Blackberry Priv

[thecurryman]

I used a passport for id say at least 6 months this year and a q10 for a bit last year but yeah it took some getting used to but now I'm pretty proficient with the PKb on the priv. I type much faster and accurately than the touch one and that includes swiftkey.

As far as device quality goes, I remember getting an iPhone 5 scuffed out of the box so thats not an isolated issue. Like I said, if you are gonna use a phone and you want a pkb this is the phone to get, but if a pkb isn't a necessity for you then its not going to feel worth it. I will say that since the phone has a keyboard, its obviously going to make sounds. Like how many phones do you know that have a slide out keyboard and are silent? IMHO its worth the 700 (cheaper than my 16gb ip6+) so I liked it but if you dont then luckily you have many options to choose from!

One thing i do not get is the bashing on bb. Do people not understand that if bb stops making phones then the competition gets smaller? This is exactly how you get a stagnating in technology! All these reviews act like BB should go out of business but the last thing you want is only 3-4 manufacturers making phones.

 

[Aneres11]

I completely agree re the BB bashing. Don't get me wrong I think some of it is warranted in what they're saying, like the move to Android could have definitely happened sooner. Having said that though, I loved BB10 OS so I guess although it would have made sense from a 'let's get more people on board' type view, I'm grateful I experienced it as I loved it.

Regarding the phone itself, of course it's not going to be silent, but I don't expect the back panel to creak and squeak every time I pick the phone up. I don't think that's normal. The last phone that did that to me was, funnily enough, a Q10 but the white version. The back plate on that was different to the glass weave of the black one and it was just a ridged piece of thin flimsy plastic. This feels the same even though there is that rubbery feeling coating.

I know a lot of people have the phone who have a device that feels solid with no clicks or creaks so I'm hoping it's just a bad unit and the one coming today solves all this.

 

[bmac4]

I completely agree re the BB bashing. Don't get me wrong I think some of it is warranted in what they're saying, like the move to Android could have definitely happened sooner. Having said that though, I loved BB10 OS so I guess although it would have made sense from a 'let's get more people on board' type view, I'm grateful I experienced it as I loved it.

Regarding the phone itself, of course it's not going to be silent, but I don't expect the back panel to creak and squeak every time I pick the phone up. I don't think that's normal. The last phone that did that to me was, funnily enough, a Q10 but the white version. The back plate on that was different to the glass weave of the black one and it was just a ridged piece of thin flimsy plastic. This feels the same even though there is that rubbery feeling coating.

I know a lot of people have the phone who have a device that feels solid with no clicks or creaks so I'm hoping it's just a bad unit and the one coming today solves all this.

I am going to guess you never owned a Samsung device pre S6/edge, and Note 5. Talk about making noise and feeling cheap. I think the build quality on the Priv is much nicer then those phones.

 

[Aneres11]

I am going to guess you never owned a Samsung device pre S6/edge, and Note 5. Talk about making noise and feeling cheap. I think the build quality on the Priv is much nicer then those phones.

I didn't own any Samsung device aside from the Alpha which had decent build quality but as you say, it wasn't before Samsung started to pay more attention to their build and materials which they did with the Alpha.

And I have no problem with the materials used in the Priv, but do you think that creaky back plates and keypad problems are acceptable on a device of this price? Because I do not for one minute. Maybe I've been spoiled with Apple devices but even when they used lesser quality materials (5C) their quality and feel was not compromised.

I wouldn't have a problem if it wasn't for the noise the thing makes! I'm not willing to give up on the Priv yet but I'm also not going to keep returning it in the hope that I get a decent model when it shouldn't be a game of Russian roulette when you buy a new phone. Although these days that seems to be the norm with all manufacturers given the rate they knock these phones out!

 

[bmac4]

I didn't own any Samsung device aside from the Alpha which had decent build quality but as you say, it wasn't before Samsung started to pay more attention to their build and materials which they did with the Alpha.

And I have no problem with the materials used in the Priv, but do you think that creaky back plates and keypad problems are acceptable on a device of this price? Because I do not for one minute. Maybe I've been spoiled with Apple devices but even when they used lesser quality materials (5C) their quality and feel was not compromised.

