BlackBerry Z10 review
The BlackBerry Z10 is the first handset from the company formerly known as RIM, now renamed BlackBerry, to run its new operating system BlackBerry 10, and there's much more on the line here than simply making a few pennies – arguably the company's survival rests on the success of this device and the BlackBerry Q10.
It's no secret that BlackBerry has been on the rocks for the past year or so, with the company even admitting that it hasn't been in the best shape of late, and the 4G toting Z10 is the start of what is hoped to be a successful revolution.
Since its launch a few months ago the BlackBerry Z10 has received a software update which has seen things become more stable, plus the app store has also witnessed some new arrivals, so we've taken the time to update the keys parts of our review with the latest information.
In the UK the handset has witnessed a slight price drop since launch and you can pick up the Z10 free on contracts starting at £32 per month, while you'll need to fork out a still princely £470 if you want it SIM-free.
The US was only treated to the BlackBerry Z10 in late March, available for around $199.99 on contract and about $630 SIM-free.
Sporting a 4.2-inch 1280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and its steep price tag, the BlackBerry Z10 finds itself jostling for position with the Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5
Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic that mimics the general aesthetical design of many a smartphone these days.
The Z10 is a little bezel-heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset.
It all seems a little unnecessary but luckily it doesn't make the BlackBerry Z10 overly cumbersome, with the handset measuring a comfortable 130 x 65.6 x 9mm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.4 inches).
Weight wise the BlackBerry Z10 finds a happy medium – weighing 137.5g (4.85 oz), it's nowhere near as heavy as the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, yet it's not as feather light as the iPhone 5.
*We liked
The BlackBerry Z10 is a decent all round phone sporting a pleasing 4.2-inch HD display, a camera which can take some good shots and a messaging hub which could be the envy of some other platforms.
Web browsing deserves a special mention as we were seriously impressed with the speed of the BlackBerry Z10 when it came to loading pages.
It's great to see a free mapping and navigation solution on board the Z10, even though it may not be the best service on the market.
The expandable storage, removable battery and Adobe Flash support are all small wins for the Z10 and will help as it tries to stand out in a crowded market.
*We disliked
The jury is still out on BlackBerry 10. On one hand it's great to see an exciting new operating system but on the other it's a completely new learning curve for everyone, and some may not be willing to learn.
BB 10 came across a little confusing a times, with the lack of a clear back button leading us to question how we return to the previous screen, while gestures took some time to fully grasp.
As the BlackBerry Z10 is set to be the flagship phone for BlackBerry and its new BB10 platform, we were a little disappointed with its obviously plastic case, which doesn't exactly exude premium quality.
BlackBerry said that the BB10 keyboard is the best typing experience on a touchscreen smartphone, but we weren't bowled over by the offering on the Z10.
It's a perfectly serviceable option, but in our eyes it doesn't quite hit the mark in the same way as the likes of SwiftKey on Android.
The lack of apps in BlackBerry World will remain a concern until we see the big hitters turn up, while some of the stock BlackBerry 10 apps seemed to lack features such as the camera, music and video applications.
Final verdict
The Z10 is a decent smartphone offering up a strong range of features and a fancy new operating system that may catch the eye of the technologically adventurous.
It does pretty much everything we'd expect from a high-end device and there are no major flaws to go running to the presses about.
That said, the Z10 also lacks any killer selling points. It's hard to find reasons why we'd recommend this over say the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or Nokia Lumia 920 - all of which are around the same price as the Z10.
Things haven't been helped by the Samsung Galaxy S3 getting a healthy price cut after the announcement of the Galaxy S4, meaning the more powerful, bigger screened and featured packed handset is now £100 cheaper than the Z10.
The unproven operating system and severe lack of headlining applications will turn a lot of consumers off at point of sale, and it's the image of the BlackBerry brand as a whole which needs to be worked on fast if it stands a chance of winning back the hearts of the general public.
