When BlackBerry was looking for a buyer to take it private, there was a lot of speculation about the future of its hardware business. Some analysts expected that whoever bought the company would shut the division down, but that didn’t happen. The new CEO John Chen has reiterated BlackBerry’s commitment to the consumer market and clarified that the hardware business isn’t going away anytime soon. Though significant changes do need to be made, given that the company hasn’t been able to come up with a hit smartphone in quite a long time. It seems BlackBerry is going back to its roots and once again embracing the full QWERTY keyboard.
Die-hard BlackBerry users would still argue that there’s nothing like typing on a full QWERTY keyboard touting device manufactured by the Canadian company. On the other hand, the market is increasingly shifting towards smartphone with large full-screen displays. BlackBerry CEO John Chen says that the company’s future smartphones will “predominantly” tout physical keyboards, “I personally love the keyboards,” said Chen in an interview with Bloomberg Television. It could mean that the high-end devices that BlackBerry will continue to manufacture in-house will tout physical keyboards, whereas the low-end and mid-range devices that Foxconn will be tasked with for emerging markets may come with full-screen displays. The first device to come out of the BB-Foxconn collaboration is said to tout a full-screen display. BlackBerry is expected to release two high-end devices in 2014, so far it hasn’t dropped any major hints about them.
SwiftKey has rolled out the latest beta app update. This one brings the app up to version 4.3.0.139, but before anyone knocks this as simply being a bug fixing update in the beta process — there are some worthwhile changes and improvements this time around. The folks at SwiftKey have this listed as bringing “layouts […]
If touch keyboards aren’t your thing, new pics leaked today that supposedly show the Motorola Droid 5 sporting a QWERTY slider keyboard ought to pique your interest. The photos show the slider lacking the capacitive buttons the previous gen phone had with the addition of wireless charging and a shockproof water resistant design. Other features […]
BlackBerry needs a new smartphone for the mass market, and the BlackBerry Q5 is its attempt to deliver. Cheaper than the Q10, though offering another sturdy QWERTY keyboard for text-addicts, the Q5 pares back the specifications (and, it has to be said, the design) to boost the BlackBerry 10 line-up by 50-percent. Is it third time lucky for the plucky Canadian company, or three strikes and you’re out? Read on for the SlashGear review.
Hardware
We criticized the Z10 and Q10 before it as restrained and relatively uninspired in their design; the BlackBerry Q5 elevates those qualities to new levels of blandness. Where the Q10 had, at least, its curvaceous corners and sturdy, bracing struts delineating the QWERTY rows, the Q5 gets none of that. Blunt edged, the matte plastic errs on the bland side of sturdy, and there’s a little more creak to the casing than we’d like to see, given the back panel is non-removable. The color variants – which BlackBerry didn’t have for us to review – look better than the black.
The physical keyboard is clicky and easy to type on, the tiny keys themselves more separated than those on the Q10, but no less flex-free. Above is another 3.1-inch, 720 x 720 touchscreen, though here using an LCD TFT panel rather than the Q10′s Super AMOLED. It’s a solid panel, though, with the pixel density high enough to make it pleasingly detailed to the eye. Unlike on the Q10, meanwhile, the BlackBerry logo has been shifted in-between ‘board and display, meaning there’s more room for your finger to swipe up, starting off the bottom edge of the touchscreen, and dismiss apps. That was tricky to do on the Q10 at times, given the comparatively narrow gap on that phone.
The volume and mute keys run along the right edge, while the lock/power button – a lone lozenge of chrome – is on the top, by the 3.5mm headphones jack. The microUSB port is on the left edge, above a hatching hiding both SIM and microSD slots, the latter good for adding up to 64GB to the Q5′s 8GB of onboard storage, half what you’d get on a Q10 (and only half of which is actually free, once the OS has had its way). The processor is slower, too, a 1.2GHz dual-core, though still paired with 2GB of RAM. We had no issues with the speed the Q5 moves at in most tasks.
