Priv Impressions Coming from Passport
Priv and Passport really couldn't be more different. They are really two completely different phones with almost nothing in common.
For me, the transition from Passport to Priv has been hard. I'll break it down. There are huge differences in: form factor, user experience, and battery life.
Form factor differences are obvious.
Passport is heavy and built like a tank. Priv is thin and light and elegant. Boy, I know I am out of touch with what most people like but I prefer a heavy phone. Priv is beautiful and well constructed. I just wish BlackBerry had used some of that Stainless Steel from Passport and given the phone some heft.
Passport has a square screen and a huge physical keyboard. Priv has a 16X9 screen and a small slide out physical keyboard with an option to use an on-screen keyboard. For me, there is no better typing experience than on the Passport, specifically, the Passport SE. It is huge and feels great. On Priv, I find myself using the onscreen keyboard most of the time. It is basically the same as the one on the Z BB10 devices. The physical keyboard is unlike any other BB keyboard. It is around the size of a Bold 9900 (I have one laying around and compared) but it is much more firm and clicky. They keys actually feel a little bit pointy. The layout feels strange with the Alt key. I am sure I would get used to it over time but it has not been an easy transition. It is just about practice.
The Priv's screen is awesome. I love amoled with its deep blacks. The form factor is much better for most content like video and most apps. Passport has a good screen but on balance, the square form factor is a compromise in many respects. With the screen being so important, BlackBerry scores a lot of points for getting this right on Priv.
These are two completely different phones for a software user experience point of view. I admit that I love BB10 and I wish it had been more successful. I am also very used to BB10 having used it since it was first launched. For me, Android is cartoony and busy. BB10 is understated and efficient. Everything on Android is a bright color. Animation transitions POP everywhere. Every interaction has a sound or haptic feedback buzz. I tried working like this but I couldn't. It was sensory overload for me. I had to dial everything back. Off went the sounds. Off went haptic feedback. I wish I could tone done the animations and colors, but I can't. I want things to be as simple and understated as possible. People will say that this is Android and I can pick a different launcher. I guess that they are right. I'm just giving my impressions of the experiences that BlackBerry provided OOTB.
Another pet peeve with Priv is waking the device. On BB10, you just swipe up. On Priv, first you double tap the screen and then swipe up. Why the extra step BlackBerry? It seems silly but it is something you have to do dozens of times a day. Why did BlackBerry mess with success when it had it right already?
I am not going to ding BlackBerry too much for how the Hub is not as good on Priv as it is on BB10. It is clear that Blackberry is working on it. We have seen several updates so far. I think that eventually it will be as good as BB10's Hub is.
Battery life seems to be much worse on Priv than it is on Passport. When I pick it up first thing in the morning, the battery always seems to take a huge quick hit. Then, it seems to settle down. I never had battery issues with Passport. The Priv's battery size is comparable to the Passport's so I'm hoping that Blackberry can improve this over time. I have a quick charger, but somehow it does not seem to charge Priv very quickly. I wonder if quick charging is really working.
You can see that my transition hasn't been easy but I'm learning.