1. anon(6038817)'s Avatar
    The Q10 Experiment: Day 2 - On The Road

    Yesterday afternoon I had the perfect opportunity to use the BlackBerry Maps app, as I needed to drive about 2 hours away to a location with which I was unfamiliar.

    Getting There

    I didn't know the exact location, but I knew the name, so I searched for it. It showed up in the search results, so I selected it and it showed up on the map:

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140510_155801.png

    To get directions, I tapped the arrow-looking button. It plotted the route from my exact location to that location.

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140510_155830.png

    In addition to a line showing the route on the map, it also showed me the time and distance to my destination. You can easily zoom in on different locations on the map to see more details.

    You can bring up a list of the directions:

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140510_155850.png

    Hitting the arrow button along the bottom activates the turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation. The Q10s speaker was plenty loud enough for me to hear the voice prompts at freeway speeds.

    I found this app very easy to use, and extremely helpful to me in getting to my destination.

    The Maps app on the BlackBerry Bold 9930 was very good and got me where I needed to go, but I think the BB10 BlackBerry Maps app is even better. It's even easier to use, very quick and responsive. I've used this app extensively on my Z30, and I have never seen a need to use third-party map or GPS navigation apps.

    While There

    I was attending an event where speeches were given, and I was live-tweeting quotes/thoughts and retweeting other tweets throughout the event using the native Twitter app.

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140510_155728.png

    Blasting out Tweets using the physical keyboard was an absolute joy. I find that when I feel pressured to type quickly on a smartphone, I tend to get worse with virtual keyboards. But the tactile feedback of the physical keyboard on my Q10 is very reassuring and I don't have to correct mistakes nearly as much.

    It was also a joy to be able to peek at incoming messages and notifications in the BB10 Hub as I was composing Tweets without ever leaving the Twitter app. You can't do that on a Legacy BlackBerry! On my Bold, I would have to exit the app and open the notifications window or the Messages app to see what was there, then open Twitter back up when finished. That's several more steps to take when Tweeting is of the essence. It was so much easier on the Q10.

    Battery Life

    I'm still trying to get a feel for battery life on the Q10, as I've only had it a couple days. But it seems like it's actually on par with - if not less than - my Bold. I kept it on a car charger on the way to the event yesterday and after being used heavily throughout the 2 hour meeting and not being charged on the 2 hour return trip, it was at about 60% when I got home. Not amazing, but not terrible. I'll pay closer attention and post about battery life more extensively in a future post.
    05-10-14 05:36 PM
  2. flyingsolid's Avatar
    I have generally had a hit or miss experience with maps searches on BlackBerry devices unless I have the address, so I resort to a third party app to transfer the address to BlackBerry Maps. Maps seems to be getting better but this app has been helping me also.

    appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/53425887/
    anon(6038817) and iRetired like this.
    05-10-14 06:00 PM
  3. Lefty724's Avatar
    I agree. In my line of work I have to travel to new/unfamiliar destinations almost everyday. The Q10 map is awesome and works very well.

    Love the native BB app.

    Posted via CrackBerry App
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-10-14 07:59 PM
  4. craftEcowgirl's Avatar
    In some Apps (Crackberry), as in Browser, and in the calendar, you just can swipe to the right so it does the job of the "back"-key... some apps do not react so, but provide the back key at the bottom of the screen like Wikipedia-App. Some Apps have the symbol but also react with the swipe move like Remember.

    Posted via my BlackBerry*Q10, Germany - SQN100-3, Running OS 10.2.1.2102
    Right. But I hate those black bars across bottom that take up screen real estate. And when you remove them, you have option of swiping diagonally etc. But it works 20% of the time. I want a dedicated back button.

    Q10, running 10.2.1.2141
    05-11-14 07:16 AM
  5. TgeekB's Avatar
    I was just on vacation in Germany and BB maps helped greatly even in small towns. Glad I had it with me.
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-11-14 09:14 AM
  6. SunshineStateFlyer's Avatar
    I'm glad you're making this review as I really enjoyed your 9900 30 day review, so I'm wondering what your thoughts on the Q10 are. Personally I like mine a lot, it is just a great phone.

    Concerning BlackBerry maps I find the navigation software on the Q10 to be excellent as long as you have an exact street address. As soon as you have to perform a search it can get a bit painful.

    Then I'm wondering how you could find BlackBerry maps on the 9900 so good. I don't know but I think BlackBerry maps on the legacy devices was so bad that I almost couldn't use it most of the time



    Posted via CB10
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-11-14 11:05 AM
  7. blee4's Avatar
    Can you dedicate a section to the email, calendar and phone client?
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-11-14 11:40 AM
  8. Jeroen Vos's Avatar
    I'm back to the Z for at least a few days (I think). I keep switching between the Z and the Q as I can't make my mind up which is the best. Maybe I actually need a slider...

    You'll probably become accustomed to the keyboard in a few days including all the shortcuts. And that's when your spoiled for life.

    The screen estate of the Z devices keep pulling you in, and as soon as you've switched the keyboard is winking at you from the other corner of the table...

    Enjoy your experiment.

    Posted via CB10
    Aaaand back on the Q. The keyboard and the size just rule big time!

    Posted via CB10
    anon(6038817) and revtech like this.
    05-11-14 11:41 AM
  9. anon(6038817)'s Avatar
    The Q10 Experiment: Day 3 - The Hub

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140511_135439.png

    The Hub is one of my most favorite features of BB10. Like no other device out there today, it aggregates everything - emails, texts, IMs, social media, notifications, alerts, phone calls, and more into a single feed.

    This goes beyond a simple notification area, as commonly found on other platforms. It is a fully integrated and interactive feed that eliminates the hassle of going in and out of several different apps to catch up on all your unread items.

    There may be third party apps or hacks on other platforms that offer the same kind of functionality, but nothing else I've seen or experienced - with the exception of legacy BlackBerry devices - comes close to the BB10 Hub.

    My BlackBerry Bold 9930 had similar functionality via its Messages app. Some apps like Facebook, Twitter, and BBM supported integration with Messages so you could see all their unread items in the same place. But it doesn't integrate with as many apps as the Hub does.

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140511_135536.png

    It's extremely easy to filter the Hub to the messages I want to see, either by category, or by using a pinching gesture to show unread items only.

    Replying to messages is as easy as tapping and holding on the desired item and selecting reply from the context menu, or opening the message and replying from there.

    Composing a new message is also very easy to do in the hub.

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140511_143738.png

    Just tap the compose button and select from a list of services. It's really that simple.

    I also like how you can peek at the Hub by swiping up and to the right without releasing so you can see what's in your queue without having to stop what you're doing.

    I instantly fell in love with the Hub on my Z30, but I'm finding it to be even more useful and intuitive on the Q10.

    I think it has to do with the fact that the bottom of the screen is not actually at the bottom of the phone, but right above the keyboard. It seems like it's a more natural place from which to do the BB10 gestures.

    The Hub has been one of those features I've greatly appreciated about BB10, and I think my Q10 is making me appreciate it that much more. I'm just starting to realize I can use keyboard shortcuts to do things even more quickly and efficiently than on my Z30.

    And how easy is it to write messages on the Q10?

    Well, I just composed this entire post on my Q10 and found it to be surprisingly responsive and accurate. This keyboard is a bit different from the Bold's, and I'm still getting used to it, but it's still BlackBerry, which means it's fantastic.



    Posted from my Q10 via CB10
    05-11-14 03:54 PM
  10. James Earles's Avatar
    The Q10 is the sexiest phone on the market right now...if there is a category for that lol

    Posted from Q10
    anon(6038817) and rayporsche like this.
    05-11-14 04:03 PM
  11. Lefty724's Avatar
    As someone else said, you just have an awesome way with words. You seem to explain everything perfect.

    Look forward to this experiment!

    Posted via CrackBerry App
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-11-14 05:19 PM
  12. Bonsaibo's Avatar
    The Q10 Experiment: Day 3 - The Hub

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The Hub is one of my most favorite features of BB10. Like no other device out there today, it aggregates everything - emails, texts, IMs, social media, notifications, alerts, phone calls, and more into a single feed.

    This goes beyond a simple notification area, as commonly found on other platforms. It is a fully integrated and interactive feed that eliminates the hassle of going in and out of several different apps to catch up on all your unread items.

    There may be third party apps or hacks on other platforms that offer the same kind of functionality, but nothing else I've seen or experienced - with the exception of legacy BlackBerry devices - comes close to the BB10 Hub.

