[anon3700711]

This is my honest review of Android after using it for the past 72 hours. I am a long-term BlackBerry user and thought I would pickup a new device while my BlackBerry Passport is undergoing warranty servicing. I initially looked at getting a Windows Phone device but decided I wanted to stick to something that is much more customizable with more applications on offer.

I initially picked up an HTC device but couldn't not install a custom recovery module or root it due to it being some random variant that most people didn't have. I ended up returning the HTC for a Samsung Galaxy S5 device.

First Impression & Rooting:
First impression when I booted it up. Bloatware. 300 system level & user applications. So I set out to debloat it. I first installed a custom recover (TWRP) which is used to root the device as well as install custom ROMs and to fully customize the device. After installing TWRP, I rooted it. All up it took me 30 seconds to install TWRP and root it. So far so good.

Debloating The Phone:
I then proceeded to debloat the stock ROM and brought down the stock ROM to less than 75 applications both at a systems level and also at a user level. From 300 applications, I now have 75 ones. I removed a tonne of Samsung applications that are probably practical or useful to people but that I knew I would never use (I don't plan to buy a heart-rate monitor or use my phone as a remote control etc). All up it took me another 30 seconds to remove 235 applications using a file from XDA Developers (a community that is all about customizing Android and Windows Phone). After that, I installed Ad Away which blocks all forms of advertisements in all browsers AND in-app advertisements. So I no longer see advertisements in applications or when surfing the web. Excellent. I wish BB10 had that.

Changing the GUI of the Phone:
After rooting and blocking advertisements everywhere, I decidedI didn't like the UI of Samsung Touchwiz (the UI) so I jumped on XDA Developers to see if there was another UI I could get. So in another 60 seconds (the time it took me to download and install the different apks (applications)), I installed a brand new UI on the Samsung Galaxy S5 and it now looks like an HTC Sense 7 device (http://i.imgur.com/U5LcsFx.jpg) instead of Samsung Touchwiz.

Installing Applications:
Opening Google Play (the application store), I proceeded to download all my favorite applications and update existing. I updated Facebook and downloaded Facebook Messenger, downloaded all my favorite social media applications (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, Yik Yak), my banking app, CrackBerry application (naturally) and XDA Developers. I also downloaded an application that lets me remove systems applications and also to set application permissions (a feature I love from BB10). I love that I am able to have all my favorite applications and use the native versions of them instead of having to resort to iGrann, Blaq, Casper etc to have a fully working version of my favorite applications. It is also fresh and nice to be able to download Adoble Flash, Microsoft Office Powerpoint, Microsoft Office Word and use them. Google Opinion Rewards is another application worth mentioning: complete surveys and get free credit to spend in the Google Play store. Right now I have $5.00 which can be used to buy applications, upgrade applications, buy/rent music/songs/movies etc. Pretty cool actually!

Keyboard:
One word.... Terrible. All the keyboards I've used so far on Android are terrible and I do not wish them on anyone. Samsung's native keyboard sucks (too small for my big hands), Swiftkey is inaccurate, Swype is too much effort and I'm reluctant to download any other ones. Yes, you can change the keyboard on your device. It's as simple as going into Google Play, searching for keyboards and downloading your one. Android is extremely customizable. I miss the BB10 virtual keyboard and I cannot wait until it comes to Android for everyone under the BlackBerry Experience Suite. I long for the perfect flawless extremely accurate BB10 virtual keyboard or even a physical keyboard.

Email, Social Media, Text Messages:
So much fragmentation. I need to use an email client, a text messaging client, the phone application and indivisual social media applications (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc) to read and action notifications or correspondence etc. That is like a minimum of 6 applications when the BB10 Hub rolls it all into one unified inbox application. Not cool Google. Not cool. Very annoying and if you're a very social, it can be pretty timeconsuming to stay on top of your social life . BB10 definitely does unified better.

Battery Life:
This image says enough:


My BlackBerry Passport barely got 8 hours running 10.3.2 and the Passport has a bigger battery than the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Hardware:
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is lighter than the BlackBerry Z30 and BlackBerry Passport (145g vs 170g vs 196g), has microUSB v3.0, an infared port, a removerable battery, a fingerprint (PayPal certified) sensor, is IP67 dust and water resistant and is water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. This is not a phone you have to worry about getting wet in the rain, it will survive. I have the black version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and it feels sleek, the device looks good and the metal reminds me of the original BlackBerry 9900 and 9000. I hope the Android versions of BlackBerry comes with a removal battery as it's always good to be able to swap out batteries when you're traveling. The Samsung Galaxy S5 also has a LED alert light, no doubt inspired by BlackBerry.