I wouldn't have a problem if it wasn't for the noise the thing makes! I'm not willing to give up on the Priv yet but I'm also not going to keep returning it in the hope that I get a decent model when it shouldn't be a game of Russian roulette when you buy a new phone. Although these days that seems to be the norm with all manufacturers given the rate they knock these phones out!

Well even with the Alpha Samsung had not figured it out. The still were making the S5, and Note 4 which both had plastic builds. Both creaked and made noise when holding. It's a product of plastic. I for one I am not a huge fan of it, and I did not think BB used it in the Priv. I am just not sure why it would be make that noise if it was not plastic.

This is where I think you missed. You may have gotten some really good Apple devices over the years, but Apple is no stranger to quality issues. It seems every time a new iPhone comes out we have a new issues, and some of the same ones pop up. Go check out the iPhone section on here. I am a huge Apple fan and love my iPhone 6S, but I do understand no company can make millions of perfect devices.

I am just saying, don't give up on the Priv yet. I think you might have a lemon, and I think the build quality could be just fine.

 

[Tsepz]

Well even with the Alpha Samsung had not figured it out. The still were making the S5, and Note 4 which both had plastic builds. Both creaked and made noise when holding. It's a product of plastic. I for one I am not a huge fan of it, and I did not think BB used it in the Priv. I am just not sure why it would be make that noise if it was not plastic.

This is where I think you missed. You may have gotten some really good Apple devices over the years, but Apple is no stranger to quality issues. It seems every time a new iPhone comes out we have a new issues, and some of the same ones pop up. Go check out the iPhone section on here. I am a huge Apple fan and love my iPhone 6S, but I do understand no company can make millions of perfect devices.

I am just saying, don't give up on the Priv yet. I think you might have a lemon, and I think the build quality could be just fine.

Note 4 user here. The Note 4 was built exactly the same as Alpha, with a metal frame and textured back and it certainly did not make/does not make any creaks and other noises when held. The Note 4 is probably the most durable of the Notes.

 

[Aneres11]

Ok so my second Priv arrived today and I've spent the last 5-6 hours setting it all up and getting to grips with it all over again. Thankfully it didn't take as long to set up as my previous model did as it would seem that Android remembers your previous device and when it was last used and restores it all for you, a feature which I found pretty neat.

So build quality then. Well, it's very similar. It definitely is a little more secure around the bottom of the phone (the area I hold the phone the most) but it still feels a little creaky and clicky towards the top to middle of the unit. However, I don't recognise this as much purely because I don't really hold the phone there...

It's definitely a lot more usable now anyway. I can pick it up and not experience the creak of the previous model just from putting it in one hand.

I'm now all set up. I think my major concern with the previous model was the fact the keypad didn't keep up with my typing, and sadly, this model is exactly the same. Whist the keypad feels better on this model and is a little more clicky which I like, I don't think I'm going to be able to get past this. It's the sole seeing point of the device and although it works, it doesn't work well enough. I'm typing this review on it now. And whilst I'm not making any spelling mistakes (which I would have done had I used my ipad or iPhone), im having to retype stuff due to missing letters. Words like then are the worst as the phone thinks youve just wrote 'the' when the N is missed. Missed just changed to mixed as only 'mised' registered from my typing which is another example. I've tried slowing down, I've tried pressing harder on each key as I type in case it's the keypad keys that are just not bedded in yet but I'm afraid it just isn't quick enough and I don't know if that's something that can or wil be rectified. It's like when I type the same letter 10 times in quick succession. Only 6 register. On my Classic, at the same succession speed, all 10 letters come out. This is going to be the deciding factor for me.

Elsewhere then, well the screen is gorgeous. It is lovely, bright, crisp, vibrant and colours are displayed really well.
Apps look great, particularly apps like Instagram which benefit greatly from the bigger screen.
Compared to my 6S, I could look at this screen all day.

Camera. Well it's OK. It's not up there with the iPhone for quick snaps but from my experience not an awful lot is. When you're in good light though, it is very respectable and more than adequate for a phone camera. Standard BlackBerry camera shutter in the sense that there's a delay between pressing the camera button and the image being taken which is annoying, but I can get over that.