The BlackBerry Z10 has the weight of a whole company on its plastic shoulders. It's holding up, but we're not sure for how long
Via : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review
The BlackBerry Z10 is the first handset from the company formerly known as RIM, now renamed BlackBerry, to run its new operating system BlackBerry 10, and there's much more on the line here than simply making a few pennies – arguably the company's survival rests on the success of this device and the BlackBerry Q10.
It's no secret that BlackBerry has been on the rocks for the past year or so, with the company even admitting that it hasn't been in the best shape of late, and the 4G toting Z10 is the start of what is hoped to be a successful revolution.
Since its launch a few months ago the BlackBerry Z10 has received a software update which has seen things become more stable, plus the app store has also witnessed some new arrivals, so we've taken the time to update the keys parts of our review with the latest information.
In the UK the handset has witnessed a slight price drop since launch and you can pick up the Z10 free on contracts starting at £32 per month, while you'll need to fork out a still princely £470 if you want it SIM-free.
The US was only treated to the BlackBerry Z10 in late March, available for around $199.99 on contract and about $630 SIM-free.
Sporting a 4.2-inch 1280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and its steep price tag, the BlackBerry Z10 finds itself jostling for position with the Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5
Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic that mimics the general aesthetical design of many a smartphone these days.
The Z10 is a little bezel-heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset.
It all seems a little unnecessary but luckily it doesn't make the BlackBerry Z10 overly cumbersome, with the handset measuring a comfortable 130 x 65.6 x 9mm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.4 inches).
Weight wise the BlackBerry Z10 finds a happy medium – weighing 137.5g (4.85 oz), it's nowhere near as heavy as the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, yet it's not as feather light as the iPhone 5.
*We liked
The BlackBerry Z10 is a decent all round phone sporting a pleasing 4.2-inch HD display, a camera which can take some good shots and a messaging hub which could be the envy of some other platforms.
Web browsing deserves a special mention as we were seriously impressed with the speed of the BlackBerry Z10 when it came to loading pages.
It's great to see a free mapping and navigation solution on board the Z10, even though it may not be the best service on the market.
The expandable storage, removable battery and Adobe Flash support are all small wins for the Z10 and will help as it tries to stand out in a crowded market.
*We disliked
The jury is still out on BlackBerry 10. On one hand it's great to see an exciting new operating system but on the other it's a completely new learning curve for everyone, and some may not be willing to learn.
BB 10 came across a little confusing a times, with the lack of a clear back button leading us to question how we return to the previous screen, while gestures took some time to fully grasp.
As the BlackBerry Z10 is set to be the flagship phone for BlackBerry and its new BB10 platform, we were a little disappointed with its obviously plastic case, which doesn't exactly exude premium quality.
BlackBerry said that the BB10 keyboard is the best typing experience on a touchscreen smartphone, but we weren't bowled over by the offering on the Z10.
It's a perfectly serviceable option, but in our eyes it doesn't quite hit the mark in the same way as the likes of SwiftKey on Android.
The lack of apps in BlackBerry World will remain a concern until we see the big hitters turn up, while some of the stock BlackBerry 10 apps seemed to lack features such as the camera, music and video applications.
Final verdict
The Z10 is a decent smartphone offering up a strong range of features and a fancy new operating system that may catch the eye of the technologically adventurous.
It does pretty much everything we'd expect from a high-end device and there are no major flaws to go running to the presses about.
That said, the Z10 also lacks any killer selling points. It's hard to find reasons why we'd recommend this over say the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z or Nokia Lumia 920 - all of which are around the same price as the Z10.
Things haven't been helped by the Samsung Galaxy S3 getting a healthy price cut after the announcement of the Galaxy S4, meaning the more powerful, bigger screened and featured packed handset is now £100 cheaper than the Z10.
The unproven operating system and severe lack of headlining applications will turn a lot of consumers off at point of sale, and it's the image of the BlackBerry brand as a whole which needs to be worked on fast if it stands a chance of winning back the hearts of the general public.
The BlackBerry Z10 has the weight of a whole company on its plastic shoulders. It's holding up, but we're not sure for how long
Via : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review
posted from Bloggeroid
Sign up here with your email
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon