[rflan7]

First thing first, I love my BlackBerry and I love BB10, but I'm really keen to get inputs from the community on the pros and cons of changing from the Z10 to the Nexus 5. I'm not interested in the usual "well bye, good luck on android inputs", purely looking for objective inputs to help me make my decision (and hopefully help others in future also!). I've had experience of Android in the past, but this was quite a long time ago so keen to hear from people who have used Android more recently, as I know it has matured over the past few years.

To give some context, I've been a BlackBerry user for most of the past 6 years or so, since the Bold 9700. In that time, I've also owned a Samsung Galaxy S2 (for about 6 months after initial launch) a Bold 9900 and the Z10. Recently I've found myself getting a little bored of the Z10 and have considered upgrading to a Z30 (but can't justify the cost for little difference really), and have also started to get frustrated at the lack of some apps/compatibility - examples of this being lack of banking app (Barclays) and the fact that apps such as Fitbit and myfitnesspal don't work too great either.

I am currently running the leaked 10.3 and think it is a great OS, which gets better every update, but even with a better runtime, it won't solve all of my problems, certainly not regarding the banking app.

I've started to think about pros and cons of BB10 v Android and would like to create a list below (along with any potential fixes) but it would be great to get opinions from others on what they feel are additional pros and cons (things I'll find annoying or will miss from BB10 perhaps) that I should be thinking about.

Current things I know I'll miss from BB10 for sure are the keyboard, the hub, maybe picture password, but want to know what other people think too!

Even with all of the above, it isn't to say I won't come back to BB10 in future!

[klimatsias]

i have both the z10 and the nexus 5. the nexus is a great phone, full of customisation options, great performance overall with apps etc. the big advantage z10/all bb 10 has is the hub, something that i really miss on the nexus and the messaging superiority of bb10.
i use both, switching between them. my prob with the z10 is that the apps i use from android are a little laggy, takes time to launch - well they do if u compare it to the nexus and if u get the phone finally u will understand what i mean.
overall both great phones though, depends what your real need is. if the banking app is the most important feature u need on your phone then maybe u know already the reason to switch..
hope with the amazon integration those apps will run smoother along with improving the android run time as well, or in your case the banking app in particular.
time will tell. but i'm happy having both

[rflan7]

I think the 2 biggest things I will miss for sure if I switch will be the hub and the keyboard. But since I was last on Android, I know there is now a mail app which can handle multiple accounts and I know you can download alternative keyboards. Neither of these will necessarily be as good as the hub or BB keyboard, but they go some way to making it easier.

With regards to apps, it isn't exactly a deal breaker for me, more of a nice to have to be honest. Particularly with the banking app, the Android version will never work with BB10 as the bank blocks it and I just can't see them releasing a native option (wish they would prove me wrong). This along with the recent changes to apps on BB10 and a potential decline in native apps is pushing me away. Part of the reason I love BB10 is because of the small details and the app framework, but you just don't get that with the Android apps.

[klimatsias]

i agree with you on the small details - bb, they do put effort on them and usually they turn out to be very useful, like on 10.3 i love things like lifting the phone and it waking up.

easy things like moving from one page to the last with only only slide of the finger on the page numbers, instead of going thru the pages....

the android guys, need to put an application to achieve many easy tasks...
but, that being said, is for me one more prob for me that blackberry has - they have many usefull features on their phones that simply "kills" the development side, so can not simply advertise "we have 500,000 apps"... the others have a million but for each feature they have dozens of similar apps doing the same thing.... take as an example the lock screen notifications.
on bb they are easy and simple to use and on the same time so helful that on all nofications apps in the android market u can not find. maybe android apps have more customising options, but blackberry's simplicity at the end is a winner, doing one simple thing - well for me at least...

have tried to add features on the status bar of the nexus, to make it a little and as possible close to the fuctionality of the Hub, but it's long way still, if ever i will manage to make something even close to it...

if only Blackberry had the specs of the nexus.... well reading above simply tells me still love the bb more, but with a sour taste on performance now i have used the nexus as well...

