[PlaybookFanatic]

BRILLIANT idea! How would that effect the BOGO sale, though?

When I was new to Sprint, they gave me 30 days to decide on a phone. Try the S4 for a couple of weeks and by then the Q should be out. Then, try the Q on for size.

[21stNow]

Based on our family's experience, we have had not had much luck with long term usage of our Samsung devices. So much so that we avoided Samsung made appliances when we updated our kitchen and needed new laptops. Having said that, I truly understand why people love the Samsung devices for the advances, the neat tricks, and personalization features. And u will probably want something new in two years anyway, so get the S4 if it fits your daily needs.

My husband's Bold 9000, not 9900, finally kicked the bucket last week. BlackBerrys seem to take a beating and that is important when it comes to a device that I heavily rely on for communication in emergency situations especially with being a mom. We have owned lots of BlackBerry devices.

Curve 8320, Bold 9780, Bold 9900, PB 64gb, Z10

All of my Samsung devices have held up pretty well. My mother still uses my original Galaxy S phone, which is five weeks shy of being three years old. The Nexus S didn't fare as well, but that was more of a software issue than a hardware issue. Still, I kept the Nexus S for over two years. My five other Samsung phones and tablet are less than two years old, so we'll see how they do in the long-term but so far they are doing well.

[Stephen Hollowood]

Hey i have a blackberry 9330 which is half working and i am waiting for the Q10 for sprint because blackberry is all that will work for me and i think you could wait one more month with your 9930 (way newer than mine) and the s4 isnt that nice of a phone i have used it and it is a cheaply made phone nothing like the Q which is a premium made device and the time you are waiting for the Q10 you can save up some money for it

[RH1Pearl]

Like the title reads, I need some honest help/advice from folks I don't know to get a fresh perspective. I know that this is a Blackberry site, but I know that some of you are not just out of the box partial, and harbor objective bones in your body. I am Blackberry faithful. To be honest, I'm STILL rocking my 9930.Being off contract for a while now, I've been wanting to move to the 10 phase of BB, but that's been just about impossible. I'm a Sprint customer. I have a z10, and recently a Q10. Both are useless to me, which infuriates me to NO end. I'm not in a position to leave my carrier to be quite honest. I get the best service/bang for my buck with them. Sprint recently announced they're doing a BOGO sale with the Galaxy S4s. Being broke, that could be a lucrative deal, as I could split the cost with someone and come out with a new phone, finally. Now I'm seeing that they're announcing this z30. I want to be elated. I really do. But it's sorta like, do I wait, or do I try to move to something that seems comparable? Given Sprint's lack of interesting in either the Z, or Q for real, does it make sense to wait? Has anyone had, or still have the S4 and like it? What don't you like about it? I would love to hear what some of you would do in my position. Thank you for all the positive input ahead of time.

-A Deeply Saddened And Disgruntled Crackberry Abuser

I've had my S4 for a month and the one thing you'll need is time as it took me a week to learn the features and decide which "gimmicks" that I'll actually use. Also need time to optimize the phone for less lag (ie. Disabling animations in developer options and turning off S Voice). The key thing for me is removable battery which the Z30 (A10) may or may not have. 5" screens eat up the battery and you'll need to keep swapping batteries. Apps is another that's a plus for S4 as you can get stuff like SwiftKey to make your phone more productive. 1080p 441 dpi OLED screen is a major plus. Lastly, my wife also has an S4 so transferring photos, music, and files is very easy via S Beam or Group Play. I can mention several more items that I like but you'll discover that once you've customized the S4 according to your needs.

[Gillyboy]

As always, go try the S4 and see if you like it... it will be comparable to anything BB puts out in the near future. One last thought, it is pretty hard to go back to a regular device after using a BB10 device, just something to be experienced... that being said carrier options play big in your decision... best of luck!!

[phuoc]

About the BOGO sale, I don't know.

[PlaybookFanatic]

Heh, I can't see why it wouldn't be a long term device honestly... the spec sheet alone is impressive. 1080p screen, Quad core processing (1.9Ghz one of the variants has on a Snapdragon 600 chipset), 13MP camera etc. The thing even has infrared (haven't seen that in a phone in a looong while lol)

The only let down (for me personally is the OS as I'm not a fan of it). OS4.2.2 is snappy and smooth (with stock atleast - haven't played around with it using widgets and all those things to see what slows it down etc). What I hate most is lag and choppy feeling when using an OS throughout

But you can alter that by changing the rom, no?

[PlaybookFanatic]

As always, go try the S4 and see if you like it... it will be comparable to anything BB puts out in the near future. One last thought, it is pretty hard to go back to a regular device after using a BB10 device, just something to be experienced... that being said carrier options play big in your decision... best of luck!!

I totally agree Think that's why it's hard. I've had a z10 since January [being used on wi-fi]. That's before most of this board. And to find out that ultimately I wouldn't be able to use it with my carrier sucked really hard.

