[Graahle]

I posted this on Reddit earlier today on the /r/Blackberry page, but, if you guys don't mind, I would like to get even more perspective to make as informed a choice as possible.

As the title states, I am a long time Android user who recently stumbled upon the Blackberry Z30 (I know, I've been living under the proverbial "forgot about BB" rock that most others do), and I have to say I have been nothing less than "captured" by it since I first laid eyes on it.

The overall aesthetic was what caught my attention at first, then I began watching video reviews, tests, and showcases of BB10.2.1 and whatnot. The gesture-based user interface, the sophisticated look of the interface itself, and the hub simply blew me away. I finally went into a Verizon store yesterday to get my hands on the device. Loved it, girlfriend love it too.

I have come to really love Android over the last couple years, but I am an absolute sucker for trying new things as far as technology goes, and the Z30 has my utmost attention at the moment. I was dead-set on going with the Nexus 5 as my next device until now.

My questions are:

1. Could anybody else who made the jump from Android to the Z30 (Z10 users feel free to comment as well) elaborate on their experience? Was it tough to make the switch? How do you feel about it now?

2. I'm an AT&T customer, and, much to my dismay, they don't carry the Z30 at the moment. I have done some searching, but haven't found much concrete evidence that AT&T will be supporting the Z30 soon. Could anybody with more knowledge shed some light on that issue?

3. I know that the only unlocked Z30 that will work on AT&T's 4G LTE network is the STA100-1 model. Has anybody found/purchased this model anywhere? Can you provide a link?

4. Most unlocked Z30's I have found are well over $400, while the Nexus 5 is $399 for the 32g version. Assuming AT&T doesn't pick up the Z30, why should I shell out the extra cash for the Z30?

5. Any other user experiences you would like to share to provide that last "push" to make the switch?

I appreciate any responses that you all may provide. Thanks for your time!

[zorgond]

Am sure others will answer your other questions but my questions for you would be:

1. What apps do you use most daily?

2. What do you do most with your phone? Eg. Text , video, music, apps?

Probably the first question is more important if you plan to make the switch.

Edit: answering your questions to the best of my knowledge.

1) My switch to bb10 wasn't hard as I wasn't that reliant on apps and the ones I need were already in BB world.

2) I read that the z30 att are in FCC but not much known .

3) can't help here.

4) Z30 probably has the better battery and sound quality over a nexus 5.

5) that last "push" effort: Even though many phones outspecs the z30, I feel that the novelty of those 'specs' fades with time and later I just use the phone to do normal stuff( like texts, fb, music etc).
For example: My gf's nexus 5 screen impressed me initially and everytime I looked at it, i was like "wow that's a really good screen".
After some months, when I use the phone I care not about the screen at all, instead I kept asking "why the hell does the keyboard suck " or 'why is the battery down so fast'. This made me appreciate BB10 much as it does the basic tasks effortlessly


Posted via CB10

[Graahle]

I mainly use my phone for browsing, texts/call/email communications, social networking, youtubing, and some minor gaming when bored (emulators only, really).

I am not one of those people with zounds of apps on their phones, but I do have a few that I enjoy: Pandora, Reddit, SportCenter, Forum Runner/Tapatalk, Shazam, Chase Bank.

[mphinz57]

From what you listed, the Z30 can do all of it. Nothing does messaging better than BlackBerry. You have seen the videos on the latest os and know it can run android apps. I would suggest trying to look at the native BlackBerry apps before android. You will find that some apps work better like Apollo for Pandora.

Posted via CB10

[Graahle]

From what you listed, the Z30 can do all of it. Nothing does messaging better than BlackBerry. You have seen the videos on the latest os and know it can run android apps. I would suggest trying to look at the native BlackBerry apps before android. You will find that some apps work better like Apollo for Pandora.

Posted via CB10

Indeed I have watched many videos showcasing the phone and its OS, and I am very intrigued. I guess the only problem is deciding whether or not I want to search and pay for the STA100-1 model (at a premium no less), or just wait and see if AT&T will support it sometime in the next decade..

