BlackBerry Z3 full review: Good buy for those looking for an upgrade

 


The BlackBerry Z3 has a lot going for it and a lot riding on it. It is the most affordable BlackBerry 10 device that could theoretically help the Canadian smartphone maker recreate the success of the Curve 8520 which literally made the once top management phone a household name. But does the phone have the oomph to take on the likes of the Moto G and Nokia 630 which offer good features at slightly cheaper price points?
Quick Tech Specs: 5-inch qHD 540 x 960p display | Dual Core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8230 processor | 1.5GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD up to 32GB | 5MP rear camera with AF, 1.1MP front camera | micro-SIM (GSM) | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4 | 2500 mAH battery | BlackBerry OS 10.2.1
Price: Rs 15,900
Design: The Z3 first reminds you of the Z10, the BlackBerry BB10 flagship from last year. Then the Z10 is larger and slightly thicker. But the design language is the same. The phone weighs 164g and it feels good in your hand. The all-black finish and the textured back make the phone look and feel very businesslike. There are four buttons on the left, while a slim flap on the right reveals the SIM and SD card slot.
Screen: The Z3 is a phablet thanks to its 5-inch qHD display. The qHD display is obviously not as good as HD or Full HD, but you would not be able to make out the difference in resolution with at least 720p. Given the price, BlackBerry could have pushed for HD, but the present screen is not going to affect your experience in anyway. And that is what matters. If you need better resolution there is Miracast to beam content to a larger screen.
Performance: Performance is not an issue with this phone at least the way it is meant to be used. Multi-tasking it easy and you have work on a maximum of four apps at the same time. Even with four apps frozen, performance does not lag even a bit. The phone also stays cool most of the time, which is a big help these days.
Memory: The Z3 comes with 8GB internal storage, which is pretty much standard these days in this price range. And you can add extra storage with the SD card. The phone also comes preloaded with BoX, DropBox and Evernote, which add a few gigs between them.
Connectivity: Never a problem with a BlackBerry phone. The Z3 uphold this legacy well.
Software: The Z3 runs the 10.2.1 version of the BB10 OS. There are lot of new features in the OS, most it should have had in the first place if you ask me. But now notifications appear and can be acted upon on top of the app you are on. There is a very Android-inspired pull down settings panel and quick sharing from anywhere.  But what really adds an edge to the OS is its ability to accept most Android apps. A few don’t work on the platform, but those that do plug the biggest gap that buyers have found in this operating system. With the next version of the OS, scheduled to come out in a few months, users will get full access to the Amazon app store too.
Camera: You don’t buy a BlackBerry for its camera, they have always been decent. It performs reasonably well in low light and is good in daylight. Plus, you can click by just touching the screen, which is always welcome in this selfie era.
Battery: The battery can last you a working day on a full charge. For those who don’t use data all the time, the phone could end up squeezing a few more hours of juice.
Verdict: The Z3 definitely has enough features and usability to prevent its loyal users from moving out to other platforms. However, I am not sure the platform offers enough incentives for those on other OS to jump ship. At a lower price point, maybe BlackBerry could have started wooing a lot of people who were looking to buy their first Android powered smartphones. That opportunity seems to have been lost for now.

Mobile Review: BlackBerry's new Q5 is smart and capable

BlackBerry launched its mid-range Q5 handset on Tuesday afternoon in New Delhi, at a price of Rs.24,990

