What's a Blackberry?
Sad shop-shelf-clinging BlackBerry Z10 AXED ... in price, contracts
Having failed to set the world on fire, BlackBerry's flagship Z10 smartphone is now being touted at knockdown prices. The touchscreen-driven Z10 was BlackBerry's comeback device when it was launched at the end of January. But it was priced alongside top-end devices from Apple and Samsung with premium tariffs - more than £30 …
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Tuesday 6th August 2013 04:01 GMT ecarlseen
You don't just buy a smartphone... you buy into an application ecosystem and, to a certain degree, a fashion statement. Blackberry refused to evolve while it was still healthy in both of those areas ("I am a serious businessperson! Can't you see my Blackberry that I pull out every four seconds to check my e-mail?!??"). Palm (better apps, "Look at me! I'm a smart person with cool gadgets!") tried to evolve, but wasn't even remotely fast enough... even so, the nuclear detonation of the iPhone launch on the cell phone industry might have killed it anyway.
What's funny is now the biggest smartphone fashion statement is case vs. no case....
What's funnier is people who complain about Apple's walled garden (which is certainly problematic in many areas) and ignore Google's business model - which is comprised entirely of collecting as much data as they can about you so they can target you with ads (and occasionally give you up to the government).
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Tuesday 6th August 2013 08:30 GMT Anonymous Coward
I really like my z10
As a developer I have to use all devices, IOS Android etc and out of choice my personal phone is a Z10. Obviously your preference might be different. I'm not an app junky I like the Web browser, I like that it runs flash. It has a built in word processing, a good camera, even HD video recording. The UI is simple and easy to use. I can type on it quicker then a computer which is some what surprising to me.
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Tuesday 6th August 2013 08:30 GMT wolfetone
Three damn weeks...
I upgraded my old BlackBerry Torch for a Z10 just over 3 weeks ago. Yesterday it developed a battery issue where by it only lasts 5 hours (after going weeks lasting 2 full days between charges). Got to go to Carphone Warehouse tomorrow to try and get a replacement. Hey, I may be able to get one without too much arguments now!
That said, the Z10 is a great phone. The keyboard is awesome, takes getting used to but once you do it's actually better than most onscreen keyboards (except the Windows Phone keyboard - I found that very good). Are app's really an issue? I wouldn't say it was. If you can get apps for the basic most used stuff, then there is nothing that can't be found on the BlackBerry App World. The camera is good, the timeshift is a good idea although I've only used it once.
The Hub is just brilliant. Again, it needs to be used to appreciate it and to get used to it, but it's handy to just pop up from the bottom to the right and peak at who's emailed you and stuff. Trust me, you do use this more often than you think you would.
Like the PlayBook, a reduced price Z10 will prove a bargain to some people. The phone is good (albeit for this crappy battery problem mine's developed) and as is said in the article it does the basics well. But, haters gonna hate, aren't they?
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Tuesday 6th August 2013 08:38 GMT Anonymous Coward
Losing the tween's market too?
From my own straw poll of my daughter and her mates, the Blackberry is now out of fashion. My daughter has an old BB wants a SGS3 at a minimum, 2 of her mates have SGS2s and 4 others want iPhone or Samsung Galaxy's.
My company is dumping BB, those who need phones are being offered iPhone 5 or Galaxy 4, no BB available anymore. We've been a BB shop for the last 4 years.
Obviously that's just a tiny group of people but if that's reflected among all those texting teenagers and company accounts out there, all that could be more nails in BB's coffin.
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Tuesday 6th August 2013 10:32 GMT Paw Bokenfohr
I don't think it really has any USPs
Think the issue with BB phones in general is that they have lost their USPs.
BBM - matched by (eg) iMessage and all of those locked in systems are bettered by Viber, WhatsApp and so on. Heml.is Messenger may be a contender in the future too.
Enterprise Mail - you can do this on all platforms now.
Security - for most, you can get adequate security in the iPhone, leaving aside the argument that all phones and systems are inherently insecure when the government can access at will.
Physical keyboard - this is probably still the Q10's USP. But I think that few worry about it now. Many of us have large hands and fingers, and prefer a landscape keyboard or something like SwiftKey or Swype, and most everyone else is happy enough with the touchscreen keyboards when you factor in the advantage of extra screen real estate when it's not there.
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Wednesday 7th August 2013 10:49 GMT Sutton Stourmead
Update 10.1.0.4181
Left WP7 in April to join the BB10 gang, and was loving it untill today...
I updated my Z10 to software release 10.1.0.4181 this morning before breakfast - was too groggy to think about checking the forums first.
I thought it was odd that i had to re-enter all my email account passwords again after the update, but then the true horror dawned upon me.
IT JUST WIPED ALL MY SMS AND MMS MESSAGES.
Blackberry has betrayed my trust , it's that simple. I'm in a mind to get a swap out this lunchtime for something else.