[c_86]

what about moving to verizon? the 100-5 should work on at&t and thats what is sold in canada... or at least thats what bell, telus, and rogers sell... well at least i know telus sells the 100-5... all the bands are the same and should work, you could look at someone in canada as well if you are looking to buy off contract

[Graahle]

what about moving to verizon? the 100-5 should work on at&t and thats what is sold in canada... or at least thats what bell, telus, and rogers sell... well at least i know telus sells the 100-5... all the bands are the same and should work, you could look at someone in canada as well if you are looking to buy off contract

Moving to Verizon isn't feasible for me at the moment; besides I am quite happy with my PLAN with AT&T, just not happy with their lack of the Z30 (as well as their notoriously slow releases of Android software updates which have plagued me forever).

I mean I could go with the 100-5, but only the 100-1 can utilize AT&T's 4G LTE network, and that is pretty much a must for me.

[blackberry73]

Had note 2 from VZW. One advantage of Hub is anywhere device access that bypasses the home screen. Search feature to find messages is universal on device. So if you search for say, thank you, your emailed bills, comments, tweets, etc. Show up so you can pick which "thank you" you are looking for.

I have twitter and four email accounts. All accounts are in priority hub. However not all senders are priority flagged when shown unless I want them to be. The advantage Is if I am looking for an email I got earlier before a certain person called at a specific time, I can see the call log in the Hub. From that time, I can scroll down to find it or just use search instead. All that without bouncing from address to home screen to call logs to address to message.

Basically searching in Hub is faster. Also the VZW Z30 can simultaneously talk and surf the Internet in BOTH 3G and 4G areas.

Posted via CB10

[anon(4268859)]

I posted this on Reddit earlier today on the /r/Blackberry page, but, if you guys don't mind, I would like to get even more perspective to make as informed a choice as possible.

As the title states, I am a long time Android user who recently stumbled upon the Blackberry Z30 (I know, I've been living under the proverbial "forgot about BB" rock that most others do), and I have to say I have been nothing less than "captured" by it since I first laid eyes on it.

The overall aesthetic was what caught my attention at first, then I began watching video reviews, tests, and showcases of BB10.2.1 and whatnot. The gesture-based user interface, the sophisticated look of the interface itself, and the hub simply blew me away. I finally went into a Verizon store yesterday to get my hands on the device. Loved it, girlfriend love it too.

I have come to really love Android over the last couple years, but I am an absolute sucker for trying new things as far as technology goes, and the Z30 has my utmost attention at the moment. I was dead-set on going with the Nexus 5 as my next device until now.

My questions are:

1. Could anybody else who made the jump from Android to the Z30 (Z10 users feel free to comment as well) elaborate on their experience? Was it tough to make the switch? How do you feel about it now?

2. I'm an AT&T customer, and, much to my dismay, they don't carry the Z30 at the moment. I have done some searching, but haven't found much concrete evidence that AT&T will be supporting the Z30 soon. Could anybody with more knowledge shed some light on that issue?

3. I know that the only unlocked Z30 that will work on AT&T's 4G LTE network is the STA100-1 model. Has anybody found/purchased this model anywhere? Can you provide a link?

4. Most unlocked Z30's I have found are well over $400, while the Nexus 5 is $399 for the 32g version. Assuming AT&T doesn't pick up the Z30, why should I shell out the extra cash for the Z30?

5. Any other user experiences you would like to share to provide that last "push" to make the switch?

I appreciate any responses that you all may provide. Thanks for your time!

I mainly use my phone for browsing, texts/call/email communications, social networking, youtubing, and some minor gaming when bored (emulators only, really).

I am not one of those people with zounds of apps on their phones, but I do have a few that I enjoy: Pandora, Reddit, SportCenter, Forum Runner/Tapatalk, Shazam, Chase Bank.

OK, my first response is "you" shouldn't have to convince yourself THAT hard to get "anything" - phone or otherwise.
Second of all, answer for yourself the question "WHAT about Android is it that you Love SOOOoooo much in your current device/s?"
The next question should be: "What do I know (plenty of threads out there about this) about how BlackBerry 10 and the Z30 handles/manages THAT aspect of your user experience? If it's something about which very little is known or has been written, why not "do it in the spirit of discovery?" Prepare yourself to be intrigued, interested and maybe even amazed. Hopefully not the opposite.

