[darkehawke]

Op, thx for the nice comparisons. Two things I would like to know: (1) can you come back after two month and tell us how two device's compare to each other? the new device always feel faster and smooth, the bench mark would be after loaded with software, apps, chat histories, etc. How is function. (2) z10 or any bb10 are having work and life partition, if you got laid off (god forbidden if ever happened), bb10 can just remotely close the work section, but what I heard one of the trouble in byod world is the problem erase or reformat a personal (byod) device with mixed work and personal data. Is moto x got nice dividing of the two? If they do, are both sectors running smoothly and transition well? Many thx in advance.

Posted via CB10

i have intention on coming back later and updating.
As for the business side, the blackberry wind it hands down. The Moto a is not a business phone at all. It was designed to appeal to the general consumer and I feel it does this very well. But it is not got any capability to separate business from personal as far as I can see

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[darkehawke]

That's a pretty fair write-up. Personally, I prefer the BB10 experience. It has basically made my laptop useless to me. Android never did that no matter how much I coaxed it, how many apps I installed.

I will say that you can't judge Android's performance on a couple weeks of use. Give it a couple months. Install a bunch of apps. Try to sync a bunch of accounts. It won't hold up like BB10.

I have all the accounts I will ever sync on it already. And a bunch of apps. I have every intention of showing how it stands up. But to be fair my blackberry was wiped every so often for leaks.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[darkehawke]

Did you test email notifications on Outlook accounts only or GMail too?
When I played with a couple android devices it looked like GMail were delivered with a delay compared to BB10.
I setup my email accounts in the Email andriod application, not GMail.

Only outlook. Prior to owning the Moto x I did not have a gmail account that I actively used. My outlook was set up in the email app too

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[southlander]

Good write-up. I had thought if I ever tried an android phone again it would be the moto x or something similar. I had a razor maxx at one point that I liked "OK". But not nearly as much as my Z10.

Interesting thing on the reception. I was riding as a passenger in my brothers car two days ago and was wanting to play some YouTube video. He handed me his Note 3 because he felt the speaker would be louder than my Z10 (it is).

The interesting thing I noted is we both use Verizon, and we left 4G LTE. Dropping to 3G and then to 1X. So we drove a while in this connectivity dead zone. Then after some time came back to 3G and then LTE. So the interesting part is each step of the way my Z10 held a better signal. Keeping longer and regaining faster the 3G and LTE band connections.

Anyway of course that's Samsung vs. BlackBerry as opposed to your testing of the moto. And even then each phone can vary.

But the point being I have always found BlackBerry phones to be very good in terms of reception.

Z10STL100-4/10.2.1.2141

[realtrevor]

I'm really grateful that an almost 1 year old OS is able to size up with an older mobile OS giant. Kudos to BlackBerry on the work they have done with Z10.
They must continue improving this BlackBerry 10 OS.

[prateek.samtani]

Now since you have a review comparing it with android... I want to ask the technical guys out here... that BB has already got 4.2.2, is it possible to update it further with 4.4(kitkat) especially with ART thing rather than dalvik box...???
And if yes, should it be more fast and more battery friendly? And if no, is it the end for BB in terms of updating the runtime beyond this and just maybe work on refining it further?

[badiyee]

Quite a view on both devices. I honestly think that the new 4.4.2 is more on the phablet side of things, instead of being phone-centric or tablet-centric.

[dragon77]

i have managed to find a launcher that pretty much gives me a Hub that i can use anywhere. <---- I just want to know what Launcher you found for Android. I'd Love to have this app as it is par to the BlackBerry Hub.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using CB Forums mobile app

What launcher are you using, from my android days SSlauncher was superbly customisable, otherwise Nova and Apex are pretty much the standards

[dannejanne]

It is not on par with the hub but it suits my needs. I'm using the action launcher that has a quick page which appears when you swipe in from the right. I have placed my BBM, sms, and email widgets there. Like I said it gives me almost hub like functionality but if you wanted more in there then you're stuffed

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

Action Launcher is the best! I'm on Android now but my Z10 will come this week. I owned one before but the Android support wasn't that great back then. Now that it has matured I'm going away from Android again I'm kind of tired of it. It's a great system but I want something new that focuses on communication and I think BB wins there.

