1. GenghisKahn2011's Avatar
    Finding any relevant apps on BB10's native app store is a crap shoot so I'll deal with having to look around the playstore a bit. You have to pay for apps in BlackBerry App World that most platforms offer for free, so the time and money you seem to have to exert with android is being exerted here too. Let's assume the android in question is the variant on the Priv. Outside of a file manager which alternative there are many, what exactly is missing, rather what is missing that with time BlackBerry won't end up adding themselves?

    Posted via CB10
    I am not discussing BlackBerry World and neither is the OP. We are talking about the baseline completeness of the OS.

    Despite the lack of an app ecosystem, BlackBerry 10 phones have an inherent completeness lacking in the other phone OS's.

    Most of the BBW apps I have downloaded are written for BlackBerry 10 and have been worth the asking price. It's people like you complaining about paying that contributed as well to the exodus of BlackBerry 10 app developers.

    I also offer this as food for thought: you get what you pay for! Thus, too many BlackBerry users want to pay nothing so we are getting nothing.

    In the Android world there is a price to be paid for free apps - inconsistent quality and selling your soul to those tracking your use to eventually monetize your presence to them. So your free apps are not as free as you are convinced.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    m1kr0, BB_PP and ssbtech like this.
    01-03-16 02:11 PM
  2. GenghisKahn2011's Avatar
    @@tufcustomer

    You suggest BlackBerry will add what is 'missing' in Android as released on the Priv.

    At this point, in some respects, the Android released on the Priv is as lacking as BlackBerry 10 as originally released on the Z10.

    I would have thought BlackBerry had learned the perils and pitfalls of releasing an OS before it is ready. IMHO many BlackBerry 10 users who migrated to the Priv have been disappointed that the BlackBerry Experience has not been and apparently cannot be migrated to Android. This type of disappointment doomed BlackBerry 10 on its initial release. It is too bad many did not stick around to see how magnificent BlackBerry 10 is today.

    Having come to BlackBerry 10 from webOS, I am spoiled with OS's that provide vastly superior experiences regarding the basic communications function of the phone - calls, e-mail, texting, etc nicely integrated to the Hub.

    I know I will have to eventually move, but I will not move one second before my Passport no longer boots up.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    ssbtech likes this.
    01-03-16 02:27 PM
  3. DenverRalphy's Avatar
    You missed the Ops point!

    Finding quality apps equivalent to the stock apps built into BlackBerry 10 is at best a crap shoot.

    It takes time AND money to eventually isolate Android apps that work marginally well compared to the BlackBerry 10 counterparts.



    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    Exaggerate much?

    No, it doesn't take time and money. There are numerous apps that are comparable and equivalent to, and dare I say "in some cases better", than the BB10 counterparts.

    It takes all of a few seconds to search for "file manager", and select one from the Play Store. Choosing one with a very high review/rating or an "editor's choice" selection really narrows down the search. So your "time" claim is pretty much moot.

    As for your "money" claim... how do you figure that into the equation? Any app you're trying to emulate from your BB10 experience is widely available for free. Kindly show where money is involved in the equation.

    There's a very strong argument for not having everything "Baked in" within an OS platform. It allows for choice and customization. Which is the biggest selling point of the Android OS/platform.
    Coachbulldog and cribble2k like this.
    01-03-16 04:08 PM
  4. donnation's Avatar
    You missed the Ops point!

    Finding quality apps equivalent to the stock apps built into BlackBerry 10 is at best a crap shoot.

    It takes time AND money to eventually isolate Android apps that work marginally well compared to the BlackBerry 10 counterparts.



    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    Yeah but that's Blackberry's fault. Why didn't they include a file browser, photo gallery, etc? Other OEM's do it and so could have Blackberry if they wanted to. In the Reddit AMA they even said they didn't do it because there were so many options in the Playstore and that it wasn't that they couldn't do it.
    cribble2k likes this.
    01-03-16 04:34 PM
  5. GenghisKahn2011's Avatar
    Exaggerate much?

    No, it doesn't take time and money. There are numerous apps that are comparable and equivalent to, and dare I say "in some cases better", than the BB10 counterparts.