[PlaybookFanatic]

I've had my S4 for a month and the one thing you'll need is time as it took me a week to learn the features and decide which "gimmicks" that I'll actually use. Also need time to optimize the phone for less lag (ie. Disabling animations in developer options and turning off S Voice). The key thing for me is removable battery which the Z30 (A10) may or may not have. 5" screens eat up the battery and you'll need to keep swapping batteries. Apps is another that's a plus for S4 as you can get stuff like SwiftKey to make your phone more productive. 1080p 441 dpi OLED screen is a major plus. Lastly, my wife also has an S4 so transferring photos, music, and files is very easy via S Beam or Group Play. I can mention several more items that I like but you'll discover that once you've customized the S4 according to your needs.

No. Thank you. If you'd like to hit me up privately, I'd love to continue this discussion. All this input is SO helpful. This is why I made the post. Thank you for being so objective. If you PM me, I have a few more honest questions for you.

[PlaybookFanatic]

Hey i have a blackberry 9330 which is half working and i am waiting for the Q10 for sprint because blackberry is all that will work for me and i think you could wait one more month with your 9930 (way newer than mine) and the s4 isnt that nice of a phone i have used it and it is a cheaply made phone nothing like the Q which is a premium made device and the time you are waiting for the Q10 you can save up some money for it

Thanks for replying. I agree. I could wait. But 1: I'm not that keen on the Q as the Z. That's probably because I had the Z in January and it completely won me over to being free of a physical keyboard...which is saying a lot. The Q IS nice though. Don't get me wrong, but the screen real estate is a nice feature gained by having the z. 2: You are so right. The Q is such a well made phone. No arguments there. Feels like love in your hands. I didn't necessarily get cheap from the S4, though. Didn't get the Q feel, but didn't get cheap either. 3) Right now, I'm not in a position to really save, so that wouldn't work.

[Bluline79]

OP, I was a Sprint customer since '99. I used to love them but I had switched to Verizon about 5 months ago. The past few years with Sprint were not the greatest for me. They were not the most affordable. They do offer the unlimited plan, but their 4G sucked big time and its not in all major cities. Their 3G speeds might as well be called 2G. I also did not like how they had an extra charge for smart phone and if you were ever late on your bill, you would removed from their premier status member and find a $4.99 charge on your bill.

After checking to see how much data and minutes used with them; I found that my wife and I were barely hitting the 4 gig mark. Verizon was service was beyond great in signal strength and speed. I'm paying $25.00 less on my bill every month.

Also if you have a BB on sprint, I got charged an extra fee ($20) for using blackberry email services when connected to my work company email. Yes, Verizon is slow to send out updates but at least they are more interested in carrying BB10 products over sprint.

[PlaybookFanatic]

"I have a z10, and recently a Q10. Both are useless to me, which infuriates me to NO end."

I took this to mean that you already had the phones.

I used the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and it didn't suit me, mostly because I can't type on a physical keyboard on a phone that well and the way that it handled my work email using BIS. If the BlackBerry Bold 9930 suits you, I think that we have different sets of needs and wants. I don't have other reasons than the ones in my first post as to why I wouldn't recommend the S4 to you. What attracts you to the S4 and Android, other than the price and immediate availability? This would give me more to go on in a recommendation.

Well, NOTHING attracts me to Android. Truly hate the OS, but not as much as I do iOS. It's the lesser of two evils. But feature wise, I love the screen real estate. And while I don't know that much, as the z10 has proven, for my big hand...I'm not mad that it comes with. Then I'm about sound quality, which I hear it really nice. Lastly, the camera seems like it's dope. I have a Sony Cybershot, but it seems like it'd produce a nice replacement for times I don't want to carry that.

[Kris Simundson]

S4 with Paranoid Android or Cyanogenmod 10.1 rom and golden

Posted via CB10

[PlaybookFanatic]

OP, I was a Sprint customer since '99. I used to love them but I had switched to Verizon about 5 months ago. The past few years with Sprint were not the greatest for me. They were not the most affordable. They do offer the unlimited plan, but their 4G sucked big time and its not in all major cities. Their 3G speeds might as well be called 2G. I also did not like how they had an extra charge for smart phone and if you were ever late on your bill, you would removed from their premier status member and find a $4.99 charge on your bill.

After checking to see how much data and minutes used with them; I found that my wife and I were barely hitting the 4 gig mark. Verizon was service was beyond great in signal strength and speed. I'm paying $25.00 less on my bill every month.

Also if you have a BB on sprint, I got charged an extra fee ($20) for using blackberry email services when connected to my work company email. Yes, Verizon is slow to send out updates but at least they are more interested in carrying BB10 products over sprint.

