain that it's not bright enough... the colors are vibrant and crisp. I like it as much or more than my iPhone 7 Plus.

one thing I've come to realize is that the Android OS is more personalized than iOS. my KEYone will display how long it'll take me to go to work, go home, all on my notifications. it knows when I'm near or at popular places. it's much more interactive and fun than iOS.

I was wary and slightly dreading using Android, but am happy to report that I misjudged and was wrong. not sure about other android devices, but BlackBerry Mobile has done a perfect job of blending everything I like about BlackBerry with everything modern about Android.

[SK122387]

Apparently there is also a bug where if you compose a note using the notepad, it will add double spacing when you copy the text into the CB application haha

Actually, that reminds me of another bug that is present in the KEYone. Sometimes auto-capitalization of the first word of a new line or sentence is missed. Keep an eye on that.

I've only noticed this in the CrackBerry app when composing a new post, not when replying with a quote like I'm doing in this post.

[Jimmy Raye]

Due to unavailability of communication apps for work, switched from BB Classic to Sony Xperia X Compact to Iphone SE to Iphone 7 to K1.

Had screen lifted issue, solved with adhesive tape at a local repair shop, no cost.

Never had a single moment thinking about going back to previous listed phones.

Form factor, kb, battery, all is way more than ok.

Only hope for future K2 IMHO is AMOLED display.

P.S. and, also, fixed f***in notification bug, but this will happen with September update we all hope.

I certainly hope we get an AMOLED panel on the KEYtwo. I also wish we'll get a little bit wider device with larger buttons as my fingers are fairly large and I just think it'll make the device much more comfortable to type on. A bump in RAM and chipset is also something that I hope we'll see. Overall, I love this device. It's a beast.

[BBVill]

.
The default web browser, chrome, has a setting to bring the URL bar and navigation icons to the bottom of the screen. That's a nice touch.
.

How exactly did you do that? Can't find it in Settings

[undefinederror]

How exactly did you do that? Can't find it in Settings

In the URL bar, go to chrome://flags
And select enable-chrome-home

[BBVill]

Cool, thanks!

[FF22]

In the URL bar, go to chrome://flags
And select enable-chrome-home

And to reverse it back to the original position? Just for completeness.

[mvsalvino]

Is there a significant difference in form factor? KEYone measures just a tad taller than the Classic, so is there any noticeable difference in, say, pocketability?

Keyone is taller but thinner. Width is the same. I'll admit the size is larger than I like - the Classic was also a bit too wide for my tastes as well. It is just as pocketable as the Classic though in my experience. One minor detail I notice, is that the back/edges of the classic was curved and shapely, whereas the KEYone is completely flat more like a slab. Just a difference that gives off a very thin vibe.

Is there a noticeable difference in speed? No, the Classic isn't considered a snappy device; however, having been used to it already, as long as the KEYone is no slower than the Classic then I could live with that.

Keyone is faster overall. Every app, including games, loads very quickly for me. The biggest thing you will notice is that the browser is magnitudes faster rendering pages on the KEYone. (Do yourself a favor and buy "keyboard browser" btw). The one thing that is "slower" on the KEYone is the android OS having to hunt and peck for various buttons and menus versus the usage of swipe gestures and toolbelt/trackpad. The touch keyboard is nice but nowhere near as functional as the trackpad sadly.

Is there a difference in typing experience? The sculpted keys on the Classic are very nice, but does having flat and slightly smaller keys make any kind of difference, good or bad?

The keys on the KEYone are VERY different. But not necessarily worse or better. I do like the sculpting and clickiness of the classic's keys better, but the keyone's keys are also very nice and just as addictive to type one. The glossy finish, which I was very worried about before purchasing, is actually kind of nice as it gives the keys a pleasing almost rubbery surface feel. Overall the keyboard is very nicely done.

Is there a difference in call signal reception? What about sound quality in terms of hearing your caller and them hearing you?

In my experience, the cell reception has been equal or better than the Classic. I'm on T-Mobile USA and the KEYone has two huge advantages: 700mhz (band 12) LTE which penetrates buildings better and provides VoLTE; and flawless wifi calling. These are both T-Mobile features that make the KEYone beat the Classic hands down. Now on other carriers, your mileage may vary. Personally I get better reception and fewer dropped calls.

As to sound quality, it is serviceable, but certainly not going to win any awards. In the phone app I turned on treble boost in the settings and that actually helped quite a bit with call quality. Speakerphone is loud enough but not going to fill a room. Overall it is almost on par with the classic, but I really had hoped it would go above and beyond the Classic, based on what people have said about the passport and Z30.


Overall I am very pleased with the KEYone and think it is money well spent. Battery and app gap / browser speed are the two MAJOR improvements over the Classic. Build quality is equal. Android OS is less enjoyable than BB10 but BlackBerry at least tries with the hub and the keyboard shortcuts.

For a KEYtwo my only two wishes are: louder earpiece and speaker, and slightly smaller device. Have owned the device for about 3 months now and really love it.

[Johberry]

@mvsalvino I'm not too impressed with the call quality (my Classic was better in that regard), so thank you for the Treble Boost tip!

[mvsalvino]

@mvsalvino I'm not too impressed with the call quality (my Classic was better in that regard), so thank you for the Treble Boost tip!

Yes, treble boost makes a noticeable difference at least to me. Puts the earpiece volume about equal to Classic. The other oddity is that HD calls are double the volume of regular calls. I actually have to turn the volume down on those. But sadly most calls are not HD as you only get those if the other person is on the same carrier and their phone supports it.

[AhabSnake]

I am getting used to the keyone , but I like the hub peek view from the classic, the slightly bigger keyboard and it had a better form factor, oh and we need a cursor/track pad. sometimes I need to reach further and it's a little hassle. the keyone though is great for apps, which I never cared for much in the past, but I'm getting addicted to using now. I was wary about the android OS, but it works and looks great so far on the keyone. and the hub works great. Great camera, and much better 4G speeds on this phone. google maps works like a dream on this phone compared to the classic. Keyone needs a bottom and top page short cut key. Blackberry should also release their own dialer like the classic. Sound quality is good so far. Still use both phones.

[Aeodwrath]

I have both and keep swapping between the two. clearly l miss the app support now they have all dumped bb10. I definitely think the Classic is superior handset. I think the keyone is disappointingly slow and laggy.
the biggest thing I miss is the trackpad. in concert with the bb10 os I think the classic is just slicker and quicker to use as a communication Device. give the KeyTwo a track pad and classic keyboard and I might be tempted to upgrade as soon as it comes out. classic HD sound would be good too