    My BlackBerry Bold 9930 had similar functionality via its Messages app. Some apps like Facebook, Twitter, and BBM supported integration with Messages so you could see all their unread items in the same place. But it doesn't integrate with as many apps as the Hub does.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    It's extremely easy to filter the Hub to the messages I want to see, either by category, or by using a pinching gesture to show unread items only.

    Replying to messages is as easy as tapping and holding on the desired item and selecting reply from the context menu, or opening the message and replying from there.

    Composing a new message is also very easy to do in the hub.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_20140511_143738.png 
Views:	1461 
Size:	60.4 KB 
ID:	269603

    Just tap the compose button and select from a list of services. It's really that simple.

    I also like how you can peek at the Hub by swiping up and to the right without releasing so you can see what's in your queue without having to stop what you're doing.

    I instantly fell in love with the Hub on my Z30, but I'm finding it to be even more useful and intuitive on the Q10.

    I think it has to do with the fact that the bottom of the screen is not actually at the bottom of the phone, but right above the keyboard. It seems like it's a more natural place from which to do the BB10 gestures.

    The Hub has been one of those features I've greatly appreciated about BB10, and I think my Q10 is making me appreciate it that much more. I'm just starting to realize I can use keyboard shortcuts to do things even more quickly and efficiently than on my Z30.

    And how easy is it to write messages on the Q10?

    Well, I just composed this entire post on my Q10 and found it to be surprisingly responsive and accurate. This keyboard is a bit different from the Bold's, and I'm still getting used to it, but it's still BlackBerry, which means it's fantastic.



    Posted from my Q10 via CB10
    This review is awesome, for as I previously stated, I too have a Q and Z. What I'm hoping (not that I'm complaining with this review - it is so helpful) is that I truly get a sense for the Q vs. the Z, since I still cannot figure out which phone I'd like to use. Regardless,this is making me truly consider my own trial run, yet again, so I get another,and longer, sense of life on the Q.
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-11-14 05:29 PM
  13. iRetired's Avatar
    Bookmarked for easy retrieval.
    05-11-14 07:31 PM
  14. iRetired's Avatar
    @Newfangled - Did you know that if you type "tw" and press the space key (without the quotes) on any home screen BB10 will automatically post your message to Twitter? Same applies to typing "fb" on any home screen (goes to Facebook).
    anon(6038817) and Katika99 like this.
    05-11-14 07:48 PM
  15. anon(6038817)'s Avatar
    @Newfangled - Did you know that if you type "tw" and press the space key (without the quotes) on any home screen BB10 will automatically post your message to Twitter? Same applies to typing "fb" on any home screen (goes to Facebook).
    Oh. My. Gosh.

    I remember reading about this before, but I must have dismissed it because I was using my Z30.

    This functionality alone may have just won me over to the Q series for good.

    Thank you for mentioning this!!

    Posted from my Q10 via CB10
    SmileDahling likes this.
    05-11-14 09:12 PM
  16. Q10Bold's Avatar
    Im not searching for apps on my homescreens anymore. I just write 2-3 first letters of their name, then press the icon in the automatic search app and its done

    Posted via Q10Bold
    anon(6038817) and Lefty724 like this.
    05-12-14 12:03 AM
  17. mushroom_daddy's Avatar
    ..... And how easy is it to write messages on the Q10?
    Can you make any comment about editing text with the Q10? The keyboard is obviously great (it's a BlackBerry!) but how easy is it to select, cut & paste chunks of text while editing? This of importance when writing/editing longer pieces of text, which you do so well. Cursor placement to select text for copy or cut & paste, is very fast and accurate using the Bold9900 trackpad - how easy is it to do the same on a Q10, while working via the touch screen? This is one of my big reservations about moving to a Q10, from the Bold.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
    Last edited by mushroom_daddy; 05-12-14 at 02:18 AM.
    05-12-14 01:53 AM
  18. Katika99's Avatar
    @Newfangled - Did you know that if you type "tw" and press the space key (without the quotes) on any home screen BB10 will automatically post your message to Twitter? Same applies to typing "fb" on any home screen (goes to Facebook).
    Wow didn't knew this it's juste awesome, thanks

    Posted via CB10
    05-12-14 02:03 AM
  19. Katika99's Avatar
    Can you make any comment about editing text with the Q10? The keyboard is obviously great (it's a BlackBerry!) but how easy is it to select, cut & paste chunks of text while editing? This of importance when writing/editing longer pieces of text, which you do so well. Cursor placement to select text for copy or cut & paste, is very fast and accurate using the Bold9900 trackpad - how easy is it to do the same on a Q10, while working via the touch screen? This is one of my big reservations about moving to Q10, from the Bold.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
    I know you don't ask this to me but this is the only thing I don't like on the Q10. Without trackpad, I find its very hard to select a word when you have made a mistake. Very very hard, for me. With the trackpad it was so fast.