In the end it's all about personal taste. I still think BB10 has a slight edge in the responsivness in the OS. At least with native coded stuff.

[pantlesspenguin]

The best feature of BB 10 is the ability to reply to messages without leaving whatever app you are in. This is a huge deal! I can't tell you you how much time I save over the course of a day whether it is replying to a message while composing a lengthy email to a client or watching a video that I do not want to exit. There is no other operating system other than BB 10 that has this capability. Smartphones are meant to make you more productive and this is the single feature that increases my productivity ten fold over other operating systems. I was just driving across the country with a friend who has an iPhone. We were watching a UVA basketball game on my phone and the fact that I was able to continue messaging people while keep the game open more than impressed him. Imagine having to minimize the Watch ESPN app (video stops), open the text message, then reopen the Watch ESPN app and wait for the game to reload? I would have had to do this on ios and android.

[pantlesspenguin]

The best feature of BB 10 is the ability to reply to messages without leaving whatever app you are in. This is a huge deal! I can't tell you you how much time I save over the course of a day whether it is replying to a message while composing a lengthy email to a client or watching a video that I do not want to exit. There is no other operating system other than BB 10 that has this capability. Smartphones are meant to make you more productive and this is the single feature that increases my productivity ten fold over other operating systems. I was just driving across the country with a friend who has an iPhone. We were watching a UVA basketball game on my phone and the fact that I was able to continue messaging people while keep the game open more than impressed him. Imagine having to minimize the Watch ESPN app (video stops), open the text message, then reopen the Watch ESPN app and wait for the game to reload? I would have had to do this on ios and android.

Further...



The video looks a little wonky because the address bar on the small browser popped up when the toast notification came in. Normally that bar disappears when you're watching. You can also make it nearly invisible if you just want to hear the audio.

[anon3230140]

Fantastic comparison Darkhawke. Food for thought. If I did have to go android it's defo the moto x i'd try.

Posted via CB10 on my Z mfk'n 10!

[Jakob Greve]

I Still think Android seems very messy, with the comparison to the desktop with Random icons floating around. Also I'd miss my hub my preinstalled preemptive texting my virtual keyboard and active frames. You been very Thoruogh in your review. But all you really done is say that things evolve for Android and things evolve for BlackBerry. I get the feeling that you prefer Moto X over BB Z30 but have no idea why

[anon(257429)]

Even if those icons are " randomly" floating somewhere, you can simply remove those icons.

[Jakob Greve]

Even if those icons are " randomly" floating somewhere, you can simply remove those icons.

Ofcause you can always tweak everything but there's a reason we're not running Linux for instance all of us even though I am. Blackberry takes some tweaking with snap and such but I find the standard UI very appealing. And that's subjective but the point being that to me at least Android still seems like Android, which I don't like for the same reason I didn't like it back then.

DarKehawke gives the impression that things have fundamentally changed with Moto X but for the average use I don't believe that to be the experience

[phoneaddict78]

You might want to try SwiftKey for a keyboard on your Moto x.

So my contract ended and i fancied a new phone. The z30 is not worth the extra money they want over the z10 so i decided its been a while since i've used Android, it's time i refreshed my view of what the competition can do. i researched my choice of phone extensively and chose the moto x as it focuses the most on communication which is what i want from the phone and why i've been with Blackberry since OS4. Below is my view on how the two operating systems measure up.
Disclaimer: this is purely my view point. I have been using the moto X for a few weeks in order to get used to it. I used the Z10 for over a year.

