BlackBerry certainly took its time to develop BB10 and produce the first smartphones running the new platform, but all the hard work has finally been done and what's left for BB is to enjoy the sales (and work on its next products). At this point, though, we don't know if there's a person on this world who doesn't doubt the success of the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10, probably except for CEO Thorsten Heins, that is. But we've already taken a look into the Z10, the device that's supposed to attract new customers to BlackBerry, so now we'll examine the Q10 – a handset, the task of which seems to be just as crucial for BlackBerry's future: to keep the loyal customers loyal.
Design:
So here it is, the phone that every diehard BlackBerry fan has been waiting for. The Q10 is 100% BlackBerry, as it has the traditional BB form-factor with a portrait-style physical QWERTY keyboard sitting right there on the front. It's strange, but we think this very feature may easily be the Q10's biggest pride and downfall at the same time. On one hand, there's an existing niche that will welcome the BlackBerry Q10 and its keyboard, but on the other, its small screen makes it very inappropriate for anyone who's willing to have a decent web and multimedia experience with their smartphone.
The physical QWERTY keyboard of the BlackBerry Q10
Unsurprisingly, the BlackBerry Q10 is a looker. BlackBerry wanted to make sure that the Q10 won't disappoint the QWERTY lovers who've been patiently waiting for a contemporary device, and the company has delivered. The BB Q10 is compact and sweet, and while its predominantly plastic body isn't particularly ambitious, it still feels good in the hand as it sticks to materials that are pleasant to the touch.
Display:
Even though the BlackBerry Q10's 3.1” screen is quite small considering today's standards, it's still touch-sensitive so you shouldn't necessarily feel like a dinosaur if you use it in public. It's actually a relatively high-quality screen with a 1:1 aspect ratio and a resolution of 720 x 720 pixels, making for a very good pixel density of 330 ppi. The 1:1 aspect ratio, however, means that video will appear extremely small on this display, so that use case is almost out of the question.
The 3.1-inch screen is quite small by today's standards
Interestingly, BlackBerry has used Super AMOLED screen technology for the Q10, so contrast and viewing angles are quite good, though colors quickly get cold as you look at it from an angle... which isn't that much of a problem with a device like the Q10. Similarly to other AMOLED displays, outdoor visibility is quite bad, especially if it's a bright and beautiful day.
Of course, we can imagine that the physical QWERTY keyboard will be the most important aspect for potential BlackBerry Q10 buyers, but we'll tell you more about it in the Messaging part of the review.
Interface:
When we said that the small screen might be the BlackBerry Q10's biggest downfall, we may have made a mistake. The BlackBerry 10 software platform might be just as big of a reason for anyone who doesn't like this phone.
Sure BB 10 OS is snappy, visually-polished and very fluid — just as every contemporary mobile OS should be — but it's hard for us to see why one should prefer it to iOS or Android, or even Windows Phone, especially when we know that BBM is coming to those other platforms (except for WP). The thing is that BB 10 not only lacks any groundbreaking features to make it stand out, but it even throws in some unintuitive stuff like a bunch of navigation gestures to make things somewhat more complicated than they should be.
So, there's no Home button, we can live with that. Instead, the user has to swipe from the bottom in order to minimize an app and return to the home screen, which is basically OK, but it just doesn't work in a device such as the BlackBerry Q10. While the swipe-up gesture is OK for something with a bigger screen like the Z10, it's simply frustrating when using the Q10. Imagine that you have a list of options and you want to scroll to the bottom. As you start scrolling (which is done with... surprise - a swipe-up gesture!), there's a very big chance that you might swipe from the bottom of the screen (since there isn't much space for you to stretch your fingers), and all of a sudden, you're back to the home screen with the app minimized, when all you wanted to do was to scroll the list. Sadly, the experience with the Q10 is littered with such examples. Of course, we don't say that you can't get used to these issues. In fact, you can even learn to avoid them with time, but the question is should you...
Messaging:
The BlackBerry Hub is at the heart of the messaging experience in BB 10 and the Q10. It's basically an always-on application that's found in the leftmost end of the homescreen. The BB Hub integrates all of your communication activities including text messages, email, calls and notifications. It's a cool concept that you can always return to the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere else in the OS by doing a swipe up and then right gesture, though that one is a bit difficult to master.