On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with an f/2.4 lens and 1080p HD video recording. A 2-megapixel fixed-focus camera is above the display, good for up to 720p HD video, and by the traditional red notification LED. Inside, there’s quadband LTE and HSPA+ (up to 42Mbps), along with quadband GSM/EDGE, WiFi b/g/n (2.4GHz only), and Bluetooth 4.0. GPS and NFC are included, together with an accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, gyroscope, and an ambient light sensor. No HDMI port, however, though there’s DLNA streaming if your TV is network-connected.
Software
BlackBerry 10.1 makes its second appearance on the Q5, the slightly modified version of BlackBerry’s QNX-based platform. For the most part, it’s unchanged from the platform we reviewed comprehensively back in our original Z10 review, which we’d recommend reading first. For the QWERTY devices, however, 10.1 throws in support for universal search and some other keyboard-centric tweaks.
For instance, start typing “Text XYZ” and you’ll have the option to send a text message to a contact of that name, as well as seeing any search results for the phrase. “Tweet XYZ” throws out a new Twitter message, and you can do the same with Facebook.
BlackBerry 10′s main conceit is the unified inbox and the way it pipes its notifications to you. Swipe all the way to the left and you’ll find an homogenized mailbox containing email, Twitter, and other messages, though it’s also possible to view them on a per-account basis. When the red light starts blinking, you can swipe up and across the display to “peek” at the notification bar, which shows how many new calls, messages, and other alerts you have; finish the swipe and you’ll rocket to the inbox itself to read them.
It works, though its charm is very much dependent on what device you were using before. BlackBerry 7 device owners will probably enjoy the greater detail as to what’s new, having been used to just the red LED before. Those coming from Android or iOS, however, will likely find the pull-down notification bars of each platform offer more in the way of information than BlackBerry 10′s system. In short, it works, but it doesn’t really work any better than anything else.
It’s a similar story in the camera app, which has the Time Shift photo system – allowing you to piece faces from multiple frames into a single shot, getting everybody’s expression right in the process – BlackBerry is so keen to talk about, but which we’ve seen on Nokia and HTC devices too. Story Maker is a neat way to package up several images with Instagram-style filters and a background track but, aside from the novelty of being able to pick your own music, HTC’s automatic Highlight reel on the One is arguably more gratifying.
BlackBerry Messenger has long been the company’s wildcard, the popular IM service which demanded a BlackBerry handset in order to participate in. BBM hasn’t been slow to see updates, however, too, including Screen Share to show your IM friends exactly what’s going on (though they can’t take control of the phone to, say, walk you through a presentation or game) and video chatting. In the coming months, though, BBM will be released for iOS and Android, and while the apps won’t have all the BlackBerry 10 features to begin with, that seems only a matter of time.
If it sounds like we’re being hard on BlackBerry 10, there’s a caveat. The OS isn’t bad, certainly – the multitasker interface, which shrinks apps down to thumbnails that can still show some key, live-updating information, is neat – but neither does it offer most users a compelling advantage over more established platforms from Google and Apple. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry World app store is still lacking the breadth of titles its rivals boast, and while the situation is improving, too many of them are juddering Android ports rather than native code. It’s a bind Microsoft finds itself in, to a similar extent, with Windows Phone, but we’d argue Windows Phone is more approachable for new smartphone users than BlackBerry 10 is.
Camera
BlackBerry had to cut some specifications somewhere on the Q5, and the camera is perhaps the most obvious place that has happened. 5-megapixels (versus the 8-megapixels of the Q10) puts it pretty much on a par with the mid-range smartphone norm, with an LED flash and 1080p video recording.
The Q5′s camera app loads quickly – unless you’re triggering it from the shortcut on the lockscreen, which demands you hold the icon down and then wait just long enough to usually miss your photo opportunity – and the touch-autofocus works swiftly too, as long as you remember to tap and hold (since just tapping takes the photo). The volume-down key also works as shutter-release, complete with a loud sound-effect that can’t be turned off.
