[richardat]

Blackberry Z10: A week with the Blackberry 10 powered smartphone- The Inquirer our daily diary of how the Z10 coped with a range of tasks
By Carly Page
Fri Feb 22 2013, 14:29

JUST DAYS after Blackberry announced its Blackberry 10 operating system and latest smartphone lineup, we decided to take a little holiday and take the Blackberry Z10 along with us.

We put the Blackberry Z10 smartphone through its paces each day by using it to direct ourselves around an unfamilar city, as our main camera and to keep up with news while we were away.

Monday
Monday was our first full day on holiday and our first full day with the Blackberry Z10. As we were in unfamilar surroundings, we relied on the Blackberry Z10 to direct us around in the city of Amsterdam using the handset's built-in custom Bing Maps application.

While it's nowhere near as polished as Google Maps, or Nokia's Here maps for that matter, Bing Maps on the Blackberry Z10 got the job done. It provided detailed and easy to follow instructions to get us from point A to point B, even though the Blackberry Z10 struggled a bit to render maps clearly.

The Blackberry Z10 comes with a modified version of Bing Maps

It takes a bit of getting used to, and we found ourselves standing in our hotel lobby for 15 minutes trying to get to grips with the Bing Maps app. Not only is it a departure from the mapping software on previous Blackberry devices, it's different than any other mapping apps available today, so most Blackberry Z10 adopters are likely to struggle with Bing Maps at first.

A problem we found was that mapping around the city had a huge negative affect on the handset's battery life, an issue which recurred throughout the week. We found ourselves phoneless from around 7pm each day, with the handset's lack of staying power on its 1,800mAh battery proving to be a real nuisance.

Tuesday
On Tuesday, we used the Blackberry Z10 to get us to Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam, where we decided to test the handset's photographic capabilities.

We were optimistic about the handset's camera on paper. The Blackberry Z10 features an 8MP rear-facing camera complete with autofocus, flash and software tweaks that aim to make capturing images easier and better. Looking back, we shouldn't have been feeling quite so positive.

While we have no complaints regarding image quality - all our snapshots came out clear, full of detail and well-lit, despite sometimes poor lighting - the camera proved quite fiddly to use.

The Blackberry Z10 has an 8MP rear-facing camera

Taken using the Blackberry Z10

Due to the lack of a dedicated camera key, we often found ourself in some weird positions trying to keep hold of our belongings while attempting to tap on the handset's screen - which, while we're on the subject, presented no problems during the week. This often resulted in us missing the shot that we were after, although Blackberry's nifty Timeshift technology often came in to save the day.

Another slight gripe is the lack of apps, in particular Instagram. Whereas on our iPhone we can quickly share photos on the social network, Instagram is not yet available for Blackberry 10, and there's no sign of it arriving any time soon.

Again, on Tuesday, the Blackberry Z10 ran out of juice before 8pm, despite having been charged fully overnight.

Wednesday
By the third day of our trip, we thought it would be best to quickly catch up on our work emails so we wouldn't be greeted with an overloaded inbox when we got back to the office on Monday.

Easy, we thought. Blackberry smartphones are well known for their business email support, so we weren't expecting to be met with any hiccups when setting up our Microsoft Exchange account. Boy, were we wrong.

Despite thinking our email address, username and password would be enough to satisfy the Blackberry Z10, we were met with a complicated form to fill out, requiring info such as 'server name' - information that we didn't have at hand.

The Blackberry Z10 comes with support for Microsoft Exchange accounts

Filled with rage - although with the creeping realisation that, in hindsight, we should have set it up before we left - we instead turned to the Nokia Lumia 620 which we were also carrying with us. All this required was our email address and password, and our Exchange email account was set up within mere seconds.

That said, we did find the Blackberry Hub useful, as we had our Facebook and Twitter accounts linked to the Hub. This meant that we were able to easily keep up to date with our contacts' many status updates and pictures posted while we were away on the trip.

Thursday
On Thursday, we thought it would be best to get in touch with family at home, and we were hoping to do so over Skype. However, a quick search in Blackberry World told us that Skype was not available yet for Blackberry 10 - nor was Whatsapp, an application we commonly use for sending free messages.

There's always Blackberry Messenger, we thought, but we quickly came to the realisation that nobody we know uses the service.