*ended up moving to iPad for remainder, typing on the keypad is just now unbearable. It's a lovely keypad too and I can type quickly on it already but I just can't deal.

Haven't managed to test video quality yet but I will do so and report back.

Battery. Well from the 2 devices I've had I can see that it's a decent battery. It's definitely going to last the day which is all you can hope for with a mobile phone these days. If you want anymore than that then you need to get yourself a 3210!
The phone did run hot when updating and setting up, but as soon as that was all done I had no heating issues at all (on both devices) and I've had no slow down either. Obviously, over time I could get these issues as you do with most phones, but so far it performed excellently when put under some strenuous tasks like having multiple windows open, music playing, taking photos, and browsing websites. All with ease, and for quite an extended period of time, which I'd expect for a flagship.

I'm coming from an iPhone 6S and my experience with Android is fairly limited save for the Galaxy Alpha model I had earlier in he year, also a Sony Z3 Compact which I hated.

But that wasn't because of Android.
The Priv then, was a new adventure OS wise. I like a new OS from time to time because it's great to keep a hand in with what others are doing. I think all OS' have their plus and minus points and it annoys me when you get people slagging one off because they favour another. But I digress.
Ive been enjoyingAndroid for a number of reasons. But at the same time I'm also getting a bit annoyed with certain things, and that could largely be due to my lack of experience on the platform.
Things I don't like are it can look ugly. Like really ugly. Apps that automatically download onto your home screen. Why? It's messy. On my Alpha, I'm pretty sure I turned that off but with the Priv I can't find the option. Am sure it's there somewhere.
Also, the App tray / drawer. Why can't I customise this to order the apps how I want them? It's great they give a number of viewing modes including alphabetical and most used, but I'd rather just do it myself. Couldn't see an option for this which was a bit annoying.

Widgets. They work well and I like them. But then I downloaded a weather one earlier and opened it up to be told I had to download another one to get these widgets? Very strange.

Notifications. DROVE. ME. INSANE.
I like a good notification. I wish iOS did it better. But my god. Android tells me EVERYTHING. I don't need it. And I couldn't see any way to turn these off without (according to Google), some rooting? Well I don't have the desire to do any of that with my phone. But I also do not want a lollipop notification evrrytime I plug my headphones in. It's just annoying.
Forgive me for ranting and going on here because as I've said, I'm very inexperienced with Android so you guys might be reading thinking, 'idiot, there's a way to do this in the settings!' But I've looked and googled and couldn't see a way.

How apps look. The actual apps themselves have a nice design and look fine. But the third party apps alongside the lollipop and blackberry ones just all looks a mess. Some are square. Some are bigger, some are small, some are circle. They look messy. What I like about iOS is the apps all look uniform. It just creates a much nicer aesthetic. My opinion of course.
I tried a few icon packs but couldn't find one I liked enough. Will keep searching though.

The Dtek app BlackBerry have included with the Priv is pretty good. The information it displays is useful, though often alarming. Last night, on my 6 hour old device, I found out that Facebook had accessed my information over 500 times. I'd opened the app once. Troubling information!
However. As good as it is I don't need a notification every hour. Which is what I'm getting. Evrrytime I download an app I get a Dtek notification. And guess what? They cannot be turned off. More notifications!

The typical BB notification light is there which I love! One of my favourite BB features.
But another downside. Only email can be customised with the colour. No other apps can have their notification light colour changed unless you download an app to do so. And this is where my issue with Android lies. They take the old Apple saying of 'there's an app for that' and they take it to complete extremes. There really is an app or a way to do everything and anything you want but I like my phone to not need a hell of a lot of tweaking to get it where I need it to be. But at the same time, I pick my iPhone up now and feel bored. There's an example of a phone with no customisation outside of how your apps are ordered and your wallpaper. Using Android has now left me wishing Apple would give you a bit more control.

What did I like about Android then? Well I loved Google Play Music. Pretty good app. I signed up for a 3 month free trial and enjoyed what I used. It worked very well and is definitely up there with Apple Music in terms of use ability for me.
I LOVED 'OK google'. Yeah, Siri and Cortana are great too, but I just loved how it worked when my phone was on the coffee table away from me and I could hear her speaking he answer to me. Very good!

