Overview
It's been a long time coming - the BlackBerry (BB)10 OS and its flagship device, Z10 were in the works for more than a year.
Reports of the first BB device powered by the new OS surfaced in August 2011, when BGR claimed that it had exclusive information pointing to a release in Q1 2012. Two months later, BlackBerry (formerly known as RIM) unveiled its next generation OS - BBX (which is later renamed as BB10).
Mike Lazaridis, then co-CEO of the company, stated in his conference call that the first BB 10 device would only be available "in the latter part of calendar 2012". Rumors begun circulating that the company was facing problems integrating the new OS with its current network and buying time for a working product to materialize. The allegations were quickly shot down by BlackBerry.
In February 2012, the tech world got a glimpse of the first BB10 phone, codenamed London from a leaked presentation slide. The company begun intensifying its efforts to engage the developer community by offering financial incentives. The new CEO, Thorsten Heins delivered disappointing news in June 2012 that the BB 10 OS and its devices will be delayed and only be arriving in Q1 2013. In the meantime, we crossed our fingers that a suitably large app ecosystem is being prepped in the background to help BlackBerry make a successful showing when the devices do get launched.
Throughout that entire period, BlackBerry stayed below the radar while its rivals, Apple and Samsung battled for supremacy in the mobile space. Despite the daunting challenges that the company faced ahead of its launch of BB10, Heins remained confident that the new OS will be a success.
On 30 January 2013, Heins officially unveiled the BB10 OS and the devices, Z10 and Q10. By then, they were no longer surprises as images and videos of the devices leaked over the Internet in the weeks before the launch.
So will the BB Z10 help the company return to its glory days as the leader of the smartphone pack? Or is it a little too late? Well, let's find out in this review. Before you go on, here's a quick overview of the key specs of the BB Z10: -
BlackBerry Z10
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Key highlights of the BlackBerry Z10
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Design
Unlike BlackBerry's previous designs for its touchscreen models such as the Torch 9860, Storm 2 9520 and Storm 9500, the Z10 adopts the conventional touchscreen bar form factor that you can easily identify with current smartphones in the market. While BlackBerry offers little creativity in the design aspect of the Z10, the device makes up with its solid build quality.
Don't expect the BlackBerry Z10 to push the boundaries of smartphone design. It is after all a safe and conventional design that its competitors have adopted in recent years.
One of the most common feedback we heard about the Z10 is its close resemblance to the Apple iPhone 5. The similarities between the two phones are apparent - the top and bottom section of the device are clearly defined by a dividing line and a slightly different shade of color.
The BlackBerry Z10 and Apple iPhone 5 have a similar design language that we won't be surprised if Apple sues BlackBerry for infringing on its design patent(s).
However, both devices use different materials to construct their phones. Apple uses an aluminium/glass construct for the iPhone 5 while BlackBerry utilizes plastic. The Z10 also has a dimpled, soft material on its removable rear cover which reminds us of the Google Nexus 7. This provides a nice textured feel and a good grip of the device.
The dimpled rear cover gives the BlackBerry Z10 a unique look and it's practical too in actual handling.
There are no navigation buttons on the Z10; you have to use a series of swipe gestures to navigate the user interface. Other than that, you will find the Power button, 3.5mm audio output jack at the top of the device. The left side of the device houses micro-HDMI and micro-USB ports while you will find the volume controls and mute button (between the volume controls). Here are some photos below to illustrate:-
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Measuring 130 x 65.6 x 9mm and weighing 136g, the Z10 feels solid enough and not too hefty as a flagship device. As with most flagship BlackBerry devices we've reviewed in the past, the Z10 will feel right at home in the pockets of business professionals - both from the design perspective and with regards to its physical traits.
BlackBerry 10 OS
The foundation of BB10 OS is built from QNX Software System, which it acquired from Harman International in 2010. QNX has been widely acclaimed by the industry to be a very versatile, scalable and reliable platform that is used in cars and space shuttles.
If you recall, the PlayBook is the first BlackBerry device to be powered by QNX although the initial version of QNX bears some resemblance to the BlackBerry 6 OS. For BB 10, it is a totally different OS with a unique look of its own. Here's a video presentation by Vivek Bhardwaj, Head of Software Portfolio at BlackBerry showing how the UI was designed and its key features. Right after the video break, we've rounded up a brief guide to navigating the interface:-
The Lock Screen
Left: Lock screen of BlackBerry 10 OS.