In fact, the BlackBerry 10 camera app remains sparse in its settings: there’s the option of normal, digitally stabilized, burst, or HDR modes, whether the flash comes on or not, specific scenes for action, whiteboards, night, or “beach or snow” photography, and to flip between the front and rear cameras. However, beyond changing between 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9 aspect ratios, there’s no way to change the photo resolution.
The end result is unsurprisingly less detailed than the Q10, though solid as long as you give the Q5 sufficient light. Indoors, and in overcast conditions, the colors begin to get insipid and washed out; HDR mode can salvage things, but also has a tendency to over-brighten areas of the frame. There’s no mistaking the fuzziness and lacking detail, however, aspects we didn’t observe on the Q10.
As for video, there’s the option to use the LED flash as a camera light (though not toggle it on and off mid-filming), and the choice between 720p and 1080p recording. The same tap-and-hold focus system is present, though we found the Q5 sometimes struggled to keep a lock on faster-moving subjects.
BlackBerry Q5 1080p video sample:
Phone and Battery
Business users rejoice: it’s another loud BlackBerry that clings tenaciously to a signal. The Q5′s speaker isn’t the most poised we’ve heard – it’s more raucous than refined with music playback, for instance – but it cranks up loud enough for impromptu speakerphone duty and, since it’s on the bottom edge rather than the rear of the phone, is audible whether the handset is placed face up or down.
As for the 2,180 mAh battery, BlackBerry quotes up to 12.5hrs of 3G talk time or up to two weeks of 3G standby from a full charge. In practice, on a 3G network, we got through a full work day on a single charge, based on average mixed use – emails, messaging, some camera and GPS use, and some media playback. Video and media streaming took their toll, however, and despite the relatively small screen to power, the Q5 was demanding a recharge by early evening when we asked it to entertain us for longer periods.
Wrap-Up
There’s an over-aching sense, about the Q5, that it’s not for us; the common smartphone user at large. Instead, it’s more like BlackBerry’s play for the mainstream enterprise: the market that has sustained the Canadian company for so long. BlackBerry 10 is making slow inroads there – the company claims a large chunk of the Fortune 500 is at least trialling the OS, with a few firms signing up to a few thousand Z10 and Q10 sales – but what’s needed is a relatively affordable model, something big businesses can roll out to the legions of middle-management.
On that level, the Q5 does make some sense. BlackBerry’s attitude to pricing is likely to be mighty flexible – worn down by a challenger’s position in the segment – if you’re looking to outfit a couple of thousand people with the touch-and-type handset. For everyone else, though it’s a less compelling proposition.
What gives us most pause about the Q5 is its price. It may have half the name of the Q10, but it doesn’t have half the RRP: in fact, SIM-free in the UK where sales have already begun, the Q5 is £320 ($477) including tax, versus £480 ($715) for the Q10. Sign up to a contract, and you’ll spend just £8 ($12) per month more for the Q10 than the Q5. We’d argue not only that the Q10 is still too expensive for what you get – though we’d prefer it over the Q10 – but that the Q5 isn’t as cheap as it really needs to be. If you’re determined to get a BlackBerry and must have a keyboard, then the Q10 should be your choice; everybody else will likely find more rewarding devices running Android or iOS.
With all of the BlackBerry news coming your way today, it’s easy to forget about the BlackBerry Q10 and that it’s coming to Verizon and T-Mobile in the US later next month. Both carriers made the announcement today that the new QWERTY-equipped Q10 running BlackBerry 10 will arrive at Verizon and T-Mobile in June, although exact dates weren’t disclosed.
As for the Verizon version, customers will have their pick at either the black or white model, with the white version being a Verizon exclusive. The carrier hasn’t announced any pricing details yet for the new device, but it’s likely that the phone will sell for $250 after signing a two-year contract with Big Red.
As for T-Mobile, they also mentioned a generic June release window, and since the company recently got off the contract bandwagon, you’ll be paying full price for the BlackBerry Q10 on T-Mobile, with a $99 down payment with 24 monthly payments of $20 a piece. This means you’ll be paying $580 for the phone, but like with other pre-paid plans, there’s no contract to hold you down over two years.
