We finally got ourselves a review unit of the BlackBerry Z10 and went thru some more details that we’ve not yet covered in our previous articles about it.
There are actually 3 color variants of the Z10 but we think only the white and black colors will be available. We prefer the white color better than the black one though. Here’s a quick video run-through:
The Z10 represents a drastic design change that BlackBerry introduced into their newest line. It has now followed the usual design signature of Android’s vast competitive market — large capacitive screen, powerful hardware, LTE support and an app-centric environment. It’s short of BlackBerry saying “me too can play that game!“.
What is most compelling about the new BlackBerry offering is a tight integration of hardware and software. Just like how Apple perfected the marriage of iPhone and iOS, BlackBerry’s edge will also be the control between both the hardware and the software.
As such, we’re more inclined to compare the iPhone 5 to the BlackBerry Z10 instead of any other Android handset.
Probably the biggest challenge for BlackBerry right now is to get the consumers to be more familiar with the BB10 OS and its UI. We have to admit that the UI will be somewhat confusing at first. This is because it’s a huge departure from the usual Home-based navigation we’ve seen in iOS and Android (even including Windows Phone 8).
To the un-initiated, the BB 10 UI could be a challenge to use but once you’re completely acquainted, you will notice the maturity and elegance of the interface.
Our review unit supports Globe LTE, based on the nano-SIM we used with it. The signal indicator shows 4G when connected to the LTE network. Speedtest is giving me a downlink speed of of 28Mbps and uplink of 9Mbps.
BlackBerry Z10 specs:
4.2-inch display @ 1280×768 pixels, 356ppi
Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon 1.5GHz dual-core Krait
2GB of RAM
16GB of internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
8MP rear camera
2MP front-facing
micro HDMI
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
LTE
GPS w/ aGPS support
Li-Ion 1,800 mAh battery
BlackBerry 10 OS
137.5 grams (weight)
130 x 65.6 x 9mm (dimensions)
The BlackBerry Z10 will officially be available in the local market on March 19 with a suggested retail price of Php29,990. It will also be free on Smart Data Plan 2000 and Globe Plan 1799.
Need help.. I purchase a z10 and i tried to use my smart carrier , everything was ok but ive notice that my mobile data is no longer active and i check its the apn issues that loitering around with z10. Nees to used the wifi instead but my worry is that im still subscribe to bis
I wish I could buy 4G LTE Z10 here in Riyadh, but Z10 in middle east don’t have the 4G LTE model. How about in Philippines, does blackberry offers 4G LTE or only 3G? Anyways, Z10 rocks, it’s usually outsales the Iphone and android phones in other countries. When I went to carrefour last night, I saw the displays of Z10 in the corner of the phone section, and many people are checking on the Z10 display, whereas, the Iphone 5 don’t have. Then i left to get some stuffs. After 10 minutes, the Z10 displays were gone and moved to another side of the phone section and they replaced them with Iphone 5 because no one is checking on Iphone 5.
If you want reliable phone that you can use anywhere to send and receive e-mails, SMS, BBM, voice and video chat,.whatsapp, viber SMS, FB, TWITTER, on the go then go for Z10. You pay for the user’s experience, quality, security, reliability and not the apps that most kids playing everyday. This is not a toy that can make calls. This is a phone that keeps you moving and help works to be done. My friends are using androids but you can’t eve n contact them when they are outside with out wifi. But for us BB users can get connected to each other anywhere without wifi. And that is the fact. I will buy my 3G z10 next month. Cheers BB users.
wag na mgcomment in english kung mali mali naman ang grammar. walang masama mgtagalog.
sabi nga ng tambay samin, “i empathy you”.
I love BlackBerry for its reliable email. I wanna have this one and the Q10 too. They’ll be a cute addition if you’re a collector. :)
“What is most compelling about the new BlackBerry offering is a tight integration of hardware and software. Just like how Apple perfected the marriage of iPhone and iOS, BlackBerry’s edge will also be the control between both the hardware and the software.
As such, we’re more inclined to compared the iPhone 5 to the BlackBerry Z10 instead of any other Android handset.”
Integration what?
Are you stupid or still a kid? Just asking. :)
Neither… but your comment shows what kind of person you are. You think your emoticon is cute?
