"Why BlackBerry 10?" is one of the question that is being asked constantly by many. Having used all 4 major platform extensively, I thought I would give my own take on it, and why I choose BlackBerry 10 instead of other seemingly more viable options.
The answer is a relatively simple one, much like why many people love older BlackBerry OS 7 devices. Communication.
If you are an F1 fanatic like I am, you won’t struggle to catch a couple of Bold 9900 during the recent Australian GP Qualifying broadcast. Red Bull’s Team Principle, Christian Horner is one of the few I have seen using one still. There is nothing like a good physical keyboard for heavy communicators. (Which is why I think that the upcoming BlackBerry Q10 will sell pretty well, but that is for another time.)
Despite lacking a physical Keyboard, the Z10 is still a seriously good device for communication. Largely due to 2 aspects of the OS, the peek gesture, and BlackBerry Hub.
BlackBerry Hub:
BlackBerry Hub is a unified inbox, not to be confused with a notification centre on iOS and Android. A notification centre only shows you new notifications, once read, it will no longer be there. Where as BlackBerry Hub is a unified inbox, where all my messages will always be there.
A notification centre can only direct you to the source of the notification, like Facebook messages for example will take you to the Facebook app, whatsapp notification will take you to the whatsapp app. In BlackBerry Hub, when I get a Facebook message, I can engage in the conversation directly in the Hub, without ever opening the app. When I get a whatsapp message, I can directly engage in that chat without ever opening whatsapp. That is the advantage of the Hub.
Peek:
With what BlackBerry Hub is in mind, this is where this becomes a truly unbeatable combination. The ability to access the Hub no matter where you are simply by swiping up from the bottom bezel, and then to the right. This gives you a peek of the Hub, and if you so wish, you can access it immediately.
This allows for a painless, and efficient way to always be on top of your communications. Which is a big deal for me personally, as the Hub is where I spend the most time on my phone throughout the day, and having an easy way to access it, is a huge time-saver.
The peek gesture doesn’t end here. There is another “peek” gestures for heavy communicators. For example, my phone is almost always set in plain sight, and I always leave the phone in Hub view when I lock it. So when a new notification comes in, I can simply swipe up to activate the screen, and in one swift movement to look at new notifications, and where they are from. If they are not important, I can simply reverse the gesture and continue back to what I was doing. No need to press a button to activate the screen, then swipe to see notifications, like on an Android device.
Other than that, the BlackBerry 10 OS offers pretty much what other platforms offers as well. A nice touch screen display that nice and fluid to use, good for apps, games, videos, web browsing, etc. Futhermore, the brilliant predictive keyboard works very well too, which helps too. The web browser is really superb, perhaps one of the best browsers I have used on a mobile device. But its ability to perform superbly as a communication device is why I chose BlackBerry 10.
It used to be that, if you want a great communication device, you have to sacrifice a bigger screen, apps, games, browser, camera, etc, and simply get a BlackBerry device of old (which I did). But now you can have all those in a package that provides a great communication experience too.
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The reason I decided not to go with other popular platforms is mainly this advantage BB10 offers in terms of communication. This might not be as big of a deal for others, but it is for me. I am even willing to give up the rich ecosystem that iOS and Android offers.
Andriod:
Android albeit powerful, with lots of customizability, and functionality is still lacking the focus on communication that the BlackBerry has. Especially with the Galaxy S4’s announcement, I kind of get the feeling that Samsung is trying too hard to add features to the phone (which is nice). But it seems to lack a focus in the user experience it provides, seemingly just wanting to be able to do just about everything. Which is something BlackBerry 10 has, with its focus on communication and trying to create a UI that allow things to get done faster, and more efficiently. However Android is still my 2nd choice after BB10.
Windows Phone:
Then it comes to Windows Phone. I have only had experience with WP 7.5 and 7.8, but I did keep up with all the latest features that WP 8 offers. Despite liking “Live Tiles” a lot, and its design language, I still have the feeling that it lacks focus. There are still some idiosyncrasies about the navigation of the OS. Still some crucial features missing, like notification centre, and universal search for example. Like if you have notifications from multiple sources, like Facebook, twitter, linked in, whatsapp, sms, email, etc. You have to go into their respective app to see them. It is cumbersome and time-consuming, and certainly not an excuse at this point in the smartphone market. It is my personal opinion that BB10 offers more features and settings despite being a new OS.Windows Phone 8 might be relatively new, but Windows Phone isn’t. Windows Phone IS NOT NEW. It has been around for a couple of years since the advent of Windows Phone 7, and still it is lacking. This is really no excuse if you ask me. Some might see the UI as being worth the trade-off, but not me. Plus with WP you need to sacrifice ecosystem as well, which is another downside. That said, for a new smartphone user, the simple UI and features should be enough for them. But for me, its just doesn’t work. I really hope Microsoft is listening and working fast to bring these much needed features to WP8. I might sound like I hate the platform, but I don’t. I like its design language very much (I like it so much that I had Lumia 800 is black, blue and white), which is why I have much to say about what they can do better. I want it to be a viable option for consumer, and prosumers alike. It has potential, but Microsoft need to push hard.iOS:
iOS albeit simple and provides a great user experience. But it is rather restrictive unless you jail break it. There are some things that absolutely drive me mad, like the need to dive through settings just to turn off WiFi. I have an old iPhone 3G which I tried to use again recently only to have it frustrate the hell out of me. After using it for a few years, I am looking for something more than a simple OS. Which is why it is my last choice despite it being more feature-rich and more matured compared to WP.
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Yes BlackBerry 10 still has minor bugs and issues with it (some issues with contacts, and BlackBerry Hub settings, etc), a few features that I would like to see appear on the platform (api that allow 3rd party apps deeper integration with Hub, more customizability for notifications like colored LED, etc), and a better ecosystem with more apps. But overall as it is, it is a great device. Something that is at least comparable to other platforms at this point in time. Especially for someone who values communication. It might not have all the bells and whistles that a Galaxy S4 has, but it does what its meant to do well. For a new OS, it is surprisingly solid, and this will surely improve as more OS updates arrives with bug fixes and added features. I do see a lot of potential in this platform.
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