[Balti43]

If the viruses are so bad why does 80% of the world use Android?

because Android phones are cheaper than dirt. and they're basically iPhone at an affordable price. unlike windows who are still struggling to get the apps they want and BB having so many issues with BBOS half of those 40% are cheap androids.

[cribble2k]

Leaving BlackBerry?

[Ed YANG]

Frankly... the only reason I can think of if one is dumping BB and going for the DROID, is that he/she had turned into a total specification geek.
Software wise... is there any lack of apps that BB can offer that ANDROID have as well? I don't see any much difference, except maybe some $$ juicer from the BB camp with more are free from the DROID camp.

[Loc22]

Z10 can do everything better than iPhools and Lagdroids. But if you need app ya then you can keep one of them as your 2nd device.
Hub is not worth losing for them.

Posted via CB10

I also like the

• Search function as it automatically search Yahoo, Bing, Google, Youtube, facebook, my phone, Linkedin, FourSquare, Tweeter, Blackberry Appworld and maps for anything I type
• BB Maps because if I need to eat, I just type restaurant or whatever type of restaurant I want and it will search around my area for it
• multi-tasking is a breez just swipe up only
• sharing information from any app just click share and you are automatically linked, unlike other platforms where you need to log in again,
• wireless extension to my computer as an extra drive and vice-versa
• Print to go is amazing
• Remember - task functions really make me not forget
• Phone sex - Sharing files via NFC with my friends

I'm not sure if other platforms are able to do this as I have yet to see any on other platforms. Of course not forgetting file transfers via BBM and so on is amazing not sure if other im apps can do that.

[wincyUt]

OP, do what I do, be a "Multi-Platformer". Get a tablet like iPad or whatever that will satisfy all your apps desire and get a "Sharing Plan" for data, if VZW offers one. Switch on the data usage as needed. You will be having your cake and eating it too. Goodluck.

[klubbkidd]

To each their own. Enjoy your Android. I'm sure one day you'll make the switch back to Blackberry.

[iN8ter]

To answer the OP's question: Yes, it's an okay choice.

Not sure why so many people try to hard to avoid answering a simple question.

If you do make the switch, go in with a open mind. If you switch to Android with the mindset that BlackBerry is better, all you'll see is the S4's faults.

If it was me, I'd try to my best to get the LG G2 instead of the S4. Even if it meant paying a little extra money. It is the best smartphone currently available on Verizon in my opinion.

The S4 is quite a bit better with 4.3 on it, especially from a performance standpoint (updated graphics drivers, TRIM, better display calibration, etc.) so unless you have tested it with 4.3 it's almost impossible to give a hypothesis as to whether or not the G2 is better - and it certainly isn't a bad phone (quite the opposite, actually). Just saying...

Support-wise I would never go LG over Samsung. Ever, period. The G2 will get 4.4, but after that is a complete crapshoot with LG. Samsung, Sony, and HTC are all much better at updating their devices than LG has ever shown itself to be.

However, you can get the Nexus 5 which is a close relative and ease the update qualms while still having similar hardware.

We're approaching the middle of the GS4's lifecycle, so people are starting to look forward to the S5 already...

[iN8ter]

What do you need to run your business? Find a phone that does those things and buy it. This is not rocket surgery. If you are running a business I would recommend you purchase a laptop computer.

Most people running a business already have computers, likely a laptop as well. You cannot travel with a desktop, and they aren't portable at all. I think you're missing the forest through the trees. Devices are used for different purposes in different scenarios. You cannot replace a smartphone with a laptop PC, even for business use. Not everyone can afford the time or effort to break a laptop out at any given time.

When was the last time you seen someone standing in the boarding line at the airport or train station with a laptop in their hands? I don't think I've seen that at all in any recent times. They're all using smartphones.

I'm not sure where you people come up with this stuff...

Why don't you throw your phone in the trash since you can use your laptop computer for everything...

Desktops, Notebooks, Tablets, and Smartphones all have their place. They are not mutually exclusive, and being able to do something better on one in some scenarios does not mean it renders the others worthless/unnecessary in other scenarios. That statement you made makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[iN8ter]

Leaving BlackBerry?

If he was dumping Android for BB you'd have a lot more to say, than just attaching some stupid Meme and wasting space in the thread.

[iN8ter]

Well, I kind of hoped that you would mention a couple apps that are superior on android or missing on blackberry based on such detailed description you provided
I use email, plus maybe a couple of document viewers (pdf, doc, etc) - and my Z10 completely satisfies the need.
Replying to an email is quite convenient as on-screen keyboard gives suggestions from my dictionary (looks like coming from email messages).

