[EricKane]

Over the past 3 years, I've used over 50 different phones from all different carriers ranging from iPhones to Android phones to Windows phones. I feel confident saying that I'm fairly knowledgeable about anything mobile; you kind of have to be at this point. Recently, I've gotten caught up in the game of one-upsmanship going on in the Android world and have been switching back and forth between the Galaxy S3, Note 2, Droid DNA, and Nexus 4. The raw specs of all those phones are impressive, but I found myself getting bored. Rooting and unlocking them to use CyanogenMod or AOKP got stale. The prospect of using a Galaxy S4 or HTC One, while enticing, made me realize that it wasn't the phones, it was the OS. All these platforms run really well, but they aren't focused on the core things I use my phone for. Luckily, BlackBerry understands my issues here and, just in time, released my favorite OS to date packaged in my favorite phone to date: The BlackBerry Z10.

If you've had the opportunity to use the Z10 for any longer than 5 minutes, you know you've got an extremely intuitive OS at your fingertips. A gesture based OS isn't just a good idea in theory, it's excellent in practice. This seems to be lost on reviewers as they've understated just how much easier it makes navigating an OS quickly. When you couple that with the Hub and Flow, the whole OS concept comes alive. I can respond to a message and move back to the application I was using faster than I can on Android, iOS, or Windows 8. I can also switch applications faster because I don't have to reach down for the multi-tasking button or hold down the home key. Aside from widgets, the UI on the Z10 is more intuitive and better designed for people who like to get things done quickly. So while there's many tirades in reviews that state "The BlackBerry Z10 doesn't do anything better than any of the other phones on the market", they're wrong. And that's just the beginning.

Keeping with the theme of getting things done quickly and efficiently, the Z10 has the ultimate tool; the keyboard. I'm a fan of Android 4.2's keyboard with the gesture typing, but this is just on another level. You can't use this keyboard and not be impressed. On a phone that's designed for communication, the keyboard is paramount. BlackBerry does it better than anyone. Yet another thing on the list of things the Z10 can do better, but yet again completely understated in the reviews.

If you use your phone as your computer (I do) and use the browser religiously, you're going to enjoy the Z10 for 2 reasons: speed and Flash. In fact, if you combine them together, it's safe to say it's arguably the best browser on the market as far as phones go. Which is odd, because as important as a browser is on a phone, it doesn't seem to get a lot of attention in the reviews.

An Exynos Octa CPU is faster than the dualcore Snapdragon in the Z10. So are the new Snapdragon chips. So is the Tegra 3. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there's a better way to compare hardware specs between the Z10 and other phones without simply pointing out which chipset is faster. Android, especially with proprietary skins on top of it, require a lot more processing power to keep it running faster. iOS does not and uses chipsets clocked lower than those on Android. Same principle applies here with the Z10, but unlike Apple, it's criticized heavily for not having cutting edge hardware. If you've used the Z10 for any length of time you know that the phone runs very smoothly with the Snapdragon chipset and 2GB of RAM. Although I'd like for the screen to be a little brighter, it's easily on par with any device out currently. The camera (with Time Shift) is a viable option to take a picture just like every other smartphone. Some may perform better in low light, but there's not such a striking difference that it would prohibit someone from buying the phone. So while not superior in this aspect, the Z10 can hold it's own with any other phone on the market.

Battery could be better, but I expected some quirks with that in the first few charge cycles as well as the fact that the OS is still new. I have no doubts they'll be able to significantly increase battery life over the coming months, but it's removable and that makes a huge difference. It also seems to charge very quickly, so if you've got access to a charger at your place of work or in the car, you'll be able to keep it going for a whole day. Nothing new when it comes to smartphones, but apparently because it's a BlackBerry, it's a far worse problem than even those with comparable battery life and NO removable battery.

If you've ever owned a BlackBerry before the Z10 (I've had the Curve, the Tour, the Storm, and the Bold 9900), you know you're getting a good -phone-. Signal strength, voice quality, and surprisingly to me, data speeds, are better on the Z10 than on my S3/Nexus 4/iPhone 5 on the same carrier. In fact, I could forgo my MicroCell in my house now if I wanted to, which I could not with any of those other phones. Not something I've seen them pay a lot of attention to in the reviews.

Coming from an Android user, this phone is a legitimate option to anyone purchasing a new phone. Even over the competition. If you enjoy a fluid, fast, intuitive OS with great performance, a world-beating keyboard, a beautiful screen, the only browser that still supports Flash, a great phone with great reception, and a secure platform on which to utilize all those things, the BlackBerry Z10 is for you. My Android and Apple phones are on Craigslist as we speak.

Welcome back, BlackBerry. You definitely won back a customer.

[Sexy Sadie]

Tank you for your review.

[ErinnM]

Best review ever.

Posted via Crackberry Z10

[shaleem]

Very well put. I see that this is your first post ..... welcome to Crackberry nation.

