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I'll start out with the cons:
--Battery life is so-so. It does get better after a few charging cycles, and it is better if you're not in a so-so signal area. I'm hoping they come up with an extended battery soon, but I think if not I'll just pick up a second battery. I use massive amounts of talk time, so for me it's worth it.
--Keyboard is a bit stiff. This is, however, getting better with use.
--Camera placement could be better. To me it isn't hideous; I've had worse, but it could be better.
--Only one convenience key. I don't really use it, but if you like having more than one, it isn't there.
--Included headphones are okay. Easily replaceable, though, not a deal-breaker.
--Lack of accessories. I expect this to get better if/when more carriers pick up the Style.
--Lack of themes and apps. Not sure why there are no themes yet. The apps... well... the ones I want, I can find. I'm not huge into apps, so, that depends on your feeling on apps.
--Limited customization and limited function on front screen.
--Fingerprint Magnet.
And now the pros:
--OS6. This is my first BlackBerry, but I've used friends' phones with older OSs. OS6 is full of awesomesauce.
--Form factor. I love clamshells. No ****-dialing with the flip phone, no laggy touchscreen interface, and it feels good to hold and talk. It's my all-time favorite form factor. Win, win, win. (Oh, and a bonus, even if my ferret does manage to snag the phone, with it closed she can only do limited damage to it, and she can't call New Zealand accidentally.)
--Call/voice quality. The phone sounds great, and people I talk to say I sound great. Volume is good, and can be set to even work in noisy environment. Good handheld or with headphones. Speakerphone is also nice.
--Trackpad. I've used a touchscreen. I don't find that it takes much longer to navigate than when using a touchscreen, it is a lot more adjustable for sensitivity, and it is easy to get used to.
--Keyboard, Despite the stiffness, I think the keyboard is great. Despite the clamshell, it is full QWERTY, and the buttons are comfortably large for me (okay, I *am* a thin-fingered woman) and the sculpted feel makes it easier to feel the individual buttons. Though I have thin fingers, I also have arthritis and carpal tunnel in both hands, which makes typing difficult and also makes it harder to feel keys. The keyboard exceeds my expectations.
--Vibrant main screen. So what if it is "only" 360 x 400? It's vibrant with rich colors. Honestly, it's plenty large. And if the Youtube videos aren't the largest ever, they're crisp and clear and I haven't noticed any lag or pixellation issues.
--Outer screen. Messages and notifications show up here, can be previewed on the outer screen, and opening the phone will take you to the full message. It's very handy. And the clock has a few different settings, analog and LED. (The analog clock is really growing on me; it looks very stylish.)
--Sound quality. The included music player may not have a million bells and whistles, but it does the basics very well, and the music sounds wonderful. It also sounds pretty good just using the phone speaker instead of a headset is if it were a radio. The included podcast application is also very nice. In fact, for not being touted as a "media device", the media experience on the Style is quite pleasurable.
--Build quality. The phone is very well made, feeling solid and not cheap or flimsy. Flip hinge is solid and doesn't feel likely to break off.
--Camera. The camera is very nice, 5MP, with flash. The settings on it are nice, easy to use. Zoom is nice. Flash is bright. Videos are quite nice. Not HD, but very nice all the same. Could film Cloverfield 2 with it, maybe.
--Comes with 8GB microSD card, explandable to 32GB. Nice.
--Ergonomics. The phone is not too heavy, but not ridiculously light. It is nicely balanced while holding, whether open or closed. Keyboard and trackpad a good size, not too roomy or too cramped. Closed, the phone feels like a good skipping-rock in the hand.
--Appearance. Pictures really do NOT do this phone justice. It's a sleek, beautiful, sexy phone. Like I said elsewhere, it's kinda tricorder-chic. And that makes my little geeky heart just go pitter-pat.
--It's unique. It doesn't look like everyone else's phone. (Again, geeky little heart.)01-05-11 10:31 PM - +1I'll start out with the cons:
--Battery life is so-so. It does get better after a few charging cycles, and it is better if you're not in a so-so signal area. I'm hoping they come up with an extended battery soon, but I think if not I'll just pick up a second battery. I use massive amounts of talk time, so for me it's worth it.
--Keyboard is a bit stiff. This is, however, getting better with use.
--Camera placement could be better. To me it isn't hideous; I've had worse, but it could be better.
--Only one convenience key. I don't really use it, but if you like having more than one, it isn't there.
--Included headphones are okay. Easily replaceable, though, not a deal-breaker.
--Lack of accessories. I expect this to get better if/when more carriers pick up the Style.
--Lack of themes and apps. Not sure why there are no themes yet. The apps... well... the ones I want, I can find. I'm not huge into apps, so, that depends on your feeling on apps.
--Limited customization and limited function on front screen.
--Fingerprint Magnet.
And now the pros:
--OS6. This is my first BlackBerry, but I've used friends' phones with older OSs. OS6 is full of awesomesauce.
--Form factor. I love clamshells. No ****-dialing with the flip phone, no laggy touchscreen interface, and it feels good to hold and talk. It's my all-time favorite form factor. Win, win, win. (Oh, and a bonus, even if my ferret does manage to snag the phone, with it closed she can only do limited damage to it, and she can't call New Zealand accidentally.)
--Call/voice quality. The phone sounds great, and people I talk to say I sound great. Volume is good, and can be set to even work in noisy environment. Good handheld or with headphones. Speakerphone is also nice.
--Trackpad. I've used a touchscreen. I don't find that it takes much longer to navigate than when using a touchscreen, it is a lot more adjustable for sensitivity, and it is easy to get used to.
--Keyboard, Despite the stiffness, I think the keyboard is great. Despite the clamshell, it is full QWERTY, and the buttons are comfortably large for me (okay, I *am* a thin-fingered woman) and the sculpted feel makes it easier to feel the individual buttons. Though I have thin fingers, I also have arthritis and carpal tunnel in both hands, which makes typing difficult and also makes it harder to feel keys. The keyboard exceeds my expectations.
--Vibrant main screen. So what if it is "only" 360 x 400? It's vibrant with rich colors. Honestly, it's plenty large. And if the Youtube videos aren't the largest ever, they're crisp and clear and I haven't noticed any lag or pixellation issues.
--Outer screen. Messages and notifications show up here, can be previewed on the outer screen, and opening the phone will take you to the full message. It's very handy. And the clock has a few different settings, analog and LED. (The analog clock is really growing on me; it looks very stylish.)
--Sound quality. The included music player may not have a million bells and whistles, but it does the basics very well, and the music sounds wonderful. It also sounds pretty good just using the phone speaker instead of a headset is if it were a radio. The included podcast application is also very nice. In fact, for not being touted as a "media device", the media experience on the Style is quite pleasurable.
--Build quality. The phone is very well made, feeling solid and not cheap or flimsy. Flip hinge is solid and doesn't feel likely to break off.
--Camera. The camera is very nice, 5MP, with flash. The settings on it are nice, easy to use. Zoom is nice. Flash is bright. Videos are quite nice. Not HD, but very nice all the same. Could film Cloverfield 2 with it, maybe.
--Comes with 8GB microSD card, explandable to 32GB. Nice.
--Ergonomics. The phone is not too heavy, but not ridiculously light. It is nicely balanced while holding, whether open or closed. Keyboard and trackpad a good size, not too roomy or too cramped. Closed, the phone feels like a good skipping-rock in the hand.
--Appearance. Pictures really do NOT do this phone justice. It's a sleek, beautiful, sexy phone. Like I said elsewhere, it's kinda tricorder-chic. And that makes my little geeky heart just go pitter-pat.
--It's unique. It doesn't look like everyone else's phone. (Again, geeky little heart.)
I couldn't have summed it up better myself01-06-11 06:23 AM