    It takes all of a few seconds to search for "file manager", and select one from the Play Store. Choosing one with a very high review/rating or an "editor's choice" selection really narrows down the search. So your "time" claim is pretty much moot.

    As for your "money" claim... how do you figure that into the equation? Any app you're trying to emulate from your BB10 experience is widely available for free. Kindly show where money is involved in the equation.

    There's a very strong argument for not having everything "Baked in" within an OS platform. It allows for choice and customization. Which is the biggest selling point of the Android OS/platform.
    You must immensely love the fragmentation that has become Android.

    At some point Android's lack unity will come into play.

    There are too many 'Android' phones that do not fully render the full Android experience which I believe will deliver more and more of the hardware market to Samsung.

    Back to the point, there is inherent waste in hunting for what you really want or need. The size of the Play Store and the volume of apps makes finding the right app like finding a needle in the haystack. The app descriptions are no better than those found in BBW.

    Clearly you are satisfied with your choices and that is what matters to you.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    01-03-16 04:35 PM
  6. crackbrry fan's Avatar
    Yeah but that's Blackberry's fault. Why didn't they include a file browser, photo gallery, etc? Other OEM's do it and so could have Blackberry if they wanted to. In the Reddit AMA they even said they didn't do it because there were so many options in the Playstore and that it wasn't that they couldn't do it.
    Because they rushed to market the Android crap that's why!

    Posted via CB10
    01-03-16 04:36 PM
  7. Tatwi's Avatar
    The default apps in BB10 are really good, especially the media, remember, and file manager ones. The quick menu (swipe down from top) also has more useful stuff in it than other OS'. However, there are plenty of useful or task specific apps that don't work on BB10 (or are a pain to make work) or are out dated on BB10. The Facebook app for BB10 stinks compared to the Android one, for example.

    The app complaints are valid, but so is the praise for the Blackberry default apps.

    Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android
    BB_PP and spike12 like this.
    01-03-16 04:47 PM
  8. donnation's Avatar
    Because they rushed to market the Android crap that's why!

    Posted via CB10
    So is this thread a rant against Android or Blackberry for failing to provide these stock apps that they could have provided but chose not to?
    01-03-16 04:58 PM
  9. GenghisKahn2011's Avatar
    So is this thread a rant against Android or Blackberry for failing to provide these stock apps that they could have provided but chose not to?
    BlackBerry 10 is an excellent phone OS. But, without an ecosystem it is a niche product. There are not enough niche users to justify the expense of its continuing development.

    I am one of those niche users and it meets my needs.

    I will stand pat for as long as I can

    Others feel the need to move forward to other OS's.

    Each has to deal with the strengths AND weaknesses of their chosen OS.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    Tatwi, BB_PP and dmlis like this.
    01-03-16 05:05 PM
  10. darkehawke's Avatar
    If bb10 allowed me to find a quality contacts app and install it in place of the absolute crap it came with I may have stayed on the platform. Not everything out of the box with bb10 was great. BlackBerry Link is a another example
    01-03-16 09:24 PM
  11. tufcustomer's Avatar
    @@tufcustomer

    You suggest BlackBerry will add what is 'missing' in Android as released on the Priv.

    At this point, in some respects, the Android released on the Priv is as lacking as BlackBerry 10 as originally released on the Z10.

    I would have thought BlackBerry had learned the perils and pitfalls of releasing an OS before it is ready. IMHO many BlackBerry 10 users who migrated to the Priv have been disappointed that the BlackBerry Experience has not been and apparently cannot be migrated to Android. This type of disappointment doomed BlackBerry 10 on its initial release. It is too bad many did not stick around to see how magnificent BlackBerry 10 is today.

    Having come to BlackBerry 10 from webOS, I am spoiled with OS's that provide vastly superior experiences regarding the basic communications function of the phone - calls, e-mail, texting, etc nicely integrated to the Hub.