[BlackBerry Guy]

I have both that I switch between. When I'm on the Nexus, the one thing I miss the most is the Hub. It's certainly convenient having all your communication in one place accessible from anywhere (Android has the notification shade, which works similarly but is not quite the same). The actionable toast notifications were a nice touch as well. I type about just as well on the SwiftKey keyboard as the BB10 one. The loss of word flicking is somewhat made up for by the word swipe feature. The app situation is hands down better with Google Play, no more needs to be said.

Hardware wise, the Nexus is fast, and at the time of its launch 7 months ago, was considered high end. Combined with bloat free stock Android, all the little stutters and lag of Android past is non-existent. The hardware on the Z10 wasn't exactly considered high end when it launched, but that said, the OS and the hardware it does have work well together and still provides a generally excellent user experience. The camera on both are good, but not what I would consider great like some of the iPhone and Nokia cameras.

[MobileMadness002]

I have both as well. Bbz10 and Nexus 5 on 4.4.4, I really miss the size of the z10, but he entry that is about it at this time. The apps I use and will not change now are really limited to 1 now. Actually a few, but not many. Map my ride, needs Google maps but even the pat he'd kept crashing. Vnc viewer, licensing confirmed on startup.

Now that I have a great bike mount for the Nexus my need of the z10 is minimal, maybe just for media player at best.

Posted via CrackBerry App on my Nexus 5

[howarmat]

If you are going to get a android device I wouldn't recommend any thing else than the nexus. Its the best android device you can get. There are some offerings down the line that are nice as well but will be more costly for sure.

As for switching its going to come down to personal preference on the OS. Hub and keyboard are nice on the z10 but it does lack apps and google services and cannot be customized. Good luck OP in your decision.

[RubberChicken76]

Can't give a Nexus example, but I can give a Kindle Fire HDX example if it's helpful.

I bought this device to replace my PlayBook. Nice hardware. Really nice screen. The Amazon ecosystem is fairly nice when you deal with books.

Negatives are a few.

1. While it does attempt to clean up Android's "stuff flying at you from everywhere" UI that I can't stand, you still spend a lot of time looking for things ... often more than you need. Some OS capabilities like notifications, updates, application killing and version controlling are horrendous. They may not be on stock Android, but are on the Kindle, IMO. The reason why I bring this up is to draw attention to the fact that "Not all Androids are equal".

2. This comes to the second issue ... the App Store. Make absolutely sure the device you get can access Google Play. The Kindle Fire is blocked from all services Google. There's also the issue of many vendors don't put their apps in Amazon's store (Instagram), and many of the apps in there are versions behind.

3. My biggest issue with the Kindle is its perpetual freezing. It can get into states where the system controls freeze for 15-20 seconds, making for an awful experience. By system controls I mean things like the password unlock screen doesn't respond, flipping to the home screen doesn't respond, getting out of copy doesn't respond. It's really aggravating.My Uncle has the same issue with his Galaxy Tab, as well as difficulty maintaining a WiFi connection

you definitely will get more apps more easily and Android apps tend to run better on dedicated Android devices. So that's a plus. The google services is a big plus. Compared to iOS, I do often find the apps are not always as good on Android. Sometimes more kludgy, sometimes missing features ... but at least they exist.

Honestly - go with what works for you. I bought a Kindle Fire to test Android and I also have a Galaxy at work ... not really a big fan of the OS personally, but many are.

[SUBLIMINALLYINCORRECT]

if you want a keyboard on android that similar to BB10 stock keyboard, download minuum keyboard. too bad its not free after the 30 day trial. android is kind of like the wild west where everythign goes and you need to set up your launcher and home screen the way you want it to get the best "flow" in the device.