Operating System performance
We all know Blackberry 10 is smooth. It reacts quickly. I could go into this further but its been done to death here.
Android 4.4.2 is as smooth as blackberry 10. I have not suffered any lag in running the operating system at all and it certainly is a huge improvement from the gingerbread days. The moto X has similar specs to the Z30 and is classed as midrange. It proves that the claim that Android needs mega processors to run is a myth. Motorola did not fill their phone with bloatware and it makes the point that efficient design can bring huge results in performance.

OS overall
I had a few complaints with Blackberry 10, mainly to do with missing legacy features. But these are all issues that can be resolved with updates. As far as the OS is presented, i can find little to complain about but nothing to boast about either. Visually it is similar to iOS and i cant be the only person who hears these comments when showing off a z10. Blackberry 10 integrates nicely with apps like Box and Dropbox from the start.
Android does not have that integration with apps from the start. You can set it up yourself though. Visually Android trumps Blackberry with its customisation. I have 5 home screens on the moto x each set up to show the majority of information i need to see at a glance. The benefit of this is that i find myself having to actually use my phone less these days as i can see what i need to see without opening apps. Of course this does involve the use of widgets. Obviously Blackberry 10 has the Active Frames option, but they are not the same thing. If blackberry can add some sort of interactivity to the active frames it will go a long way.
So to conclude here i will say that if you want a phone taht you can use out of the box and do not want to spend time researching all the possibilities then Blackberry 10 is for you and it wont let you down. If you are willing to spend a bit of time setting up your phone (took me 2 days on and off) then Android can offer you a much more personalised experience.

Apps
We all know Blackberry's weak point is the number of apps. Android has loads of apps. If you want choice then its not even close. Android wins.
However there are a lot of Built for Blackberry apps, and a lot that should qualify for BfB but do not thanks to Blackberry's process, that are of a high standard. These apps are nice to use.
Android has a lot of apps as said before. The result is the much wider range of quality of said apps. So what you get is a rollercoaster of experiences when using apps. One app can be a joy to use, while others are a pain. It may be my inexperience in browsing the Play store but it is what it is. I have actually downloaded less apps on my moto x then i had on my z10. What i'm trying to say is that you get a more consistent experience in using apps on Blackberry 10 then you do with Android.
i also noticed my z10 ran some android apps better then the Moto X did. However i upgraded to the ART player on the Moto X and the performance beats BB10. BB10 is not an awful android player, but if it can get ART then it will be up there with the best of them. Using these two devices has really shown me that the so called app gap is completely meaningless.

Communication
This is what i value in a phone the most and it was a hard decision to give up Blackberry. The Hub is great, i don't need to elaborate surely?
Where the Z10 let me down was notifications. Mainly the sound. the speakers on the device were sub par. Voice calls had to have the volume all the way up. But messaging on BB10 is a great experience. the led. the new lock screen display. peek and flow. I thought i was going to hate the Android experience.
Surprisingly i don't. I have customised my SMS app and it is pleasing to use. BBM works really well on Android other then reliability issues. Its a shame that the friends i do have that uses Blackberry still are still on legacy and do not have the latest features of BBM. Android tries to ram Gmail down your throat but i still use my Outlook account as my primary with no issues. I chose the Moto X as the Active Display makes it the most like a Blackberry and it really works well. peeking at incoming messages is just as good as BB10. Notifications is much louder then the Z10 and possibly nicks ahead of the Z30 although i will need to test it more. motorola have a good reputation with signal and voice calls and it showed. Calls were clear and volume was never an issue and reception was on par with the Z10. i have managed to find a launcher that pretty much gives me a Hub that i can use anywhere. Although i only use SMS, BBM and Facebook. if you are someone who has multiple instant messaging apps then BB10 is your friend. Likewise if you rely on multiple E-mail addresses. notifications came through at the same time as each other during testing, with the z10 maybe a split second quicker.
Something that the Moto X has is the ability to see and respond to your text messages and phone calls on your desktop browser, as long as it's chrome. This is insanely useful and really has me wondering why Blackberry has not done this yet.
The Keyboard. This is the one thing that i really miss from BB10. Android keyboards are nowhere near as good.
So when it comes to communication, i will say that Blackberry 10 is the clear winner, although if you don't use multiple messaging platforms like me then Android gives just as good an experience. if you want a business phone that needs multiple emails then You wont get better then a Blackberry. likewise if you're someone who has lots of IM apps.