I typed "best android productivity apps" and it brought me to this page. Looking at that list, I see that many apps exist on BB10 platform (cloud services, evernote) or presented in a different form such as LastPass Password Mgr (paid) -> Password Keeper in BB (free).

Google Apps or Microsoft user for business: Android is better than BB10, easily for both of those. The Apps simply aren't there.

Swiftkey already can learn from your Email, Status Updates, Tweets, and SMS to tailor predictions on Android. Swype does this, as well. Google and Nuance (Swype's) Voice Recognition is much better than what's on BB10.

There are a lot of apps that aren't available for BB10, which are quite popular on Android. Everyone knows this is [famously] the case and expecting someone to give you a list is a bit disingenuous... There are too many.

A lot of people aren't really apt to using 3rd party apps for things that hold personal information or access social accounts, unless they come from very reputable developers (i.e. tying Swype into Google for Prediction Tailoring may be okay, it's from Nuance... Typing some 3rd party Drive Client into their account that asks for permissions from anything and comes from some unknown developer may not be okay to those people). Those people will look for 1st party applications that stay up to feature parity with what the company that runs the service intended, and they will likely gravitate towards the platform that has most of what they need while offering devices that fit their preferences.

At the moment: Blackberry has the worst assortment of devices, coupled with the worst app ecosystem. Windows Phone is better in both cases, and Android blows both of them away in both. iOS has poor device assortment, but their app ecosystem is better which is why they still sell very well (a lot of mobile developers still prioritize iOS over Android, because iOS users tend to use their devices more).

The "get it done and get on with your life" mentality that BB users are addicted to actually is bad for courting developers. Because BB users are not so prone to using their devices as much as iOS and Android users, there is less incentive to develop for it (it's not just user base that determines whether a platform is worth developing for). Developers want people who will use their app, a LOT, instead of just peeking at notifications and moving on to other things.

[dejanh]

Hi all,

I've been a huge Blackberry fan for quite some time. But I'm trying to run a business and the Z10 just isn't cutting it for me. Verizon is giving me the option of switching to an Android S4 and I think I want to take it. I love my Blackberry, but porting apps is taking too much of my time. My only saving grace might be 10.2... if I side load 10.2, might Android apps work better? Or is there still the issue of missing google maps APIs, etc.?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

-Matt

Your Z10 is not good because you are trying to run a business and failing at it? Porting apps takes too long? What is your business? App installs? Come on man...cut the crap.

[spacemanspork]

OK, but you can just do the check deposits at home. For one thing, banks like to sniff your IP for security reasons. The last time I got hacked, the IP was from Morocco. When I called the credit card company, they asked if I was travelling. Seriously, how many people vacation in North Africa? Previously when I was hacked in the EU, they called me.

Well, while I agree there's still a few things.

1. Your computer is more likely to have a virus or sniffer installed on it than your phone due to the closed nature of the phone OSes. If you're careful on your home computer and network, of course it's more secure there though.
2. It's just easier. I'm assuming to deposit a check on your computer you either have to enter the routing data in and/or take a picture of the check and upload it. To do that you'd have to take a picture, send it to your PC, then upload it (I'm assuming) vs just using the phone app.

(That said, I just use ATMs to deposit checks, but I see the advantage of those apps if you have a lot of checks to deposit).

I also like the

• Search function as it automatically search Yahoo, Bing, Google, Youtube, facebook, my phone, Linkedin, FourSquare, Tweeter, Blackberry Appworld and maps for anything I type
• BB Maps because if I need to eat, I just type restaurant or whatever type of restaurant I want and it will search around my area for it
• multi-tasking is a breez just swipe up only
• sharing information from any app just click share and you are automatically linked, unlike other platforms where you need to log in again,
• wireless extension to my computer as an extra drive and vice-versa
• Print to go is amazing
• Remember - task functions really make me not forget
• Phone sex - Sharing files via NFC with my friends

I'm not sure if other platforms are able to do this as I have yet to see any on other platforms. Of course not forgetting file transfers via BBM and so on is amazing not sure if other im apps can do that.