I'm currently using a sony xperia V along side the z10 and I've set it up as best I can to be like BBos 10. I have a folder on the home screen called HUB and it has all my emailing and messaging apps. It comes close but it never gets there. Even for the app drawer I've set it up similarly to how BBOS 10 operates. The only reason why I'm using an android phone is for the water resistance the sony phone offers. If BB made a water resistant phone i wouldn't look elsewhere.

[pkcable]

I always try to swipe to unlock my Nexus 5! I really miss that feature! So glad my Z30 is my main phone.

[katesbb]

If you are going to get a android device I wouldn't recommend any thing else than the nexus

They don't work on Verizon though, do they?

[targnik]

If you get the N5, root/unlock it (pretty straight forward) then you can install all sorts of different mods - while still remaining stock! Flashing a custom kernel can give any android device a huge lift. If your heart desires, you can try the custom roms that are out there. BB keyboard and Google keyboard are equal (for me) I still prefer to swipe. The only real down side with the N5 is storage... 16gb is only version carriers supply in my neck of the woods. If you're going for the next size up 32gb if I remember correctly - that should be more than enough for most. I almost had the N5 in my grasp for work upgrade, but they pulled it at the last minute and I ended up with the Z10. I do miss the ability to tinker with custom roms etc. on the weekends/holidays, and if I didn't like the results I just restored my full backup and all was back to normal. My better half has inherited my old i9100 - it's running 4.4.2 and looking pretty dam stable/good.

Z10STL100-2/10.2.1.3175

[howarmat]

They don't work on Verizon though, do they?

nope they dont, you woul have to stick with an LG g2 i think or S5

[Ment]

nope they dont, you woul have to stick with an LG g2 i think or S5

Blame Verizon for that. Google didn't want to deal with their BS on updates and hindering Google Wallet. Sprint, also CDMA has the Nexus 5 so its not the hardware.

[app_Developer]

As others have said, the N5, with pure Android and none of the carrier or manufacturer bloatware, is a very nice device.

My biggest complaint is still battery life. I can't use this as my primary phone for that reason.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[RayGTX]

To be honest with you, banking apps aren't an issue if you create a web app. I at first wasn't thrilled using the Web because BlackBerry didn't have the app I wanted but after using the Web for awhile, I found it much better and more efficient than any measly app. So much so that I've come to the conclusion that the Web works better than downloading apps. For sites that I use frequently, I would create Web apps and found them to be more efficient. Using web apps you'll never have to worry about updating said app or dealing with apps that don't work correctly. I even think that some Websites have more features then the features that are available on apps themselves. Think about the space that your saving and the resources that are free to use for other items because there is no app. Something to think about no?

Posted via CB10

[TgeekB]

My Nexus 5 is the best device I have ever used. Pure Android. I like the Hub in BB10 but don't miss it when using my Nexus. It's easy to use, customizable, and does everything I need. I highly recommend it.

Posted via my Nexus 10.

[tagumcity]

My z10 would be used so much more than my n5, that I finally sold the n5. I have the z30, but the z10 size is more comfortable for day to day use. If you want maximum customization in the Android ecosystem then n5 can provide that very well. You may consider the newly released Moto G LTE with an microsd card slot for $225. Then you'd have both for nearly the price of the n5. It too is a worthy device. I've been using mine for about week. All that being said, the best communication devices are the Blackberry product line, for me that is.

[systemvolker]

You will miss the size of the z10 and the typing performance.

Posted via CB10

[greatwiseone]

I got my dad a Nexus 5. The screen's gorgeous. The UI is pretty fluid and not laggy like old Android phones that I have. Couple of big things for me that's missing from Nexus 5 v. Z10 is the expandable storage (I have a 64gb microSD card) and the removable battery. I have a Z30 now, but if I had to switch to an Android phone...Nexus 5 would be high on my list to switch...

Of course, switching to N5 means losing the Hub...which is a game breaker for me. I have so many email and social media accouonts...only the Hub can get me properly organized

[cribble2k]

If you want to expand Nexus 5 storage, check out this micro SD card reader. For best results, you should be rooted.

http://www.meenova.com/st/p/m3r.html

Posted via CrackBerry App

[rflan7]

Thanks for all the feedback, very useful and a couple of things which I hadn't necessarily thought about or taken into consideration.