[sk8er_tor]

Great review! Welcome to BlackBerry and CrackBerry!

[remus2k]

I wouldn't go so far as to say "best review ever" (Really? Come on now...) but I will say that you definitely pointed out a few of the glaringly obvious things the media has chosen to overlook. Their conversation starts and ends with the words "Specs" and "Apps".

"Lower" specs and "less" apps = inferior phone according to them.

Tell me - do you miss having widgets at all? I thought they were a neat part of android but I can't imagine they're very easy on the battery...

Thanks for your insight and I'm sure Crackberry looks forward to more posts from a defecting friend.

-Chris-

[EricKane]

I really don't miss widgets at all. Google Now would probably be the only thing I found useful as a widget because it kept my drive home, the weather, and when the Lakers play again visible to me on my home screen without having to open the actual application. If you start using the Z10 with a closed mind that only compares it with an Android phone or iPhone, you lose out on the overwhelming positives it has to offer.

[Gnomesane]

An Exynos Octa CPU is faster than the dualcore Snapdragon in the Z10. So are the new Snapdragon chips. So is the Tegra 3. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there's a better way to compare hardware specs between the Z10 and other phones without simply pointing out which chipset is faster. Android, especially with proprietary skins on top of it, require a lot more processing power to keep it running faster. iOS does not and uses chipsets clocked lower than those on Android. Same principle applies here with the Z10, but unlike Apple, it's criticized heavily for not having cutting edge hardware. If you've used the Z10 for any length of time you know that the phone runs very smoothly with the Snapdragon chipset and 2GB of RAM.

Great first post, thanks, particularly addressing the 'specs' argument so well. Welcome!

[AbsoluteT23]

Wow, simply wow.

I think you took the words out of most of our mouths, and put it oh so eloquently. Thanks for that.

Posted via CB10

[parapep10]

Great review. People need to spend time with the phone to love it. Go to settings under display to make the screen brighter.

Posted via CB10

[Snap51]

Great comments. Welcome back!

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

What you said is very true, and most people who have used the Z10 would agree. Welcome to Crackberry.

Posted via CB10

[sir.dangerfield]

Nice to hear about such a positive experience from an all around smartphone user. Hope it continues to impress more users like the OP.

[Signhere]

Nice write up. The browser gets the most work on my phone. Truly awesome. Tip * if you click on a link by mistake and creates a new tab, just press back and it disappears and goes back to the original page. Not sure if this is common knowledge but I just learned that feature. Thanks again for the review

Posted via CB10

[Mic_JP]

Thank you for the great review AND spending the time to post. I really appreciate the hardware/software understanding and comparisons. Welcome to CB

[Javid Gozalov]

I'm just going to got ahead and say it then.. best review ever! Haha it was nice reading so much from such a knowledgeable human being.

Posted via CB10

[Dgree03]

Nice review, I too came from Android and some of your points are valid. Still I feel the apps are a pain point for alot of people (Not really me, but there are some annoyances) and missing features and ecosystem.

I enjoy my Z10, but still have my nexus 4 by my side as well.

[Jdane07]

Good overview!
I used one today briefly and loved it (also a phone geek over the last 4 years).
Can't wait till mine ships from VZW.

[EricKane]

The reason I didn't bring up the app situation is because there's a negativity about it that is so overblown. BlackBerry has done everything they can do to bring more apps to the platform, but the combination of lackluster carrier support and horrendous reviews is only stifling sales and discouraging developers. If enough people are aware of the positives of this OS and device, then perhaps the sales will be enough to get the holdouts to develop the rest of the apps we're waiting for.

[Carmels]

Fantastic review sir! Well balanced and I feel you've captured the essence of what folks should be getting out of the Z10.

Well done!

Posted via CB10 using a Z10

[dbmalloy]

This post is indeed a refreshing change....a great example of enthusiasm through experience....

[BBSpring]

I agree that the review is well rounded and adds to the old point "different strokes for....." I've had my Z10 for over a month and it's a great device, coming from the 9900 it is a great step in the right direction. The insight in your post is...strong. At this stage in the competition the Blackberry brand will not garner points and wins for good things it has going for it to the same extent as other brands. For instance, the browser IS killer ( desktop mode, flash, speed) but if you read "tech" reviews, the browser is AS good or lesser than IOS, etc.

I'm here to state again, this battle will not be won for BB by better cameras, browsers or chipsets. It's 100% about the company and the perception in the minds of the consumers, media and dev community. I am pleased at the attention that BB has gotten over the past few months, it flies in the face of the naysayers who stated that nobody cared about "RIM" anymore.

This platform will grow, but it's going to be one phone convert at a time vs frantic line ups and glossy commercials. As long as BB can support the folks who support them, everything should be just fine.

