[Shifty88]

It's just the apps. BlackBerry is superior in every other respect for me.

Posted via CB10

Exactly how I feel. I don't see BB10 gaining any ground on the competition unfortunately. I'm getting the Priv so I can have the apps and still support BlackBerry. Unfortunately I doubt I'll enjoy Android but I kinda enjoy the app support and compatibility.

 Posted via CB10 - Passport - 10.3.2.2639 

[southlander]

Well. On Android I get real time email inbox sync for Gmail IMAP. On BlackBerry 10 the best I can get is 5 minute sync intervals.

I will be interested to see how native email on the Priv handles that.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[the1]

Here is the USA, apps are how folks get things done, everything from banking, social media and even custom apps dominate the market here.

Not all my friend. Other than communication, my life isn't attached to anything mobile and I get WAAAY more done outside of my phone, but I understand, I'm the minority.

[kbz1960]

It is so unfortunate that uneducated sheep have basically killed BBOS. Such a waste.

Posted via CB10

[KermEd]

Curious as to why you wouldn't go with the Priv?

Quite a few reasons come to mind... keep in mind these are my opinions

- I don't want to be BlackBerry's guinea pig. They release half baked beta and alpha quality devices for testing the water. The PlayBook took almost a year to have a semi-useful OS before they abandoned it. And the first major releases of BB10 were bad, the core QT they built it off never progressed before they stopped their core BB10 development.

- They don't have the resources to make BB10 successful let alone reboot on a new platform.

- Sony, Samsung, LG, Google have the cash and resources to do it faster / smarter / cheaper / better. If enterprise Android becomes a viable market they will take it overnight, and the money BlackBerry has in the bank today will be a fraction of what they can burn in R+D budget.

- If the priv does well, it will be because of Android. BlackBerry has a history of shutting down platforms at the earliest possible moment - they will save money and either kill BB10 or kill the Android branch if the priv tanks. Either way a hybrid from BlackBerry will have a short life cycle with no future.

- They couldn't find one word in the entire English dictionary to name the phone. They had to make up half a word. If they can't even figure that part out, you can assume the confusion will extend deep into the operating system. Naming and branding has deep mirror effects on product development.

- Price and specs. I'm not paying extra for a low to medium spec android phone because someone stamped a BlackBerry logo on it.

- Whatever junk they add on top of Android will only make it slower, you can't make Android safer - its a pipe dream by its very core design. And to change that would be to break apps that work. Anything else they add (hub etc) you'll be able to use on a normal Droid. Or a smarter, better, faster company will make a better version anyway.

My question would be... who would buy a Priv? They offer nothing to Android. If securing Android is truly possible and profitable, it'll be done by the OS maker Google. Not some company on its last dime and no staff or resources left to change anything significant. If you do buy a Priv, I'd say do it so you can possibly have the only phone of its kind - because based on their history they will never do a hybrid again.

Posted to CB via my Passport | Lloyd Summers | FileArchiveHaven

[Don_Henry]

IMHO - I believe even if Priv is successful, that Chen will dump the handset business anyway so he can focus resources on MDM - and the end goal for that is to sell the company once he has established at least baseline revenue and presence in the MDM space.

For this reason - in spite of being a loyal BlackBerry user for many years, and even though the Priv is quite appealing - I will be moving to another hardware platform. I am not excited to spend $800 on a Priv, and then have it turn out to be non- supported hardware and/or poor OS support because BlackBerry has bailed out of the device business.

Via CB10 - Z10-10.3.2.2639/799 - AT&T

[Michael_Stewart]

Android can run emulators (like a NES emulator for old NES games). The android runtime is opensource while the BB10 one isn't. you could reverse-engineer it, but it's not worth for anyone to do that.

BB10 can sideload Android .apk's so I still don't see why I would rather have Android over BB10 since BB10 phones have access to more apps than any Android phone. I can't name a single Android powered device that can run BB10 apps.