So, how's that QWERTY keyboard, you ask. Well, it's as good as on any high-quality BlackBerry smartphone, meaning that it's quite cluttered, but still much more comfortable than a larger on-screen one. They keys have the trademark BlackBerry form and they do have a nice clicking feel when pressed. You'll still have to use them with your fingernails, though, as they aren't big enough to let you comfortably press them with fingers. Still, all in all, the keyboard is very good and will be enjoyed by those who plan to really do a lot of typing on their phone.
The Email client of the Q10 is good, though we've certainly seen better. It will surely get the job done, but we feel that the small screen isn't going to make working with the BlackBerry Q10 very comfortable.
Internet and Connectivity:
BlackBerry has developed a very capable browser for BB 10, so you can theoretically surf the web in a decent way. We say theoretically, because it's possible, but it's practically a pain due to the small screen and 1:1 aspect ratio. It's a pity, because everything moves swiftly and the browser itself is very capable. That doesn't mean that it has Flash support, of course.
In terms of connectivity options, the BlackBerry Q10 is well-equipped as it sports LTE and HSPA, along with all necessary Wi-Fi protocols, including 'n' on the 5 GHz band.
In addition, this little bad boy boasts a Micro HDMI (Type D) port, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0, so yeah, we can't complain of a lack of features in this respect.
Processor and Memory:
Almost surprisingly, the BlackBerry Q10 sports a pretty decent 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and not 1, but 2 GB of RAM in order to ensure the smooth operation of the system. Built-in storage is 16 GB, which is fine, especially for the Q10, but if you ever happen to need more, you can always insert a microSD card of up to 64 GB.
Camera:
The BlackBerry Q10 is equipped with an 8 MP camera, but that doesn't mean that you'll be able to take great photos. The camera UI only has the basic necessities like a bunch of shooting and scene modes, but aside from that, there isn't much else that you can customize. There isn't a dedicated camera shutter, but taking a photo is as easy as tapping the screen, so there are no problems here.
Camera quality is another story, though, as the photos that the BlackBerry Q10 takes are lacking fine detail, despite the fact that the camera has 8 megapixels. On top of that, photos are somewhat hazy and noisy – definitely not the kind of look you'd want for your images. At least colors tend to be on the realistic side, with no annoying artifacts in this respect. All in all, it's a good camera for quick Facebook sharing, but don't expect any state-of-the-art achievements.
Thankfully, the BlackBerry Q10 can record 1080p video, which is perfectly smooth and pleasant to watch. It, too, isn't as sharp as possible, but we can live with that. Colors tend to be just a bit oversaturated, but not too much, so it's OK. At the end of the day, the BlackBerry Q10 surely won't be the go-to device to take pictures with, but it tends to be a good performer and will be able to answer most casual photographic needs.
BlackBerry Q10 Outdoor Sample Video:
BlackBerry Q10 Indoor Sample Video:
Multimedia:
It's obvious that the BlackBerry Q10 is probably the worst smartphone you can find for multimedia consumption. With a small, 3.1” screen and an aspect ratio of 1:1, video playback and gaming are extremely inconvenient. You can do it, but it'll be painful.
The earphones that come with the BlackBerry Q10 are markedly low- to middle-class, with almost non-existing highs and subtle lows. If you're serious about music, just do yourself a favor and get better earphones, you won't regret it.
Call quality:
Thankfully, the BlackBerry Q10 is an above-average performer in the call quality field, with its earpiece being quite strong and reasonably clear. The microphone is similarly good, so your callers should hear you well, as long as they use a decent handset.
The loudspeaker of the Q10 is also pretty good. It has a strong output and manages to produce tones with decent depth, so it doesn't sound strained.
Conclusion:
The BlackBerry Q10 is every inch a BlackBerry. It has the traditional BB form-factor and, more importantly – the physical QWERTY keyboard that's coveted by so many BlackBerry fans. This, however, is a device that's exclusively targeted at existing BlackBerry users, we don't think the Q10 is capable of attracting new ones.
As a niche smartphone, the BlackBerry Q10 is a pretty decent performer. It can do anything a diehard BlackBerry user would want it to do and more. The QWERTY keyboard is very good, while the BlackBerry Hub with excellent email and BBM integration will surely delight those heavy texters.
As a regular smartphone, though, the Q10 falls short in almost every area when compared to a decent Android smartphone, an iPhone, or even a Windows Phone, mostly due to the small screen with 1:1 aspect ratio, which makes activities like web browsing and multimedia consumption way more unpleasant and difficult.
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