BlackBerry Z10 Pro Reviews

Despite Blackberry building what appears to be a solid OS that can handle just about anything that is thrown at it, it still lacks the feeling of belonging. Perhaps part of this is derived from the rather nascent and desolate app store that is devoid of the main stream applications I depend on, such as Spotify, Pandora, Instagram and a stand alone Gmail app. Or perhaps it’s because I want a me-too device that has an existing, and more importantly, mature eco system, such as Android and iOS.

At the end of the day, the Z10 can't really be compared to BlackBerry's older BlackBerries. It is an entirely new and different animal, both in terms of the hardware and the operating system. That said, there's no doubt that the Z10 is the best effort from BlackBerry. The hardware isn't perfect (few phones are), but it manages to combine a decent screen, with quality hardware that is easy to use. Signal performance and call quality on Verizon's LTE network were quite good, but battery life is mediocre at best. For those who prioritize communications, the Z10 has your bases covered and then some. The BlackBerry Hub is an extremely well-organized messaging tool that brings everything together under one roof. As long as you can get used to the new UI gestures, you'll be all set. Media continues to be a thorn in BlackBerry's side. The Z10 is capable, no doubt, but could be much, much better. The music and video playback features are so-so, and the camera/video camera only earn average marks. For fans or BlackBerries, there's plenty to like. Though Android, iOS, and Windows Phone all offer a more complete and well-rounding smartphone experience, the Z10 and BB10 are competitive in what they offer.

BlackBerry's BlackBerry Z10 is genuinely a pretty nice phone. Performance, helped by the lightweight QNX-based OS, is more than acceptable. The form factor offers you plenty of screen size in a device that may not feel luxurious, but does at least seem durable. And, bucking the trend, the battery is removable. Camera performance is adequate in most cases and overall there's really a lot to like. But, tragically, there's really nothing to love. Nothing in the Z10 stands out as class-leading and, while the BB10 OS does have a lot of charm and brings all the best productivity-focused attributes of BlackBerry to bear in a much more modern package, the app selection is poor and the gestures here aren't so good that they make up for that major shortcoming. Will more and better apps come with time? Absolutely, but after waiting this long (and then making Americans wait another month yet) BlackBerry really needed to make a huge impact out of the gate. Unfortunately, it hasn't. All is not lost: at $199 (which BlackBerry says is the suggested on-contract price in the US), the Z10 and BB10 are a nice piece of kit. The BlackBerry faithful who've been waiting patiently for something more modern will flock to this (and its QWERTY-having cousin) in droves, but there simply isn't enough here to woo those consumers who have already made investments in Android or iOS. Too little? Maybe. Too late? Sadly.

The BlackBerry Z10 has been a long time coming. The company has had many ups and downs through the years and there’s a lot riding on the Z10. Over the past year, BlackBerry, formerly Research in Motion, has made some big changes. Some of those changes have helped the company return to profitability in its most recent quarter. Still, the company has a long road ahead with the Z10 and other BB10 handsets it if wants to remain a viable competitor in the smartphone market. The Z10 feels like a good start at least.

The BlackBerry Z10 is off to a promising start. If you're looking for something as app friendly as an iPhone or Android we might just have to wait and see how that pans out. Though if you're looking for productivity and business applications the BlackBerry Z10 may be right up your alley!

The first BlackBerry 10 handset, the Z10 is a thoroughly modern, high-quality smartphone with a strong focus on messaging, but a lack of popular apps and media could hold it back.

We're not going to make any definitive judgments because we haven't yet spent enough time with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Suffice to say that both of these phones offer high-end features and good performance. The Galaxy S4 is more of an all-round entertainer, with its bigger better screen and access to the Google Play app and media stores. On the other hand the BlackBerry Z10 is built for business, offering enterprise level tools and security on the server side, and a great email and messaging hub.

The first BlackBerry 10 handset, the Z10 is a thoroughly modern, high-quality smartphone with a strong focus on messaging, but a lack of popular apps and media could hold it back.

Blackberry is in a tight spot – the Z10 is the Canadian firm's only hope as they fight for their place amongst the established touchscreen competition. With all of our testing behind us, we grant that the smartphone has good chances. Why? Well, first off, the Z10 has a timeless, dignified look, the more so as it's stable and well-manufactured. But the 4.2 inch device increases its powers of persuasion when you take a look at its inner parts: A powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC with an Adreno 225 graphics card and an ample 2 GB RAM, along with good connectivity. Good connectivity meaning: Micro HDMI, WLAN a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS and LTE are all on board – any other questions? Another attraction is the brightest smartphone display on the market, with a brilliant image and a quick and precise touchscreen. The smart, intuitive operation and the great multi-tasking and keyboard concepts score more points for the device. The application performance is also very good. Further plus factors are the respectable battery run times, a removable battery and the 16 GB of internal mass memory, which can be expanded via micro SD cards. That's not to mention the intelligent business features.

The first BlackBerry 10 handset, the Z10 is a thoroughly modern, high-quality smartphone with a strong focus on messaging, but a lack of popular apps and media could hold it back.