[Tre Lawrence]

BB10 can sideload Android .apk's so I still don't see why I would rather have Android over BB10 since BB10 phones have access to more apps than any Android phone. I can't name a single Android powered device that can run BB10 apps.

I can't believe you posted that with a straight face.

It's been a while since anyone has claimed BB10 actually has the app advantage.

Better Android than Android redux.

[erwinfr]

Absolutely nothing

Posted via CB10

This!!

Posted via CB10

[Michael_Stewart]

I can't believe you posted that with a straight face.

It's been a while since anyone has claimed BB10 actually has the app advantage.

Better Android than Android redux.

I mean I guess there's a couple hybrid phones that boot Android and Windows Phone 7/8, albeit sans physical keyboard. Not actually running Windows Phone apps within Android from my knowledge however.

[gruv4u]

I like BB10 because it has everything I need. I like using (almost) no apps! This OS is pretty much complete.

Too many of today's popular apps and games take people away from being social, up close and personal.



 Z10 STL 100-3 with vitamin 10.3.2.2639 on AT&T

[willtothewong]

For me, it's Google services.

Apps don't mean much to me because I either do not use them or since I'm on a BlackBerry, I'm "used" to not having a wide selection.

Posted via CB10

[Harsha Perera]

Quite a few reasons come to mind... keep in mind these are my opinions

- I don't want to be BlackBerry's guinea pig. They release half baked beta and alpha quality devices for testing the water. The PlayBook took almost a year to have a semi-useful OS before they abandoned it. And the first major releases of BB10 were bad, the core QT they built it off never progressed before they stopped their core BB10 development.

- They don't have the resources to make BB10 successful let alone reboot on a new platform.

- Sony, Samsung, LG, Google have the cash and resources to do it faster / smarter / cheaper / better. If enterprise Android becomes a viable market they will take it overnight, and the money BlackBerry has in the bank today will be a fraction of what they can burn in R+D budget.

- If the priv does well, it will be because of Android. BlackBerry has a history of shutting down platforms at the earliest possible moment - they will save money and either kill BB10 or kill the Android branch if the priv tanks. Either way a hybrid from BlackBerry will have a short life cycle with no future.

- They couldn't find one word in the entire English dictionary to name the phone. They had to make up half a word. If they can't even figure that part out, you can assume the confusion will extend deep into the operating system. Naming and branding has deep mirror effects on product development.

- Price and specs. I'm not paying extra for a low to medium spec android phone because someone stamped a BlackBerry logo on it.

- Whatever junk they add on top of Android will only make it slower, you can't make Android safer - its a pipe dream by its very core design. And to change that would be to break apps that work. Anything else they add (hub etc) you'll be able to use on a normal Droid. Or a smarter, better, faster company will make a better version anyway.

My question would be... who would buy a Priv? They offer nothing to Android. If securing Android is truly possible and profitable, it'll be done by the OS maker Google. Not some company on its last dime and no staff or resources left to change anything significant. If you do buy a Priv, I'd say do it so you can possibly have the only phone of its kind - because based on their history they will never do a hybrid again.

Posted to CB via my Passport | Lloyd Summers | FileArchiveHaven

Do you actually have facts to back up your comments about BlackBerry and their future with BB10? And also are you solid on your projections for market up take on BlackBerry products? Because I for one cannot predict todays customer. I have seen big brands fall and new comers take the market Ericsson, Nokia, BlackBerry, Myspace were all once big.
Apple was in the same place a few years ago after firing Steve Jobs but was saved when he came back. BlackBerry was once, but you cannot say they will never be back. Maybe BlackBerry will find there 'steve jobs', you never know.

Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

Do you actually have facts to back up your comments about BlackBerry and their future with BB10? And also are you solid on your projections for market up take on BlackBerry products? Because I for one cannot predict todays customer. I have seen big brands fall and new comers take the market Ericsson, Nokia, BlackBerry, Myspace were all once big.
Apple was in the same place a few years ago after firing Steve Jobs but was saved when he came back. BlackBerry was once, but you cannot say they will never be back. Maybe BlackBerry will find there 'steve jobs', you never know.

