[artie]

So I was hoping you guys could help give me some perspective and advice. I'm a brand new Passport Silver Edition owner, switching from iPhone 6s. I have a buyer for the 6s when I read about the Rome and Hamburg which are scheduled to be released this summer/fall. I love BB10!! But some Apps that I need on a daily basis like my banking App aren't offered on BlackBerry and even though I've managed to download/install most of the apps through Google Playstore, they either crash or don't run very smooth...Normally this wouldn't bother me much because BlackBerry has always been good about improving their OS, but many BlackBerry users have informed me that BlackBerry doesn't have plans to improve BB10 any longer. This has really got me considering the new Rome/Hamburg for my next device....My question to you all is should I keep the Passport until the Rome/Hamburg release or the iPhone?

Posted via CB10

I had this dilemma and last Saturday I switched to a Samsung Galaxy S7 from the Q10 after many years with BlackBerry. It wasn't easy but no regrets. Do your homework it pays off.

[crazylegshinch]

I had this dilemma and last Saturday I switched to a Samsung Galaxy S7 from the Q10 after many years with BlackBerry. It wasn't easy but no regrets. Do your homework it pays off.

I picked up a Nexus 6P a couple of weeks ago to replace my Z10. There are some things I miss, I'm still swiping things in an attempt to close messages like I did with the hub.

Also I installed the BlackBerry Keyboard so now the phone feels like home again. Shame BB doesn't want to release their apps into the playstore, since I would have paid for it. Instead I used cobalt's App Manager to get it. It's like they don't want to take my money.

[ebrain]

BB10 is not 100% compatible but very close, I too had problems with some Android apps until I read the Cobalt Landing page http://forums.crackberry.com/android...g-page-965257/
Now my Z30 will run almost all Android apps.
also you have to make sure that your BB10 is up to date 10.3.2

[Buzz88]

The sad reality is that BB10 is dead, plain and simple. I had a red Passport for about a year but sold it (even though it was hands down the best phone I've ever owned) and got the Priv while I still could get good money for it because it's clear BlackBerry is abandoning BB10. Now they're releasing 2 new Android phones and no BB10 so if you plan to buy a BlackBerry get Android even though it's a bit creepy when you get messages telling you where you ate dinner last night and to review the restaurant, you'll have to get used to big brother looking over your shoulder all day.

[bbafdad]

Also, if it wasn't obvious from my previous posts, I MOST DEFINITELY would be sticking with my BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition if I were certain that BlackBerry was going to remain loyal to BB10 and continue to improve it like Google has continued to improve Android and Apple has continued to improve iOS...

- Crafted on the one and only BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition -

Posted via CB10

[afe603]

Passport is a great Hardware..... but no Apps and software supports ruins everything......I love my Passport so I still using it. But to get through my everyday needs, I have another Note 4 with me.....

Posted via CB10

[anon(6038817)]

Also, if it wasn't obvious from my previous posts, I MOST DEFINITELY would be sticking with my BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition if I were certain that BlackBerry was going to remain loyal to BB10 and continue to improve it like Google has continued to improve Android and Apple has continued to improve iOS...

- Crafted on the one and only BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition -

Posted via CB10

https://berryflow.com/2016/05/way-forward-bb10/

Posted from my  Z10 via CB10

[ArtieVandalay]

It seems like it doesn't matter who is at the helm, there is a trait of screwing the customer at BB, as well as employees ( Carl Weiss, the hatchet man) they have done it to carriers, distributors, and most of all the customers. Then they act like nothing happened, and come out and say buy our product at a gazillion dollars. What pisses people off I think is that the functionality of the devices Ie HUB, PEEK are so awesome.. yet, they fail to listen to customers. I think BB 10 is going away as they incorporate more of the HUB feature in Android. But its like they realize after the fact, BB is technically a startup again. They cannot just come out with a $700 phone, no advertising and expect people to rush to it. Making another phone at $400 will not work, you can argue the security point in that case lets see. The Priv at TMO is dead, reps are pissed off because they love the phone but it gets hot, almost 99 percent return rate. A rep I met went through 3 units himself, it is said that TMO is going to EOL the device because of the issues. Now, that could be the TMO's software, because I have met others from ATT who love the phone. But with no engineers I don't think BB field tests the devices like the old days. So again buy our phone, and good luck carrier. Never thought the RIM Ego still existed in the company, but it must be a Waterloo thing. Weird, considering Canadians are typically nice people.. Naive, I will agree though. So my solution is I still use my Z30 for emails and most apps and iPad Air 3G for non compatible apps. waiting on them to clean up the Android OS a little before I jump in.