BlackBerry 10, even with its slight annoyances, absolutely sings on the BlackBerry Z10. The software and hardware provide a worthwhile experience for die-hard BlackBerry fans who are looking for a modern-day experience, but don’t want an iPhone or Android device. The BlackBerry Hub works great, the browser finally works and its predictive text keyboard are three areas of the device that you’ll instantly want to show off. iPhone or Android owners aren’t missing much if they decide to get rid of their devices for the BlackBerry Z10 as its map application and low-light camera ability leaves much to be desired. When you also factor in BlackBerry World doesn’t feel as mature as Google Play or the App Store, iPhone and Android owners may get frustrated at the lack of worthwhile applications. In short: BlackBerry owners who aren’t afraid of jumping into a device with a touch-screen keyboard will want to check out the BlackBerry Z10. The rest who own an iPhone or Android device should probably stick to what they have.

The Z10 is a good smartphone. Frankly, it's a better smartphone than I expected from RIM at this stage in the game. It does everything a modern phone should do, usually without hesitation. It doesn't do everything perfectly, but it does many things — most things — reasonably well. The problem with the Z10 is that it doesn't necessarily do anything better than any of its competition. Sure, there are arguments that could be made about how it handles messages or the particulars of its camera, but no one could argue that there's a "killer app" here. Something that makes you want or need this phone because it can do what no other phone can do. That's not the case — in fact if anything is the case, it's that the Z10 can't yet do some things that other devices can. Or at least, can't do them quite as well. And that's where I end up. The Z10 is a fine device, well made, reasonably priced, backed by a company with a long track record. But it's not the only device of its kind, and it's swimming against a massive wave of entrenched players with really, really good products. Products they figured out how to make years ago. Products that are mature. The smartphone industry doesn't need saving. If you love RIM and the BlackBerry brand and really want to keep supporting them, buying a Z10 wouldn't be a mistake. But I think there are better phones on the market, and I don't yet see a compelling reason for most customers to choose this phone over those better ones. So why the Z10? Why now? Until BlackBerry can answer that question, I would be careful about how you spend your money.

If it seems like we’re making a lot of comparisons to erstwhile smartphone-maker Palm in this review, that’s because we are. In many ways, from its agonizing decline to its eleventh-hour stab at resurrection on the back of a compelling new OS, RIM-turned-BlackBerry is Palm’s modern-day equivalent. BlackBerry 10, and to a lesser extent the Z10, represent the company’s last, best hope of a turnaround. Whether BlackBerry can escape the fate of its venerable predecessor will depend on a lot of factors. We think the Z10 is a good start for “the new BlackBerry,” but the pertinent question now is whether it’s a good smartphone for you. And despite all the variables, that’s a pretty easy question to answer.

At the end of the day, the Z10 can't really be compared to BlackBerry's older BlackBerries. It is an entirely new and different animal, both in terms of the hardware and the operating system. That said, there's no doubt that the Z10 is the best effort from BlackBerry. The hardware isn't perfect (few phones are), but it manages to combine a decent screen, with quality hardware that is easy to use. Even on our review unit - which was not optimized for a U.S. network - signal performance and call quality were quite good. Battery life is a bit worrisome, though. For those who prioritize communications, the Z10 has your bases covered and then some. The BlackBerry Hub is an extremely well-organized messaging tool that brings everything together under one roof. As long as you can get used to the new UI gestures, you'll be all set. Media continues to be a thorn in BlackBerry's side. The Z10 is capable, no doubt, but could be much, much better. The music and video playback features are so-so, and the camera/video camera only earn average marks. For fans or BlackBerries, there's plenty to like. Though Android, iOS, and Windows Phone all offer a more complete and well-rounding smartphone experience, the Z10 and BB10 are competitive in what they offer.

With BlackBerry market share shrinking by the quarter, the Canadian company really needs a winner and the BlackBerry Z10 looks to have the potential to reverse the downward trajectory. It's a well-designed, solid device with sleek design that has all the connectivity features and tricks that high-end Androids have, LTE, NFC, with all the works. In fact, our biggest complaint about the hardware is that there is not a lot of choice - it's just the Z10 at the moment (with the Q10 coming in a couple of months). This approach works well for the iPhone, but Androids are busy filling every niche of the market. Still, we have to commend BlackBerry on the hardware execution - they have a reputation for solid, durable hardware and the Z10 is a shining example. Actually, not the least bit of cheap shine there. The software is the potential weak point. The new OS is exciting to say the least - we've been waiting for a well-made gesture-based interface for what feels like ages (MeeGo and WebOS got us worked up, only to disappear soon after).

BlackBerry Z10 review £520 An interesting and well-resolved new operating system and fine build quality, but it's up against some seriously stiff competition The company's certainly not going down without a fight, though. After a rebrand from RIM to BlackBerry, two new handsets have appeared running the new BlackBerry 10 OS: the keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Q10 and this, the touchscreen-only Z10. Initial impressions of the Z10 aren’t brilliant, as it's a fairly uninspiring black rectangle with rounded corners; the Z10 was all too often described as a "poor man's iPhone 5" during our time with the handset.