    For the copy paste, it is not as easy as with the Bold 9900, but it's not difficult, when you long touch a word, you can then select all the sentence to copy paste. It is not difficult. But it's easier with a trackpad for sure.

    But for editing a text, without trackpad it's a nightmare, for me.

    Posted via CB10
    mushroom_daddy likes this.
    05-12-14 02:08 AM
  20. anischab's Avatar
    Can you make any comment about editing text with the Q10? The keyboard is obviously great (it's a BlackBerry!) but how easy is it to select, cut & paste chunks of text while editing? This of importance when writing/editing longer pieces of text, which you do so well. Cursor placement to select text for copy or cut & paste, is very fast and accurate using the Bold9900 trackpad - how easy is it to do the same on a Q10, while working via the touch screen? This is one of my big reservations about moving to a Q10, from the Bold.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
    There is a "secret"... The "accuracy" of editing (i.e. Select to copy/paste) is "secondary" while you do it, but achieved "definitely" to 100% with these steps:
    1. Type once on the screen, this calls a circle.
    2. Move the circle by touching it anyway, better at "south" bringing it to the intended beginning (approximately)
    3. Move the circle letter by letter by typing on it (west-west-west... moves it letter per letter to the left, east-east-east moves it letter per letter to the right, north-north... moves it line per line up, south-south... line per line down)
    4. Now begin to select: maintain "shift" and put your finger ANYWAY on the screen to create the selecting field, do not let go... move your finger as this: your left thumb on the "shift"-key, marks the beginning. Your "screen"-thumb moves on the screen, observe the selecting field, forget about the circle!! Select most of the text as accurate as you can, but there is still a further step.
    5. Once done, there appear 2 "drops" at beginning and at the end of the selection. You can touch the "beginning"-drop and move it slowly to perfectionate the beginning of your selection. Do the same with the "ending"-drop.
    6. Chose what to do with the selection (pop-up), DONE!
    If interested, I'll post a screen-shot for each step, or in-between-steps if you need more explanation.
    Get familiarised with the process, it takes a little, but you get the "Aha!" and you become accurate in a nothing of time!

    Posted via my BlackBerry*Q10, Germany - SQN100-3, Running OS 10.2.1.2102
    05-12-14 04:51 AM
  21. anischab's Avatar
    There is a "secret"... The "accuracy" of editing (i.e. Select to copy/paste) is "secondary" while you do it, but achieved "definitely" to 100% with these steps:
    1. Type once on the screen, this calls a circle.
    2. Move the circle by touching it anyway, better at "south" bringing it to the intended beginning (approximately)
    3. Move the circle letter by letter by typing on it (west-west-west... moves it letter per letter to the left, east-east-east moves it letter per letter to the right, north-north... moves it line per line up, south-south... line per line down)
    4. Now begin to select: maintain "shift" and put your finger ANYWAY on the screen to create the selecting field, do not let go... move your finger as this: your left thumb on the "shift"-key, marks the beginning. Your "screen"-thumb moves on the screen, observe the selecting field, forget about the circle!! Select most of the text as accurate as you can, but there is still a further step.
    5. Once done, there appear 2 "drops" at beginning and at the end of the selection. You can touch the "beginning"-drop and move it slowly to perfectionate the beginning of your selection. Do the same with the "ending"-drop.
    6. Chose what to do with the selection (pop-up), DONE!
    If interested, I'll post a screen-shot for each step, or in-between-steps if you need more explanation.
    Get familiarised with the process, it takes a little, but you get the "Aha!" and you become accurate in a nothing of time!