1. Google maps does what BBMap does (and has done it LONG before) and is superior to BBMaps in every single way. BBMaps is an embarrassment compared to Google Maps. From what I've seen Apple maps is better too. I only use BBMaps if I'm using voice guided nav. Otherwise I use my sideloaded Google Maps. It's slower and far less responsive, but even then it's better.
2. I've never had to relogin to share stuff on my Android phone when I was on Android. Not sure why people keep on saying this, but then again I didn't share all that much stuff so maybe there is an issue and I just never ran into it.
3. I used GTasks (Free) on Android when I was on Android. It's quite a bit better than "Remember". Remember lets you set an alert when the due date arrives. So does GTasks, but GTasks lets you choose what time you want it to alert you. Remember does not.
4. "Phone sex"/NFC transfers... Android's been doing this before BB10 was even released. In fact I'd bet money on BB implementing this because they saw Android doing it. Regrettably, it doesn't seem to work with all phones. I got it to work with Galaxy S4s and was so happy until I tried on an SGS3 and it told me "the other device doesn't have a compatible NFC sharing application". The HTC One I tried it with didn't work either.
5. File transfers via BBM. Most IM apps can do file transfers but they're limited. BBM has more options for single person chat... though for some reason there's less options when doing a group chat. Which is annoying. In group chat you can only send voice notes. You can't even send pictures, which is probably the most common thing you'd want to group share (yes, I ran into this and was annoyed especially since it'd make friends less likely to install BBM).

I hate sounding like such a naysayer but it gets to me when I see people trying to put down other mobile OSes for bad reasons. I'd rather have people focus on actual advantages instead of making up advantages. :-/

[iN8ter]

I also like the

• Search function as it automatically search Yahoo, Bing, Google, Youtube, facebook, my phone, Linkedin, FourSquare, Tweeter, Blackberry Appworld and maps for anything I type
  Android supports this, you just need for the app to have hooks for the search provider. For example, you can search for Tweets in Twitter from Google Search on an Android device. Android supports Universal Search.
• BB Maps because if I need to eat, I just type restaurant or whatever type of restaurant I want and it will search around my area for it
  BB Maps is not even close to being a match for Google Maps. It's also worse than Nokia and Apple Maps.
• multi-tasking is a breez just swipe up only
  And then choose the other app that you want to go to. You forgot that step. That is not much different than long pressing a home button or hitting a multi-tasking on-screen button. You also forgot that even on a device with 2GB RAM the OS start hard-shutting down apps once you have gotten to the 8th one, so if you want to go back to the app you have to go back to the app launcher to open it again later...
• sharing information from any app just click share and you are automatically linked, unlike other platforms where you need to log in again,
  Android sharing is fine. You don't need to re-log in as Android has had an account management system in the platform since whenever and many services support SSO.
• wireless extension to my computer as an extra drive and vice-versa
  You can do this on Andorid.
• Print to go is amazing
  So is Google Cloud Print, without having to install bloatware on your PC. If you use an HP or Samsung Printer you can do this without installing much of anything depending on your device (Samsung Printer support built into Samsung devices, HP ePrint can print to WiFi printers, which most being sold these days are).
• Remember - task functions really make me not forget
  Google Now has Reminders. It also has Location based Reminders.
• Phone sex - Sharing files via NFC with my friends
  You have to be basically at the same place to tap phones. How is this "Phone Sex." Also, Android has supported NFC since Gingerbread and you do know that since GB you can share Photos and other things over NFC via Android Beam, right? Android devices typically support WiFi Direct as well.

I'm not sure if other platforms are able to do this as I have yet to see any on other platforms. Of course not forgetting file transfers via BBM and so on is amazing not sure if other im apps can do that.

File transfers on BBM are limited to 6MB or less in file size. That is far from amazing.

Other replies are in the quote as maroon text.

You are too deep into your own bubble. You don't know what other platforms do or can do because you don't use them and didn't even bother to check before you did this. Much of this has existed on other platforms since before BB10 was released.

[Tre Lawrence]

because Android phones are cheaper than dirt. and they're basically iPhone at an affordable price. unlike windows who are still struggling to get the apps they want and BB having so many issues with BBOS half of those 40% are cheap androids.

Most of the folks that I know that use Android do it because it is VERY different from IOS. I'd go as far as saying that BB10 is closer to iOS than Android with respects to general platform attributes.

[iN8ter]

Your Z10 is not good because you are trying to run a business and failing at it? Porting apps takes too long? What is your business? App installs? Come on man...cut the crap.

You're way out of line... He is partly right.

Google is moving more and more APIs into Google Play Services, and this has negative implications for leech-ecosystems like BB10 who has put their users in a position where they are dependent on Android apps for a decent user experience.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out for BB, especially with what little consumers they have sold BB10 to, since Google will continue to move things out of AOSP and into Play Services and their own apps. Porting apps over to run on BB10 will get harder and harder, and unlike i.e. Microsoft BB doesn't have the services ecosystem to just clone the APIs for use with their own services (MS doesn't have to do this as they have their own platform, but they'd be totally capable of doing it if they wanted to).