Other features
The moto X has touchless controls which while gimmicky is actually really useful. Google Now is the voice assistant and it works really well.
I used Sayit and the native voice assistant on BB10 and i will say that the native one is the better of the two that can stand up to Google Now.
Battery life. The Moto X blows away the z10. I can get 24 hours from the Moto X whereas the Z10 barely lasted 6. To keep things in perspective the Z30 can outlast the Moto X. both the Z30 and Moto X has a non removable battery.
Display- The Z10 beats the Moto X on display. it just looks nicer and crisper. I prefer LCD to AMOLED although the Moto X has to use AMOLED for its Active Display. The Moto X display is nicer than the Z30's and noticably brighter.
Build quality. The Z10 and Z30 both feel nice to hold but the Moto X just feels a lot sturdier. i'm much more confident in wielding the moto X without a case then i am with a z10. The Moto X has a soft back similar to the Z30's and its a curved design that just feels nice to hold. not that the berry devices are horrible to hold. The screen size on the Moto X is 4.7, which worried me coming from the Z10's 4.2 display as i dont like big phones. however the Moto X is noticeably smaller than the Z10. I hope BB designers can make a successor to the Z10 that is a similar size to the Moto X.
Camera. the Moto X is inconsistent with its camera. Some pictures look fantastic and others look awful. the Blackberry Z10 is more consistent. The Moto X has a neat trick which lets you open the camera app if you flick your wrist twice.

Conclusion
Android has come a long way since 2.3. it is smooth and quick. likewise BB10 is a different beast to legacy OS and just as smooth and quick. Is one better then the other? i would have to say no. They are both very capable systems. I can see myself using the Moto X for the next 2 years with no issue. A Samsung may have had me running back to the Z10. it really does show how manufacturers customisation of android can lead to varying experiences.
As for after that? Well we'll see how both platforms have progressed by then. But for now, both are solid platforms.

[shaleem]

I have a Samsung GS3 and the Z10. I switch back and forth between the two because I get bored easily ...LOL. However, in all seriousness, I really am pleased with both systems. I give the Z10 a slight edge because I like the feel of it in my hand. I don't need a great deal of screen real estate. The Z10 is a perfect fit, in my opinion. Als0o, now that I have 10.2 on my Z 10, I'm much happier with it.

[BBSpring]

I think the comparison is fair also. I have both the moto x and the Z30. The software integration of google services makes the user experience on the Moto seem very smooth and is a major plus. However, since i own them both i can say this. Sound, no comparison, the multiple speakers in the Z30 make the comparison unfair. Battery, again, Z30, no need to go deeper there.
Communication abilities leans to Z30. To be fair, 4.4.2 has really come a long way to closing the gap, but it's still there. Example? sharing any content on the BB10 is super, super quick and simple it's almost like a joke. I like both phones, I chose a Moto x ( for work testing) because like the nexus 5 there is very little added software between the OS and the device like in the HTC or Samsung. But build quality makes me lean toward the Z30, sturdy, premium and smooth(er).

I agree that the OS 10.2.1 is a nice progression and going in the right direction. I also agree and have stated before, most modern smartphones are close in their abilities. However I feel that the Z10, while very stylish cannot be properly compared to the Moto x ( size, chip, features, timing)

I hope you enjoy the device.

