[anon(2325196)]

LOL, people are so stupid. Android is THE WORST.

Posted via CB10

[BigHulkDiesel]

This is a good thing. I don't want to see everyone carrying a BlackBerry.

Agreed! Not like the iDrones. 90 year old ladies, 10 year old girls, and everyone in between with an iphone. BlackBerry has always been a business staple. If you saw someone with a BlackBerry, you knew they were powerful, successful, business people (even if they weren't lol).

[Taigatrommel]

I also have to say it is not only about the keyboard - not anymore. After using BB10 since the day they released the Q10 I have to say yes, compared to some other OSs it seems kinda boring or at least less entertaining. Yet it is really efficient and fits right for my workflow.

There have always been other keyboard companies, Nokia for instance has been the biggest competition in this sector. Yet all left. Personally I doubt a QWERTY Galaxy by Samsung would make an actual impact. It would be yet another niche Galaxy like the Zoom models.

On the other side Samsung successfully brought back the stylus, even to the masses. The Note series turned out being a huge hit and, considering most people were happy to get rid of the stylus thanks to capacitive touch screens and finger friendly UIs, people suddenly like the stylus again. Even though many people never thought the Note line will generate so many sales.

Double-typed and posted with a BlackBerry Q10.

[Heinz Katchup]

There have always been other keyboard companies, Nokia for instance has been the biggest competition in this sector. Yet all left. Personally I doubt a QWERTY Galaxy by Samsung would make an actual impact. It would be yet another niche Galaxy like the Zoom models.

Nokia left the keyboard game because they couldn't compete with The Berry. BlackBerry has the drop dead gorgeous design, the Einstein level patents and the lawyers to stomp out any and all imitators. That's why no one makes physical phone QWERTY keyboards besides BlackBerry.

[eyesopen1111]

Nokia had awesome keyboard phones. The last one I owned was the Nokia E7, its flagship business phone at the time. The device had the best combination of a 45 degree flip up screen that revealed a back-lit physical qwerty in landscape orientation. The screen was 4" and served as a nice all-touch when closed.

But in all honesty, I don't think BlackBerry chased people out of the pkb form factor so much as it became very unpopular, so companies went all-touch due to low sales. BlackBerry users probably have more pkb fans than anyone else and I think all touch is still outselling pkb even in BB10.

Z-30/STA 100-5/10.3.0.700+.296/T-Mobile USA

[Heinz Katchup]

Nokia had awesome keyboard phones. The last one I owned was the Nokia E7, its flagship business phone at the time. The device had the best combination of a 45 degree flip up screen that revealed a back-lit physical qwerty in landscape orientation. The screen was 4" and served as a nice all-touch when closed.

The keyword being had. They obviously weren't awesome enough to continue their existence.

[DINGSTER1]

Stratosphere 2 has a keyboard. I had a friend settle for that because she didn't like the Q10. Hope the Classic draws her back

[eyesopen1111]

The keyword being had. They obviously weren't awesome enough to continue their existence.

LOL. The Nokia story wasn't about the keyboard phones not being awesome, it was more about CEO Steven Elop wanting to sell the phone division to Microsoft to earn a $31 million bonus. So he killed a very successful OS (Symbian) which had Nokia at a 30% market share (and too pricey for M$ to buy) and forced Nokia into Windows Phone and took the phones division down to less than 3% where it is today. But the plan worked to sell the company.

Personally, I think Chen is doing the same thing for the same reason at BlackBerry, ie, ruining a once mighty phone division that is now seen as a potential impediment to corporate sale. So Chen kills the app store consumer side, entertainment offerings, developer relations, carrier relations, and launches unpopular PKB form factors with poor recent sales history.

I just wonder what Chen's bonus will be if it works.

Z-30/STA 100-5/10.3.0.700+.296/T-Mobile USA

[Heinz Katchup]

Personally, I think Chen is doing the same thing for the same reason at BlackBerry, ie, ruining a once mighty phone division that is now seen as a potential impediment to corporate sale. So Chen kills the app store consumer side, entertainment offerings, developer relations, carrier relations, and launches unpopular PKB form factors with poor recent sales history.

BlackBerry world still exists with no sign of closing. The entertainment offerings were killed to represent a renewed focus on enterprise.

BlackBerry's phone division has been in dire straits long before Chen came into the picture and is only now starting to pick up steam.

The Passport will be a popular PKB seller. You certainly haven't been paying attention to the buzz it's been generating.

Posted with X10 via CB10

[eyesopen1111]

BlackBerry world still exists with no sign of closing. The entertainment offerings were killed to represent a renewed focus on enterprise.

BlackBerry's phone division has been in dire straits long before Chen came into the picture and is only now starting to pick up steam.

The Passport will be a popular PKB seller. You certainly haven't been paying attention to the buzz it's been generating.

Posted with X10 via CB10

BlackBerry World is not doing well. BlackBerry has given up direction and control of its app store's consumer side offerings to a direct competitor named Amazon. That's a terrible sign. Imagine if Apple gave up consumer side apps to Google. It would be a sign of the end of Apple, right? Plus, BlackBerry developers are complaining in this forum about how badly they are treated when they're not being ignored or neglected. That's a terrible sign. BB10 developer mind share is the lowest of the major OSes and trending downwards. Another terrible sign. How can you convince devs to contribute to building a worthwhile native app store under these conditions? Plus, BlackBerry 10 unit sales are low, making it harder for them to make money. These problems are part of the reasons why there is shortage of native development and over-reliance on Android ports, which is only getting worse.

And Thorsten Heins tried to sell BlackBerry just like Chen has mentioned that he'd like to sell BlackBerry (at the right price, of course). Chen has said that if smartphones don't hit his sales targets, he'd leave the smartphone business. So I agree with you that it's been going on for some time and didn't start with Chen.

As for Passport's future sales, time will tell and we can compare notes when the results are in, but I predict low sales.

Z-30/STA 100-5/10.3.0.700+.296/T-Mobile USA

[Heinz Katchup]

Thorsten Heins tried to sell BlackBerry just like Chen has mentioned that he'd like to sell BlackBerry (at the right price, of course). Chen has said that if smartphones don't hit his sales targets, he'd leave the smartphone business. So I agree with you that it's been going on for some time and didn't start with Chen.

As for Passport's future sales, time will tell and we can compare notes when the results are in, but I predict low sales.

A real glass half empty type aren't ya. Chen said he would consider a sale if shares hit $100 a piece. It's going to be a wild ride till then and I imagine when they get to that point they'll reconsider selling.

Chen also said devices will continued to be designed in house as long as 10 million per this or next calendar year are sold. BlackBerry is well on pace to meet those numbers.

Posted with X10 via CB10

[Taigatrommel]

The keyword being had. They obviously weren't awesome enough to continue their existence.

If you consider Nokia left Symbian and MeeGo/Maemo for Windows Phone this isn't any surprising at all. Microsofts OS has never been suited for a combination with physical keyboards. Multiple apps didn't support landscape rotation - bad for sliders. Their latest survey even stated that more than 1/3 of the Nokia users who participated prefer having a virtual keyboard. Quite strange why they would discontinue such products.

I also had the mentioned E7 and really, really liked that phone. I'd buy an updated version anytime. The main flaws have been the very poor camera (even worse than Bold 9900), the poor battery and there has been some input lag with the physical keyboard. Besides that it was a wonderful piece of hardware.
There was even a developer variant of it, called the N950 running MeeGo with updated specs.

If you take a look around almost every company abandoned the QWERTY sector sooner or later. HTC was another example for delivering very decent keyboard devices back in the Windows Mobile era. Just look at the Touch Pro and especially the Touch Pro 2.
Motorola even grew famous with their Droids/Milestones and helped Android to gain quite some traction. They also gave up on those sliders or their "Pro" range of devices.

The QWERTY market is shrinking as anybody could see what happened with BlackBerry. Even now, at least according to app sales, it seems like the full-touch BB10 devices clearly outnumber their keyboard siblings. What makes BBRY special is the overall package they always delivered and keep delivering.
I am very exited for the Passport as it seems to be bringing the traditional QWERTY forward into the modern touch-based world of mobile computing. At least for me this is the first "true" BB10 device sporting a keyboard.

However I fear it won't be good enough to bring back a wave of newer keyboard devices and help the whole QWERTY market gain significant traction again. Yet another though I had lately: Many younger, new smartphone owners never really had any contact with such devices since their first phones were all-touch ones. Maybe once they start seeing what a hybrid device like the Passport can deliver, more people will suddenly jump on the QWERTY train.

Double-typed and posted with a BlackBerry Q10.

[mopleez1952]

See Q beelow pleeez

[mopleez1952]

I'm one of those keyboard guy, I don't think it would have made a difference if android had a super phone with a keyboard, simply because BlackBerry is better for my usage.

Main reason why BlackBerry has been my choice over the years:

Email + multiple Attachment
Phone call quality
File Management
Hard keyboard
Now add Q10's keyboard press = instant action/search - my favorite feature.

About the double typing issue, I did have this problem, its been resolved for me at least, with the last 2 BB10OS update - currently using Q10 SQN100-3 OS10.2.1.3247 Rogers.

And please tell me where I might find the above software. Thx!

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk 2

[Traxxmy]

The truth is that no one has made a good qwerty physical other than blackberry in a long time. If Samsung were to make a high quality android qwerty along the lines of S5 with slide out keyboard or passport style, I believe half of the existing BlackBerry base would vanish. Let hope the passport is all it seems.