Still, we had Facebook and Twitter to fall back on, applications that meant we were easily able to share pictures with family, albeit without the luxury of speaking to them.

Friday
On Friday, we left Amsterdam, and decided to start making some notes on our week with the Blackberry Z10, on the Blackberry Z10 itself.

We opted for Blackberry 10's built-in Docs to Go application, which was excellent. In fact, thanks to its ease of use and its plethora of formatting options, we think it's one of the best mobile office applications we've used.

The Blackberry Z10 comes with a built in Office application

This ease of use was aided by the Blackberry Z10's onscreen keyboard, which is also fantastic. During our first couple of days on holiday we'd struggled to get to grips with the Blackberry 10 mobile operating system's quirky predictive text system, which lets you swipe up on a letter to complete a word. However, by Friday, we'd become comfortable using the predictive text system, which made typing up our thoughts a breeze.

Oh, until our battery died of course.

While some have voiced their disappointment that Blackberry didn't release the Q10 first, which comes with a physical keyboard, we're struggling to see how it can be much better than the onscreen keys found on the Z10.

In Short
Our week long getaway with the Blackberry Z10 certainly was eventful.

While we're still not complete Blackberry 10 converts, we appreciate the effort Blackberry has put into giving its debut Blackberry 10 smartphone an easy to use, slick user experience. Sure, the camera isn't fantastic, we found the Microsoft Exchange setup difficult, and the Blackberry Z10's battery won't last through a 12-hour day of almost continous use, but we're going to continue using the Blackberry Z10 to see if things improve. �

[Rello]

I'm one of the one the ones who feels you shouldn't have to turn off LTE to get it to last through the day. I'm still puzzled as to why a bigger battery wasn't used when BB knows their market needs these to last a work day. Hopefully some battery options come out soon from other manufacturers.

I still want to get my hands on this device to try it out for myself. All the complaints are stuff I can live with. I do hope Maps improves though. I use it often

[sk8er_tor]

The title of the article should be changed to: "Looking for Flaws in BlackBerry Z10"

[chi-town311]

I get what you are saying, but maybe my circumstances are unusual compared to most. Do we not have access to a charger during the day? I feel like I must be the only person who keeps their phone charged while I am at work. Is that so unusual?

I'm one of the one the ones who feels you shouldn't have to turn off LTE to get it to last through the day. I'm still puzzled as to why a bigger battery wasn't used when BB knows their market needs these to last a work day. Hopefully some battery options come out soon from other manufacturers.

I still want to get my hands on this device to try it out for myself. All the complaints are stuff I can live with. I do hope Maps improves though. I use it often

[richardat]

I'm one of the one the ones who feels you shouldn't have to turn off LTE to get it to last through the day. I'm still puzzled as to why a bigger battery wasn't used when BB knows their market needs these to last a work day. Hopefully some battery options come out soon from other manufacturers.

I still want to get my hands on this device to try it out for myself. All the complaints are stuff I can live with. I do hope Maps improves though. I use it often

I"m with you on the LTE. I keep my cell screen around 65- 75%....simply because I don't see the point of having a fantastic screen, if I'm going to keep it dimmed as if I'm wearing a welding mask. Same situation with my laptops....I only screen dim down in emergencies, and I plan my battery life/purchases around using the system without such measures. It's a choice everyone must make for themselves, but I don't see it as a justification....of course if I turn all the features off I get great battery life! LOL If I take a lamborghini, strip out all instruments, luxuries, the doors, the hood, the roof, disable half the cylinders, and then drive it at a constant 20mph, then I'll get pretty good mileage also!

[Bbnivende]

The title of the article should be changed to: "Looking for Flaws in BlackBerry Z10"

Not really... how many times have you heard :
- Battery
-Camera
-Apps (instagram & skype)
- Maps

[ctuffy]

Kudos (or not) to the OP who used a brand new phone, out of the box, at the start of a vacation. Personally when I get my Z10, I will be planning a few days off to get to know it before I put it through its paces by setting up emails, folder, learning the camera and so on. In the heat of the moment (vacation and/or work) is not, IMO, the time and place to begin using a brand new OS. Again, I admire the OP's sense of adventure but that's not for me.