[raino]

I don't know about 4.4.2, but on 4.3, multi-window is NOT implemented systemically. What that means is that it only works with certain apps. Watch ESPN doesn't play nice, but YouTube does.

Also, with 4.4.2, Google, rather unsurprisingly did away with a security setting that allows users to control apps' permissions (the setting is commonly referred to as Apps Ops.) I probably won't be updating to 4.4.2 when (if) it comes out for the GS3.

[Jakob Greve]

You might want to try SwiftKey for a keyboard on your Moto x.

Never did get why someone has to repost the whole OP, just to post a sentence

[dannejanne]

I don't know about 4.4.2, but on 4.3, multi-window is NOT implemented systemically. What that means is that it only works with certain apps. Watch ESPN doesn't play nice, but YouTube does.

Also, with 4.4.2, Google, rather unsurprisingly did away with a security setting that allows users to control apps' permissions (the setting is commonly referred to as Apps Ops.) I probably won't be updating to 4.4.2 when (if) it comes out for the GS3.

Multiwindow is not a native Android feature at all. Samsung and Sony has it. They are both limited to certain stock apps though which limits its use somewhat. I've had both Samsung and Sony phones in the past with multiwindows features and frankly while it's cool, I hardly ever find a situation personally for me that I find it useful. Just a few times. Certainly not something that I miss when running other phones. Recently had the LG G2. I have the Sony Z Ultra now. But I never use the floating windows feature I prefer working in fullscreen. On tablets on the other hand it is way more useful.

App ops was never meant to be a public feature. Hence they removed it completely.

[dannejanne]

What launcher are you using, from my android days SSlauncher was superbly customisable, otherwise Nova and Apex are pretty much the standards

Nova & Apex are the most known ones yes. But they are so close to each other in features there's hardly any difference between them. Basically stock Android with much more features. There's certainly nothing original going on. Most launchers are built from the same concept. Action Launcher at least adds something somewhat original to the plate and I find it more effecient with the Quickpage and also launcher that can be accessed anywhere in the system. A little bit like the BB10 hub but still not as functional.

[raino]

Multiwindow is not a native Android feature at all. Samsung and Sony has it. They are both limited to certain stock apps though which limits its use somewhat. I've had both Samsung and Sony phones in the past with multiwindows features and frankly while it's cool, I hardly ever find a situation personally for me that I find it useful. Just a few times. Certainly not something that I miss when running other phones. Recently had the LG G2. I have the Sony Z Ultra now. But I never use the floating windows feature I prefer working in fullscreen. On tablets on the other hand it is way more useful.

Sorry, I should clarify a bit. My point was that there's no way to always stay within an app and respond to messages, at least not in 4.3. This seems to be available throughout BB10.

App ops was never meant to be a public feature. Hence they removed it completely.

Instead of removing it, they could have improved upon it in a way that would have fixed the alleged breaking of certain apps (and made said improvement a public feature.) But security isn't really a priority for Google.

[wincyUt]

Enjoy your Moto X and I hope the honeymoon lasts forever.

[aelaan]

I like this read, so thanks for that. I have similar experiences regarding the OS and I was tasked to start testing SWS on the BES10 environment. So I am sporting the Z30 and GS4 - from a device perspective I really like the screen on the GS4 and it seems snappy. I dislike the battery as I have to charge at least every 10 hours with normal use, I only need to charge the Z30 every other day with similar use. As I am testing the various secure ways we can communicate over email I also installed Knox and saw battery use go berserk. I have both devices encrypted on their local file system (I figure if you want to look at my vacation pictures that is fine - they are on the external card). So overall I do subscribe to the findings however I do have experience with the Z30 and the GS4. I do feel that Android is a better integrated system, where I open every link going to Facebook or LinkedIn in the browser on the Z30 I open the various links in the email on the GS4 directly in the right application. If I were forced to make a decision I would go with the Z30 for professional use and GS4 for personal use. If there was no choice between personal and professional I would pick the Z30.