I cannot answer ANY of the device-carrier questions as I'm not in the US; you should recognize that even with an unlocked device AND under LTE, the old GSM vs. CDMA divisions still exist in the form of bandwidth-spectrum and SIM-card compatibility.
SO, even an unlocked Verizon-spec'd device likely won't work / well / with your AT&T credentials - even on LTE spectrum.
Therefore, ALL my comments are "user experience" and device-specific related.

Lastly, here's what I wrote in another Z30 post about a week or so ago, when someone else asked a similar question; I've also added a couple of items to the list ...

Had my Z30 for almost 3 months now and must say: BEST PHONE EVER!

Among other qualities, it just ROCKS on:
� the Hub,
� notification LED,
� unbeatable build-quality, - feels like a REAL device, not some cheap plastic assembly with a glass cover.
� second-to-none sound & reception,
� smart virtual keyboard that LEARNS YOUR TYPING in up to THREE!!! languages at the same time,
� unbelievable battery life (24-32 hrs w/ "average" use),
� standardized (not proprietary) connectors,
� sweet photo edit w/ time-shift,
� smooth, swipe/gesture-based navigation,
� open data transfer via Bluetooth, USB & w-lan (not a proprietary program like iTunes or Store), AND NFC.
� great features like: SD card (mine's a 64 gb), HDMI, Miracast,
� superb built-in stereo speakers
� built-in FM radio tuner
� amazingly simple AND secure "password-lock" alternatives that don't involve my face OR fingerprint
and
� most importantly: "peace of mind" through "TOP-NOTCH data security:" the O/S itself is NOT the actual data-security hole.

Don't let the "non-removable battery" issue fool you; it's a "red herring" meant to distract you from all the good s#*t.
In 3 months (since the phone became available to me), I've NEVER ONCE had the urge or felt the need to remove the battery: O/S is THAT solid & stable!!
For "me" the "apps-store" issue is a non-starter; sure, there's probably 'something' I'm missing, but I didn't buy this to be a play-thing: JUST a rock solid (AND SECURE!) communications and 'getting stuff done' device; plenty of choices, though, through google-play store apps that'll run on the O/S.

That LAST Point means you can install AND use most (? ... all?) of the android apps & games you've become accustomed-to.

Hope that helps. Now, just go get yourself a Z30 and "Happy Swiping!"

[Graahle]

OK, my first response is "you" shouldn't have to convince yourself THAT hard to get "anything" - phone or otherwise.
Second of all, answer for yourself the question "WHAT about Android is it that you Love SOOOoooo much in your current device/s?"
The next question should be: "What do I know (plenty of threads out there about this) about how BlackBerry 10 and the Z30 handles/manages THAT aspect of your user experience? If it's something about which very little is known or has been written, why not "do it in the spirit of discovery?" Prepare yourself to be intrigued, interested and maybe even amazed. Hopefully not the opposite.

First of all, thanks for your thought-out response, I appreciate it. Second, I didn't mean to sound like I'm desperately trying to convince myself to switch phones because I'm not. I am simply stating that I am intrigued by the device and am curious to hear from other people who have switched from other devices to Blackberry; specifically, the Z30. The hard part, for me, is actually deciding whether or not to hold out for AT&T or just buy the unlocked version and forget LTE.

Also, I completely understand the "spirit of discovery." After my iPhone was stolen way back when, I jumped to Android for that very same reason and was not disappointed. I do love Android, but I'm not head-over-heels for it that I would never even consider switching. In fact, I'm one who's always down to try new things, which is why I want to get my hands on the Z30!

Lastly, thanks for reiterating many of the features that have me so interested: Battery life, Hub, Swipe Gestures, Micro SD Slot, etc.!

[pfl4ume]

I've found something you might like: Amazon.com: Questions And Answers: Is this model the STA100-5
This shop sells the STA100-1 (found it in this thread on the BB forums: Z30 STA100-1 where to buy - BlackBerry Support Community Forums ).

Go get it It's worth the money!

[uktivo]

Op. I made the jump from Android. I had galaxy, galaxy s3 and HTC ONE.