As for pre-orders, Verizon said that customers will be able to reserve their own Q10 unit sometime “in the coming weeks.” T-Mobile has yet to announce any pre-order plans, but we’re guessing they’ll let customers get in on the fun early by purchasing a unit ahead of time.
It was rumored back in February that the Q10 wouldn’t launch until this month at the earliest, with June also being a possible release window, and it seems that the rumors were true. We haven’t heard anything from AT&T yet, but they’ve already confirmed that they’ll be offering the new device, so we’re guessing that Ma Bell will release the Q10 around the same time as the other carriers.
There’s already a new BlackBerry 10 device with a full QWERTY physical keyboard, but there’s another one coming to town — or at least in other towns that aren’t getting the BlackBerry Q10. The BlackBerry Q5 was announced today, and it features a lot of what the Q10 has, including the touchscreen mixed with the physical keyboard, but it’ll be catered towards emerging markets around the world.
The BlackBerry Q5 is being marketed as the low-end brother of the Q10, and it’ll sport the same 3.1-inch touchscreen as the Q10, as well as the physical keyboard that button mashers will enjoy. It’ll also come with BlackBerry 10 on board, meaning that users will have access to new features like Time Shift mode in the camera app and BlackBerry Hub.
The will be launching in three colors at launch, which include black, white, red, and pink. The Q5 is set to launch in regions of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America starting at some point in July. The company didn’t announce a price for the new device, but we’re guessing it’ll be in the lower bracket as far as cost goes.
This is the third BlackBerry 10 device that the company has announced so far. The Q5 joins the Q10 and the flagship Z10 smartphones as BlackBerry’s trio of new devices that the company has announced this year. We know little specs about the Q5 right now, but we should be hearing more on that (as well as the price) when it gets closer to releasing later this summer.
BlackBerry also announced that the flagship Z10 in the US will be getting an update to BlackBerry 10.1 later this month. Exact dates aren’t yet known, as it seems each US carrier will have to decide for themselves on when exactly to release the update to their Z10 devices. As for what’s included in the update, it’s mostly some tweaks and performance improvements to the OS, including notification enhancements, but there’s also a new HDR mode for the camera app, as well as PIN-to-PIN messaging and email support.
Nokia has a new QWERTY phone today, and as we suspected it slots into the company’s cheaper Asha line, rather than being the keyboard-equipped Lumia many have been hoping for. The Asha 210 packs full-QWERTY into a candybar form-factor, but also includes a dedicated WhatsApp shortcut key, with free lifetime service on the cross-platform messaging app for anyone who buys the single- or dual-SIM versions of the phone.
Hit the WhatsApp button and you can jump straight into your conversations; alternatively, there’s integration into the Asha 210′s phonebook, with the ability to start specific chats with people from there. Nokia also loads a YouTube app, throws in the SLAM easy photo transfer system we first saw last year on the Asha 205 “Facebook” phone, and the data-squeezing Nokia Xpress Browser.
Otherwise, there’s WiFi and a 2-megapixel camera, the latter using Nokia’s self-portrait feature which works around the absence of a front-facing camera by instead giving voice prompts to help you frame your face properly. There’s also Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and other email account support.
Nokia claims up to 46 days battery life on the single-SIM version, while the dual-SIM Asha 210 will last for up to 24 days, the company claims. The latter can flick between its SIM cards without requiring a reboot, too.
The Asha 210 will go on sale in Q2 2013, priced from $72. It’ll be offered in yellow, cyan, black, magenta, and white.
Nokia has teased a new QWERTY device, using the company’s current primary-color scheme, though the phone seems unlikely to be the much-anticipated keyboard-equipped Lumia Windows Phone. Only a tiny glimpse of the handset – which will be officially revealed on Wednesday – has been shown so far, but Nokia has said that Mobile Phones technology marketing director Neil Broadley will be manning the Q&A session, implying that we’re looking at a new Asha device, not a true smartphone.