[bbafdad]

https://berryflow.com/2016/05/way-forward-bb10/

Posted from my  Z10 via CB10

Thanks New, that article definitely gave a new enlightening perspective to all the negative approaches that were coming my way but I didn't see if any of his info ideas were substantiated or just opinions...let's hope they were factually based.

Posted via CB10

[acovey]

I suppose I have something called freedom of speech.
In other words: none of your business.

Well thats a interesting answer, and I support your opinion as wrong as it is.

[acovey]

Which of the 6 facts listed do you say are wrong?

That's not the QUESTION, the question was "If people don't support Blackberry and BBOS why are they here?" You six points are not the answer to that question.

[acovey]

They are here because they are unhappy with their lives and feel empowered by anonymously posting negativity on the Internet. Just my opinion of course.

Flicked from my fantastic z30.

Posted via CB10

The first reply that makes sense to me.

[thatplaybookguy]

Canadians are naive? Who let the noob in here?

[jefbeard911]

Committing to Blackberry and BB10 at this point is condemning yourself to heartache, disappointment, and emotional ups-and-downs as glimmers of hope and promises of new devices and updates fade as they surely will. It means waking up to apps that worked last night and now don't. It means trying to fill the "app gap" with Android apps that weren't build for BB , kill your battery, lag,and crash. It means becoming a grumpier and grumpier person as your beloved BB become useless and irrelevant only to get put into the drawer with your HP Touchpad, Palm Pre, and Lumia 900.

On the other hand, living in the Apple iOS world is filled with rainbows, sugar plumes, unicorns, and fairies.

Your choice.

[kvndoom]

Reaney, I know initial info about the Rome/Hamburg were calling them mid-range devices but the most recent article I read names the Rome as very spec-similar to the Priv as a high-end device???

Posted via CB10

Last year's high end is this year's mid-range. In terms of specs, phones are still moving pretty quickly.

[kvndoom]

That's not the QUESTION, the question was "If people don't support Blackberry and BBOS why are they here?" You six points are not the answer to that question.

This isn't a support group. It's a discussion forum. Not much debate can happen if everybody agrees on everything. You should start a site where only positive comments about Blackberry (whether they are true or not) are allowed. All negative/true information will be moderated and users banned. Then see how long it lasts.

[anon(9353145)]

This isn't a support group. It's a discussion forum. Not much debate can happen if everybody agrees on everything. You should start a site where only positive comments about Blackberry (whether they are true or not) are allowed. All negative/true information will be moderated and users banned. Then see how long it lasts.

One man's junk is another man's treasure!

Posted via CB10

[EdY]

I read the entire thread and I'd like to throw in my 2 cents (or more like 200 cents... feel free to publish my long ranting story).

I'll give you a bit of background so you know where I'm coming from. I've been a BlackBerry user since the Curve 8900 (my first "smartphone") which I fell in love with. Since then I've always been a die-hard BB fan. I also was developing software as a hobby since childhood. So naturally when RIM made the move to BlackBerry 10, first with the PlayBook OS, I jumped on board. Here's my BlackBerry app store:

https://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/31328

So I will speak to you as both a BB user, BB die-hard fan and proselytizer, BB stock owner, and BB developer. So I'm BB B-deep.

When BB10 came out I was one of the first to see it. When the PlayBook came out, I caught a glimpse into the future and was excited! I bought a PlayBook after the massive fire-sale when they were $200 (after failing in the market at $500, at that time the cost of an iPad). The PlayBook was my first tablet (and only tablet, as I still use it to this day). After a few months of using it, I saw that BlackBerry was running developer competitions and hackathons so I started developing PlayBook apps and won a few more PlayBooks along the way, which my wife and kids now all use. So we have 3 PlayBooks in the house.