    I know I will have to eventually move, but I will not move one second before my Passport no longer boots up.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    Exactly! BB10 wasn't perfection at launch. As I said earlier in this thread, give it time. BB10 was nowhere near as capable as it now at launch, you've said it yourself, so whose to say the variant of Android the Priv is running won't be as capable down the road. There's no denying that BB10 is a good OS, but like others it has its weaknesses. I'm not telling you to leave your Passport, I haven't even left my Z30 yet lol.

    As for your other response, might want to ease up on the generalizations. If I see an app, that I need I'll buy it. I will not however pay for something that is being offered free elsewhere i.e. the exact same application on another platform. For example, Badland is $5.99 in the BlackBerry app world, in the Google Play Store it's free. That's not getting what you pay for, that's being made a fool of. No disrespect to the BB10 developers because they're great at what they do, but sometimes you just want the official application. Unfortunately that's something BlackBerry was never able to address on BB10.


    Posted via CB10
    01-03-16 09:35 PM
  12. BB_PP's Avatar
    I am not discussing BlackBerry World and neither is the OP. We are talking about the baseline completeness of the OS.

    Despite the lack of an app ecosystem, BlackBerry 10 phones have an inherent completeness lacking in the other phone OS's.

    Most of the BBW apps I have downloaded are written for BlackBerry 10 and have been worth the asking price. It's people like you complaining about paying that contributed as well to the exodus of BlackBerry 10 app developers.

    I also offer this as food for thought: you get what you pay for! Thus, too many BlackBerry users want to pay nothing so we are getting nothing.

    In the Android world there is a price to be paid for free apps - inconsistent quality and selling your soul to those tracking your use to eventually monetize your presence to them. So your free apps are not as free as you are convinced.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    Can't answer better than this!!!

    Posted via Priv...
    01-04-16 12:22 AM
  13. BB_PP's Avatar
    Because they rushed to market the Android crap that's why!

    Posted via CB10
    Agreed! I think Priv was originally for BB10 and then they decided to do it all Android and they forget many things

    Posted via Priv...
    01-04-16 12:27 AM
  14. BB_PP's Avatar
    If bb10 allowed me to find a quality contacts app and install it in place of the absolute crap it came with I may have stayed on the platform. Not everything out of the box with bb10 was great. BlackBerry Link is a another example
    Contact app really socks! Missing basic features but link is fine now a days

    Posted via Priv...
    01-04-16 12:30 AM
  15. menshawy's Avatar
    There's a decent collection of apps on BlackBerry World that covers the basic needs. However it's the ******* big name apps that makes the issue

    Posted via CB10
    01-04-16 02:19 AM
  16. darkehawke's Avatar
    You must immensely love the fragmentation that has become Android.

    At some point Android's lack unity will come into play.

    There are too many 'Android' phones that do not fully render the full Android experience which I believe will deliver more and more of the hardware market to Samsung.

    Back to the point, there is inherent waste in hunting for what you really want or need. The size of the Play Store and the volume of apps makes finding the right app like finding a needle in the haystack. The app descriptions are no better than those found in BBW.

    Clearly you are satisfied with your choices and that is what matters to you.

    BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition 10.3.2.2876 on T-Mobile
    BlackBerry is capable of fragmenting. The only reason it hasn't is the lack of development of the os.
    You're welcome to your opinion but what android phone does not render the full android experience?
    There is no time in finding an app you need in the playstore. It is a lot easier then finding something in the BlackBerry World.

    You may be happy with your choice of os. That is great. But that doesn't mean you need to spread absolute nonsense about the other platforms.
    TgeekB likes this.
    01-04-16 02:47 AM
  17. hjc73734's Avatar
    So nobody answered, what is it that Android or the Priv is missing stock for stock vs BB10OS that makes the experience incomplete. All my Android phones come with a Photo Gallery, File Manager, Camera app, and contacts. But seriously, what's missing?

    Most of the apps I've paid for on BBW are not worth it.

    Media Player for BB10: Kalmesoft? It always starts me off choosing where to look for my videos. Navigating long movies are a pain. Amateuris UI. Plus costs $3.99 on sale
    Media Player for Android: MX Player Pro. Free version with ads or paid. $5.99 but it was worth it. Starts off with a list of my video folders already indexed. Very intuitive navigation and playback manipulation.

