[gsgdadgasg]

Most reviews I've found of the KeyOne are rather positive and seem to be from people who haven't ever really used BBOS10 devices (especially on Youtube).

Since I haven't been able to find a proper comparison between BBOS10 and Android or the Blackberry Passport versus Android/Keyone, I decided to open this thread. I just switched from a Blackberry Passport to a KeyOne (Black) and this is my opinion after a few weeks of using the KeyOne. I hope this helps other people who are considering the switch from BBOS10 to Android. It may also be insightful for people who have been using Android for a while now and didn't really get to experience what BBOS10 was all about.

Spoiler: it is not as positive as most KeyOne reviews out there.

TLDR; Android is an almost incredible step back from BBOS10.

KeyOne Pros:

1. It runs newer Android apps.
2. The fingerprint sensor is nice.
3. The camera's and lenses on the KeyOne are probably better.
4. It runs Android apps much faster than on the Passport.

Neutral:

1. Battery life seems comparable between the two devices. I've seen some reviews claiming the KeyOne has way better battery life and vice versa. To me it feels about equal.
2. Taking a screenshot was very hard for me the first time on the KeyOne. Compared to the Passport you really need to press the two buttons at the exact same time and hold them for a while longer than you're used to.

KeyOne Cons:

1. Very subjective: the KeyOne's weight distribution is way worse than the Passport's. I get cramps in my hands after a few minutes of typing, because of the awkwardly small keyboard and weight balance. My hands are rather on the large side though.
2. The portrait mode is terrible for any productivity apps. Example: calendar with week view looks like a joke in portrait mode, which is the only mode that makes sense with the physical keyboard.
3. The glass covering the rear camera lens is known to shatter spontaneously. This happened to me personally within 2 weeks of use. Possible root cause: quick changes in temperature?
4. The automatic shutter time feels way slower on the KeyOne in any situation other than full sunlight. HDR mode also seems slower. You're more likely to take pictures with accidental motion blur using the KeyOne.
5. No Android dark theme.
6. No dark theme for most apps.
7. No blue light filter built into the OS (there is some filtering but it is much more limited than the reds you can add in BBOS10).
8. No keyboard layout re-mapping possible. I found out the hard way by accidentally ordering a German KeyOne with a QWERTZ (the only shop had a KeyOne with a QWERTY keyboard in the product photo). There's no way to remap that to QWERTY. BBOS10 had no problems with remapping.
9. No audio equalizer included in the OS. Free and ad-free equalizers don't exist in Google Play Store. The default speaker sound IMO is way worse than that of the Passport. High pitched tin can kind of sound.
10. No more Blend. Other remote Android phone apps are unusable compared to Blend. It is almost incredible to me that Android doesn't have anything close to Blend. Android being an OS that has been under development for way longer with way more resources.
11. There is no way to make a backup of the phone. As in: take an entire backup image of everything and restore it (like you could easily do with Blackberry Link and BBOS 10).
12. No custom ringtones/led colors for contacts.
13. No more automatic language recognition for spellcheck and suggestions. I found out later there is, but it's hard to set up and only supports a total of up to three languages. BBOS10 had no problem with more languages than that as far as I remember.
14. The typical Android triangle, circle and square to switch between apps is plain irritating and inefficient compared to the screen swipe motions that BBOS10 had (and that iOS has copied from BBOS).
15. The tiled overview of open apps is absolutely horrendous and inefficient. The tiles have different sizes and you have to scroll through the carousel to find that one open app that you want to go into or close. Terrible user interface.
16. Everything in Android that makes Android usable communicates with Google services and servers. That makes any security/privacy on Android a joke if you take into account U.S. laws and the Snowden revelations. The phone can essentially not be used for any sensitive business or political data/communications and travel into U.S. (allied) territory. RIM/BBOS also had this problem to some extend, but not as bad. This is all not really a problem for me personally, but it is for the use cases mentioned.
17. Google voice recognition is way worse than that of BBOS. Unusable to me.
18. Google voice doesn't understand "navigate to [contact name]". Incredible.
19. Google Maps navigation doesn't pronounce street names in the local language outside of English speaking countries. Unlike Blackberry maps. The street name pronunciation of Google Maps is therefor useless outside of all English speaking countries.
20. Everything Google is blocked in China. I'm not sure if Blackberry apps such as BBM, Blend, Maps, World, etc where blocked?