[Saiga]

To answer the OP's question: Yes, it's an okay choice.

Not sure why so many people try to hard to avoid answering a simple question.



The S4 is quite a bit better with 4.3 on it, especially from a performance standpoint (updated graphics drivers, TRIM, better display calibration, etc.) so unless you have tested it with 4.3 it's almost impossible to give a hypothesis as to whether or not the G2 is better - and it certainly isn't a bad phone (quite the opposite, actually). Just saying...

Support-wise I would never go LG over Samsung. Ever, period. The G2 will get 4.4, but after that is a complete crapshoot with LG. Samsung, Sony, and HTC are all much better at updating their devices than LG has ever shown itself to be.

However, you can get the Nexus 5 which is a close relative and ease the update qualms while still having similar hardware.

We're approaching the middle of the GS4's lifecycle, so people are starting to look forward to the S5 already...

I never used the S4 with Android 4.3 (didn't keep it long enough), but I do have the Note 3 with Android 4.3 at the moment and I still stand by my earlier recommendation. In my opinion, TouchWiz just changes too much. It adds too many features that do little besides over-complicate the experince.

LG Optimus UI adds its fair share of customization also, but not nearly as many as TouchWiz and I find the features that are added to be more useful. Such as the pop-up notifications that work like Toast and allow you to reply without actually entering the app. And I love knock on for waking the device up or putting it to sleep. IMO, Those two LG features beat out everything TouchWiz has except for the multiwindow multiasking. Which LG has its own mulitwindow multitasking feature named Qslide. It isn't as robust as Samsung's, but it's good enough and they keep improving it.

If the OP wasn't on Verizon, I'd recommend the Nexus 5, but since he is. The LG G2 gets the nod from me!

[iN8ter]

LG customizations leave a lot to be desired. Samsung is a bit better at software than LG, and their support track record is impeccable by comparison. As good as the G2 is I wouldn't recommend this it for that reason.

No LG device released with 4.0 has gone to 4.3, and many released with 2.3 never went beyond 4.0. They are just terrible at supporting their products past one major FW update.

You can wake up a GS4 with your voice. Knocking on a phone is worthless when you can just press the home button and accomplish the same thing.

You are not well versed in TouchWiz. I think you should look a bit harder before you discount those features it adds.

Also keep in mind that LG tends to copy Samsung's Design Language and Features. I am not really sure how TouchWiz overcomplicates things :-P

And the 4.3 update has a lot of under the hood improvement to TouchWiz, which is why I said you have to use it on that update to make a fair comparison between the two.

I'd still get the Note over the S4 at this point in the S4's lifecycle, unless the Note is too big for you.

Note III > S4 > One > G2 > Motorola Devices (on Verizon Wireless).

If you value Long Term support.

Samsung > HTC > Sony > Motorola >>>> LG

Contracts are 2 years, and even if buying off contract you don't want to buy something that will go EOL within a year or so, which is what LG devices tend to do.

Their screens are always (very) nice. Even their mid-range phones have amazing screens given what you pay for them, but it comes as a cost.

Also, the buttons on the back of the phone... I am not a fan of them, period. Samsung devices have tended to perform better than LG's, especially through updates (Samsung device performance tends to increase with FW updates, while LG's tend to do the opposite - Samsung generally has better developers especially for the low level stuff... Driver optimization, etc.).

Sent from my Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 4

[Saiga]

No need to look further, I just personally don't get excited over Samsung's software. Just a difference in opinions.

Besides, even Samsung admits its software needs work | Technology | theguardian.com

You can write a long winded reply to this if you'd like, but I still personally do not like TouchWiz. I'm not alone in feeling that way either. My personal preference is just vanilla Android to be honest.