The physical similarities in design between Asha and Lumia have been increasing with Nokia’s more recent iterations, as the company plays on its distinctive color schemes. Asha phones are generally targeted at developing markets, but also the sort of low-cost prepay and SIM-free audiences who might currently be opting for a budget BlackBerry 7 handset.
That’s despite a history of well-esteemed QWERTY Nokia phones, with handsets like the E6 and the E7 finding favor for their tactile thumb-boards. Both ran Symbian, however, and came before Nokia’s transition to Windows Phone, an OS which has been poorly served by hardware keyboard devices.
Unfortunately, hopes that Nokia would deliver such a phone were all but dashed back at Mobile World Congress, when smartphone chief Jo Harlow told SlashGear that would-be users shouldn’t hold their breath for it. Though there remains a vocal group still asking for a physical keyboard, Harlow conceded, the actual size of that audience continues to shrink as touchscreen text-input improves.
For Nokia, that means the cost of developing a QWERTY Lumia is unlikely to see a return on actual device sales. Existing users of physical keyboard devices don’t necessarily upgrade to another phone with QWERTY, Harlow pointed out, and “we really don’t want to be on the wrong side of that movement.”
Nokia’s announcement of the new phone will be at 7am GMT (2am Eastern) on Wednesday, April 24.
While the official release of the BlackBerry Q10 has still not been confirmed for any USA-based mobile carriers, the UK-based Vodafone has made it clear that April 26th will be the day they begin having the device in-stock. The BlackBerry Q10 is the physical QWERTY keyboard-toting hero phone for BlackBerry 10, the company’s newest operating system release. You’ll also find the BlackBerry Z10 already available across the world – that being the full-touch hero for BlackBerry 10.
With the BlackBerry Q10 you’ll be seeing pre-orders beginning from today at Vodafone – grab one if you’re living in the United Kingdom only! If you do want one and live inside the UK, you’re in luck: Vodafone has promised that this device is one of the first to have the built-in ability to work with the 4G LTE networks appearing soon throughout the region!
Here in the USA we’re expecting this device to also appear with 4G LTE capabilities built-in as the device will be appearing on several networks with 4G LTE as a standard feature on all smartphones. The BlackBerry Q10 is also a device we’ve had some hands-on time with – have a peek at our BlackBerry Q10 hands-on experience right this minute, or stick around for the preview video here:
This BlackBerry Q10 device is working with a 3.1-inch touchscreen with 330 PPI resolution and Super AMOLED technology. Below this display you’ll find the device’s full physical QWERTY keyboard and a full rounded-edged body that’ll have BlackBerry addicts screeching for joy. Keep your eyes peeled for more BlackBerry Q10 action in the near future right here on SlashGear!
This week the folks at SwiftKey have revealed their newest worldwide trends chat, this time calling it “World of SwiftKey”. This chart shows a collection of top notches in the countries that’ve beaten the rest for one reason or another inside the Android keyboard app – the most popular downloaded 3rd party keyboard app in the world, mind you. It all begins with the USA holding the record for Most SwiftKey Users – we won!
This chart also shows that Canada has flowed the furthest – this means they’ve used the “Flow” feature the most since it was launched in the newest iteration of the SwiftKey app. Down in Vietnam it appears that statistics are being shared the most, while India is the country that “loves Flow the most” – flowing the longest and love are different things!
Even though the USA has the most SwiftKey users, Mexico has done the most typing with a SwiftKey keyboard. Russia has chosen the Holo theme the most while Indonesia uses Pumpkin and Ireland works with Fuchsia! Greece is said to be the sloppiest typists while Denmark rings in as most efficient. Finally you’ll find Switzerland to be kicking it tri-lingually the most in the whole world.
Have a peek at our SwiftKey history for more information on this lovely keyboard for your Android device and be sure to let us know if you’re using the newest build right this minute! Today’s study has been brought to you by SwiftKey’s completely anonymous statistics collection service – you’ve taken part even if you didn’t know it!
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