Software:
Android software isn't too bad. It's extremely customizable, you can customize pretty much everything of it that you can think of from the UI to the notification bar to the notification drop down drawer. Everything. Android feels snappy to me, there's no lag and there's no issues scrolling. You can view multiple applications at the same time, I hear you can open way more than two but here is the demonstration of 2: . You can backup all your app settings, contacts, etc to the cloud and have it restore to your device anytime you switch devices, wipe your device etc. Very handy. I believe BBOS used to be able to do the same in BlackBerry Protect. One feature I found extremely cool in the music player, it actually reads the lyrics out on the screen, you can control the music player on the lock screen and it shows the album cover on the lock screen.

There's a setting under the Android settings on the Samsung Galaxy S5 to make the phone more easier to be used when you're only using one hand. You swipe your finger from the middle of the screen to the right hand edge to automatically adjust the screen size and layout for easy controlling. Very nifty. I have resized the image as it was too big for this thread.

I installed Firefox browser on the phone, it's great to have a fully featured web-browser that lets you install plugins and add-ons. Admittedly the BB10 browser is a bit faster at loading websites, but the Firefox browser is a decent contender. I'll note here that the Chrome Browser doesn't let you install plugins or add-ons. Very disappointing but hey, you can pick what browser you want to use and of course change it.

Security:
Default security settings on Android is minimal. To be able to secure Android against privacy threats, rouge applications etc, you really need to know what you're doing and what security settings and applications you need to install and turn on. At the bare minimum, Ad Away, SuperSU, Ghostery, Titanium Pro, XPrivacy is what is needed to get the BB10 baseline security (e.g. being able to block malware, revoke/modify application permissions etc) but really I don't think the average user would have a problem if they didn't install random apks off Google and stuck to bigger name applications found in Google Play. I'm sure the BlackBerry Priv will address security woes without forcing you to correct them manually.

Conclusion - Why I'm excited for a BlackBerry Powered by Android:
BlackBerry 10 is a mobile great operating system that is secure and very productive (I love the Hub, Keyboard, Timeshift Camera) etc. But while it's produtive and secure, the biggest shortcomings is lack of customizablity and lack of applications. You're not able to tailor BB10 to your own needs and if you want your favorite banking, travel or business/enterprise application that isn't available in BlackBerry World - forget it unless you're willing to install Android APKs that may or may not function properly and may or may not drain your battery by merely being there (looking at you Tinder on BB10). I think once BlackBerry releases a BlackBerry device that is powered by Android but secured and made productive by BlackBerry, it will be the best all-rounder contender on the market. You'll be able to have your cake and eat it too.

[thegioman]

Thx for your feedback, very interesting, honest and realistic review of Android.

Just a question, what about 'productivity', specifically gestures / peak and flow. Did you find that a major draw back????

I appreciate your view about customisation etc, but for me, a communication device and productivity are key. I run my own business and my BB phone is an integral tool to running my business efficiently and effectively.

No doubt I'll be asking the same questions once the PRIV is released and the productivity suite, HUB etc is installed.

Thanks

Btw, using been using a Z30 for over 12 months now and loving it!

Posted via CB10

[April Sheppard]

Great review

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[anon3700711]

Just a question, what about 'productivity', specifically gestures / peak and flow. Did you find that a major draw back????

Samsung does have gestures on their phones but nothing like peak and flow. I don't really use peak and flow and I've been on BB10 since it launched in January 30th so I'm afraid I'm not the best person to ask about it. I normally just enter the hub or read the notification on the lock screen. However I think BB10 active frames is important to have on Android. Samsung's attempt at active frames looks like this:



to close you can either hit the X or swipe left or right on the running app to close it.

I appreciate your view about customisation etc, but for me, a communication device and productivity are key. I run my own business and my BB phone is an integral tool to running my business efficiently and effectively.

The good thing about the customisation is you can modify the device to suit your own productivity needs. If you're finding that it takes too long to unlock your device, there's ways to customize that such as removing the need to hit "OK" when typing in your password. That's just a small example. There's a lot more you can do to increase productivity and downtime using customisation.

[Smokeaire]

Very good review. There is one aspect of it that comes to my mind that indicates that BB10 is superior to Android. That is having to go through the rooting process to achieve the satisfaction with Android that you have.
Rooting is not a process the average and majority of Android phone users know about, let alone would even attempt.
I had 5 Android phones, I rooted every one, but then, like you, I'm not an average phone user. If rooting is a must do then buying a Nexus phone is the way to go.
I agree with your assessment of Android keyboard offerings/performance. All the while I was using my Android phones I constantly missed my BlackBerry Curve keyboard. Even when I was a beta tester for Swiftkey, I never did like it as much as I loved the BB PKB. Even my wife who has used nothing but Android phones hates the VKB.
Passport brought me back to BlackBerry. The Priv just might bring her to BlackBerry and the great keyboard.
Thanks for your excellent and unbiased Android review.

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk

[anon3700711]

Very good review. There is one aspect of it that comes to my mind that indicates that BB10 is superior to Android. That is having to go through the rooting process to achieve the satisfaction with Android that you have.

