06-28-2014 09:21 AM
Okay, so i've been a long time Blackberry supporter, or maybe it's that I like to support Canadian companies, but i'm not sure how I feel about the new devices slated for release this year.
At first glance I thought the Blackberry Classic was the best of the two, but now i'm leaning towards the Passport.
Yes, the Passport has a very design-forward (if that's the right term here, i'm still unsure) approach when compared to Blackberry's usually conservative design language, but I think that it offers the best value and future potential over the two devices being offered. The one hang-up for me in the keyboard layout. For decades now Blackberry has perfected the QWERTY smartphone. In fact, their followership was almost entirely amassed because they did one thing well: QWERTY. It's that one thing that make me lean back towards the Blackberry Classic. It's basically a Q10 on steroids.
All of that said, i've been an iPhone and Android guy for quite a while. I'm not sure I could live with a device with such a limited app ecosystem, even if they are adding the Amazon app store.
What does everyone else think of the two new Canadian devices?
06-28-2014 06:22 PM - edited 06-30-2014 11:35 PM
The Classic is for those attached to the navbelt. Love the precision the trackpad offers.
The Passport is for those who want a keyboard with maximum screen size (I so missed the 9810 slider). Blackberry removed the bottom key row for additional screen space. In someways it's squarish like the Porsche design, but without the price tag. Thankfully they won't reduce the buttons to 2... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KhZKNZO8mQ
Gonna make my decision in September to see which fits better in my hands.
06-29-2014 03:18 AM
I have the Q10 but the Passport look's good too, I like the fact that it's bigger and the specs are good too, but I'm going to stick with the Q10 for now because when BB gets like the other guys,they will have something new every 4 months.
06-29-2014 11:24 AM - edited 06-29-2014 11:25 AM
Huh.... the Q10 has been out for 12 months now. Where are you getting a 4 month cycle?
06-29-2014 10:19 PM - edited 06-29-2014 10:46 PM
BTW... while we are waiting for Passport to be released... I discovered the Snap emulator that gives my Q10 new life.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPtlAy7vmO0
Main limitation is the Q10 screen size/dimensions that messes up some apps.
06-29-2014 10:40 PM
Awesome! I didn't know there was an app for that. See what I did there? lol
Have you seen the pre-release review of the Passport? Just posted today: http://crackberry.com/exclusive-pre-release-review-blackberry-passport
06-29-2014 11:17 PM
06-29-2014 07:01 PM
06-29-2014 09:06 PM
You've lost me @Newfdogg
Apple was a bad example, as they only release one-two phones every twelve months. Maybe you meant to compare to Samsung? 😛
The # of devices aside, Blackberry's target market has changed, at least for the next few devices they plan on releasing. They are targeting business professionals, not consumers.
07-07-2014 10:08 PM
07-24-2014 11:34 AM
I'm very impressed with the Passport. Having converted to full touch (Z10 and then Z30) - I have come to love BlackBerry's smart virtual keyboard. The predictive, contextual, personalized suggestions via flick-typing are really great. Swiping for deletion & changing keyboard layouts is really intuitive and quick.
Now to see that they've incorporated some of these same features into a physical keyboard throws a bit of a curveball at me. I really thought I had migrated beyond qwerty keyboard devices.... but these features have me very interested in purchasing the Passport:
Passport's positives:
As for the app situation - the 1:1 screen ratio had me concerned, after having both the Z30 & Q10 - I see the differences in app availability. Luckily though, the large 1440x1440 screen resolution apparently will accommodate 'zooming' of applications to allow for not only 1:1 applications, but also the more dominant 16:9 applications. That to this point, is rumor - but will be the clincher for me as to whether or not I will consider replacing my Z30 with it. September can't come soon enough.
09-11-2014 07:44 AM
Passport looks awesome. Can't wait for Telus to bring it to their stores. Nice design from Blackberry.