    Podcast player for BB10: bPod rated highly. Junk program. Upon install and subscription, I see 5 years worth of podcasts from a channel. No way to mark all read. Have to manually do it.Some menu navigation leads to empty screens. Option to pause podcast when headphone jack removed works randomly. Really? can't even fix that bug?

    Podcast player for Android: BeyondPod. Paid for app and works perfectly. Can mark all as read. Show only unread, manipulate playlists with ease. Will pause when headphone jack removed 100% of the time works.
    01-04-16 04:04 AM
  18. sorinv's Avatar
    I think that all the apps which cater to the use of the OS on BB10 are actually very good, like the file explorer, hub, browser, and even the gallery.

    However, what most people are missing are "big name" apps on BB10. Banking, Uber, Hotels, Airlines, Social Media, messaging (e.g. Kakao Talk, Snap Chat), Netflix etc etc
    All that stuff is actually very difficult to find on BB10 and sideloading is often not an option or rather a poor workaround than a satisfying solution.

    So yes, as it was also often elicited here, BB10 might work very well for people who don't require apps for any reason, for many others it's often attached to inconvenience.

    Posted via CB10
    There are some banking apps on Bb10. For the rest, there are banking and Uber websites that you can access with the browser, just like you do on your PC.

    Netflix is available in the Amazon store and works very well on the Passport.

    For chatting you can use BBM on all platforms.
    Sure there are other chatting apps, but I am sure anybody with IoS or android who wants to chat to you could download BBM if they really wanted to chat with you...

    The app gap isn't as dramatic as some would like it described and the Priv sales so far prove that, since the majority of BB10 users, the only ones who are supposedly app deprived, did not buy a Priv.
    Last edited by sorinv; 01-04-16 at 05:23 AM.
    01-04-16 04:55 AM
  19. sorinv's Avatar
    Exactly! BB10 wasn't perfection at launch. As I said earlier in this thread, give it time. BB10 was nowhere near as capable as it now at launch, you've said it yourself, so whose to say the variant of Android the Priv is running won't be as capable down the road. There's no denying that BB10 is a good OS, but like others it has its weaknesses. I'm not telling you to leave your Passport, I haven't even left my Z30 yet lol.

    As for your other response, might want to ease up on the generalizations. If I see an app, that I need I'll buy it. I will not however pay for something that is being offered free elsewhere i.e. the exact same application on another platform. For example, Badland is $5.99 in the BlackBerry app world, in the Google Play Store it's free. That's not getting what you pay for, that's being made a fool of. No disrespect to the BB10 developers because they're great at what they do, but sometimes you just want the official application. Unfortunately that's something BlackBerry was never able to address on BB10.


    Posted via CB10
    No app is free and neither are Google services.
    Few developers work for free and certainly Google is NOT a charity.
    You pay with your data and your privacy.
    I assume the latter are worth nothing to you.
    Last edited by sorinv; 01-04-16 at 05:28 AM.
    01-04-16 05:07 AM
  20. sorinv's Avatar
    So nobody answered, what is it that Android or the Priv is missing stock for stock vs BB10OS that makes the experience incomplete. All my Android phones come with a Photo Gallery, File Manager, Camera app, and contacts. But seriously, what's missing?

    Most of the apps I've paid for on BBW are not worth it.

    Media Player for BB10: Kalmesoft? It always starts me off choosing where to look for my videos. Navigating long movies are a pain. Amateuris UI. Plus costs $3.99 on sale
    Media Player for Android: MX Player Pro. Free version with ads or paid. $5.99 but it was worth it. Starts off with a list of my video folders already indexed. Very intuitive navigation and playback manipulation.

    Podcast player for BB10: bPod rated highly. Junk program. Upon install and subscription, I see 5 years worth of podcasts from a channel. No way to mark all read. Have to manually do it.Some menu navigation leads to empty screens. Option to pause podcast when headphone jack removed works randomly. Really? can't even fix that bug?