Posted via CB10

definitely disagree. This


And this


My favourite style but unfortunately never really take off especially N950


Symbian is still and always my favourite Os. Nokia 808. FilePLAY Music Player

[superairwolf]

I remember from four years back the Nokia N900, Nokia's Internet tablet with telephony. The slideout landscape physical keyboard wasn't superb, but was decent. I used it for half a year. What killed it for me was the unresponsive Maemo OS, and the conspicuous dearth of apps.

I'm still hoping that some manufacturer - like Samsung or HTC - would produce something like that with today's modern Android OS, but that's realistically wishful thinking.

Posted via CB10

[credonoxo]

There is no way to know exactly how many Q's were sold verses the number having issues. Of course the people having issues would come to say something about it on here though so that's why you think there is a mass amount.

Exactly true, had mine for bit while now. My kb has no habits intended to double type, but I'm one of many that came forward to admit that.

Q10.. @credo_nj

[Galifrey]

Quite honestly the flow in BlackBerry 10 is so good that I wouldn't want to switch to android ever again. I am even considering not getting the Jolla OS phone I've wanted for years.

But the fact that remains is Samsung move units, and if they did make a qwerty phone, many people would likely to adopt it.

CB10 on the Q10

[madcat72]

And please tell me where I might find the above software. Thx!

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk 2

Sorry off topic, just wanted to reply.

Not sure if this is what you are asking for? This OS was released by my carrier, but you can find it here if your carrier hasn't yet: http://forums.crackberry.com/bb10-le...3247-a-941429/

Back on topic - I just did a quick search for Samsung with qwerty keyboard and you can still buy them, landscape sliders, blackberry curve / nokia E71 look alike. They're definitely no high end though still running gingerbread?! The Meego OS intrigued me back in the day, but that's it, I never would have switch my BB for one at that time.

[CTU2fan]

At least they bother, which is more than I can say for Apple.

My old Motorola was pretty much the consensus best QWERTY 'droid available, and I think it rolled out in 2011 or '12. Pretty poor choices for the QWERTY folks.


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[darkangel123elijah]

The truth about the classic is that is has to be premium! Very premium! using aluminiums and that gorgeous carbon fibre glass weave and gorilla glass , put the passion of blackberry into the classic
High quality ceramic keyboard, and some high end camera sensors and great speakers, 32gb internal, and the high ppi like the passport

Posted via CB10

[ZeroBarrier]

The truth about the classic is that is has to be premium! Very premium! using aluminiums and that gorgeous carbon fibre glass weave and gorilla glass , put the passion of blackberry into the classic
High quality ceramic keyboard, and some high end camera sensors and great speakers, 32gb internal, and the high ppi like the passport

Posted via CB10

Are you just making this up and posting this as fact? First, the Classic will have a similar steel frame and frets that the Q10 currently has.

Second, the Classic won't have the glass weave back that the Q10 currently has as all pictures indicate. Do a search.

Third, gorilla glass? Where did you get this gem from? BlackBerry certainly uses a toughened glass, but to my knowledge has never used Corning Gorilla Glass; which is just a brand and a trademark.

I'm not even going to get into the rest of your post that just gets even more delusional than those first 3 points.

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[eyesopen1111]

definitely disagree. This


And this


My favourite style but unfortunately never really take off especially N950


Symbian is still and always my favourite Os. Nokia 808. FilePLAY Music Player

One of the biggest crimes in all of smartphone history was that the Nokia N950 was not commercially sold and was only provided in small numbers to select developers. EBay had a few but... sniff...I only had the E7.

The build quality of the E7 and N950, especially the opening and closing actions, were amazing. I also still have my N900 with integrated stylus and slide out qwerty.

As I think about these great old Nokia qwerty phones and the new Passport coming out, I wonder if a new rectangular BlackBerry slider with N950 sleekness wouldn't have been a better choice. If you keep it closed, it's an all-touch. If you open the qwerty, it's like a mini laptop or a portrait qwerty. Best of all worlds.

I know BlackBerry had a very cool portrait slider at some point and that some people on this forum wanted the Passport to be in that form factor. Maybe down the road if enough people go back to qwerty, we'll see more designs.

Z-30/STA 100-5/10.3.0.700+.296/T-Mobile USA

[Jckfrost780]

Nokia did, and still does make some very nice hardware when they try. I've played with some in the Lumia series, 900, 920, 1020, etc. All very well put together hardware.

And yes, the portrait Blackberry slider was dope. Out of the many BBs I've had over the years, 9810 was probably my favorite. 9800 was forgettable, just due to being frustratingly underpowered

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[CTU2fan]

Nokia did, and still does make some very nice hardware when they try. I've played with some in the Lumia series, 900, 920, 1020, etc. All very well put together hardware.

And yes, the portrait Blackberry slider was dope. Out of the many BBs I've had over the years, 9810 was probably my favorite. 9800 was forgettable, just due to being frustratingly underpowered

Posted via CB10

Yes, the 9810 was a fantastic phone! I would pay anything for a BB10 Torch, call it a T30 or whatever.

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