He did qualify his comments by noting they were his opinion...

[StutterStep]

This is all my preference and I am using stock android on my Moto X vs Z10. To me it's much more than the apps. It's all the small details that all add up to give me a good experience using android.

- Notification tray visibility at all times; I need to see the clock at all times without needing to peek.
- Google Play shows which apps have been updated in the notification tray
- Being able to delete email and archive the latest email straight from the notification tray.
- For certain apps such as alarm and timer appear are interact-able in the notification tray making it easy to perform simple actions such as dismissing an timer or hitting snooze without having to go into the app. Very simple feature but powerful.
- Ability to have different users on the phone.
- Ability to pin an app such as the phone app so someone who wants to borrow your phone to call cannot go elsewhere.
- Downloads in progress on android always shows up in the notification tray and when it's done it can be easily opened from there.
- Being able to change wifi network and bluetooth pairing straight inside the notification tray without having to go into the settings app.
- Being able to silence all sounds until a certain time without using the calendar.
- Brightness slider is 1 step less more accessible than BB10.
- Widgets;Information at a glance and I'm not talking about needing to have apps open to view their active frames.
- The lack of mandatory window management; on android I do not need to keep track of how many apps I have open. I do not even need to use the multitasking button if that's the way I want to use my phone.
- Multitasking button allows me to switch app to app and not back to the home screen like on BB10 then to the app I want. 1 step less
- Dismiss-able notifications on lockscreen that can be swiped away.
- Lock screen call swipe gesture swipe to the right; missing on BB10
- Lock screen shows estimated time it takes to charge to 100%
- Camera swipe gesture is faster; Swipe to the left not tap to hold like BB10
- Ability to have a silenced camera without having to set notifications to silent
- Swipe speed on home screen is not limited the way it is on BB10; I can go pretty fast if I wanted to not that I normally do it.
- Nova Launcher; being able to set up a 5x7 grid. Customize gestures on home screen to do actions. Home screen arrangement is just more to my liking and customizable unlike BB10. BB10 feels more like iOS which is limited being stuck with an app drawer open.
- The way the OS back button works on android allows an app to launch something in an external browser and to easily return back to the app without having to swipe up and closing the browser manually then tapping on the app.
- Opening a file allows me to choose which app opens it if I have not chosen always.
- Settings for each app is always visible on android in the form of a ... or in the side menu on the left at the bottom on android; you do not need to know a hidden gesture and swipe down from the top of the screen.
- Material design appeals to me quite a bit; each app has their own colour style. I don't really put a lot of emphasis on animations but the animations on android 5+ are quite pleasant and smooth creating a better user experience with some flow.


I am sure there are more differences but that's all I can think of right now but will update post later and I'm sure there's even more features in Marshmallow. So no for me, it's not just the apps. The notification tray is very powerful and it's no secret some people say android does the notification tray the best out of all OSes. It allows me to stay informed about what's happening in the background and make quick actions. Now combine all the above with the blackberry experience suite especially with the hub and I will be quite satisfied.

[KAM1138]

Not all my friend. Other than communication, my life isn't attached to anything mobile and I get WAAAY more done outside of my phone, but I understand, I'm the minority.

ARE you in the minority, or has someone's marketing (we've got an app for that--yeah, they better, because they suck otherwise) just convinced people that you MUST have access to a bunch of apps that people (like yourself) have Zero actual need of.

This is a claim and belief that is perpetuated, and made into a "fact" and projected upon everyone. But we have no way to actually evaluate the NEED among consumers. We know that they WANT it, but people WANT all sorts of things. I'd love some Chocolate right now, but I assure you that I will survive perfectly fine without it.

I'm sure many people will find some selection of apps that they really like, and perhaps are convenient or pleasant for them to use. Great, but I'm not buying this NEED narrative. It is amazing how people can get along just fine, or find alternate ways of accomplishing what they NEED.

