[DenverRalphy]

Meh let's not disregard material too as if that's got nothing to do with it

Zee coolest flicking smartphone ever

Oh I wouldn't. But at the same time, it should only be mentioned as a neutral comment. It shouldn't be a factor in favoritism or criticism towards an overall review score. From a purely "How it feels in the hand" perspective anyway.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Stevebez]

To those who think that BlackBerry only makes quality devices, I say go pick up an 8520. I had one, and I loved it, but there wasn't a single speck of premium in the thing.

[BCITMike]

To those who think that BlackBerry only makes quality devices, I say go pick up an 8520. I had one, and I loved it, but there wasn't a single speck of premium in the thing.

Quality != premium. As a fresh example in the news, Beats audio is considered premium, but not quality (hardware, not consumer view of brand) .

[Omnitech]

I always figured Samsung used plastic externals for mostly weight reasons, and perhaps somewhat less so for cost reasons.

Whereas I always felt that Apple has in its later history been very obsessed with design and style, so they built things that when you first take it out of the box - if it's the kind of thing you notice - you are taken by its unique, jewelry-like quality.

Just like with many other Apple products over the years - cracked glass on smartphones, lack of expandability on computers and so on - practical concerns often take a backseat to these style/fashion sorts of things. This is part of targeting the particular demographic that they target. And they have been very effective at this. People will pay a lot more for the Lexus than the Camry even though the main internal parts are the same, based on how you finish it, market it, and support it.

Ironically, as a smaller competitor, BlackBerry really should be doing the same thing - targeting a certain type of customer that is less cost-conscious and instead emphasizing their unique value-add -because they can't compete head-to-head with a giant vertically-integrated company like Samsung on price-per-hardware-feature.

[BCITMike]

I always figured Samsung used plastic externals for mostly weight reasons, and perhaps somewhat less so for cost reasons.

Whereas I always felt that Apple has in its later history been very obsessed with design and style, so they built things that when you first take it out of the box - if it's the kind of thing you notice - you are taken by its unique, jewelry-like quality.

Just like with many other Apple products over the years - cracked glass on smartphones, lack of expandability on computers and so on - practical concerns often take a backseat to these style/fashion sorts of things. This is part of targeting the particular demographic that they target. And they have been very effective at this. People will pay a lot more for the Lexus than the Camry even though the main internal parts are the same, based on how you finish it, market it, and support it.

Ironically, as a smaller competitor, BlackBerry really should be doing the same thing - targeting a certain type of customer that is less cost-conscious and instead emphasizing their unique value-add -because they can't compete head-to-head with a giant vertically-integrated company like Samsung on price-per-hardware-feature.

That's what I thought they tried (people complaining of too high price on launch), but failed to win "cool" factor, and too many people think they're another MySpace.

[blee4]

For all the talk of Samsung's "plastic phones", I think many here have never seen or held one. The S3 and the S4 are built on a big slab of magnesium (that's metal, folks), with, yes, a plastic removable backplate and a plastic interior cover over the internal components.

How much metal is used in the Z30? In the Q5? In the Z3? Does it really matter?

Apple gets a lot of press for it's "premium materials", yet I'm able to run a business repairing computers, tablets, and smartphones, and my most common repair is replacing the glass on iPhones, especially the 4 and 4s models, which have glass on both sides. A shattered iPhone doesn't seem very "premium" to me, but what do I know?

It's glass, it's brittle... you're seeing a lot of iPhones because they're popular devices and you're only seeing broken iPhones because you make a living fixing them. Glass screens will break no matter who makes the phone.

[Raestloz]

Also as others have said, the people who do really value their phones put it in a case right away. Noway I'd have a phone and not put at least a $5 case on it.

Zee coolest flicking smartphone ever

I don't put my Z10 on a case if I can. I like the feel of the phone itself. It feels great in my hand and using a case kind of ruins it. When I do need a case I use the BlackBerry Transform Shell Case, because it's very easy to peel off and somehow makes the phone feels right when playing a game on landscape mode, maybe because it adds a fraction of an inch there

Z10 STL100-1/10.2.1.2141

[blee4]

I will always have a hate-on for Apple. Back when the iPod nano came out, I signed up for a 3 year plan with Telus DSL, with a value of $360 on the ipod.