    Posted via my BlackBerry*Q10, Germany - SQN100-3, Running OS 10.2.1.2102
    Here are the screenshots for Bold-users, not able to practice on a Q10: about selecting a text:

    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140512_115321.png


    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140512_115342.png


    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140512_115403.png


    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140512_115406.png


    The Q10 Experiment: Using a BlackBerry Q10 for 30 Days-img_20140512_115413.png

    Steps described above, cheers!

    Posted via my BlackBerry*Q10, Germany - SQN100-3, Running OS 10.2.1.2102
    05-12-14 04:57 AM
  22. mushroom_daddy's Avatar
    Here are the screenshots for Bold-users, not able to practice on a Q10: about selecting a text:
    To achieve the same with a Bold, position cursor with trackpad.
    Hold down the shift key and use trackpad to select/highlight all text
    Then you have a variety of options,
    [1] use the BB menu key [2] long press the trackpad, or [3] use keyboard shortcuts (e.g. shift/del to cut) to manipulate the text selection.
    Reposition your cursor with the trackpad, and again use one of the above options [1-3] to paste the selected text.
    No need to touch the screen, and although you can also position the cursor on the Bold9900 using the touchscreen, personally I find the trackpad lightening fast. I suspect from the comments of KATIKA99, that this process remains faster and more accurate on the Bold, but I guess (as described by ANISCHAB) that 'practice makes perfect' and you can become very adept with the Q10.
    I remain very tempted by the Q10 (and the many advantages of BB10), especially now prices have started to become more reasonable, but I continue to suspect that the editing of text may frustrate me.
    anon(6038817) likes this.
    05-12-14 07:52 AM
  23. Ragbert's Avatar
    Hold out for the Q20 (or Q Classic or whatever they end up calling it). It will have a physical keyboard and a trackpad.

    My Q10 is my first Blackberry, bought because I wanted the physical keyboard. So I never had a trackpad but I agree that *something* is needed to make text editing easier. Cursor keys would be nice. I bought a stylus to use for this and it does help some.

    To achieve the same with a Bold, position cursor with trackpad.
    Hold down the shift key and use trackpad to select/highlight all text
    Then you have a variety of options,
    [1] use the BB menu key [2] long press the trackpad, or [3] use keyboard shortcuts (e.g. shift/del to cut) to manipulate the text selection.
    Reposition your cursor with the trackpad, and again use one of the above options [1-3] to paste the selected text.
    No need to touch the screen, and although you can also position the cursor on the Bold9900 using the touchscreen, personally I find the trackpad lightening fast. I suspect from the comments of KATIKA99, that this process remains faster and more accurate on the Bold, but I guess (as described by ANISCHAB) that 'practice makes perfect' and you can become very adept with the Q10.
    I remain very tempted by the Q10 (and the many advantages of BB10), especially now prices have started to become more reasonable, but I continue to suspect that the editing of text may frustrate me.


    Posted with my Q10, SQN100-2, 10.2.1.2947/2274 Radio
    05-12-14 08:05 AM
  24. Ragbert's Avatar
    The hundreds of keyboard shortcuts on the Q10 really make this device a joy to use. Type just a single "h" on any home screen, to pull up your Help files. Then search within Help for "keyboard shortcuts" and you'll see how many there are, both for the BB10 OS and for individual apps. It's possible to navigate almost anywhere without having to do much screen swiping, once you get the hang of what this keyboard can do. :-)


    @Newfangled - Did you know that if you type "tw" and press the space key (without the quotes) on any home screen BB10 will automatically post your message to Twitter? Same applies to typing "fb" on any home screen (goes to Facebook).


    Posted with my Q10, SQN100-2, 10.2.1.2947/2274 Radio
    rayporsche and anon(6038817) like this.
    05-12-14 08:21 AM
  25. BBUniq01's Avatar
    Maybe the transition from the Bold 9900 to Z10 and then to a Q10 makes it easier to use the Q10 without the trackpad? I just got my Q10, and it has been amazing. I get it now why so many people love it. And the screen size did not take long for me to adjust to, to my amazement. I was quite surprised that I stopped comparing the size to my Z10. I still love my Z10 for the LCD display but am quite happy with the Q10 as my daily driver. Crossing fingers that no double typing will occur. The form factor is so nice and fits perfectly in my hands.

    Sent from my Q10 or Z10.
    05-12-14 09:40 AM
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