Meanwhile, my wife and I had upgraded to Torch 9800's and 9810's. So we were using those phones at home. I entered into the BB10 dev alpha program, received a Dev Alpha A, then did a few more apps which won me a Red Z10. My wife stole that one from me. So I kept going and soon after won myself another Red Z10 for submitting a "Built for Blackberry" App. Somewhere along the way, I also entered the program to get the Dev Alpha C from BlackBerry, which was the Q10 prototype, which I still have to this day and so I now carry around with me a Red Z10 for my main phone, and Dev Alpha C in my shirt pocket for playing around on.

So for the past 2-3 years, I have been "all-in" to BlackBerry. No other device in the house. They meet all our family needs. Funny enough, at one point I won an iPhone 5c for another developer survey contest and started playing with it. My wife started hee-hawing about her Red Z10 and that she wanted a new phone. Actually, she wanted a keyboard-based BlackBerry instead of the Z10! Being the cheap ******* I am, I gave her my iPhone 5c to buy myself some more time and keep her happy, until I saw what options there were.

My wife was initially excited with the iPhone but missed the physical keyboard. Around that time, the Priv was coming to market. The Passport was huge. But when I saw the cost of it, my jaw hit the floor. I also felt like BB stabbed me in the back as a developer... My apps were not going to run on the Priv, because they are BB10 native apps. I would have to start developing Android apps. Also, how was I going to pay $700-800 for the Priv, when competing flagship Android phones were the same or less? By that point, I had already given up on physical keyboards (and I was a die-hard thumb typer) for the simple reason that I was using the swipe-gestures on BB10 which had learned my entire way of talking, to flick words. And I had given Swype a try on my BB10, which was also outfitted with Google Play, Snap and everything else I could mod to allow me to use Android apps as well.

Now a bunch of things started to happen which would have made any non-BB die-hards like me leave the platform long long ago. For one, all the major apps started to completely drop support for BB. It was embarassing. I was at Shoppers Drug Mart trying to sign up to some Reward Point program to get extra points or coupons, and the lady at the register told me I could only do it if I used the app (it was a promo to get people to get on the app). Anyways, after much trial and tribulation it didn't work. New apps are coming out which don't support the older Android runtime. Also, I've had issues with Google Play recently and it is not staying open, it shuts down, so I may have to reinstall it. Snap is also no longer reliable. Amazon Appstore doesn't carry all the apps.

But I refuse to give up my Red Z10 with BB10 OS! You will have to rip it out of my cold dead hands before I give up my BlackBerry!

My developer hobby was on hiatus meanwhile, as I was busy with other things. Thank god, because if I was relying only on BB10 development to make a living, I would be living on the street. Most devs simply do not want to put their energy and time on an ecosystem with declining user base, rumors of unsupported OS and knowing that the device can run Android anyways. So they can just code Android apps if they need to, and convert over the APK. There is a lot of abandon-ware in the BB Appstore. Plus, my "Built for BlackBerry" app is no longer featured as such... They killed the program. Why?

Just recently I was looking for a smartwatch. I have been waiting and waiting because I didn't think the market had anything convincing. Even the Pebble, which was affordable and I liked, had to be "patched" with a few 3rd party apps to work with BB10. My wife's birthday was coming up, she wanted a fitness tracker/smart watch type of gift. I looked at FitBits and so on. By now she was still using the iPhone but hated it. So after some heated debating I gave in and bought her an Apple Watch. Now, you have to understand I hate Apple and the high prices and although I've owned a few Apple products (like iPods) I never wanted to be in that ecosystem.

But what do you know, my wife loves her Apple Watch and it has made her happy to use the iPhone again! And there goes a chunk of money to Apple, which I swore would never see a penny from me.

Meanwhile, I'm looking around at smartwatches and there is NOTHING that supports BB. The Pebble can with some modification, but how many people are going to continue compromising and hacking and patching and finding work-arounds for BlackBerry? Seriously, I'm a developer so I enjoy that sh!t and can spend the time doing it. Most people don't want to think about side-loading. I love BB and I think BB10 is the *best* OS out there. But it is just an OS.... there has to be an entire functioning and progressing world of apps sitting on top of it. Once you start getting big companies like Facebook and other app developers dropping BB10, and start relying on an Android runtime which is a few versions behind what people are developing for (with incomplete integration into Google Services, and bluetooth, and other functions) then it is tougher and tougher to justify your OS.