[hlg8888]

Thank you for this review, I am looking at some point to replace my Q10 with a KeyOne or preferably a KeyTwo but even if I don't like to, there is no alternative if you hate typing on glass.

Posted via CB10

[icstrim1]

Useful review, thank you.

Most of the cons are due to screen ratio and OS.

But I think it's ok that you've mentioned all those cons for the Passpor owners who consider an upgrade.

Regarding voice recognition: in my experience, Google is ok, much better than Bixby. Maybe you are having problems because the mic on the K1 is not that great from what I've heard.

[ALToronto]

Yet another post highlighting that BBOS10 is far superior to Android, and BB phones are awesome. Nothing new here. I miss typing on my Passport, but the lack of apps and general support has made it necessary for me to switch. I'm encouraged by BB Mobile's wish to be in the premium end of the handset market. Perhaps one of the future handsets will be similar to the Passport. For now, the K1 is the next best thing.

[Nguyen1]

If I had the option of buying a KeyOne for $100 or using my Passport, I'd stick with my Passport. I would even rather use my 9300 3G than a KeyOne. I tried the K1 out many times, and I just don't prefer it for three main reasons:

1) Too large. If I can't hold a phone in my enclosed palm, it's too big for me.
2) Too fragile. I could drop my 9300 all day and have no worries. I would never dare to try that once with any glass phablet.
3) Android. Sorry, but no. Too clunky, too slow, drains battery with all those invasive apps. Now, I like Android... for games! On a real tablet! But on a phone? No. For example, Kindle on my 9300 is 1.1MB big, loads super fast, has zero ads, and reads well. Kindle on Android is like 70MB or more, slow, keeps trying to sell me books on amazon, and loaded with bloat. Many android apps are like this.

Now, many people like the K1 just fine, and that's great for BBMobile. I hope more devices are to come. But personally, I will stick with my years-old devices for now.


Typed on the physical keyboard of my vintage BlackBerry 9800

[krazyatom]

I agree to OP. I sold all 3 keyone i had. I do like the keyone design but it made me miss bb10 more and more.

[Drg84]

I'm confused. I took the Exact Same Path as you did and haven't had most of the problems. I even posted pics of the the two side by side, along with the classic, to show size differences. the keyboard is a change, but since I had the q10 before the passport it took me little time to adjust. The EQ problem is usually solved by the apps your running, most music players have audio adjustment. The Google data mining can be minimized but it's there, I agree. Custom ringtones for contacts isn't a problem, I have 4 tones for 4 different people with no difficulty.
That said it is a change going from BB10 to android. But it is from any OS to any other. I personally have gone from Symbian to Windows phone 8 to BB10 to android. There are annoying things on all of them, but that comes with learning any system.

[johnb_xp]

You could have custom ringtones per contact with my old Galaxy S3 but can't find in with my S7 on Nougat, hope that's in Android 9 or BB adds it to BB Android.

[Henry Jr]

nothing out there compares to the Passport. I miss it so much.

[kikipintre]

I I switched from Passport to K1. First days I was missing BlackBerry 10 and Passport. Now I miss only HUB . I think K1 is good device, BBandroid is nice. Today discussion which OS is better and which device is better makes me lough, to be honest. sure android has future as BlackBerry 10 is died, and K1 on android is great device

[jackwaldon]

I just got started with the keyone a few days ago and I am loving it. I transitioned from BB10 to the priv about a year ago. So, for me it is a huge step up to have the better keyboard. I never got the passport, but BB10 isn't really in the cards for me anymore. I agree with you on all the functionality benefits of BB10. It is much more fluid and fast to use than android. I want to say, "if you take the time to learn them". But they were very easy to learn. But that's the past. KeyOne is still great, in my opinion.

[Jenserm]

Last year I've got a Android smartphone because I wanted a new smartwatch. Since it's impossible to use any Android Wear watch with BBOS10, I've got a Sony Xperia XCompact. It took me 3 month to realize I need a pkb again. So I changed to a KeyOne from a Passport too.

I was surprised about the performance of the KeyOne. It's in every situation much quicker than the Passport. I love it and I don't miss the Passport at all. Performance of the camera is the best I ever had in a Smartphone. Pkb is even better than Passworts pkb. Sending data via whatsapp is done in seconds where I have to wait minutes in BBOS10. KeyOnes Pkb-shortcuts opens apps faster than with Passports shortcuts. Batterylife is better with KeyOne too.