Right: A screen shot taken while in the process of unlocking the phone.
Right: A screen shot taken while in the process of unlocking the phone.
The lock screen looks similar to that of a stock Android or iOS mobile operating system. If there are any new notifications, they will appear on the left side of the screen. A camera shortcut button is visible at the bottom right corner of the screen.
To unlock straight into camera mode, tap and hold the camera icon. Do not expect the Z10 to unlock as fast as its Android, iOS and Windows Phone counterparts. To unlock onto the home screen, swipe up from the bottom bezel. The screen will reveal the home screen as you swipe upwards. PlayBook users should be familiar with this gesture as the tablet lock screen is unlocked in a similar manner.
Compared to the competition, BB's concept seems basic. HTC and Samsung are well-known for enabling their users to unlock four or five apps/shortcuts straight from the home screen. For Android 4.2, users can swipe from the left edge of the screen to add or reveal lock screen widgets.
Windows Phone 8, on the other hand, gives its users the option to put app notifications on the lock screen. For example, there are options for you to choose to display detailed status updates from one app, upcoming appointments from the calendar or the latest email messages.
Home Screen and Multitasking
Left: Main home screen of BlackBerry 10 OS.
Right: Multitasking on BlackBerry 10 OS.
Right: Multitasking on BlackBerry 10 OS.
BB10's home screen looks like the typical iOS home screen - apps and folders are listed panel after panel. You can drag one app onto another to create a folder. To rearrange the app or folder, tap and hold until the app or folder "breathing". Again, PlayBook users are likely to be familiar with this.
Android interface has the flexibility of adding widgets and resizing them according to users' preferences on the home screens while Windows Phone UI is basically made up of Live Tiles, which displays information that can be easily viewed in a glance. In other words, BB10 offers nothing unique from the competition, and slipped behind in some aspects.
If you want to switch or launch another app, swipe up from the bottom bezel of the display. This will minimize the app into an Active Frame, a multitasking feature of BB10. In its minimized state, the app is still active and functioning. Some apps such as Calendar and Weather will continue to display information to you.
BB10 supports up to 8 Active Frames (or 8 apps running in the background). The most recently accessed app will always occupy the top left corner of the Multitasking panel. It is important to note that if you open more than 8 apps, BB10 will automatically quit the older app(s). Tapping on the small "X" icon at the bottom right corner of each Active Frame will enable you to quit the app.
BB10's multitasking concept is somewhat similar to Windows Phone 8, where a maximum of 8 apps can run or remain suspended in the background. As for Android and iOS, you certainly can have more than 8 apps running in the background or remain suspended.
BlackBerry Hub - Messaging and Social Media Matters
BlackBerry Hub - a focal point for all notifications, social feed and messages.
The most celebrated feature of BB10 is the BlackBerry Hub, which is a universal inbox for all messages and notifications (email text, BBM, social media, updates from third-party apps).
It can be accessed from any app or task that you are currently using via a swipe up gesture, followed by a swipe to the right. You can decide whether to read the incoming notification by swiping halfway to see if it is important or reverse the gesture to go back to what you were doing.
The first swipe gesture will bring you to the universal inbox where you will see all the messages and notifications. If you think it is too messy, you can either search for specific messages via the Search tool or swipe right to reveal a list of services and accounts linked to the BB Hub. From there, you can filter the content by service or account.
You also can view the agenda for the day by swiping down. Do note that the swipe gesture has to be done within the screen (and not from the the bezel) as you may accidentally pull down the quick settings menu instead.
What if you view a message in the Hub and want to reply? Long press on the message and a list of options will pop up on the right side of the screen. There is a button characterized by three vertical dots at the bottom of the list, which will reveal the labels of the options. This also works if you select multiple messages and if they come from different services or accounts, only the options that are supported on these accounts will be displayed.
If you come from the Android or iOS camp, the BB Hub may seem to be too much of a hassle since you rely on a series of swipe gestures to see the notifications and respond to them. This is especially true when you can just swipe down from the top, and see part of the contents of the messages. If you want to reply, simply tap on the notification and it will bring you straight to the app. Moreover, the swipe gestures used in the Hub may be confusing for first time users.
Nonetheless, the concept of having a universal inbox for all your notifications and messages may appeal more to busy users who want to have an overview of everything at a single glance. Below is video on how BB Hub works: -
BlackBerry World - -The App Ecosystem)
BlackBerry World - an app store that is still growing by the day.