I will definitely miss the hub, no 2 ways about it. However, for me, the main thing is having all my mail from different accounts in one single place, which the new Android Mail app does I believe. I'm not too fussed about having to go to the notifications tray to see app notifications, etc.

Regarding the keyboard, I'll miss the layout and the fact that I can type so quickly on the BB10 keyboard, I tried the flicking of words for a little while, but noticed after a short while that it wasn't making me any quicker, so won't miss that too much.

Hardware doesn't concern me too much, if it did I'd maybe go for the LG G3 or HTC One M8. As long as the hardware means there is no lag and you can have a few apps open at a time with no stutter then that isn't a problem for me, I'm not obsessed with specs.

Again with the camera I'm not looking for a phone with a spectacular, just one that is up to the job of taking occasional, spontaneous photos. I have a better camera for times that I'm specifically looking to take photos. My understanding is that the N5 camera is as good as, if not better, than the camera on the Z10, and I have never had any complaints with the Z10 camera.

The comment in relation to all Androids being different is one I can totally relate to and is probably the main reason for considering the N5 and stock Android. I've had a Galaxy S2 in the past and my other half has an S4 currently and there is just so much bloatware and so many small changes/tweaks, very few of which actually seem to add any value to the OS.

I will definitely be trying to swipe to unlock the N5 if I get it, I just know it, it will happen for weeks!!

Expandable storage is something I hadn't put much thought into, but at the same time I only have a 8GB microsd in my Z10 and this doesn't cause me too many issues, if anything, it actually helps me to make sure that I don't have too much crap on my phone that I don't need. I don't keep huge amounts of music on my phone as it all gets stored in the car, so it doesn't bother me too much. Am I right in thinking that the N5 should be USB OTG compatible? So I could buy an adapter and use a memory stick to transfer files anyway?

The comment about mobile websites is interesting, but my bank here in the UK, Barclays, has one of the worst mobile sites I have ever come across and it is beyond painful to use (although I've heard there supposed to be finally revamping it). On the other hand, the Android app is pretty amazing, having used it briefly, it's an experience I miss and would make my life easier being able to use it.

I don't think the size difference will bother me too much, I've got big hands and have already had a hold of the N5 and it doesn't seem gargantuan like some new phones.

The appeal of the N5 is pretty big as I can purchase it sim free here in the UK for about �250. This gives me freedom outside of contract, so that if BlackBerry does eventually release a new phone that draws me in (a decent all touch flagship perhaps?) and my bank sorts out my problem too (either through native or android app, or a better mobile website) I'll be able to sell the N5 and only make a small loss.

[Soulstream]

I also have a Nexus 5 and don't have any complaints about it. I haven't seen a trace of OS lag since i bought it. There are some cases of app lags, but that is not the fault of Android, but of the app developer.

The battery isn't the best, but also not the worst. For keyboard I suggest swiftkey, but there are lots of keyboards to choose from.

[rflan7]

I also have a Nexus 5 and don't have any complaints about it. I haven't seen a trace of OS lag since i bought it. There are some cases of app lags, but that is not the fault of Android, but of the app developer.

The battery isn't the best, but also not the worst. For keyboard I suggest swiftkey, but there are lots of keyboards to choose from.

SwiftKey is likely to be my choice to be honest, either that or the Google Keyboard as that seems pretty decent.

How long do you get from a typical day in terms of battery? And what is your usage like? The Z10 does play for me, but that is because it has the swappable battery.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

I haven't checked the whole thread, so sorry if this has already been said....

But if what you got with BB10, was something you even remotely enjoyed, then I do not understand why you'd consider Android over iOS.

In terms of "OS philosophy", iOS is soooooo much closer to BB10.

Posted via CB10