Don't get me wrong--I like toys and fun stuff and convenience as much as anyone else--I'm just not convinced that having it all on a phone is the only way, and in many cases definitely not the best way to experience those things.

Take games--I enjoy games. A phone is the WORST place for me to enjoy the types of games I like. A tablet is a little better, and a PC is a lot better (usually). So...a phone is ALWAYS a compromise for certain things. People choose which compromises matter most to them.

There's nothing wrong with people who DON'T have the "must have apps" mindset, and nothing wrong with people who DO want that. To claim that one side as if it is a law of nature is crazy. Unfortunately, marketing does a great job (if applied well) at creating "need" (really want) in people--that's what people get paid big bucks to convince them of. And it works very, very well.

People can deny that all they want, but you don't need to advertise actual NEED.

KAM

[Tre Lawrence]

ARE you in the minority, or has someone's marketing (we've got an app for that--yeah, they better, because they suck otherwise) just convinced people that you MUST have access to a bunch of apps that people (like yourself) have Zero actual need of.

This is a claim and belief that is perpetuated, and made into a "fact" and projected upon everyone. But we have no way to actually evaluate the NEED among consumers. We know that they WANT it, but people WANT all sorts of things. I'd love some Chocolate right now, but I assure you that I will survive perfectly fine without it.

I'm sure many people will find some selection of apps that they really like, and perhaps are convenient or pleasant for them to use. Great, but I'm not buying this NEED narrative. It is amazing how people can get along just fine, or find alternate ways of accomplishing what they NEED.

Don't get me wrong--I like toys and fun stuff and convenience as much as anyone else--I'm just not convinced that having it all on a phone is the only way, and in many cases definitely not the best way to experience those things.

Take games--I enjoy games. A phone is the WORST place for me to enjoy the types of games I like. A tablet is a little better, and a PC is a lot better (usually). So...a phone is ALWAYS a compromise for certain things. People choose which compromises matter most to them.

There's nothing wrong with people who DON'T have the "must have apps" mindset, and nothing wrong with people who DO want that. To claim that one side as if it is a law of nature is crazy. Unfortunately, marketing does a great job (if applied well) at creating "need" (really want) in people--that's what people get paid big bucks to convince them of. And it works very, very well.

People can deny that all they want, but you don't need to advertise actual NEED.

KAM

If we are going to be really, really literal, no one "needs" apps. Heck, no one needs smartphones, cars or air-conditioning. As human beings, we like our conveniences, and all things being equal, we'd rather not be without them.

Apps are extended conveniences. As with everything else, some people are fine with more, some with less. In the case of apps, it seems the market has decided that more conveniences wins the day.

One thing seems empirically true with regards to the consumer market: options almost always win the day.

Android caters to folks who use a lot of apps AND those that don't use a lot of apps.
IOS caters to folks who use a lot of apps AND those that don't use a lot of apps.

If I wanted to build a successful OS, I think I'd rather have an OS that caters to both groups. It's a hard sell to get people to give up want or needs.

[luisoman2000]

root or rooting an android device grants you access to modify system files that are normally not accessible. this allows you to move apps to system. it is necessary to install custom recoveries and if you unlock the phone's bootloader, you can install a custom rom. blackberry can have its own version of Android without google services (see amazon fire series). for those who don't want to "share" their data with Google.

Sent from my ASUS_Z008D using Tapatalk

[Tre Lawrence]

root or rooting an android device grants you access to modify system files that are normally not accessible. this allows you to move apps to system. it is necessary to install custom recoveries and if you unlock the phone's bootloader, you can install a custom rom. blackberry can have its own version of Android without google services (see amazon fire series). for those who don't want to "share" their data with Google.

Sent from my ASUS_Z008D using Tapatalk

Yes, but it wouldn't make sense for BlackBerry to fork Android at this point.

[Lawmen23]

This, exactly. BB10 can't even rearrange icons on the screen as well as android. Different launchers, widgets, crazy amounts of stuff that is unthinkable on BB10.

Moving icons around on BB10 is the fastest of any OS in my opinion. Watching people creep through it on other OS's makes me cringe.