Notifications. Well I've just moaned about them ha. But I also love Android notifications at the same time.
The blackberry hub is a shadow of its BB10 self, but that doesn't concern me as I know it will get to where it needs to be.
Notifications, when read in the hub for Twitter, Facebook etc clear out of your hub but don't clear on the app. So it means you need to clear from both, which is a huge backwards step.
That aside, and pointless notifications aside, I like how I'm notified with Android and how they can all be cleared with one touch. It's well laid out, easily read and the icons for notifications also look great.

I've laid my home screen out I'm a minimal way and I like how I can basically do what I want with it. I have a music player widget on screen 2 along with a Google bar and it looks really good. Big album artwork on display and the other screen is minimal and simplistic.

The 'edge' battery power indicator is extremely cool and I love that addition.
Do wish BB had moved away from their standard charger of mini USB to USB C though. But that's irrelevant.

So there we have it. I think I've made my decision on the phone and it will be going back.
Sadly, the keypad is the final nail in the coffin if it can't keep up. If and when a software update is issued (I'm guessing it's a software problem) that solves the problem, then I will definitely revisit.
Until then, it's a no. It's such a shame because I wanted to love this device and I honestly thought I would. Sadly it's just fallen short of where it needs to be. I could use Android no problem, though it has its shortcomings, but they're no where near bad enough to stop me enjoying the platform. It's still extremely solid and a great user experience.

I have gone on and on and I apologise! But I guess I had a lot to get off my chest!

TL;DR here are my pros and cons:

+ Great looking phone
+ Wonderful screen
+ Nice front speaker (didn't touch on this above, but it's a highlight for me)
+ Best BB camera yet
+ BB and Android works

- PKB doesn't keep up with typing
- Flimsy back panel is creaky and clicky
- Camera can be slow in low light
- Too many notifications
- BB Hub needs a lot of work

Argh. I'm so disappointed. I wanted to love it so much!
Thanks for reading y'all.

 

[bmac4]

Note 4 user here. The Note 4 was built exactly the same as Alpha, with a metal frame and textured back and it certainly did not make/does not make any creaks and other noises when held. The Note 4 is probably the most durable of the Notes.

While the Note 4 was a much better built device from Samsung, the "textured" back was textured plastic. While you may not have heard it make notice every time you pick the phone up, it does make noises when you push on it. Like I said it was a step in the right direction for build for Samsung, but it was not anything like their new models.

I am not saying the Priv is amazing, but I do believe it's much better than anything Samsung had done before the S6 and Note 5.

 

[Tsepz]

While the Note 4 was a much better built device from Samsung, the "textured" back was textured plastic. While you may not have heard it make notice every time you pick the phone up, it does make noises when you push on it. Like I said it was a step in the right direction for build for Samsung, but it was not anything like their new models.

I am not saying the Priv is amazing, but I do believe it's much better than anything Samsung had done before the S6 and Note 5.

Yes, it was textured plastic, a plastic that kept its look despite abuse and kept the phone durable. That is the beauty of plastic, its great at heat dristribution, is durable and can take a lot of abuse.


The Note5 and S6 family are the most fragile Samsungs since the Ultra series back in the early 2000s, and even those could at least withstand a heavy fall without much damage.

I don't exactly push on my phone when using it and in general usage it makes no noises.

I'm beginning to believe your cover was either not correctly on or you had a bad unit.

 

[bmac4]

Yes, it was textured plastic, a plastic that kept its look despite abuse and kept the phone durable. That is the beauty of plastic, its great at heat dristribution, is durable and can take a lot of abuse.


The Note5 and S6 family are the most fragile Samsungs since the Ultra series back in the early 2000s, and even those could at least withstand a heavy fall without much damage.

I don't exactly push on my phone when using it and in general usage it makes no noises.

I'm beginning to believe your cover was either not correctly on or you had a bad unit.

Oh for sure the S6 and note 5 are the most fragile, but they also look better.

