Verizon Blackberry z10: Has Blackberry Redeemed Themselves?

About a month ago, I received a Verizon Blackberry z10 to review. As a former Blackberry enthusiast, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new device. Blackberry has lost a lot of traction since it’s heyday of being the prominent go-to smartphone. Now, with the amazing usability of the Android OS and the iPhone, Blackberry lost major points. With the release of the z10, Blackberry was hoping to get back into everyone’s good graces.

I even did a quick video review of the Blackberry z10 device, which excited me right out of the box. I loved the touchscreen, the size, and the functionality. I visioned myself using the phone as a secondary device after my iPhone. But quickly, as soon as I fell in love with the phone, I fell out of love with it.

What I Like:

I like the screen real estate, and the visuals are great. It makes a good phone to watch movies or play video games on. The intuitive typing capabilities make it a very user friendly phone. And out of the box, it’s loaded with several of the top social networks that most of us use. And of course, the email function is (and always has been) top-notch. There is no better email delivery service on a smartphone than a Blackberry device. Period.

But it all goes downhill from here.

What I Didn’t Like:

The camera on the Blackberry Z10 is horrible. And don’t try to use the front facing camera option. Grainy and just plain not on par with the Samsung Galaxy S II, III, or IV. Also, the phone kept randomly shutting down on it’s own, fully powered up. This really bothered me—a few times, I was using the phone when it decided to shut down.

And let’s talk about the lack of apps. Developers are making most of their apps for the Android OS and iOS. Blackberry doesn’t have as many applications, so if you are a heavy app user like me, you are left wanting more. You can sideload applications to your Blackberry Z10, as my homie BrothaTech demonstrates in this article, but if you aren’t a tech savvy person or one with patience, you are screwed. Instagram, Vine and about thousand other apps are not available as of yet for the Blackberry Z10 (or Blackberry in general).

So the reality of the situation is….

• Does it improve my lifestyle? (no)
• Is it easy (and fun) to use? Enjoyability. (yes)
• How fast can I complete tasks? (pretty fast)
• Use compared to other devices (not impressed)
• Price point and network ($199 with contract, sturdy and reliable Verizon network)

The Blackberry z10 is a good phone. But it pales in comparison to most Androids on the market. And the iPhone is still a more superior device. Let me put it like this. If you were a Blackberry user of the older devices before the Z10, this will be a huge step up from what you are used to. But if you are someone who is currently entrenched in either the iPhone or Android life, I don’t see this phone changing your mind.

For you qwerty users who would love it for your iPhone or Android, the Verizon Blackberry z10 with qwerty may make you forget the negatives—it ships June 6th with pre-order.

I’ve been over qwerty since 2010, and I don’t see myself going back. Unless it was offered on my iPhone.

If you primarily use your phone for business, the z10 is a great phone to use. With visual BBM and being able to share docs in real time, plus the wonderfulness of Blackberry Enterprise email, you are set!

Would I buy this phone? No. But I also understand that there is a heavy business end user that can benefit from Verizon’s Blackberry z10. I’m just not one of them.

 Photo credit: Verizon Wireless