The survival of a mobile platform depends mainly on the ease of use and ecosystem of apps. If a platform does not have popular apps that are available in competing platforms, consumers have less incentives to switch over.
At launch, BlackBerry stated that its app store had 70,000 BB10 apps. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Well, BlackBerry Vice President Martyn Mallick said in a Q & A session during the launch that 40% are made up of Android apps that are ported over to BB10. As ported apps lack the quality of native apps, BlackBerry is using financial incentives to attract developers to code native apps for BB10.
One of the most popular apps, WhatsApp, will be coming to BB10 this month, although no specific date is mentioned. Other commonly used apps such as Instagram and Pulse News Reader are notably absent on BlackBerry World.
*Update: Evernote is integrated into BB10. A third-party Dropbox client is also preloaded on the Z10.
It seems that it might take a bit longer for developers to have confidence before consumers can see more popular apps being coded for BB10. BlackBerry may have a decent start, but we all know that sustaining the momentum in the long term is more crucial.
BlackBerry Keyboard
BlackBerry proves that it is the best in the industry when it comes to designing physical and virtual keyboards.
When BlackBerry showcased the new touch screen typing experience for BB10 at BlackBerry World 2012, we were very intrigued at the concept of the keyboard being intelligent enough to predict the words that users will type, and how it is able to adapt to the individual's writing style.
According to BlackBerry, the keyboard learns the words you use frequently, and then offers these words as options as you compose your message. Therefore, the keyboard becomes "smarter" in predicting your next word overtime.
We were initially not used to flicking the words up as they appear above each letter, but within a short span of time, we were typing faster and more accurately. The difference in the typing experience is most apparent when you switch back to using an Android, iOS or Windows Phone devices; that's when you begin to appreciate the BB10 keyboard. Check out the video below on how advanced the BB10 keyboard is: -
Performance
The BlackBerry Z10 is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 2GB RAM. To find out where the Z10 stands among the flagship devices of other mobile platforms, we used the SunSpider Javascript benchmark to assess its web browsing performance. In this comparison, we put the Z10 up against the flagship devices of competing mobile platforms: Apple iPhone 5, LG Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920.
| Device | BlackBerry Z10 | Apple iPhone 5 | Nokia Lumia 920 | LG Nexus 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5GHz | Apple A6 dual-core 1GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core 1.5GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 225 | PowerVR SGX 543MP3 | Adreno 320 | Adreno 225 |
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB | 1GB RAM | 2GB |
| OS | BB10 | iOS 6 | Windows Phone 8 | Android 4.2 |
The BB10 browser may be the fastest and most feature-rich HTML 5 browser ever developed for a BB device, but unfortunately most of its competitors are ahead of it in the SunSpider Javascript benchmark. While it narrowly edged out the LG Nexus 4, the Apple iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 were significantly ahead of the Z10.
Synthetic benchmarking aside, we found the web browsing experience on the Z10 to be on-par with the recent smartphones we've reviewed. Web pages loaded quickly and we encountered no issue with pinch zooming. The overall user experience is in no way inferior to the competition, but it is also not in any way better. As the latecomer to the mobile scene, we had slightly higher expectations of BB10 and Z10.
Multimedia Performance
The Z10 sports a 4.2-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. This works out to a pixel density of 356ppi, which is higher than the Apple iPhone 5 (326ppi), Nokia Lumia 920 (332ppi) and LG Nexus 4 (318ppi). Frankly, it is nearly impossible to differentiate between these displays at such pixel densities but these numbers will be of great interest for those who pay close attention to such details. Viewing angles are excellent and color reproduction is excellent.
In terms of storage capacity, the Z10 comes with 16GB internal storage memory and a microSD card slot which can be accessed by removing the rear battery cover of the device, which supports memory cards with capacities up to 32GB in size.
Similar to how HTC and Samsung tied up with Dropbox to provide free cloud storage space for their users, BlackBerry has partnered with Box to give 10GB free cloud storage for the Z10. While this pales in comparison with HTC's 25GB and Samsung's 50GB promotions, 10GB is better than having none at all.
The Z10 is equipped with an 8-megapixel rear autofocus camera which is capable of 1080p HD video recording, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera that is capable of 720p video recording. What makes the Z10 an interesting imaging device is its TimeShift setting, a camera setting which allows to take perfect group shots by tweaking individual faces so that they appear at their best. How is it possible?