What “tight integration” the author was referring to that the BB has but Android’s hardware-software doesn’t have?
“What “tight integration” the author was referring to that the BB has but Android’s hardware-software doesn’t have?”
Poor @radioactive_balut, @jonathan is right. Magtagalog ka na lang. You don’t know the meaning of what you’re reading and clearly, you can’t properly use English grammar. You see BB and you react “what?” without even understanding the statement/s. Get a book!
Hoy,Soon-To-Be-BB10-User aka Bobo! Walang mali sa sinabi ni radioactive_balut. Ikaw kaya ang mag tagalog jan. Yabang mo, wala ka namang sense. Tandaan mo, mssnatch BB10 mo agad. Tumira ka muna sa US ng 10 years or nood ka ng english programs ng 5 years bago magpka smartass.
Hoy,Soon-To-Be-BB10-User aka Bobo! Walang mali sa sinabi ni radioactive_balut. Ikaw kaya ang mag tagalog jan. Yabang mo, wala ka namang sense. Tandaan mo, mssnatch BB10 mo agad. Tumira ka muna sa US ng 10 years or nood ka ng english programs ng 50 years bago magpka smartass.
I actually dread getting message alerts from my BlackBerry he he he. I’ll wait for the Q10 then decide which one I’ll get.
if this doesn;t need BIS, then im buying one!!! :-)
It should be noted that the P 29,990 retail version is 3G and not LTE (check the BB Ph website). I think the LTE version is an exclusive to the carriers.
Am i correct that I am seeing 1 micro usb port and 1 mini usb port based on the photo?
Also, does it still need BIS data plan or not anymore? (based from other forums)
Only in my dreams that I would get hold of this Z10. I am still using a vintage BB pearl with OS4.5 for bbm, push email and mobile surfing.
z10 looks great, but i think i should try the one with physical keyboard – Q10 :) i’m Soon-To-Be-BB10-User
I am currently using BB 9930 and I think Z10 is worth a try based on positive reviews of its virtual keyboard.
Any dam I pa run talaga pinoy na nauuto ng blackberry
Jace… That’s a dumb and stupid comment. If you do not have anything good to say, keep in yourself and respect the customer’s choice. It’s their money to spend,not yours.
maybe if only they released it during the 3rd-4th quarter of 2012, it would somehow be a hit; a comeback hit per se. But now that a lot of phones have hmmm.. better specs or let’s just say we are more bit familiar with, has the same price range. That is a pretty big downside of this unit. But let’s give BB a chance? =D for a change people. iOS 6, Android key-line-pie, W8, and now BB10? why not? =D thou I the style still doesn’t indulge me in anyway. just an opinion. =D
I agree with this… It could’ve also tested their competetiveness in the market…
What happened is pinagastos muna nila karamihan ng tao to buy either Apple, Google, or Windows OS products then nilabas nila ‘to…
My thought here is mostly BB fanatics, who has yet to convert, will be the only ones buying this… Z10 didn’t fare well in other countries… Siguro wrong timing.
I still think BB is solid, like my BB Bold… ang pagkakaiba lang, mas maganda specs ng Z10, and mas mahal ang data package…
“Z10 didn’t fare well in other countries… Siguro wrong timing.”
Are you that informed of Z10 sales abroad? Do you have the data/figures? Last time I checked, Z10 has been outselling GS3 and IP5 and it’s been reported repeatedly that Z10 sales are wild in everywhere it launched. People like you should learn the art of researching, reading and discerning.
Hey, Bagong po kayo mag comment ng mag comment basahin no muna po yung mga full review Nya. Parehas LNG po say sa iPhone, di na po nya kailangan ng super ultra mega specs tulad ng android. Tsaka, bago po umangal itry no muna po yung phone.
Sinasabi ko Lang po.
You nailed it bud.
If I’m gonna buy a BB10 device, it would be the Q10.
what kind of sim do we need for BB Z10? regular sim, micro sim or nano sim?
haha
why shud i buy this?
Mang Kanor, no one is obliging you to buy the unit. Please throw your comments in the appropriate blogs instead. Picus is right.