The first day I was using it, I was lying on the couch with the ipod on my chest and was listening to music. After a while, I shifted a bit and the ipod fell off my belly and onto the tile floor, which is no more than 36" drop. The screen was NFG.

This was also during a period when Apple had a KNOWN issue with bad screens, but my serial number wasn't in there known bad serial number list, and they wouldn't repair it.

So I drop $100 on a new screen, only to permanently damage it when trying to reattach the ribbon cable (for which only a 10 year old's hand could fit) because the ribbon cable latch broke (cheap piece of plastic with no metal arms or retention). So I'm out all this money, for literally less than 30 minutes of use. Being stuck with telus contract paying above better pricing I should have had for 3 years, really burned me on any Apple stuff.

My Z10 currently doesn't have any case. I've dropped that onto carpeted floor from 5' at least 10 times, and on hard floor (cement with linoleum) from about 5' at least 3 times. There has been at least 2 times where I absolutely cannot believe it survived without getting damaged based on how hard it fell or the material it hit.

My brother's family is Apple. They have at least 2 broken screen Apple's out of like 5 iphones, and my bro successfully repaired one of his Samsung's. I don't recall the circumstances, but he was surprised his screen broke at the time and didn't think it should have so easily.

So you dropped your phone and it's Apples fault? The phone regardless of the defect, it was fine before you dropped it. I don't see how it could be Apples fault.

[boeingrules]

iPhones are a lot more durable than people make it sound... Guys, all phone screens are made of glass... Yes, there are different types of glass and some may be more durable than others, but they're ALL glass and they will all be easily broken if you tried. It's unreasonable to say 'all iPhone I've seen have cracked screens but I've never seen a cracked BB10 device'. Could you give one reason to justify this? Where is the logic?

I can't even think of one, especially since I'm guessing the iPhone uses a higher quality glass compared to the Z10 for example. The iPhone screen is also protected by a metal casing while the sides of the screen on the Z10 are protected by a thin sheet of either glass or plastic. Also take into account that iPhone 5/5s are far lighter than any BB10 device.

I'm not saying that BB10 devices are more fragile than iPhones, I just want to stop this exaggeration. It annoys me.

Posted via CB10

[gng11]

And BlackBerry uses fine materials other than cheap plastic. At least for the prime phones.

Posted via CB10

[GTiLeo]

For all the talk of Samsung's "plastic phones", I think many here have never seen or held one. The S3 and the S4 are built on a big slab of magnesium (that's metal, folks), with, yes, a plastic removable backplate and a plastic interior cover over the internal components.

How much metal is used in the Z30? In the Q5? In the Z3? Does it really matter?

Apple gets a lot of press for it's "premium materials", yet I'm able to run a business repairing computers, tablets, and smartphones, and my most common repair is replacing the glass on iPhones, especially the 4 and 4s models, which have glass on both sides. A shattered iPhone doesn't seem very "premium" to me, but what do I know?

have you ever asked yourself why magnesium is used?

to be honest aluminum is a better choice of materials to use then magnesium, its a better thermal conductor. aluminum is more stable and is stronger. aluminum is cheaper, frankly the only thing magnesium has over aluminum is its slightly lighter, as a structural material its worse in every way.

and just an FYI the unibody of the Z10 and other BlackBerrys are aluminum, maybe you should take one apart and see whats inside

[boeingrules]

have you ever asked yourself why magnesium is used?

to be honest aluminum is a better choice of materials to use then magnesium, its a better thermal conductor. aluminum is more stable and is stronger. aluminum is cheaper, frankly the only thing magnesium has over aluminum is its slightly lighter, as a structural material its worse in every way.

and just an FYI the unibody of the Z10 and other BlackBerrys are aluminum, maybe you should take one apart and see whats inside

I know this is probably a REALLY stupid question but... Isn't magnesium really flammable?

Posted via CB10

[lnichols]

I know this is probably a REALLY stupid question but... Isn't magnesium really flammable?

Posted via CB10

In powder form it is easy to set off quickly, but as a solid metal not really. The ignition temperature is 3100 C, so if you magnesium phone frame catches on fire the rest of your phone is already a molten mess. Once it does go off though it burns super hot. People who "drag" low rider trucks sometimes will use Magnesium blocks as they spark really good when ground against asphalt at highway speeds, but the blocks don't catch on fire. VW used Magnesium for the old Super Beetle engine blocks.