I actually don't own the Note 4. I have played with in store many times. The only not I had was the Note 2, and it made all kinds of noise. I just think the look is more important to me than durability. I will take metal and glass over plastic any day.

 

[thecurryman]

Ok so my second Priv arrived today and I've spent the last 5-6 hours setting it all up and getting to grips with it all over again. Thankfully it didn't take as long to set up as my previous model did as it would seem that Android remembers your previous device and when it was last used and restores it all for you, a feature which I found pretty neat.

So build quality then. Well, it's very similar. It definitely is a little more secure around the bottom of the phone (the area I hold the phone the most) but it still feels a little creaky and clicky towards the top to middle of the unit. However, I don't recognise this as much purely because I don't really hold the phone there...

It's definitely a lot more usable now anyway. I can pick it up and not experience the creak of the previous model just from putting it in one hand.

I'm now all set up. I think my major concern with the previous model was the fact the keypad didn't keep up with my typing, and sadly, this model is exactly the same. Whist the keypad feels better on this model and is a little more clicky which I like, I don't think I'm going to be able to get past this. It's the sole seeing point of the device and although it works, it doesn't work well enough. I'm typing this review on it now. And whilst I'm not making any spelling mistakes (which I would have done had I used my ipad or iPhone), im having to retype stuff due to missing letters. Words like then are the worst as the phone thinks youve just wrote 'the' when the N is missed. Missed just changed to mixed as only 'mised' registered from my typing which is another example. I've tried slowing down, I've tried pressing harder on each key as I type in case it's the keypad keys that are just not bedded in yet but I'm afraid it just isn't quick enough and I don't know if that's something that can or wil be rectified. It's like when I type the same letter 10 times in quick succession. Only 6 register. On my Classic, at the same succession speed, all 10 letters come out. This is going to be the deciding factor for me.

Elsewhere then, well the screen is gorgeous. It is lovely, bright, crisp, vibrant and colours are displayed really well.
Apps look great, particularly apps like Instagram which benefit greatly from the bigger screen.
Compared to my 6S, I could look at this screen all day.

Camera. Well it's OK. It's not up there with the iPhone for quick snaps but from my experience not an awful lot is. When you're in good light though, it is very respectable and more than adequate for a phone camera. Standard BlackBerry camera shutter in the sense that there's a delay between pressing the camera button and the image being taken which is annoying, but I can get over that.

*ended up moving to iPad for remainder, typing on the keypad is just now unbearable. It's a lovely keypad too and I can type quickly on it already but I just can't deal.

Haven't managed to test video quality yet but I will do so and report back.

Battery. Well from the 2 devices I've had I can see that it's a decent battery. It's definitely going to last the day which is all you can hope for with a mobile phone these days. If you want anymore than that then you need to get yourself a 3210!
The phone did run hot when updating and setting up, but as soon as that was all done I had no heating issues at all (on both devices) and I've had no slow down either. Obviously, over time I could get these issues as you do with most phones, but so far it performed excellently when put under some strenuous tasks like having multiple windows open, music playing, taking photos, and browsing websites. All with ease, and for quite an extended period of time, which I'd expect for a flagship.

I'm coming from an iPhone 6S and my experience with Android is fairly limited save for the Galaxy Alpha model I had earlier in he year, also a Sony Z3 Compact which I hated.

But that wasn't because of Android.
The Priv then, was a new adventure OS wise. I like a new OS from time to time because it's great to keep a hand in with what others are doing. I think all OS' have their plus and minus points and it annoys me when you get people slagging one off because they favour another. But I digress.
Ive been enjoyingAndroid for a number of reasons. But at the same time I'm also getting a bit annoyed with certain things, and that could largely be due to my lack of experience on the platform.
Things I don't like are it can look ugly. Like really ugly. Apps that automatically download onto your home screen. Why? It's messy. On my Alpha, I'm pretty sure I turned that off but with the Priv I can't find the option. Am sure it's there somewhere.
Also, the App tray / drawer. Why can't I customise this to order the apps how I want them? It's great they give a number of viewing modes including alphabetical and most used, but I'd rather just do it myself. Couldn't see an option for this which was a bit annoying.