[richardat]

Kudos (or not) to the OP who used a brand new phone, out of the box, at the start of a vacation. Personally when I get my Z10, I will be planning a few days off to get to know it before I put it through its paces by setting up emails, folder, learning the camera and so on. In the heat of the moment (vacation and/or work) is not, IMO, the time and place to begin using a brand new OS. Again, I admire the OP's sense of adventure but that's not for me.

Well she was carrying a Lumia as well.

[newcollector]

The value of the article is that it reveals expectations of the consumer. The easier a phone is to use, then the frustration factor is negated and "happiness" reigns. Granted I would have gotten to know the workings of the phone and I would have researched the phone before buying (realizing what apps were and were not available), but not all people are like that. Not all people are a part of a great forum like CrackBerry.com so they can learn how to maximize their cell phone experience. I, for one know that using a voice turn by turn navigation system on any phone is going to be a real battery drainer. Use a car charger for goodness sake or carry a spare battery if you are going to be navigating all day. At least the author is willing to give it some more time. It would be good if someone could point the author to this site so they can become a Power Zed 10 user!

[pmccartney]

Not a bad commentary on the Z10 but a few lazy observations on their side resulted in user error.

1. Monday - Why are they using BING maps?
2. Tuesday - if they had tried (as I believe most people would) they would have realized that pressing either volume rocker key would snap a photo. Makes one-handed photo shoots easy. You don't need to touch the screen.
3. Wednesday - I don't know why anyone would try to setup email, on a device, to Exchange ActiveSync without knowing the appropriate domain name. Anyway, I have setup 5 Z10's at work and it went smooth as silk. They were ready and fully synced accounts in a few minutes. It's lazy to blame the Z10 for their lack of finding out or knowing their domain.

[djmm2]

You could have used the volume buttons to snap pictures. Is there a phone out there that will last over 8 hrs under "heavy " use? I am thinking NOT! However, I agree there is a learning curve, and some improvements needed. This forum is the place to find answers.

[lorax1284]

I'm one of the one the ones who feels you shouldn't have to turn off LTE to get it to last through the day.

Agreed: it's why I didn't buy a Galaxy Nexus in Canada, or an older Android Phone or iPhone... without LTE, I don't get much more than my Torch 9810 / PlayBook combination. With LTE on my Z10, I can do pretty much everything (but I haven't figured out how to bluetooth tether my iPad or Nexus 7 to my Z10 yet... I don't often have them with me when I'm not home, but still, I'd like the option to bring it with me, say, on a road trip and be able to access the 'net without keeping a "mobile hotspot" on all the time... which will only drain battery even faster!)

[BB_Junky]

Not a bad commentary on the Z10 but a few lazy observations on their side resulted in user error.

1. Monday - Why are they using BING maps?
2. Tuesday - if they had tried (as I believe most people would) they would have realized that pressing either volume rocker key would snap a photo. Makes one-handed photo shoots easy. You don't need to touch the screen.
3. Wednesday - I don't know why anyone would try to setup email, on a device, to Exchange ActiveSync without knowing the appropriate domain name. Anyway, I have setup 5 Z10's at work and it went smooth as silk. They were ready and fully synced accounts in a few minutes. It's lazy to blame the Z10 for their lack of finding out or knowing their domain.

Good for you, hope someone gave you a hero cookie. The author is giving their experience...not asking for yours. Not once did they complain or threaten to give it back. If a person can't come here and talk about their problems with out someone trying to make them feel stupid....maybe we would have more switching over.

Posted via CB10

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

Lazy reviewer. Not putting weight into this at all. I do not have any of those problems on my z10.

[Sqoon]

Not really... how many times have you heard :
- Battery
-Camera
-Apps (instagram & skype)
- Maps

Every time I talked to another z10 user.
It is possible to like the phone and have these issues.


Posted via CB10

[pmccartney]

Good for you, hope someone gave you a hero cookie. The author is giving their experience...not asking for yours. Not once did they complain or threaten to give it back. If a person can't come here and talk about their problems with out someone trying to make them feel stupid....maybe we would have more switching over.

Posted via CB10

Every time smartmouth


Posted via CB10

[djh_wolf]

The title of the article should be changed to: "Looking for Flaws in BlackBerry Z10"

Because it isn't painting it in an unrealistically good light? Article seems pretty good to me.

[anon(3310921)]

So Hines and others have been walking around with the Z10 for almost months before launch and this is what came of it. . .then again I'm sure folks would have found something to complain about anyway. . .but at least not these things. . .