Rooting is not a process the average and majority of Android phone users know about, let alone would even attempt.
I had 5 Android phones, I rooted every one, but then, like you, I'm not an average phone user. If rooting is a must do then buying a Nexus phone is the way to go.

There's an application called KingRoot that will root your phone for you. I'm not sure if it is permanent or just temporary but it works as I personally tested it before I manually rooted my phone myself. You just install the APK, open the app and hit root.

But honestly I think most BlackBerry 10 users are accustomed to installing apks so I don't think it would be too difficult for them to root the device (assuming you can root the BlackBerry Priv which may not be the case if they lock the bootloader... it would be interesting if they lock it) if they merely just wanted to use the KingRoot method instead of using a custom recovery then rooting it.

[Smokeaire]

There's an application called KingRoot that will root your phone for you. I'm not sure if it is permanent or just temporary but it works as I personally tested it before I manually rooted my phone myself. You just install the APK, open the app and hit root.

But honestly I think most BlackBerry 10 users are accustomed to installing apks so I don't think it would be too difficult for them to root the device (assuming you can root the BlackBerry Priv which may not be the case if they lock the bootloader... it would be interesting if they lock it) if they merely just wanted to use the KingRoot method instead of using a custom recovery then rooting it.

About rooting, I was referring the average Android user. Just like iphone users, the majority of Android users just want a phone that works right out of the box. They aren't interested in going through additional "tech gymnastics" when they get a phone. There are people here on Crackberry who don't want to go through the rather easy patching process to get Android apps to work on their BB phones either.
Case in point, I know my wife would love the Classic (she uses a SG3) except for not being able to just log in and have all her familiar Android apps automatically install and run. She doesn't have any interest in having to patch, root, or perform mystic ceremonies to use her phone in ways that she is used to.
Most car buyers don't want to know how to repair their car. They just want to get in, turn the key or push the button and it goes.
The easier something is to use the more likely it will get used.

[thegioman]

Samsung does have gestures on their phones but nothing like peak and flow. I don't really use peak and flow and I've been on BB10 since it launched in January 30th so I'm afraid I'm not the best person to ask about it. I normally just enter the hub or read the notification on the lock screen. However I think BB10 active frames is important to have on Android. Samsung's attempt at active frames looks like this:



to close you can either hit the X or swipe left or right on the running app to close it.



The good thing about the customisation is you can modify the device to suit your own productivity needs. If you're finding that it takes too long to unlock your device, there's ways to customize that such as removing the need to hit "OK" when typing in your password. That's just a small example. There's a lot more you can do to increase productivity and downtime using customisation.

Thanks for your response and and more importantly, for bringing some unbiased views into the BB10 v Android debate!

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[kbz1960]

Nice review OP. Thanks for sharing.

[jr4941]

This is a good review. It shows the difference between what people like me enjoy vs. What you prefer. All that conversation about the customizations you did makes me say 'ugh'. I shouldn't have to do that. WTH would I want 300 apps installed by default?!?

I really hope that BlackBerry handsets can be sustainable - either in BB10 form or at least Android.

Yuck.

Posted via CB10

[nosmartphoneyet]

Nice.... for someone like me who needs this sort of 'spell out'..... it's fantastic.

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[crazy mazy]

The new slider appears to have the "hub" feature, just not sure it will be peak and flow, or if you have to open the app, and then peak and flow. All around, I'm so distraught that we have to put up with such BS on an android device. Android is such a mess, and is severely outdated. It's too bad Blackberry got screwed over by Google and not allowed to run full Google play services. Eventually Google and Blackberry could of partnered and developed a joint OS with all the amazing features of BB10, and had a fresh modern OS. So eventually Google will bite the bullet and develop a new OS, but by then BB10 will be dead.

[kbz1960]

The new slider appears to have the "hub" feature, just not sure it will be peak and flow, or if you have to open the app, and then peak and flow. All around, I'm so distraught that we have to put up with such BS on an android device. Android is such a mess, and is severely outdated. It's too bad Blackberry got screwed over by Google and not allowed to run full Google play services. Eventually Google and Blackberry could of partnered and developed a joint OS with all the amazing features of BB10, and had a fresh modern OS. So eventually Google will bite the bullet and develop a new OS, but by then BB10 will be dead.

Possum

[The_Viking]

The Galaxy S5 is my current phone and you did a great review of it. I was going to stay away from the Priv but this has me thinking Priv over Z30.

[anon3700711]

The Galaxy S5 is my current phone and you did a great review of it. I was going to stay away from the Priv but this has me thinking Priv over Z30.

I'm not a fan of the front camera on S5. It's strange really. Or it could just be my screen protector. It feels wonky.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[The_Viking]

I'm not a fan of the front camera on S5. It's strange really. Or it could just be my screen protector. It feels wonky.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

My seven year old daughter uses it more than me. I don't do selfies....