Widgets. They work well and I like them. But then I downloaded a weather one earlier and opened it up to be told I had to download another one to get these widgets? Very strange.

Notifications. DROVE. ME. INSANE.
I like a good notification. I wish iOS did it better. But my god. Android tells me EVERYTHING. I don't need it. And I couldn't see any way to turn these off without (according to Google), some rooting? Well I don't have the desire to do any of that with my phone. But I also do not want a lollipop notification evrrytime I plug my headphones in. It's just annoying.
Forgive me for ranting and going on here because as I've said, I'm very inexperienced with Android so you guys might be reading thinking, 'idiot, there's a way to do this in the settings!' But I've looked and googled and couldn't see a way.

How apps look. The actual apps themselves have a nice design and look fine. But the third party apps alongside the lollipop and blackberry ones just all looks a mess. Some are square. Some are bigger, some are small, some are circle. They look messy. What I like about iOS is the apps all look uniform. It just creates a much nicer aesthetic. My opinion of course.
I tried a few icon packs but couldn't find one I liked enough. Will keep searching though.

The Dtek app BlackBerry have included with the Priv is pretty good. The information it displays is useful, though often alarming. Last night, on my 6 hour old device, I found out that Facebook had accessed my information over 500 times. I'd opened the app once. Troubling information!
However. As good as it is I don't need a notification every hour. Which is what I'm getting. Evrrytime I download an app I get a Dtek notification. And guess what? They cannot be turned off. More notifications!

The typical BB notification light is there which I love! One of my favourite BB features.
But another downside. Only email can be customised with the colour. No other apps can have their notification light colour changed unless you download an app to do so. And this is where my issue with Android lies. They take the old Apple saying of 'there's an app for that' and they take it to complete extremes. There really is an app or a way to do everything and anything you want but I like my phone to not need a hell of a lot of tweaking to get it where I need it to be. But at the same time, I pick my iPhone up now and feel bored. There's an example of a phone with no customisation outside of how your apps are ordered and your wallpaper. Using Android has now left me wishing Apple would give you a bit more control.

What did I like about Android then? Well I loved Google Play Music. Pretty good app. I signed up for a 3 month free trial and enjoyed what I used. It worked very well and is definitely up there with Apple Music in terms of use ability for me.
I LOVED 'OK google'. Yeah, Siri and Cortana are great too, but I just loved how it worked when my phone was on the coffee table away from me and I could hear her speaking he answer to me. Very good!

Notifications. Well I've just moaned about them ha. But I also love Android notifications at the same time.
The blackberry hub is a shadow of its BB10 self, but that doesn't concern me as I know it will get to where it needs to be.
Notifications, when read in the hub for Twitter, Facebook etc clear out of your hub but don't clear on the app. So it means you need to clear from both, which is a huge backwards step.
That aside, and pointless notifications aside, I like how I'm notified with Android and how they can all be cleared with one touch. It's well laid out, easily read and the icons for notifications also look great.

I've laid my home screen out I'm a minimal way and I like how I can basically do what I want with it. I have a music player widget on screen 2 along with a Google bar and it looks really good. Big album artwork on display and the other screen is minimal and simplistic.

The 'edge' battery power indicator is extremely cool and I love that addition.
Do wish BB had moved away from their standard charger of mini USB to USB C though. But that's irrelevant.

So there we have it. I think I've made my decision on the phone and it will be going back.
Sadly, the keypad is the final nail in the coffin if it can't keep up. If and when a software update is issued (I'm guessing it's a software problem) that solves the problem, then I will definitely revisit.
Until then, it's a no. It's such a shame because I wanted to love this device and I honestly thought I would. Sadly it's just fallen short of where it needs to be. I could use Android no problem, though it has its shortcomings, but they're no where near bad enough to stop me enjoying the platform. It's still extremely solid and a great user experience.

I have gone on and on and I apologise! But I guess I had a lot to get off my chest!