[Knightcrawler]

Good for you, hope someone gave you a hero cookie. The author is giving their experience...not asking for yours. Not once did they complain or threaten to give it back. If a person can't come here and talk about their problems with out someone trying to make them feel stupid....maybe we would have more switching over.

Posted via CB10

So you're calling someone stupid for expressing his opinion about something posted on a forum and intended to be read and commented on? Ya, you're right, he's the stupid one.

All the points pmccartney makes are completely valid, and in no way imply stupidity on part of the original author. He simply points out certain things that were overlooked which would have resulted in a better experience.

If one maps application isn't to your liking, try another one. In the the post-app world, trying one app and being dissatisfied with it is not an excuse and should not be blamed on the phone. Google maps can be easily side-loaded and works quite well. And before someone goes off about how "i shouldn't have to resort to side-loading", let me just say that the the ability to run android apps is one of the things that differentiates BB10 (differentiation - it's what 50% of the analysts say BB needs to be a success.....remember?). Its a feautre of the OS and should be utilized. If it's too complicated, that's an end user issue, not a phone/os issue.

Dedicated camera button - again a valid point. The original author should have tried, or done some research before hand, and this wouldn't have been an issue at all. Its totally valid to consider that a lazy approach.

Exchange ActiveSync setup - even the author admits they should have had this information before hand. While the ease of setup on the Lumia is certainly a valid comparison, and something that i agree should be implemented in BB10, this is another case of "information you should have known before you left".

Sorry to be all rant-y, but you're kneejerk (and frankly rude) response to a post that's simply pointing out some obvious omissions (and if anything, offering constructive criticism) warranted a similar reply.

__________________________________________________ ________________________________________

On a side note, in reference to the original article (and fyi people, the OP is not the author, as far as i can tell, he just posted it), they keep mentioning that thier z10 died at 7 pm or 8 pm and consider that to be bad battery life. Im not sure what time the phone is taken off the charge, but even assuming they leave their hotel at 12 pm (a stretch, considering they're on vacation and sightseeing) that's 7-8 hours of heavy use from a single charge....running the gps all day, using the camera, the radio and apps, and still getting 8 hours out of it? In what world is that considered bad battery life.

Im actually quite impressed, and somewhat doubtful, that it even lasted that long. But i'll take the author at their word, and assume the charge did in fact last all the way to 7/8 pm. And if they left earlier, say 9ish, that's 10-11 hours of heavy use....in my books that all adds up to a freaking awesome battery life. But who knows, maybe amsterdam doesn't have LTE?

[Rello]

I get what you are saying, but maybe my circumstances are unusual compared to most. Do we not have access to a charger during the day? I feel like I must be the only person who keeps their phone charged while I am at work. Is that so unusual?

I see what you're saying. When I'm at school, believe me, I have a charger to keep my device charged up but when I'm not by around a charger or when I'm out and about, I personally would like to use the bells and whistles of my device without the battery dying in 5 or 6 hours. BB knows they are known for battery life. I think a bigger battery wouldve been appreciated by many in the Z10. That said, I don't have the device so my opinion could very well change when I get the device

[Knightcrawler]

BB knows they are known for battery life. I think a bigger battery wouldve been appreciated by many in the Z10. That said, I don't have the device so my opinion could very well change when I get the device

I agree, a bigger battery is always nice, but im sure there were cost/time/size constraints that resulted in the current battery choice. Over time though, as the Os is updated and optimized for better performance im sure we'll see incremental improvements.

[Jappek79]

FYI an update was released on 1st of March for BB10, which should also improve battery life

[brmiller1976]

Not a bad review, though the Exchange setup is going to typically be similarly difficult for any device that doesn't have Exchange Autoconfiguration (including iOS and most Android devices). Only Windows Phone has historically done it well, which is why the Lumia did it so flawlessly.

Basically, Autoconfig asks the server for the appropriate data after polling the mail server, and receives it. It requires support on the client side as well as configuration on the server side (an administrative setting allowing it to be used) and most non-Microsoft clients for ActiveSync don't support it (so you have to manually enter your domain, username, etc.)

Also, it's a bit odd for me to see "the other phone" being a Lumia, rather than an iOS or Android device.

The times, they are a-changin'!