Long-time BB user getting a new phone. Suggestions?

Hey y'all

I had posted a thread to Tested; but, unfortunately, their forums seem far more dead than they used to be.

The short version is that I'm a long-time Blackberry user, and my phone is finally FUBAR. I am eligible for an upgrade on Tuesday, and am looking to upgrade to something awesome.

I would love to stick with Blackberry because I love QWERTY; but, at the same time, their software is kind of shit (browser is just average, apps are laughable, et cetera).

Is Blackberry 10 worth the jump? Should I wait for the Q10? (this review was posted, which made me think "no," and just get a nicer phone). If definitely "no," then what phones would you guys suggest looking at? I've not really been keeping up with the most recent phone trends (I know the S4 comes out at the end of May; but, with the industry I'm in, being without a phone for a month will be tough)

Thanks a ton!

Joanna?. Ha! I know about her..

The Verge doesn't have a review yet.. The Verge: Reviews: Cell Phones

Crackberry is the place for you. Crackberry: BlackBerry Q10 Review

I'd say, Get whatever you want. Never compromise with your beliefs. And don't let anybody lead you otherwise. I like Windows Phone, and I'm probably gonna upgrade to another WP8.1 later this year. At this point, I'm okay with any modern OS, as iOS and Android are both getting Xbox Music and MS Office at some point. Those are the only apps I want, so Canabalt and games and stuff is just sweetener with me.

Yea, go in the store and play with em'. See which one feels more comfortable and natural to you. I have an iPhone and love it but I know they aren't for everyone.

@blu3v3nom07: @rawknro11a:

Thanks to both of you, and agreed. Regardless of what thing I end up getting, there will definitely be a physical test of them to see about feel.

Games have definitely been a factor in deciding, to be honest. I've really wanted to try things like The Room; but, being on a Blackberry and not owning an iPad or android tablet means it's been impossible to try any of this generation's mobile games. Hopefully they get around that with the Q10; but, again, we shall see haha.

@bassman2112: I went from an iPhone 3gs to an Andriod and ended up going back to an iphone 4 mainly due to the apps. the itunes app store has got the market on exclusive apps so that may be something you want to look into. Even if you find some super badass phone if it doesnt have any cool games or apps... kinda ruins it to me...

SO, check out which services have which apps/games

Galaxy S4. Go straight for the best.

If you like Blackberrys then go into a store and test a few out and get a feel for them. Maybe take a look at the iPhone or Galaxy Nexus and see if you still prefer Blackberry.

I know that I am stuck in the Apple hole simply because I am so entrenched in their ecosystem that barring a horrendous disaster on Apples part I can't justify moving to an Android or Blackberry. So if you are free to move to different platforms you owe it to yourself to at least look into it.

@rawknro11a: Indeed, that's the thing. I'd be interested in iOS simply for the apps; but I could always track down an iPad or something; but I do really hate Apple (as I type this from a Macbook Pro). Again, you're right though, the blackberry app store has always been ridiculously barren and useless. Full of amateur-ish stuff that is nigh useless. I know either Android or iOS would be better in that sense.

@liquidprince: That isn't out yet

@jay_ray: For sure, I've played around with my friends iphones and galaxy 3s/razr droids a few times, and understand them; but am still not totally sold on the 100% touch-screen interfaces.

To me the only worthy choices are the iPhone 5, and the Nexus 4. Or wait for the iPhone 6 and Nexus 5 whenever those come out.

It is true that iOS still has the better app ecosystem. There's no denying that, and I say so as a loyal Android adherent. This is especially true for games: there are plenty of games on Android but the best ones, like The Room, are ported long after their iOS release and many never see a port at all.

But the Android has advantages too, obviously. In my mind they are hardware quality, hardware diversity, native app quality and the general openness of the system and the modability it grants.

Let me elaborate. As for hardware quality the flagship Android phones offer superior hardware to the iPhone in my opinion. This goes for all components: larger and better resolution, higher build quality, better camera and so forth. Better processors and the like are obvious but not as apparent. Hardware diversity is a strength in my mind: my contract is about to lapse so I'm comparing flagship phones right now. The Galaxy S4 and the HTC One are strong contenders, with the HTC mainly staying in the race for me because of its aluminium build because durability is a priority for me. For the same reason the Sony Xperia Z comes in a close third because of its water and dust resistant versions. My point is this: diversity allows you to find a phone tailored to your individual needs. There are versions with SD-card slots and without, with and without detachable batteries and so on. It's easy to find a few that fits you like a glove.

As for native app quality, Google offers a range of extremely capable core apps. The Map app is recognized as superior to Apple's native, for instance, and I would argue this goes for the native voice search app too (compared to Siri) and obviously integrated search features where Google, after all, is the world leader. Many are available as third part on iOS but that's a bit beside the point. Finally, openness: this in and of itself can be considered a mixed bag. The main reason that iOS offers a wider range of apps, besides being the fact that they created the very market itself, is that the more closed nature of the iPhone simplifies app development. It's basically console vs PC in a metaphorical sense. But the openness means that just about anything having to do with the software is highly customisable, from appearance to behaviour and response. Some custom mods even offer hardware improvements such as CPU clocking options or better battery life. It requires basic technical know how, of course, but there's more than enough step by step guides out there to walk even a complete beginner through it.

so for recommendations... the aforementioned SGS4 and HTC ONE spring to mind, even if the S4 releases next month. I think the HTC is available now although it might differ between countries. The Xperia Z and the excellent Galaxy Nexus are otherwise great choices.