TL;DR here are my pros and cons:

+ Great looking phone
+ Wonderful screen
+ Nice front speaker (didn't touch on this above, but it's a highlight for me)
+ Best BB camera yet
+ BB and Android works

- PKB doesn't keep up with typing
- Flimsy back panel is creaky and clicky
- Camera can be slow in low light
- Too many notifications
- BB Hub needs a lot of work

Argh. I'm so disappointed. I wanted to love it so much!
Thanks for reading y'all.

Good review! I like the detail you went into.

However a few points: you can customize the LED color for most apps. you have to go into the setting--> sounds/notifications--> app notifications --> select app --> select LED color. I did that to change the color for SMS, email and other apps

I will say that with the PKB, i noticed a similar issue where it felt like the pkb didn't keep up with my typing and I thought it was a software issue. Turns out it was a software issue, and by issue I mean the OS simply needed some time to settle in before becoming optimized. Also, after a few days of the software settling down, I noticed the keyboard responsiveness went up. It really does take some getting used to but after a few days its very easy to type on. I tried the thing where you pressed a key 10 times and it shows up 10 times on my screen. You mentioned you only used the phone a few hours in your last post and then you got a new one today. Have you thought of possibly giving it a few days of use to see if the issue go away? A lot of phones have slower software right out the box that take a few days to go away, and that includes the iPhone

But then again, sounds like your biggest issues are with android not with the keyboard lol

 

[Aneres11]

Good review! I like the detail you went into.

However a few points: you can customize the LED color for most apps. you have to go into the setting--> sounds/notifications--> app notifications --> select app --> select LED color. I did that to change the color for SMS, email and other apps

I will say that with the PKB, i noticed a similar issue where it felt like the pkb didn't keep up with my typing and I thought it was a software issue. Turns out it was a software issue, and by issue I mean the OS simply needed some time to settle in before becoming optimized. Also, after a few days of the software settling down, I noticed the keyboard responsiveness went up. It really does take some getting used to but after a few days its very easy to type on. I tried the thing where you pressed a key 10 times and it shows up 10 times on my screen. You mentioned you only used the phone a few hours in your last post and then you got a new one today. Have you thought of possibly giving it a few days of use to see if the issue go away? A lot of phones have slower software right out the box that take a few days to go away, and that includes the iPhone

But then again, sounds like your biggest issues are with android not with the keyboard lol

Thanks for the comment and the reply!
And that's interesting that your keypad settled down (well, the software did). I am going to give it a good 10 days, as I have 14 days to return the device so I'm not going to just send it back straight away as I would like to get to know Android more.

And I do like Android, I know it probably seemed like I didn't ha but it's just a couple of annoying features that grated on me in the short time I have been using the Priv for. It's meant to be customisable but some things can't be turned off which makes no sense when it adds nothing to the users experience.

I will keep trying with it throughout the day and rest of the week and see if it helps any.

Regarding the notification light, I could only see an option to change for email and SMS, the other apps like Facebook and Twitter (Twitter's light for instance, is green) had no option that I could see. But I'll play about more today and post back later in the week!

 

[QuickDraw]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...d-fixes-the-os-but-the-hardware-cant-compete/
They were pretty harsh. I am surprised that the build quality isn't top notch. I found all the BB10 phones had a solid build quality

 

[vladi]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...d-fixes-the-os-but-the-hardware-cant-compete/
They were pretty harsh. I am surprised that the build quality isn't top notch. I found all the BB10 phones had a solid build quality

That's because its a personal agenda not a review.

 

[mikeo007]

That's because its a personal agenda not a review.

Oh that tired, old argument.

"I don't agree with them, therefore they are biased."

Ars gave some BB10 phones decent reviews while others raked them over the coals. There's no agenda with the review. The only agenda I see is a select few trying to dismiss anything but the most positive reviews.

 

[Qbnkelt]

Oh that tired, old argument.

"I don't agree with them, therefore they are biased."

Ars gave some BB10 phones decent reviews while others raked them over the coals. There's no agenda with the review. The only agenda I see is a select few trying to dismiss anything but the most positive reviews.

Yup. It never ends, the paranoia.

 

[Aneres11]

Ok so having spent a good week or so now with the Priv, I feel like I've come to my decision on whether or not I will be keeping it.
Unfortunately, i will be returning the device at the weekend.