[Gambit_DE]

Don't want to be an a.. but I'd like to share. I had a Samsung Galaxy s3 for a few weeks and could not manage to like it.
But what I wanted to tell is a little funny and doesn't count for all androids. So keep smiling like me: I tried the LG in a store and thought wow, nice. First android that didn't feel cheap at all. I took a look into the calendar and the app crashed.
I loled and put it away.
Again, I think this could have happened everywhere, so don't start flaming, but I will not try that again. Maybe the android doesn't like me or read my posts here. I mean, it's Google ;-)

Swiped with my awesome Z10 keyboard

[kevinnugent]

Don't want to be an a.. but I'd like to share. I had a Samsung Galaxy s3 for a few weeks and could not manage to like it.
But what I wanted to tell is a little funny and doesn't count for all androids. So keep smiling like me: I tried the LG in a store and thought wow, nice. First android that didn't feel cheap at all. I took a look into the calendar and the app crashed.
I loled and put it away.
Again, I think this could have happened everywhere, so don't start flaming, but I will not try that again. Maybe the android doesn't like me or read my posts here. I mean, it's Google ;-)

Swiped with my awesome Z10 keyboard

Very passive aggressive post. Well done. When it comes to bad display locations, or non functioning display devices you will have to go a long way before anyone beats Blackberry! They are without peer in terrible retail presentation.

[bitek]

I would be hard pressed to switch from Blackberry with 10.2 to any android device just because of one or two apps. Sideloading is extra easy. There are tons of websites where you can download bar files. I would not be able to part with Blackberry keyboard and messaging hub. I cannot think of one app that i would really want to have and that would make me switch. I would be swiping on android phone to death. i just do not like android back buttons not to mention security and all that malware on android phones.

[CecilTsunami]

Update to 10.2 by side loading. Try it out. You already own the Z10 may as well try it. If the 10.2 sideload doesn't cut the mustard for you, you have answered your own question and should proceed to go get your Android.



Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

I would be hard pressed to switch from Blackberry with 10.2 to any android device just because of one or two apps. Sideloading is extra easy. There are tons of websites where you can download bar files. I would not be able to part with Blackberry keyboard and messaging hub. I cannot think of one app that i would really want to have and that would make me switch. I would be swiping on android phone to death. i just do not like android back buttons not to mention security and all that malware on android phones.

Yes, the malware is definitely sure to get you.

[Gambit_DE]

Very passive aggressive post. Well done. When it comes to bad display locations, or non functioning display devices you will have to go a long way before anyone beats Blackberry! They are without peer in terrible retail presentation.

I have no idea what you are taking about, but you obviously take something too seriously.

Swiped with my awesome Z10 keyboard

[manlymatt83]

manlymatt83,
While Thurask is assisting you with 10.2, I thought I would chime in on switching to Android. I have made the jump twice. I have had the LG G2 for close to 2 months, now (I think). I think the biggest perk of Android are the apps. That said, I really don't find myself using that many. I have Netflix (rarely do I use it). I love an app called Feedly! Other than that the camera is great on the G2. Both the quality of the images and the options provided in the software are awesome. I'm a huge fan and constant user of the knock-on and know-off feature. I thought BlackBerry was very innovative with their swipe on feature (and they were) but you still have to pick the phone up to turn it off (unlike with my G2 I can just knock on the task bar to turn it off). My phone is often sitting on my desk.

Now the real personal opinion: I think Android is great for when I'm sitting on the couch. More tablet type uses. As a communication device I think it is still lacking compared to BlackBerry. I have a Q10 for work and I do 90% of my communication through it (email, text, calls, share humorous twitter posts, videos, pictures, etc.). All of that seems way more functional on my Q10. An example is taking a screen cap (or any picture really). I have the option to edit it before I send it (no separate app needed) and when I do go to share it my BlackBerry knows who I am going to send it to and via what service (e.g. BBM, Text, Email). It is just an extremely cohesive experience.

Let me qualify my statements too. I am 37 yrs old. I don't play many games and I don't watch movies on my phone, most of time. I am easily annoyed by quirks. (When my HTC Thunderbolt rang I didn't even have the option to answer the call 80% of the time. I could only select "end" and call them back. My G2 sometimes plays my wife's ringtone, but other times plays the standard ringtone. Worse, sometimes calls don't even make it to my handset!). With all of that said, I am convinced that the majority of the internet is filled with teenage boys who want to load a new ROM on their Android every night. I think they spend more time playing with their phone then they do actually using their phone. (I recognize that is your exact complaint, right now about your BB). BB is missing apps no doubt, many of which I personally don't care about. But, I would be very careful about buying into the Android hype. There are perks, but if you have been with BB this long I very much suspect you will be frustrated with Android much more frequently than you are frustrated with your BB. I also think it's important everybody have their own experiences and pick their own paths. If you do go with an Android, I can highly recommend the G2. Overall it is a great device (with outstanding battery life). Just don't believe it will be everything the Internet told you it would be (greatest thing since sliced bread.)

//End Rant

Such a great and informative post. Thank you!