To sum it all up, this is what I usually do as far as advice go: i recommend iOS devices to people who are either completely un savvy or uninterested either in tinkering or going beyond the more basic functions thanks to stability of the iOS, but for everyone else I go with Android. I don't know enough about Windows to comment. I'm afraid.

This pretty much, I'd say go with Android but I understand why some people prefer iOS more. Android is 90% based on software so I'd totally reinforce getting a Nexus 4 over something like a Galaxy S4, the Nexus 4 should be kept up to date with the latest firmware for at least a couple years officially and unofficially for a bit longer. The Nexus 4 is also a steal of deal unlocked straight from Google for something just under $400 buts I think.

iOS certainly has the better selections of apps at the moment but Android is quickly gaining steam as it's user base grows, I'd say the choice between them just depends on which other hardware you use(Mac or PC).

@nivash: Thanks for the detailed reply, it helped in a lot of ways as it is reiterating a lot of the general thoughts I had developed on my own =)

That was definitely my view of the iOS infrastructure. Though there are a lot of apps and such, you are far more limited as it's confined to a closed environment. I am also a programmer (of sorts), so the idea of having a totally closed environment is a rather negative aspect for me. It'd be nice to be able to get into the nuts & bolts of the operating system without having to feel like you're destroying everything in the process. With that being said, there are absolutely apps that I'd love to try with iOS; but I feel like I could just use Bluestacks to try those things out - it doesn't seem worth it to get a device just for a few awesome apps (I'm specifically thinking of things like Propellerhead's ReBirth and such).

There are other hurdles as well. I mean, I'm not a fan of touch screens, so getting used to not having a physical keyboard will take some time; but that is hardly the end of the world, by any means (first world problems, and such). Also, not being with a working phone for around a month will be tough as I'm constantly getting phone calls for potential work opportunities/internships at the moment (nearing graduation as a Uni student in technology [music technology specifically]).

I don't know if you're the person to ask, but do you know if Verizon is cool lending a flip phone until the new phone would come out? The S4 does look rad, and it seems like the OS should (hopefully) be open enough to do some fairly interesting things with - or, would it be better to just get one of the old standards like the Nexus 4 or something?

Thanks!

i had a Crapberry curve for about 3 years (which i absolutely hated) and upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy Ace II a few months ago. I'm pretty happy with it. If you're on a lower budget and don't want to spend an arm and a leg on something like an iPhone 5 or Galaxy S3/4 or whatever else high end is out it's not a bad phone to consider. It's also a lot more affordable than the BB Q/Z10 too. My only issue i had with the Ace II initially was the small barrier of getting used to the touchscreen, mainly the issues with the stock touch keyboard but there's a pretty good free one (A.I. Type) on the play store to replace it with and it's made typing on a touch screen for me incredibly more accurate and efficient.

Honestly, anything you get outside of Blackberry is likely going to be a significant upgrade as long as you don't mind not getting the "best" most expensive thing out there right now.

@bassman2112: Glad to be of help! Like I said, I'm in the market for a new phone myself so I basically wrote down my own thoughts on the matter. As for Verizon, I'm afraid I have no idea - I've never dealt with them. Suppose it couldn't hurt to ask.

As for the openness of the S4 or any other Android device it shouldn't be a problem. Just root it and you're good to go. The S3 got plenty of mods and that shouldn't change.

Finally the Nexus 4 is still a fine device -it's just that the Android hardware race is so fast that it's already a bit outdated so choosing it means you won't get the newest shit , so to speak. If that's a factor is up to you of course. For the most part you won't notice the difference: lower CPU speeds won't factor into anything much more than games and even than not for a relatively long time. The camera is also fine and the screen, while smaller and running at a bit lower resolution, is IPS and just great. All around its an excellent phone - and it gets updated quickly.

@bassman2112: Main issue with the Nexus 4 for you is that it's only on T-Mobile in the U.S. You can of course consider switching once your contract is up if that's an option for you.

@bigandtasty: Indeed, that's one of the hurdles I've been noticing. Unfortunately I don't think I can ditch Verizon as I'm currently paired up with my gf with a 'shared' account, and that would mess things up haha. So I guess the Nexus 4 is out.

@nivash: Again, thanks for all your help =)

I've had my iPhone 4 for 14 months now and I'm sick to death of it. I hate iTunes, it's slow as hell and totally uncustomisable. Avoid at all costs - probably quite a high cost since these Apple deelies are expensive as a gold-plated diamond house.

My friend has a Samsung Galaxy S3 and that big ol' slice of phone is really cool. It's huge, but it's fast, nice looking and Android - above all else. The S4 is going to be pricey right now and is apparently only an iterative improvement over the acclaimed S3, which I suppose will be cheaper now it's successor is out.

Good luck choosing, duder!

I don't mean to necro a thread, but I recently got a z10 and it is pretty ballin. I came from a iPhone 4S, I just kinda got tired of iOS and wanted to try something new and different.

The app selection leaves a lot to be desired, but with the ability to sideload android apps, it provides a nice stop gap until an actual Blackberry version of the app comes out. The next OS release (10.2) is supposed to bump up the android emulation layer to 4.2/4.3 and add hardware acceleration. I can see people bringing a simple port over first and then if there is enough interest, come out with a new blackberry native version.

What did you end up choosing anyway?