BlackBerry Z10 Review – Good but not Perfect! Here’s why it is so

If only the BlackBerry Z10 has been released four years earlier, it had high chances of being a contender for America’s best smartphone. Instead, this unit has only been released recently, to be more exact, mid-March. Its cost is the same as the more polished and ‘revered’ handsets such as the iPhone 5, the HTC One, and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

However, despite of the new Z10 from BlackBerry being introduced to the market too late, it still deserves to be reviewed, as it comes with solid ideas in terms of smartphone productivity.

The Pros of BlackBerry Z10

The BlackBerry Z10 possibly has the best on-screen keyboard on a smartphone up to date. This keyboard is very responsive, easy to get accustomed to, fast, and accurate. It also comes with the automatic word suggestion feature, which makes it easier for some users to type faster. This can easily be disabled if you are not one of these people. When you type on the QWERTY, you will be surprised at just how quick it is. This is one of the major advantages that this new smartphone from BlackBerry has over its major competitors including Apple and Google phones.

The Hub, which is equivalent to the Notifications Bar on Apple and Android phones, seems to have a much better organization. With the competitors’, the updates list is separated per application. On the Z10, all you have to do is swipe the screen all the way to its left side to reach the Hub. This column allows you to quickly view the new updates for each of the primary apps you have installed in the phone. If there is a new update, you just need to tap on it and you will be taken there. It is simple, fast, and smart.

The Downfalls of the BlackBerry Z10 from BlackBerry

One of the major pitfalls of using the BlackBerry Z10 is that you only have access to a limited number of applications. The manufacturer boasts that there are over 100,000 apps available for BlackBerry handsets, but this is just an extremely small percentage of what is available for iPhone and Android smartphones. iPhone as over 900,000 apps, while Android has more than 800,000. Also, Instagram, Netflix, and Spotify are not available for download on this BlackBerry handset.

In addition to having an extremely small number of apps available, the Z10 also had a tendency for apps to hang, lag, and crash. There are also some instances wherein connectivity would be dropped without warning, only to be restored without warning as well. While these issues can be fixed with regular firmware update, the level of ‘glitches’ that one may experience while using the phone may just be too unbearable and unacceptable.

Possibly the worst part about this new smartphone from BlackBerry is its general appearance. The latest smartphones from Windows and from Apple are often considered as the ‘best looking’ models. Even Android has already released such phones. By using these standards, the Z10 is simply something you cannot compare with them – flat, uninspired, and in general, not aesthetically pleasing at all.

The Verdict about BlackBerry Z10

If you are intending to use the BlackBerry Z10 for business purposes, say for example VoIP connectivity, you can use this smartphone for such. You may also want to consider obtaining VoIP services from telecoms companies such as RingCentral VoIP service. Despite BlackBerry’s solid ideas on this phone’s connectivity, it appears that only loyal fans and users of BlackBerry handsets may want to try out the Z10.