[ImBerryCurious]

It is so unfortunate that uneducated sheep have basically killed BBOS. Such a waste.

Posted via CB10

When you never advertise, it's hard to educate people on a product.

Posted via CB10

[luisoman2000]

Yes, but it wouldn't make sense for BlackBerry to fork Android at this point.

blackberry is in the Same spot Nokia was a few years ago, going with Android makes sense, but it might be too late now. this would have been a smart move a few years ago though.

Sent from my ASUS_Z008D using Tapatalk

[eabbq10]

Nada.

Posted via CB10

[MO3iusONE]

ARE you in the minority, or has someone's marketing (we've got an app for that--yeah, they better, because they suck otherwise) just convinced people that you MUST have access to a bunch of apps that people (like yourself) have Zero actual need of.

This is a claim and belief that is perpetuated, and made into a "fact" and projected upon everyone. But we have no way to actually evaluate the NEED among consumers. We know that they WANT it, but people WANT all sorts of things. I'd love some Chocolate right now, but I assure you that I will survive perfectly fine without it.

I'm sure many people will find some selection of apps that they really like, and perhaps are convenient or pleasant for them to use. Great, but I'm not buying this NEED narrative. It is amazing how people can get along just fine, or find alternate ways of accomplishing what they NEED.

Don't get me wrong--I like toys and fun stuff and convenience as much as anyone else--I'm just not convinced that having it all on a phone is the only way, and in many cases definitely not the best way to experience those things.

Take games--I enjoy games. A phone is the WORST place for me to enjoy the types of games I like. A tablet is a little better, and a PC is a lot better (usually). So...a phone is ALWAYS a compromise for certain things. People choose which compromises matter most to them.

There's nothing wrong with people who DON'T have the "must have apps" mindset, and nothing wrong with people who DO want that. To claim that one side as if it is a law of nature is crazy. Unfortunately, marketing does a great job (if applied well) at creating "need" (really want) in people--that's what people get paid big bucks to convince them of. And it works very, very well.

People can deny that all they want, but you don't need to advertise actual NEED.

KAM

By your logic, nobody needs the hub, active frames and swiping gestures but everyone here on crackberry goes ape **** about it and refuses to jump ship to the Priv if it lacks those features. People are weird.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Qaddafi]

Serious question to people waiting to purchase the PRIV. What is the appeal of the Android OS? This is not directed towards current Android users waiting for a PKB. In fact, I believe that BlackBerry is releasing this phone to appeal to users that are already set on Android, but want a PKB and BlackBerry hardware.

But for the CURRENT BlackBerry users waiting for the PRIV. What is the appeal of this phone? Taking apps out the equation, what can Android do that is so appealing? Again, take apps out the equation. I understand that part, I want to see if there are other things that Android does that BB10 cannot. I have never used an Android phone, so I'm curious.

BlackBerry Passport / OS 10.3.2.2639 / SQW100-3 / BBM 2C05E109

Besides apps, the appeal is "the freedom" it offers with rooting and the Google ecosystem. Honestly, I gave Android a try a few weeks ago by buying a phone that runs it. It went downhill fast. Within a week my phone got brick over some stupid update. I didn't install anything out of the ordinary (at best like 10 apps from the Play store) and it was bricked. I also don't get why people think the Google ecosystem is the 2nd coming of Christ. Besides having a YouTube account that requires a Gmail to view some content & manage subscriptions, I really don't care about its ecosystem. Microsoft's ecosystem is present in BlackBerry and it works better than Google's. I tried its top tier non-Google keyboards and they all sucked too. Swype wasn't that bad, but I still like BlackBerry's virtual keyboard more (even if I have criticisms towards it). Honestly the answer is apps & Blackberry being Blackberry. Even if BlackBerry runs Android, haters will say "You still have a BlackBerry?!" even if it does everything the same (having Android and all) like the rest of the phones. The name BlackBerry represents some old cell phone Guard which people hate for some reason, even though most people didn't grow up with it.