To summarize, I would tell you that if you love BB 10 and the Hub, and all of the productivity you can do, then the hell with what anyone else is doing. Just know the state that it is at and learn to accept it..... you will be happier. Let's just assume BB10 is dead, no more apps, and everything disappears tomorrow. So what? Will you still be able to use your phone? Yes. Can you still make calls, email, surf the web? Yes. Will most of your existing apps still work? Yes. Will the cellular networks still support your phone? Yes. So you'll probably get at least 2-3 years worth out of the phone, if not more.... Milk it until it is DEAD! That's what I plan to do with my BB's...

As I mentioned before, you will have to rip my 2 Red Z10's, my Dev Alpha C, my 3 PlayBooks, Torch 9810, Torch 9800, Curve 8900, Storm, Pearl and whatever other BB's I have out of my cold dead hands before I move to another ecosystem. But I'm not kidding myself when I tell you, I'll probably be the last BB user left in the world. But that's ok..... I've come to accept that, and it brings me peace.

[davidshashoua]

Since you have a Passport (like I do), you don't need most apps. You can just login to the website that you want. Even Uber has a mobile site that BB10 users can use. I haven't come across a useful app that I can't access through a website, Snap or 1Mobile Market stores. The Passport has pretty awesome specs and should be able to handle most of what you are looking to do.

[Buddynoel]

Seems Blackberry needs to focus on combining BB10 and Android instead of either-or. Call it BB11. The solution would be to set BB11 to run all the BB10 functions with Android added as a selection in the HUB. One click allows the phone to emulate any form of android with virtual hardware controls in order to allow full functionality of Android apps while being able to get alerts and calls thru BB HUB.
If Microsoft can dual boot android, Linux and IOS, then surely BB11 can do the same. The value of Blackberry as a company would rise as the only phone that professionals need.

[lang007]

It is sad the BB seems to have given up on BB10 and just want to focus on the android sw on a blackberry phones. I like the Priv but I love my Passport but the few apps that I do use are android and they crash on my Passport and they work just fine on the Priv. I truly prefer my Passport over my Priv

[anon(6038817)]

I read the entire thread and I'd like to throw in my 2 cents (or more like 200 cents... feel free to publish my long ranting story). (snip)

I enjoyed reading this post!

I'm not a developer, but I can relate to your approach. Appreciate your BlackBerry devices for what they are, but be realistic about the current state of things and learn to accept it.

I choose to be optimistic and hope that BlackBerry will continue to support BB10 on a slower development and release cycle alongside their Android offerings. If and when the time comes, I will reluctantly switch to an Android phone (hopefully BlackBerry is still making them when that happens). But for now, I will continue to enjoy BB10.

[Chuck Finley69]

It is sad the BB seems to have given up on BB10 and just want to focus on the android sw on a blackberry phones. I like the Priv but I love my Passport but the few apps that I do use are android and they crash on my Passport and they work just fine on the Priv. I truly prefer my Passport over my Priv

Funny thing called profit motive. Probably won't happen with Android but it was never going to happen with BB10.

Posted via CB10

[sorinv]

Last year's high end is this year's mid-range. In terms of specs, phones are still moving pretty quickly.

Are they? Because hardware isn't. Today's 14nm FinFET's are not faster than the 28nm planar MOSFETs of two years ago.
This is already showing up in processor speed.
Transistor density isn't improving either.
For the first time in history, the price per transistor went up as we moved below 25nm gate length.
This is pretty much reflected in processor performance, too. We have been cheating for a long time by going multicore, but that puts the strain on communication within the processor as opposed to computation.
The latter is far more energy efficient than communication.

In simple words: Moore's law is dead and the consequences have already fltered down to processor speed. It will affect AI and software soon thereafter. The smartphone market has saturated at the right time.

Everything we have done in the past 50 years and we predicted for the future assumes Moore's law will continue in hardware. It's not going to happen. Progress will continue in other fields.
This one will advance at a slower pace, more like mechanical engineering and the automotive and aircraft industries have progressed in the past 50-100 years.

[sorinv]

Funny thing called profit motive. Probably won't happen with Android but it was never going to happen with BB10.

Posted via CB10

So it still makes no sense. Are they now going to try windows and ioS, too, simply to lose money on those, too?