TimeShift basically snaps a series of shots quickly and automatically selects the best one. Using face detection technology, it also enables you to choose the best face from the series of photos taken - for each individual - to make a perfect group shot. Below is a video that shows how TimeShift works: -
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Battery Mileage
Using the same 480 x 800-pixel resolution video that we use across all our mobile device battery tests, we set the same test parameters which includes having the video looped under the following conditions:
- Brightness and volume at 100%
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
- Constant data streaming through email and Twitter
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Keeping up to the high standards set by previous generations of BlackBerry flagship devices, the Z10 outlasted the top devices from competing mobile platforms with a battery uptime of 8 hours and 6 minutes.
This is mainly attributed to the smaller display of the Z10, which led to lower power consumption as evident in the Power Consumption chart. To a certain extent, we can also say that the Z10 is fairly power efficient if you study the differences in detail. As a result, the Z10 also fared well in the Portability Index where each device is assessed on its ability to balance battery mileage with its size and weight.
One may argue that it is not fair to compare the Z10 with the Nokia Lumia 920 and LG Nexus 4, which have bigger displays and naturally draw more power. Well, our rationale for for doing so is to give you, the consumer an overview of the battery performance of flagship devices from each mobile platform. We reckon that there may be consumers out there who are sitting on the fence, and are hoping to give BB10 a try. In any case, we encourage you to check out the performance review section of the Huawei Ascend P1 article where we've compared a number of devices that have a screen size of 4.3 inches. Comparing the performance of the Z10 against the other phones tested there, you can easily conclude that the BlackBerry Z10 fares quite well with respect to battery life, power efficiency and portability.
Under normal usage conditions, we found the battery performance of the Z10 to be less impressive. With 4G LTE connectivity turned on, frequent web browsing, making some calls and texting, the Z10 barely made it through a typical day at work. Its back felt warm after using it for an extended period of time, which is considered normal for today's smartphones. 4G smartphones typically do not last long in actual usage conditions, and the odds are further stacked against the Z10 because it has a modest 1800mAh battery. Fortunately, you are able to purchase extra batteries to swap in the event that the Z10 runs out of juice. And the easy serviceability of the battery further adds to its appeal in the sea of new phones where batteries are integrated within the phone design.
Conclusion
BlackBerry fights its way back into the mobile scene with BB10 and Z10, but it's too soon to tell if this product can bring about the change in adoption which BlackBerry hopes.
The BlackBerry Z10 comes across as a device that arrived just in the nick of time to put a stop to the company's declining market share. In a market dominated by Apple iOS and Google Android, the Z10 is like a breath of fresh air.
The BB10 OS offers yet another unique user experience on a mobile device that is refreshing and intuitive if one manages to overcome the initial learning curve with regards to its swiping gestures. However, BlackBerry's situation is somewhat similar to Microsoft. Both companies have offered viable alternatives for consumers in the mobile market, but will consumers take the bait?
For now, it is hard to give you a definite answer. BlackBerry's strength lies in its advanced keyboard and highly integrated BlackBerry Hub, but it lacks the quality and quantity of apps to backup the impressive devices that are coming into the market. Its competitors have at least two years head start in establishing their presence and building up sizable app stores; for BlackBerry to catch up, will be a long shot and a tough climb.
Available in black and white with a recommended retail price of S$918, the BlackBerry Z10 faces very stiff competition. The S$948 Apple iPhone 5 boasts a more solid build quality, better camera and has access to the largest app store in the world. The S$899 Nokia Lumia 920 may be bulky, but packs an impressive camera that rivals standalone digital cameras. While it is impossible to get the LG Nexus 4 locally, consumers can consider the equally attractive S$798 LG Optimus G which delivers smooth performance and provides access to the fast growing Google Play Store.
For Android and iOS users, we could hardly find any reason for them to switch over to BlackBerry since most are too used to the navigation style and their apps. However, existing Android/iOS user looking for a secondary device, can most certainly consider the Z10 as an option (as long as one doesn't expect the same level of app support). As for BlackBerry fans, there is no better time than now to grab the latest device from the company. Die-hard fans of the physical keyboards should give the virtual keyboard of the Z10 a try as it offers a different experience from other phones in the market. If you still dislike it, you can always opt to wait out for the Q10 which is expected to arrive next month and it will have a physical keyboard (but a smaller touchscreen).
Long time BlackBerry users should take note of this: the Z10 and future BB10 devices no longer require a subscription to BlackBerry's data plans. You still can use BlackBerry services like BlackBerry Messenger on the typical smartphone data plan.
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