    Podcast player for Android: BeyondPod. Paid for app and works perfectly. Can mark all as read. Show only unread, manipulate playlists with ease. Will pause when headphone jack removed 100% of the time works.
    You are in fact blaming Kalemsoft for not doing the same job on Bb10 as on android. That is a stain on Kalemsoft, not on BlackBerry or BB10.

    If you go to the Kalemsoft homepage you will find NO information where this company is located, who the founder(s) is(are), their address, a.s.o.
    I would never trust such a company with access to my files.
    This is the reason why I deleted their app from my PlayBook even though I paid for it.
    01-04-16 05:22 AM
  21. Nicholas Kathrein's Avatar
    Podcast player for Android: I'd suggest Pocketcasts. https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ly.pocketcasts

    It's beautiful. It has cloud syncing of podcasts between devices and you can pay a few more dollars which for access via the web as well @ https://play.pocketcasts.com/. So Pocket Casts are on Android, iOS, and any computer/laptop with a web browser. This is DE BEST!
    01-04-16 09:03 AM
  22. brookie229's Avatar
    You are in fact blaming Kalemsoft for not doing the same job on Bb10 as on android. That is a stain on Kalemsoft, not on BlackBerry or BB10.

    If you go to the Kalemsoft homepage you will find NO information where this company is located, who the founder(s) is(are), their address, a.s.o.
    I would never trust such a company with access to my files.
    This is the reason why I deleted their app from my PlayBook even though I paid for it.
    Funny, for me, having the Kalemsoft Media Player app isabout the ONLY reason I can still use my Playbook. I find it fantastic. And I don't find the ui amateurish. It is worth the $3.99 price. Oh and I would also rather use it on my Passport vs VLC or any other android media player that I have tried.
    crackhd999 likes this.
    01-04-16 09:20 AM
  23. brookie229's Avatar
    Media Player for BB10: Kalmesoft? It always starts me off choosing where to look for my videos. Navigating long movies are a pain. Amateuris UI. Plus costs $3.99 on sale
    Media Player for Android: MX Player Pro. Free version with ads or paid. $5.99 but it was worth it. Starts off with a list of my video folders already indexed. Very intuitive navigation and playback manipulation.
    Totally disagree with this evaluation of Kalemsoft, but we are all entitled to our opinions. Kalemsoft ui is perfect for me and I am totally satisfied with it. I use it on my Passport and Playbook. I have videos on local drives, on WD Mycloud, stream DLNA from various sources so I like the fact that the app asks me to select the source.
    01-04-16 09:31 AM
  24. ssbtech's Avatar
    Yeah but that's Blackberry's fault. Why didn't they include a file browser, photo gallery, etc? Other OEM's do it and so could have Blackberry if they wanted to. In the Reddit AMA they even said they didn't do it because there were so many options in the Playstore and that it wasn't that they couldn't do it.
    When I was building computers for people, the number one question was "does Windows come with Office?".

    People want this stuff bundled with their devices, not go on a wild goose chase to find it.

    Can you imagine Windows XP/7/8/10/.... without a file explorer, web browser, and other basics built in?
    01-04-16 10:51 AM
  25. Troy Tiscareno's Avatar
    When I was building computers for people, the number one question was "does Windows come with Office?".

    People want this stuff bundled with their devices, not go on a wild goose chase to find it.
    No, it's more that they know buying it separately is expensive, and they don't want to pay for it.

    Can you imagine Windows XP/7/8/10/.... without a file explorer, web browser, and other basics built in?
    Windows hasn't always had an app store built in, and Windows's app store is still focused on "Metro" apps rather than full desktop applications, so there's no real comparison. But, yes, I'd love Windows without IE/Edge built in.

    Anyway, all Android phones come with a browser, and most come with a file manager, though the average person never uses it because they don't need to. And for anyone who does, they can install one from the app store in under a minute with a few taps on the screen - not some big, arduous task you're making it out to be. Many people prefer the CHOICE of having the file manager they prefer vs. whatever the phone manufacturer wants to give you.
    01-04-16 11:08 AM
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