To be totally honest I moved for two reasons..
1. I love gadgets. I love technology and love products that just do their jobs well.
2. I sort of got sick of tweaking android in order to get the best out of it. I know to some people, that's the good part. To me as a busy business owner, I just needed a rock solid communications device that also allowed me to add my small amount of apps (Tapatalk, banking and a few other apps)

The swap was completely painless. From day one, the z30 performed exceptionally, my biggest grip on the HTC one and I think android in general, was the keyboard. I spend my day sending texts, emails etc. The android keypad was pretty bad. Even installing swype didn't really resolve it. The z30 has a keyboard that seems to be designed by pixies. This keyboard has the uncanny knack of correcting my horrendous spelling and understanding my train of thought to auto correct jumbled up, typed in words. It's unbelievable.

I love having the notification LED and installing HUB++ app allows you to get the best out of it.

To sum up, the z30 has proven to be everything I need as a business machine, personal machine and love machine; well, perhaps two out of three.

Go get it and enjoy.

Posted via CB10

[imaginesaran]

I've used the Nexus 5. Gotta admit, its one hell of a phone. To the point that it outclasses all other Android phones!
And if you love Google Mail & Applications, that is the phone to have. It seamlessly integrates your Google Account
Great Specs, Awesome Display, good camera, Best Android. I loved it.

I have the Z30 now and cant take my hands of it. If you like communicating a lot. This is the phone to have.
The OS experience is new and like no other. You will eventually fall in love with it.
This phone does have some flaws (Heavy, Lack of Great options of Apps, expensive) but the positives outnumber them.

And most important of all... Stability. The nexus was not stable. Had to restart twice in the first week due to glitches.
But the Z30... will impress you.

[MikeLip]

Here's the thing about BB10. Do iOS, WP8 and Android have more apps? Yes. Do any of them come close to the integration of communication functions BB offers? No. They never have. Compared to BB, Android is a disjointed mess. iOS and WP8 are better, but none of them come close to the ability of BB to pull all your communications together and let you get to any of them instantly. That was clearly the focus of the device and, in fact, every single BB device ever. So if you want to stay in touch, or it's a critical part of your job to do so, you can't do better than a BB. If you want a wide variety of apps - and sometimes that's necessary, for sure - then you might be better served by another platform. My favorite after BB is Windows Phone, since not only are there a good number of apps, the email client is the best there is outside of BB and it's a good balance between the insanity of Android and the You Will Obey The Apple stance of iOS. At this point, of the devices on the market I'd say the Z30 is the best one. I can't wait to see the new keyboard device. I picked up a Q10 and while it's not as pretty as my 9930 is, it's pretty nice. But the Z30 is better in day to day use.

Note please that this is a 180 for me. I went from BB (8330, Storm 2, 9930) to iOS to Android. I have a Note 3 I am rather fond of, although I haven't used it in a while. But when the Z10 first appeared I was immediately in line to get one. I DID get one and it was a crash machine, as were the next two. So I tried a Q10 and the apps available for it just didn't work properly. After fighting with them for a couple of months, and listening to Verizon first deny problems then promise a patch for the crashes "soon" - and soon to Verizon is "some time before the next ice age" - I gave up. But then the Z30 came out along with a new revision and I said what the heck - I can return it. So I got it and was immediately back in love with BB. I can unreservedly recommend BB to anyone who wants an excellent experience at what BB has always done best - communicate.

[MelCali82]

I think you will be pleased.

Like android... you can download almost any file and email almost any file. That's what I like about android and bbos10.

The interface of bb10 is okay. It honestly looks like it has elements from android(ics/honeycomb) and those transparent boxes around the icons look like some cheap theme/icon pack downloaded from Google Play.

The hub is pretty useful. Nothing fancy but helps prevent you from having to launch different apps to see all of the notifications for that certain app.

The experience you get navigating throughout the OS is smooth, majority of the time. Those animations when minimizing the active frames got annoying for me though. And unlike android there was no way to get rid of any UI transition/animations.

[CarGuy1368]

I would like to add that with 10.2.1, you can sideload Snap onto your phone which allows you to download most Android applications.

That way you can download Shazam. I recommend Soundhound though because it is already in BlackBerry World.

As for switching to a new phone (I came from BBOS7 running on a BlackBerry Bold 9900), it took me about a week to get used to the gestures and menus on BB10. Not bad and now that I have gotten used to them, I will never be able to go back to BBOS7 or jump to Android/iOS7.

Posted via the super amazing BlackBerry Q10

[zocanta]

You have asked lots of questions by I have to ask, why do you need an unlocked phone? Verizon agreement is two years,

Posted via CB10

[lang007]

Will AT&T ever get the Z30?