30 fu**** thousand for a device with 2012 specs (except the 2gb ram) and a newly baked os which is not yet proven.. it is smarter to buy xperia z, htc one or s4 instead..
I guess 30k is not gonna be a problem for those professionals who value it.
Not all things comes are about value and price. :)
BlackBerry 10 OS does not need a high specs because it runs smoothly and faster with last years specs. Not like the Android OS you need to make the specs quad core and 4GB ram to make the UI faster and intuitive.
Also some people value security and productivity that specs and apps.
@Obed… you don’t get what Mang Kanor said. If it doesn’t need a specs high enough to run smoothly then why put a 30K price tag if it’s using a 2012 specs.
@vovo mo korek ang sinabi mo! :)
@Vovo mo
I get his point about the pricing, but the way I interpret his comment is 30,000 pesos = latest high end specs with proven OS = quality smartphone = Xperia Z, HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 = smart buy.
That’s why I emphasis in my reply the BlackBerry Z10 doesn’t need to have a good specs in order to have a be a quality smartphone. BlackBerry is a niche brand that targets business people.
If BlackBerry releases a Android device with the latest Android OS with the current Z10’s specs now we should ask why it has a 30k price tag when you can buy other brand for cheaper price tag.
There are a lot of factors why it is price on 30k and I’m sure security and having an FIPS 140-2 certification is one of those.
Lack of apps, apps, apps. Is that all people would say about blogs on a Blackberry unit? Note that Thorsten Heins specifically mentioned that Blackberry is targeted for specific set of people, i.e., business-minded and professionals. Just my two cents. Thanks.
But dont we buy smartphones for the apps that we can use? If not, then we’ll be better off with owning feature phones instead. Peace! :)
Even business minded people and professionals rely heavily on apps for gaming, socializing, communicating and even for work-related things. I think, some of the people commenting here are just saying that you or any other person can spend their hard-earned, professional money on a flagship phone that may be cheaper by a few thousand, yet have a comprehensive, quality and stable kind of app listing. But if you are a BB fan/enthusiast then that is a different story altogether.
Well, I beg to disagree. Professionals and business-minded people alike heavily rely on fast email reception, instant messaging (BBM), social and professional media (FB/Twitter/LinkedIn), and a few other useful apps such as skype and kindle. If you are observant enough, you would notice that these apps have the same thing in common, i.e., exchange of information or simply just communication. If you want a little gaming gadget, BB10 or any other Blackberry is not for you.
BB 10 has no appzzz, no gamezzz, no launcherzzz, and no widgetzzz.
@Andrei
Not all people buy smartphone because of apps, like what Soon-To-Be-BB10-User said, some people buy smartphone on how productive they can be or how fast will it help them finishing their work.
@soon-to-be-bb-user but all you said like fast email reception, social and professional media (FB, Twitter, etc), skype-ing, except for BBM can all be done reliably with an Android or ios device. Hindi kailangan BB10 ang bilhin. Pero kung BB talaga ang nasa puso mo at nakakatulong ang BBM (ito at ang brand lang ang nakikita kong rason kung bakit mo gusto bumili nito) then i respect that and good luck with your purchase! :)
para nga to sa mga old berry users…
kung nabuhay ako sa 9900, dito pa kaya…
for apps… i bought an IPad!
Whatever you say bud. :)
BB10 has apps that can run Android OS. You could check it out on Crackberry.com. What I like about the OS is the UI, and some feature like Blackberry Hub.
Android apps? They can only port it or something like that which results to A LOT of LAG. Twice the lag!
Pagtyigaan mo yung apps na parang pinirate lang sa phone! LAGLAGLALGALGALGALAGLAGLAG
How about Q10? When is the launching here in Phil?
Probably Q2 or Q3, kasi hindi pa officially release ang Q10 eh
In terms of hardware, quality and the build, I think it’s a very solid phone that can compete with others on the field. However, the biggest problem I see as a consumer is the lack of native apps that have been popular in both Android and iOS. This may not be a problem for someone who has been Blackberry user, but Blackberry may find it difficult for non-users to shift to their handsets.
Actually, BlackBerry’s goal with the Z10 and Q10 is to stop losing customers and win back old BlackBerry users.
They’ve said it in one of their DevCons that their aim is to be strong in number 3 spot.