Why is this handset a big deal? Because BlackBerry's revival rested on its all-new BB 10 software - but the only two BB 10 handsets that have been launched so far have been priced too high to make a difference to markets such as India. The Z10 came in at Rs.43k, and the keyboard-equipped Q10, at a staggering Rs.45k price that was universally criticized.
So while much of the world didn't get very excited about the Q5, India's mobile market has been very curious about it.
The Q5 is a much cheaper Q10. At just over half the price, it gives you almost a Q10-like experience: the same software, in a cheaper package. Where the Q10 felt premium and heavy, with aluminium touches, the all-plastic Q5 is lighter, but feels sturdy - and is in fact easier to hold than the Q10.
In deference to its much lower price, BlackBerry worked hard at distinguishing the Q5, starting with the keypad. It borrows the old Curve model's smaller but more-spaced-out keypad, making the Q5 look older than the Q10. Unlike other reviewers, though, I find I'm typing faster on the Q5's keypad.
The Q5's touch-screen has the same 3.1" square size and 720x720 pixel resolution as the Q10's, but uses LCD (instead of the Q10's more modern AMOLED), making it whiter if mildly less capable in bright sunlight. Yet I found the Q5 touchscreen easier to use, for there's more space under the screen, making it easier to swipe up - an action you use often, to get out of an app.
So the two are well matched. The Q5 is slightly slower, but doesn't feel sluggish. Both use dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and 2 GB of memory, but the Q5 runs at 1.2 GHz against the Q10's 1.5 GHz. However, I didn't really load it with apps (there aren't that many BlackBerry 10 apps yet, anyway). Web browser performance on both handsets is terrible.
My one real disappointment with the Q5 is the 5 Mp (megapixel) camera, down from the Q10's 8 Mp. The resolution doesn't really matter, but the Q5 clearly has a cheaper sensor. Outdoor daylight shots are okay, but indoor or low-light shots are mediocre, noisy. There's poor comparison with, say, the HTC One's brilliant 4 Mp sensor, or even the old Phone 4's 5 Mp sensor.
My other disappointment is common to both Q5 and Q10 - the overwhelming touch metaphor. You can't even make or end a call, or speed-dial, without using the touch screen - which makes it a pain to call or answer when driving. The old "call end" button was a great way to exit apps, but now it's all touch. There's no "BlackBerry" key either, to give you quick, context-sensitive menu options on everything - for instance to quickly forward an SMS as an email.
Overall, though, the BlackBerry Q5 is very capable, and, compared to the Q10, very good value. It matches the Q10 on many counts, and if you can live with sacrificing the Q10's cooler look and feel, is the handset to buy. If you want to buy a BlackBerry!
And therein lies the rub. There aren't all that many BlackBerry loyalists. The Q5 isn't sexy enough to make users switch from Android or iPhone. It isn't cheap enough to get low-end-BB users to upgrade from their older Curve.
So we're back to the price. A Rs.25k price still doesn't give BlackBerry a market-saver in India. It desperately needs phones in the Rs.10-15k price range. Yes, there are those old BB 7 handsets, but they are, well, old.
Still, the Q5 is good value, and all the more so because BB 10 no longer requires you to pay for BlackBerry service. You just need a 3G plan. This isn't great for the company - BlackBerry loses some of its service revenue - but it's nice for the user. For now, this is the handset I'm going to be using.

RIM loses BlackBerry subscribers

RIM loses BlackBerry subscribers for the first time

  

 BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has announced that it lost subscribers for the first time in the latest quarter, as the global number of BlackBerry users dipped to 79 million.

Three months ago, RIM had 80 million subscribers. Analysts said the loss of 1 million subscribers was expected. Once coveted symbols of an always-connected lifestyle, BlackBerry phones have lost their luster to Apple's iPhone and phones that run on Google's Android software.

In a rare positive sign, the Canadian company added to its cash position during the quarter as it prepared to launch new smartphones on January 30. The new devices are deemed critical to the company's survival.

Shares of the company were hit last week in after-hours trading after the BlackBerry maker said it plans to change the way it charges fees.

RIM's stock initially jumped more than 8 per cent on Thursday in after-hours trading on the news, but then fell $1.48, or 10.4 per cent, to $12.65 after RIM said on a conference call that it won't generate as much revenue from telecommunications carriers once it releases the new BlackBerry 10 platform.

RIM's stock had been on a three-month rally that has seen the stock more than double from its lowest level since 2003.

RIM is changing the way it charges service fees, putting an important source of revenue at risk.

RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has said only subscribers who want enhanced security will pay fees under the new system.

"Other subscribers who do not utilise such services are expected to generate less or no service revenue," Heins said. "The mix in level of service fees revenue will change going forward and will be under pressure over the next year during this transition."

RIM is banking its future on its much-delayed BlackBerry 10 platform, which is meant to offer the multimedia, Internet browsing and apps experience that customers now demand.

"We believe the company has stabilised and will turn the corner in the next year," Heins said. He noted that the company's cash holdings grew by $600 million in the quarter to $2.9 billion, even after the funding of all its restructuring costs. RIM previously announced 5,000 layoffs this year.

Heins said subscribers in North America showed the largest decline, but said there is growth overseas.

RIM posted net income of $14 million, or 3 cents per share for its fiscal third quarter, which ended December 1. That compares with a profit of $265 million, or 51 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

The latest figure includes a favorable tax settlement. Excluding that adjustment, RIM lost 22 cents per share.

RIM reported revenue of $2.7 billion, down 47 per cent from a year ago.