Over the past 3 years, I've used over 50 different phones from all different carriers ranging from iPhones to Android phones to Windows phones. I feel confident saying that I'm fairly knowledgeable about anything mobile; you kind of have to be at this point. Recently, I've gotten caught up in the game of one-upsmanship going on in the Android world and have been switching back and forth between the Galaxy S3, Note 2, Droid DNA, and Nexus 4. The raw specs of all those phones are impressive, but I found myself getting bored. Rooting and unlocking them to use CyanogenMod or AOKP got stale. The prospect of using a Galaxy S4 or HTC One, while enticing, made me realize that it wasn't the phones, it was the OS. All these platforms run really well, but they aren't focused on the core things I use my phone for. Luckily, BlackBerry understands my issues here and, just in time, released my favorite OS to date packaged in my favorite phone to date: The BlackBerry Z10.

If you've had the opportunity to use the Z10 for any longer than 5 minutes, you know you've got an extremely intuitive OS at your fingertips. A gesture based OS isn't just a good idea in theory, it's excellent in practice. This seems to be lost on reviewers as they've understated just how much easier it makes navigating an OS quickly. When you couple that with the Hub and Flow, the whole OS concept comes alive. I can respond to a message and move back to the application I was using faster than I can on Android, iOS, or Windows 8. I can also switch applications faster because I don't have to reach down for the multi-tasking button or hold down the home key. Aside from widgets, the UI on the Z10 is more intuitive and better designed for people who like to get things done quickly. So while there's many tirades in reviews that state "The BlackBerry Z10 doesn't do anything better than any of the other phones on the market", they're wrong. And that's just the beginning.

Keeping with the theme of getting things done quickly and efficiently, the Z10 has the ultimate tool; the keyboard. I'm a fan of Android 4.2's keyboard with the gesture typing, but this is just on another level. You can't use this keyboard and not be impressed. On a phone that's designed for communication, the keyboard is paramount. BlackBerry does it better than anyone. Yet another thing on the list of things the Z10 can do better, but yet again completely understated in the reviews.

If you use your phone as your computer (I do) and use the browser religiously, you're going to enjoy the Z10 for 2 reasons: speed and Flash. In fact, if you combine them together, it's safe to say it's arguably the best browser on the market as far as phones go. Which is odd, because as important as a browser is on a phone, it doesn't seem to get a lot of attention in the reviews.

An Exynos Octa CPU is faster than the dualcore Snapdragon in the Z10. So are the new Snapdragon chips. So is the Tegra 3. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there's a better way to compare hardware specs between the Z10 and other phones without simply pointing out which chipset is faster. Android, especially with proprietary skins on top of it, require a lot more processing power to keep it running faster. iOS does not and uses chipsets clocked lower than those on Android. Same principle applies here with the Z10, but unlike Apple, it's criticized heavily for not having cutting edge hardware. If you've used the Z10 for any length of time you know that the phone runs very smoothly with the Snapdragon chipset and 2GB of RAM. Although I'd like for the screen to be a little brighter, it's easily on par with any device out currently. The camera (with Time Shift) is a viable option to take a picture just like every other smartphone. Some may perform better in low light, but there's not such a striking difference that it would prohibit someone from buying the phone. So while not superior in this aspect, the Z10 can hold it's own with any other phone on the market.

Battery could be better, but I expected some quirks with that in the first few charge cycles as well as the fact that the OS is still new. I have no doubts they'll be able to significantly increase battery life over the coming months, but it's removable and that makes a huge difference. It also seems to charge very quickly, so if you've got access to a charger at your place of work or in the car, you'll be able to keep it going for a whole day. Nothing new when it comes to smartphones, but apparently because it's a BlackBerry, it's a far worse problem than even those with comparable battery life and NO removable battery.

If you've ever owned a BlackBerry before the Z10 (I've had the Curve, the Tour, the Storm, and the Bold 9900), you know you're getting a good -phone-. Signal strength, voice quality, and surprisingly to me, data speeds, are better on the Z10 than on my S3/Nexus 4/iPhone 5 on the same carrier. In fact, I could forgo my MicroCell in my house now if I wanted to, which I could not with any of those other phones. Not something I've seen them pay a lot of attention to in the reviews.

Coming from an Android user, this phone is a legitimate option to anyone purchasing a new phone. Even over the competition. If you enjoy a fluid, fast, intuitive OS with great performance, a world-beating keyboard, a beautiful screen, the only browser that still supports Flash, a great phone with great reception, and a secure platform on which to utilize all those things, the BlackBerry Z10 is for you. My Android and Apple phones are on Craigslist as we speak.

Welcome back, BlackBerry. You definitely won back a customer.

[EricKane]

BlackBerry made me reevaluate what I use a smartphone for. It just so happens that they made a phone and an OS that not only does all the things I need; it does them better than any phone I've had prior.

[Bold9930]

thanks!!...

[hamsterwheel]

I just wish more people had an open mind like the OP and were willing to give BlackBerry a chance.
Nice write up, thanks