Back to BlackBerry: one editor’s 30-day trial run

BlackBerry 10 for 30 days

I confess, I’m intrigued by BlackBerry 10. Surprised? So am I. It’s been easy to pre-emptively count BlackBerry out of the smartphone wars based on its performance over the last two or three years, but there’s an element of mystique and personality that have made me quite curious to give the new OS a shot. While Wednesday’s BB10 launch answered a lot of questions, it also raised a lot of new ones. Most of the mysteries revolve around its ecosystem, hardware quality, competitive advantages / disadvantages and if the platform can persuade Android and iOS users to switch. As a former Pearl and Curve owner, I want — nay, need — to determine for myself how well BlackBerry’s latest effort holds up against its rivals. Thus, I have decided to use the BlackBerry Z10 as my sole device and daily driver for thirty days.

From now until March 3rd, I’ll experience nearly every aspect of BB10: the UI and its learning curve, its performance and battery life, BlackBerry World, the highly praised virtual keyboard and how well it can handle my work load. I’ll even use the phone at MWC, a major international trade show in which I’ll be even more dependent on my mobile than usual. Throughout this process I’ll be documenting my thoughts, feelings and emotions and deliver them in a regular series of weekly posts. By the end, we’ll see whether or not BB10 can win my heart; is it a suitable replacement for the average iOS or Android user, or does the company still have a difficult path ahead of it? Time will tell, and I’m eager to find out.

Note: If you want to keep updated on my posts, be sure to use the “BradBerry” tag!

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Distro Issue 76: Will a duo of phones and a new OS bring BlackBerry back to life?

Distro Issue 76 Will a duo of new phones and a new OS be enough to bring BlackBerry back to life

After delays and a software preview, RIM BlackBerry finally pulled the wraps off of it’s new hardware and operating system that we’d been looking for the end of January to bring. In this week’s edition of our e-publication, we take a look at all of the wares that the Canadian company unveiled in order to determine if it’s enough to reinvent the outfit. We also rundown the history of the unit formally known as Research in Motion to paint a complete picture of the road leading up to this week’s proceedings. Of course, there’s more than just BlackBerry stuffs to peruse. Hands-On visits NAMM 2013, Weekly Stat tallies up earnings season and we get cozy with the Pebble Smartwatch. There’s plenty of time for a bit of weekend reading, so head to your favorite repository to snag the goods.

Distro Issue 76 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store

Distro in the Windows Store

Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

BlackBerry Q10 flashes pearly whites in brief debut

Blackberry Q10 flashes pearly whites in brief sortie

A previously unseen BlackBerry Q10 in alluring white made a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it appearance at last night’s BlackBerry 10 Experience event in New York. Crackberry was on hand to snap a few photos before the 3.1-inch, dual-processor toting device went back into the pocket of BlackBerry CMO Frank Boulben. The color certainly lends it a heaping dose of James Bond-esque elegance, to our eyes — as for our other thoughts on the physical-key toting handset, check our recent hands-on.

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Source: Crackberry

Editorial: Engadget on BlackBerry 10

Editorial Engadget on BlackBerry 10

January 30th has been circled on our calendars for quite some time. It’s the day that Research in Motion (now known as BlackBerry) officially pulled the curtains away from its next-gen BlackBerry OS — aka BB 10 — revealing all of its secrets to the world after no less than 15 months of development. Don’t underestimate the importance of this move; this is just the beginning of BlackBerry’s battle to remain relevant in the mobile industry. Now that BlackBerry 10 devices are ready to spend time in the public eye, what does our editorial staff think about the products — as well as BlackBerry’s future? Engadget sounds off about BlackBerry 10 after the break.

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The Engadget Mobile Podcast: BlackBerry 10 edition, live at 4pm ET!

The Engadget Mobile Podcast BlackBerry 10 edition, live at TKTKpm!

We’re not saying that the entire podcast will dedicated to today’s launch of BlackBerry 10, but let’s face it — that’s the news of the week, and there’s a lot to talk about. We’re hoping to be joined by some special guests as we discuss the new phones and what it means for the future of RIM. Regardless of who joins us, however, it’s going to be a great podcast, so make sure to tune in!

January 30, 2013 4:00 PM EST

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BlackBerry Z10 vs. the competition: fight!

BlackBerry has finally, officially unveiled its maiden BB10 flagship, all-touch device, the Z10, and you can read all about RIM BlackBerry’s new handset in our review. But, if you’re looking to see how it and BB10 stack up against the competition running Android, iOS and Windows Phone, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our chart below for all the specs you can handle.

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BlackBerry 10 event roundup

BlackBerry 10 event roundup

A lot of news came out of BlackBerry’s camp this morning, and it’s quite possible you may have missed a fair amount of it. Fear not, readers: we decided to bundle all of the news together into one convenient place so you can pick and choose what coverage you want to follow. Head below the break and you’ll be greeted by a full listing of all things BlackBerry and BB10.

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BlackBerry 10 launch event video now available for replay

BlackBerry 10 launch event video now available for replay

Looking to catch up with what was surely one of the most important events for the company formerly known as RIM? You can do so with our liveblog, or you can now watch (or rewatch) the entire keynote courtesy of a video replay BlackBerry had made available. Hit the source link to get started — the whole thing runs just over an hour.

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Source: BlackBerry

BlackBerry 10 app roundup: Social, games, news and more

BlackBerry 10 app roundup Social, games, news and more

Beyond the several standard applications unveiled today for BlackBerry 10, RIM’s got a much, much longer list of standouts from the BlackBerry World store to share. The New York Times, ESPN, and BBC are just a few of the biggies on the list, as well as a flock of Angry Birds heading up the gaming charge. Head past the break for a taste of those 70,000 apps RIM’s touting.

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BlackBerry Z10 gets clip-on speakerphone, charger bundle and cases galore

BlackBerry Z10 gets clipon speakerphone, charger bundle and cases galore

No launch of a new flagship is complete without a few new accessories to go along with it. While RIM is still banking big on the NFC-powered Music Gateway, it wasn’t about to let the Z10 sit around with no new friends to keep it company. Obviously, a BlackBerry isn’t a BlackBerry with out few leather holsters to keep it strapped to your hip. The fancy leather cases (both the “Holster” and the “Pocket”) even have a magnet inside them that automatically turns off the display on your Z10 when it’s slipped inside. The rotating holster will set customers back $40, while the Pocket, with its fewer moving parts, will cost only $30. There are other cases on the horizon too, the Transform Shell and Flip Shell, which feature build in kickstands and basic protection in standard black or bright red. Both shells will retail for $35 when they hit shelves.

A bit more intriguing is the BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker, a tiny speaker phone that pairs using Bluetooth and has a unique “U” shape that allows you to clip it on to a seatbelt or (shudder) a lapel. The little white speaker will launch alongside the Z10 for $99. The charging bundle is pretty simple at first glance — it contains a spare battery and a separate charging cradle for $50. But, upon closer inspection, you’ll realize the charger has a microUSB out, for pushing power to any device with a compatible adapter. We’re sure more fun accessories are in the pipeline too, once third parties start updating there product lines.

Mat Smith contributed to this report.

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