Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has been teasing its die-hard, loyal BlackBerry fans for too long darn it! The company, which reached the height of popularity in early 200os and was known for its physical QWERTY keyboard on its mobile devices, is finally taking off the blindfold in this “evil” teasing game, and is just days away from releasing its latest and greatest keyboard smartphone device.
Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) has been teasing many since it launched its new BlackBerry 10 operating system in January and put it on a touchscreen device to start with, known as the Z10. The device and the OS have generally gotten positive reviews, and the security features on the phone have helped the company secure several government contracts and it seems to be received modestly well by consumers, for being a relatively low-volume phone compared to others like the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy series.
But after the tease, there may be a number of loyal BlackBerry users who have been holding out for their device of choice, the Q10, which has the familiar physical keyboard that endeared BlackBerry to many customers in its heyday.
The device will debut on store shelves this weekend in London, and will hit shelves in native Canada Wednesday. As a kind of celebration of the return of the QWERTY keyboard into the modern smartphone space, we have found some information that we think you would find useful as you prepare to check out the Q10 for yourself, to see if it meets up to the hype you have read.
For your enjoyment and information, we present the five pieces of information that you might find helpful in assessing the Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Q10 smartphone, as your little primer before the release.
See the full list:
Unlike the real thing, this BlackBerry won’t bruise easily
We all have times where we drop our phones – yet doesn’t it seem like we drop it only when we’re on concrete instead of on carpet? What is up with that? Fortunately, it seems that the folks at Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) have noticed that same type of thing, so they designed this phone to take a decent amount of abuse. The back cover is made of a composite material of carbon and glass that is actually a bit pliable. There may be some shifting of the cover near the USB port, but it holds up pretty well. The border of the phone may serve a a good bumper for those times a drop hits an edge.
BlackBerry is still known for its keyboards
Yes, we are well aware that Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) designed BlackBerry to be a household name, and its reputation was born of its keyboards, which were the envy of many mobile handset makers. Based on the reviews, it seems the Q10 has the keyboard that lives up to the legendary reputation of the BlackBerry name. This device has the largest keyboard BlackBerry has designed, and the keys are like what is seen on the Curve or the Bold, except the rows are straight instead of curved. Though this keyboard is not soft and thus more inflexible, BlackBerry has thought of that and has put in some shortcut features that will allow the user to initiate certain actions like “Email Suzie” – and the device will still have a touchscreen available to perform some actions that might otherwise require moving a cursor with a scroll wheel or some other feature.
A keyboard does not mean a bigger phone
Of course you probably already suspected that the Q10 would not be much bigger than the Z10, which of course means that for the keyboard to fit, the screen would need to be smaller. And yes, while the screen on the Q10 is only about 3.1 inches, it is an AMOLED touchscreen that has a 720×720 resolution, which actually puts the screen on par with the 4-inch iPhone 5 by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), which some consider the best display in the smartphone landscape. So it seems to be a trade-off, but for those who are used to the keyboards and not the larger touchscreens, the small screen will not be a big hairy deal.
The Q10 has an updated OS from the Z10
Over the course of the three months since Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) first launched the BlackBerry 10 operating system and put it on the Z10 touchscreen handset, the company has sent out an updated version 10.1 that fixes a few bugs and adds some features. So if you waited for the Q10, you will be rewarded – at least for a few days – with an updated OS that has a few more bells and whistles than your compatriots holding the Z10. BlackBerry has indicated that a new 10.1 update will be out in the next couple of weeks, so the “dated” Z10 will be caught up with the Q. But enjoy your better OS while you can.
Don’t diss the Z10 keyboard … After all, it is BlackBerry
Do you think for a second that Research in Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) would make an inferior keyboard – even if it was virtual like on a touchscreen device? OK, we understand that many of you loyal BlackBerry-ans (BlackBerrians? Berriers?) were bond and determined not to jump on the Z10 because of the touchscreen, but really you should remember – BlackBerry got its reputation for its keyboard, and the virtual keyboard on the Z10 is certainly nothing at which to sneeze. One reviewer called the virtual keyboard the best on a touchscreen he’s experienced, considering it “borderline great.” You might prefer the physical keyboard overall, but don’t dismiss the Z10 out of hand.
DISCLOSURE: None