Posted via CB10

[donnation]

I actually prefer the build quality of the Z10 over any phone out there today. While the iPhone 5 and 5S are no doubt built lovely they can be a little slippery to hold, which is why I put a clear skin over the whole phone to give it some grip as I hate using cases. I also really don't like the HTC M8 build after using it for a while. The original build of the M7 to me was pretty much perfect and allowed a much better grip on the phone and wasn't so top heavy like the M8 is. The Note 3 also has a great build as well but overall I really like the Z10 build and if the stupid battery was a little better I'd choose it over the Z30 any day of the week.

[spikesolie]

iPhones are a lot more durable than people make it sound... Guys, all phone screens are made of glass... Yes, there are different types of glass and some may be more durable than others, but they're ALL glass and they will all be easily broken if you tried. It's unreasonable to say 'all iPhone I've seen have cracked screens but I've never seen a cracked BB10 device'. Could you give one reason to justify this? Where is the logic?

I can't even think of one, especially since I'm guessing the iPhone uses a higher quality glass compared to the Z10 for example. The iPhone screen is also protected by a metal casing while the sides of the screen on the Z10 are protected by a thin sheet of either glass or plastic. Also take into account that iPhone 5/5s are far lighter than any BB10 device.

I'm not saying that BB10 devices are more fragile than iPhones, I just want to stop this exaggeration. It annoys me.

Posted via CB10

"I'm guessing ".. stopped reading

Zee coolest flicking smartphone ever

[blee4]

Here's what happens when you drop an Q10, and it lands face down... As you may have guessed the results are exactly the same as an iPhone that lands face down. I think we can all agree now that because the glass screen on a Blackberry device shatters just like any other mobile devices when dropped face down that glass regardless of what devices it's used on behaves the same way when dropped.

[gng11]

I personally think BlackBerry has some more room to refine its phone designs, ie add some shine to its detailing like it did on the bold 9900. I'm not saying the z30 isn't awesome it's just not quite there yet on the design front.

Posted via CB10

[BCITMike]

So you dropped your phone and it's Apples fault? The phone regardless of the defect, it was fine before you dropped it. I don't see how it could be Apples fault.

It was an unreasonable drop that broke it. This is now years later, where I have dropped MANY MANY MANY more devices since, and none have broke. This was also during a period of time where there was a well known defective display being used.

So no, I do not take 100% responsibility for that. This is one of those "you had to be there" to show me proper sympathy :P

[BCITMike]

Here's what happens when you drop an Q10, and it lands face down... As you may have guessed the results are exactly the same as an iPhone that lands face down. I think we can all agree now that because the glass screen on a Blackberry device shatters just like any other mobile devices when dropped face down that glass regardless of what devices it's used on behaves the same way when dropped.

What? Did I miss sarcasm? That is faulty logic. All glass isn't the same. Gorilla glass 1, 2 and 3 are different. There are competitors to Gorilla glass. Bullet proof glass is different.

Even the same glass in different devices are not the same as they do not have the same frame. They may or may not have the same distance from the glass to the edge of the frame.

[Dirtymike14]

I love the plasticy feel of the z10 and previous BlackBerry models, they feel good in your hands and are build like tanks. This past weekend, while in a drunken stupor (copyrights to mayor fordsy) my buddy said something about blackberries and how they're cheap and crappy, so I decided to prove to him that they're tough devices. Lobbed my z10, naked (the phone not me) across the room and onto the tiled floor. NOT A SINGLE SCRATCH!! Talk about a tough phone

Posted via CB10

[celticmagick]

One of the things I hate about the iPhone is the sharp edges and rigidness. It doesn't sit well in the hand, at least for me. It feels the same as holding a brick.

The thing with plastic is that it can feel both cheap or sturdy depending on the type used.

Like what's already been stated, most people put their phones in rugged cases and the materials used are no longer an issue. Most people buy a phone they're used to - people that have bought into the Galaxy line will continue to do so until some major change happens, and so on with other makes and models. Even if someone is a little irked about a cheap feel, the fact they have a new version of their favorite phone kicks in and overwhelms.

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