If you should, you probably already know you should. BlackBerry 10 still excels at everything that BB has excelled at for years. Its utility for planning and coordinating and taking in and processing a massive amount of information is unchanged. And while there are a bunch of little and not little headaches, the foundation of the OS is promising enough that there's hope for the future, if you're debating jumping ship or riding this thing out. But then, you might consider just sticking to more familiar waters with the Q10. But for most people wondering about going back to BlackBerry? Well, probably look somewhere else. The experiences and services that BB10 serves up are comprable, and in a few ways surpass competitors, but not in any way that would make someone say, hey, I'm going to give up my Nexus or iPhone for this thing.

The BlackBerry Z10 ushers in a new era for BlackBerry. The user experience from the new BlackBerry 10 software is good: it's easy enough to master and navigate around, with BlackBerry's strengths coming to the fore. The messaging system is still fantastic, BlackBerry Hub and peek are really convenient if you're a heavy communicator and universal search is always useful. There's a degree to which we can forgive some of the software quirks, but some of the inconsistencies leave us with the feeling that BlackBerry 10 isn't quite there. For BlackBerry, it's a leap forward, but against the competition, BlackBerry still has work to do. Unique it may seem, but there isn't enough here to draw you away from rival devices. As for the device itself, we've enjoyed using the Z10. The handset feels solid enough, and the display looks good, but it lacks outstanding features. It doesn't trump the big names in design, in performance, the camera or battery life - it's just another phone. Whilst we know the app selection will be improved, the current apps aren't anything to get really excited about. Sure, Time Shift is a nice camera feature, but that's about all we have.

Is the BlackBerry Z10 a groundbreaking smartphone? No, it doesn’t have any one uniquely crazy new idea. But there’s something to be said for subtlety. The Z10 is a compelling BlackBerry device and runs on a solid new operating system. It will just take time for BlackBerry 10’s app store to fill out. Business users looking for an all-touch experience will certainly like the Z10 better than previous models. Message-obsessed folks will like the Hub and the keyboard experience. All of the parts are in place. It has an efficient and well-designed interface is a good place to start, and the apps will come next.

Pricing, of course, is a matter that’s very important to many people, and in this specific case, the two start of at the golden price of $200 with a 2-year contract. Talking about value and getting the most bang for the buck out of a device, there’s plenty of it behind the iPhone 5 – like its premium construction and better hardware performance in several key areas. In contrast, if we’re to look strictly at the platform experience, there’s no question which one is boasting that dreamy level of form, function, and depth of features. Heck, looking at the maps and voice control experiences might be enough for people to make a valid decision. Honestly folks, it’s a valiant effort on BlackBerry’s part with its brand spanking new platform, but when there’s a healthy ecosystem surrounding the iPhone, it’s going to be hard to pull people away from those comfortable confines and bring them to a new mobile operating system that hasn’t fully matured yet. On the surface, BlackBerry 10 is visually impressive over iOS, but it simply lacks that breadth of features we desperately want (and expect) in a mobile OS. For now, if you’re itching to experiment and give it a shot, the BlackBerry Z10 is definitely worth a look, but if you’re a power user and prefer an established foundation, stick with the iPhone 5.

Can BlackBerry do what Google did to it back in 2008? Although some might be quick to draw a foreseeable demise to BlackBerry, there’s still hope, of course, especially when Google made it on top. Needless to say, it’s funny in how some things turn out. No one said it would be easy to start fresh (again), but as long as BlackBerry can push out timely updates to enhance its new experience, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, but then again, we all know how webOS turned out. So what device should you call your own right now? Seeing that these two are priced at $200 on-contract, it’s not all that difficult to point out the extensive set of features you’re going to get with the Samsung Galaxy S III. From the various software enhancements attached to its TouchWiz Nature UX experience, to the way Android as a whole adheres to the needs of power users, there’s a whole lot of bang for the buck put out by Sammy’s flagship. Still, if you opt to go with the BlackBerry Z10, there are some compromises that you’re going to make. It’s not perfect, obviously, but when there’s a minimum expectation, it’s hard to find valid arguments to point out the Z10’s superiority. Nevertheless, there’s always hope, hope for a better tomorrow.

Even though it's considerably older, it's the Samsung Galaxy S3 which comes out on top when up against the BlackBerry Z10. The Galaxy S3 is superior in a number of areas including software and battery life.

The BlackBerry 10 and Nokia Lumia 920 are very similar handsets and very little separate the two in terms of hardware. The real difference lies in the OS and software installed on each handset. If you were to really force us to say which device we prefered, then we'd say the Nokia Lumia 920, but only just.

The Z10 is a great comeback phone for BlackBerry, with some decent software onboard and a very nice screen. We particularly like the ability to swap in a spare battery, add extra storage and connect to 4G LTE where available. Unfortunately, it can't match the Nexus 4's tiny price tag, incredible performance and great-looking design, nor Android's app-heavy Google Play store.

The BlackBerry Z10 is a good smartphone, but it can't quite match the iPhone 5. The iPhone has (and will always have) more apps to choose from - not just the big hitters, but also the less popular utilities that make your life easier. Given that the Z10 is no cheaper than the iPhone 5, there are few reasons to choose it over Apple's latest phone.