The KeyOne does everything a bit faster then the Passport. Getting a KeyOne was for me the best step I could do.

I even don't miss the BB10 gesture for opening the Hub because I'm faster with Pkb-shortcut.

If you don't want to use Google there are some ways for using apps without Google. Just using the Hub for email and stopping Gmail app is one way to start...

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Ships underwater and users are up to their neck, and some still say it's the best ship to be on.... They refuse to get on the new ship because the paint is a different color or the windows are a different shape or because it flies a different flag.

[NikolaP]

This is more BB10 vs Android review. I feel your pain, but BB10 is dead, and it's time to move on. I like pkb, and KeyOne is only option AFAIK, so.... we can't compare Passport and KeyOne.

Again, I know how you BB10 user feels, been there done that many many times. Just from the top of my head, these awesome technologies I loved and saw them die: BeOS operating system (I even formed national user group), I was running QNX as a desktop for a while (remember that bootable 3.5 inch floppy, what an awesome stuff!), Palm, iPaq, WebOS, I had Playbook, now I'm wearing Pebble watch....
Now, unfortunately, what we have as an option is either iOS or Android, and since I love pkb, that means only KeyOne for me.

[Tommy-boy]

I"ve had many BlackBerry phones over the years. most recently a Classic. Yes - the hub was great on the Classic. But - the hub on K1 is fine. I love the apps. I like the bigger screen. I feel the weight balance is great. I like the phone quality. I like the keyboard (not quite as much as classic, but it is still very good). I'm very happy with my keyone and am glad I made the jump. highly recommended here.

[Aju]

Keyone hardware quality seems fine with me. But as op said, using android (hub, no swipe gestures, and mostly too many google processes and background links and still many many other things compared to pp) gives a clumsy gutter feel!

Am happy that with android 9, volume keys will be changed default to media sound rather than ringtone sound which was one thing in my hate list). Hopefully android too copy bb10 and give us more similar to our sexy os

PassportSQW100-1/10.3.3.3057

[Carjackd]

I think this is off with respect to battery as well...if we are comparing battery life KEYone running android apps and passport running bb10 apps they are not far off with an edge to the KEYone. The problem is a lot out here are still cobalting their passport and it’s well known that android apps ( although sometimes run well in the passport) they drain the battery/fast on bb10 devices

[the1]

Ships underwater and users are up to their neck, and some still say it's the best ship to be on.... They refuse to get on the new ship because the paint is a different color or the windows are a different shape or because it flies a different flag.

....when liking what you want goes wrong?

[franzfume]

passport? nice but today near useless. we are living in 2018

[anon(9188202)]

I absolutely loved my Passport and BB10!

I also loved Betamax, Zune music players, reel to reel tape decks, BlackBerry PlayBook, drive-in movie theatres, Burger Chef, Ford Thunderbird, Cinnamon Fire Twizzlers, and Sansabelt slacks.

[FF22]

I absolutely loved my Passport and BB10!

I also loved Betamax, Zune music players, reel to reel tape decks, BlackBerry PlayBook, drive-in movie theatres, Burger Chef, Ford Thunderbird, Cinnamon Fire Twizzlers, and Sansabelt slacks.

I really loved the Oldsmobile Cutlass' my mom had....

[Drg84]

Yeah I drive an Aurora myself but I have upgraded it with Bluetooth just for convenience. But the difference is there's not difficulty going down the road with it. The passport is more like the Model A speedster at work. Great to look at, unique, but I wouldn't want to drive it on the highway. And my E71 is more like the Model T. It technically can drive on today's roads, but it's slow, annoying at times and everything has to be set up manually. But for some reason chick's dig it (the model T).

[Leatherfacez10]

Nice review. Let's see how BlackBerry 10 feels when App World goes into the night. I loved my Passport and still have it but have not used it for ages. A black edition KeyOne will roast it in every measure. Passport was a great conversation starter though.

[ArbuckleWillis]

In a perfect world BlackBerry would read this post; make the changes customers want and put it a Classic or Bold chassis. Oh well...my Q10 continues to feel just right.

Posted via CB10

[quizm]

this is good discussion. I hope bbmobile reads it. For me BlackBerry should have just transported bb10 on top of Android as much as possible in terms of function and skin. I say this not knowing how difficult that is. but I also think that the workwide concept is a great one and would sell if done right.