When did you switch? I'm very interested to see their LTE speeds now. And their service has always been nice in the DC area. Some underground tunnels didn't mesh well, but besides that I'm stellar. I stay on my internet all the time. Maybe I can do some research, but do you like Verizon? I feel as if they really rape their customers when it comes to data. I'm a self admitted social media ***** and downloader.

I didn't get the BIS charge, because my phone was never a company phone. But I agree, it seems like everyone is more interested in BB10 than Sprint. It's sending such a terrible message to consumers.

[PlaybookFanatic]

We reply so quickly cause we (Z10 / Q10 / Q5 ) users have the best keyboards in the world. Wait until BBM goes cross-platform, android / iphone users getting quick replies. ;-)
Anyway, good luck with your choice, be it the S4 or whatever else suits your needs.


CB10 - Q10

LOL, I liked your response. I agree. Loved using my z10 on wifi. Just rubbed salt in the wound though. I AM grateful that BBM will go cross platform though. That feature is something no one should want to let go of!

[PlaybookFanatic]

S4 with Paranoid Android or Cyanogenmod 10.1 rom and golden

Posted via CB10

I'll have to look this up. So much to figure out when getting an Android. Blackberry is so definitive. The tweaks you can make seem simple. I guess it's easy to learn with time.

[Kris Simundson]

I'll have to look this up. So much to figure out when getting an Android. Blackberry is so definitive. The tweaks you can make seem simple. I guess it's easy to learn with time.

XDA forums

Posted via CB10

[w0lfgang]

"I have a z10, and recently a Q10. Both are useless to me, which infuriates me to NO end."

I took this to mean that you already had the phones.

I used the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and it didn't suit me, mostly because I can't type on a physical keyboard on a phone that well and the way that it handled my work email using BIS. If the BlackBerry Bold 9930 suits you, I think that we have different sets of needs and wants. I don't have other reasons than the ones in my first post as to why I wouldn't recommend the S4 to you. What attracts you to the S4 and Android, other than the price and immediate availability? This would give me more to go on in a recommendation.

Same here....I don't get the whole "awesome qwerty typing experience" I hear about all the time. I've tried to use my wife's 9930, and when I type it is slow, and looks like this:
oiun;pjuqaa ' iu80
qwqwe;'
qweoiujpjf
qp
woaoerg

[phuoc]

Same here....I don't get the whole "awesome qwerty typing experience" I hear about all the time. I've tried to use my wife's 9930, and when I type it is slow, and looks like this:
oiun;pjuqaa ' iu80
qwqwe;'
qweoiujpjf
qp
woaoerg

Looks like Klingon to me:-)

[RH1Pearl]

No. Thank you. If you'd like to hit me up privately, I'd love to continue this discussion. All this input is SO helpful. This is why I made the post. Thank you for being so objective. If you PM me, I have a few more honest questions for you.

I recently switched from BB7 so I only have WhatsApp. BTW, I would've gotten the Z30 had they launched it instead of Z10 as I was looking for 5" screen. If screen size is not that important then can't go wrong with Z10.

[David Murray1]

Well there is a great deal of hostility towards BlackBerry in the USA. Your carrier doesn't even support OS 10? That is ridiculous lol

[21stNow]

Well, NOTHING attracts me to Android. Truly hate the OS, but not as much as I do iOS. It's the lesser of two evils. But feature wise, I love the screen real estate. And while I don't know that much, as the z10 has proven, for my big hand...I'm not mad that it comes with. Then I'm about sound quality, which I hear it really nice. Lastly, the camera seems like it's dope. I have a Sony Cybershot, but it seems like it'd produce a nice replacement for times I don't want to carry that.

If you truly hate Android, then wait on the Q10 or the Z30. Don't get something that you consider the lesser of two evils just because it is available now.

[21stNow]

I recently switched from BB7 so I only have WhatsApp. BTW, I would've gotten the Z30 had they launched it instead of Z10 as I was looking for 5" screen. If screen size is not that important then can't go wrong with Z10.

He can't go with a Z10 on Sprint.

[JLErwin3]

With apologies to Bill Clinton for borrowing that line.
I am also a Sprint user. I am still using a 9670 despite no longer being on contract. I wish I had gone with the 9930, but that is immaterial, and it would be past contract as well. For now I am waiting for November based on rumors that Sprint will offer the A10 (now the Z30?), since I do like the BB OS, and its messaging and email handling. Some of the rumors that the next Blackberry flagship is still only built to compete with last year's phones from the likes of Samsung, Apple, etc are leaving me a bit disappointed as well, but I'm not looking for a phone to use as a toy, so I take the complaints about apps and the like with a grain of salt.
The advantage of waiting for Q4 of this year is that most manufacturers will try to introduce some sort of flagship device, whether it is an iPhone 5S, Galaxy Note 3, HTC One, or the latest Blackberry. If you can hold out that long, you at least have the option to shop around, as well as read up on performance reviews for other devices.