[zocanta]

(continued...)
But it will roll in one year to a better phone from Verizon. People who feel that all carriers are the same, may live at the base of their carrier's tower. If you move around, you need Verizon's network. If you are worried about your phone number you can take that with you. If it's your email address, you should have gotten a domain name when your name alone was available. It's never too late though, just go to whois.com. After the first week you will be happy with the BlackBerry Z30. Good luck!

Posted via CB10

[DaFoxGrey]

Moving to Verizon isn't feasible for me at the moment; besides I am quite happy with my PLAN with AT&T, just not happy with their lack of the Z30 (as well as their notoriously slow releases of Android software updates which have plagued me forever).

I mean I could go with the 100-5, but only the 100-1 can utilize AT&T's 4G LTE network, and that is pretty much a must for me.

Just to toss a Verizon cookie at yah.....
The Verizon brand Z30 has built in QI wireless charging, no need for an adapter or special back-plate.

[Carl Estes]

Just to toss a Verizon cookie at yah.....
The Verizon brand Z30 has built in QI wireless charging, no need for an adapter or special back-plate.

I have 2 Nokia 900 units (one for work and one for home) and they work great! The main benifit is that you don't use the Micro USb port, except for backups and file transfers, which will increase thereliablity/life of the port.

The only thing I wish they included with the phone is little rubber port covers to keep them clean from dust etc.

Otherwise a rock solid device, came from 9550 to a 9850 to the Z30.

C

[Carl Estes]

Will AT&T ever get the Z30?

It cleared FCC certs, now it's time to wait...........as is my neighbor.......

c

[bakron1]

Op. I made the jump from Android. I had galaxy, galaxy s3 and HTC ONE.

To be totally honest I moved for two reasons..
1. I love gadgets. I love technology and love products that just do their jobs well.
2. I sort of got sick of tweaking android in order to get the best out of it. I know to some people, that's the good part. To me as a busy business owner, I just needed a rock solid communications device that also allowed me to add my small amount of apps (Tapatalk, banking and a few other apps)

The swap was completely painless. From day one, the z30 performed exceptionally, my biggest grip on the HTC one and I think android in general, was the keyboard. I spend my day sending texts, emails etc. The android keypad was pretty bad. Even installing swype didn't really resolve it. The z30 has a keyboard that seems to be designed by pixies. This keyboard has the uncanny knack of correcting my horrendous spelling and understanding my train of thought to auto correct jumbled up, typed in words. It's unbelievable.

I love having the notification LED and installing HUB++ app allows you to get the best out of it.

To sum up, the z30 has proven to be everything I need as a business machine, personal machine and love machine; well, perhaps two out of three.

Go get it and enjoy.

Posted via CB10

You took the words right out of my mouth, I made the switch from Apple IOS to a z30 and I am not looking back, I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Posted via my BlackBerry z30 on 10.2.1.537

[Graahle]

It cleared FCC certs, now it's time to wait...........as is my neighbor.......

c

Didn't it clear FCC certifications back in December or something? I really wish at&t would hurry up and release this device; they're missing out on a large market of potential buyers (me being part of that market!)

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[jpvj]

As much as I agree with all replies, I have to give the "default warning" that if you are a big app consumer you might be dissapointed.

BB 10.2.1 does indeed run Android applications .... as long as they are not dependent on Google Services Framework (and some other API calls). Even though you can install them very easily using "Snap" (which you have to sideload) you will find probably find some apps that does not work and you will receive very little support if any, if you contact the developers and say "I run your Android app on BB10".

Furthermore BlackBerry devices are less powerfull as the topline quad-core Android devices, so you need to concider this when running Android apps.

Personally I am a long time BlackBerry user (and System Integrator) and I have worked with BB devices and BES since 7 years. I have all devices available but Z10 is my daily driver and I love what it does for communication. I live in Denmark, and iPhone is *huge* here and ALL apps exists for iPhone. Sometimes I do concider maing the switch when the 4.x" device arrives from Apple, but just typing a few words on my iOS 7 test device immediately makes me forget it again.

As you already know, Android has made huge improvements and you might miss "all the things you can do on Android". Personally it too messy for me, but it's a matter of personal taste.