I say unfortunately, becasue I actually am sad that it hasn't lived up to my expectations. Perhaps I placed too great an expectation for the phone to fulfil, but it falls short in too many key areas for me to consider it my main phone.

The biggest gripe (as already pointed out) is that keypad. The size of it is fine, as is the feedback from the key presses, it's the software that can't keep up with words typed on it. It results in typos, back spacing, garbled text that is what I'm used to when I use a virtual keypad and the reason why I crave a physical keypad in a phone so much.
I do think it can be fixed, but I honestly dont think it will get fixed as quickly as it should do. And it's he biggest blow for me. The stand out of this device is the slide out keypad, so why oh why they didnt optimise the software for this method of input is beyond me. Lots of other users also getting the exact same problem from the forums I visit, so I know it's not my unit and I'm not alone. I've also had 2 Priv's since launch, and both keypads performed the same.

Other downfalls were small things like the BB hub just not being integrated very well compared to BB10. I understand that this, like the software, will get updates as time goes by, but it's nonsensical to me that it wasn't being optimised in the same way it is on BB10 straight out of he box. Why take backwards steps?

The phone can get hot. Not a huge problem for me, but it does heat up easily. Again, fixable.

Other things are just Android niggles like the notifications I touched on in previous posts. Being notified about headphones being plugged in is still wearing me down. I also find that as much as I like Google Play Music, it isn't easy to search my own personal library without excessive scrolling through albums, artists or songs to get to what I want. Just letters down the side of the screen to quick hop would be ideal (a la Apple Music) but instead it's cumbersome and annoying when I want to quickly get to an album.

I tried the Android Apple Music app and it's great. But the lack of equaliser at present is a bit of a deal breaker though I know it will come eventually.

I do like the Priv a lot. Unfortunately, I don't love it and I need to love it to make me sell my iPhone 6S to replace it. I also need to love it given the price of the thing... But as I said it falls short in the areas where I need it to shine and I expect it to shine.
I could persevere and wait until the software updates come but that laggy physical keypad is a huge annoyance for me and I don't know if it will be addressed in a timely manner as it should be.

Maybe in a few months if there's a price drop and better hub integration / updated software then I will revisit.
For now it's a no. And it pains me to say!
I love my 6S, but have enjoyed many parts of Android to the point where I'd like to explore more devices. Keep your eyes peeled in other threads as I may end up popping up looking for a new Android experience!
Thanks.

 

[thecurryman]

Dang, sorry to hear things didn't work out for you! I hope you end up finding a phone that you really enjoy! I agree though, there are some kinks (software) that need to be worked out ASAP by BB

 

[Aneres11]

Well, I say all this and the more I use it (when not having to type) the more I like it!
Part of me is still torn!
I like the size, weight and feel of the device and Android has its plus points. I haven't mentioned it in the comments I've made thus far, but the back button and the 'sqaure' button that brings up your active apps is just so much more intuitive and user friendly than Apple's lack of dedicated back button and tapping the home button twice.

Sure, they both work, and I do like Apple's back gesture by swiping right across the screen, but it feels easier on Android.

What I do miss terribly with iPhone when using the Priv though (or any device) is not being able to get back to the top of a page quickly. Is there a way to do this I don't know about?!
Touching the top of the screen to go right back up is one of my favourite features on Apple devices so it is sorely missed.

BlackBerry do let you do this though in some apps. On web pages with the keypad out you can press 'T' to go back to the top and 'B' to go right to the bottom. Hopefully they can add this to things such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! Am sure they will, over time!

I'm kinda thinking aloud here now... haha. I so dont want to return it but I do at the same time! Be nice if BB just released an update tonight and all these issues got fixed lol.
I'll keep dreaming!

 

[Tsepz]

http://www.slashgear.com/dxomark-puts-blackberry-priv-on-par-with-iphone-6s-28419870/

 

[KillaMac]

While the Note 4 was a much better built device from Samsung, the "textured" back was textured plastic. While you may not have heard it make notice every time you pick the phone up, it does make noises when you push on it. Like I said it was a step in the right direction for build for Samsung, but it was not anything like their new models.

I am not saying the Priv is amazing, but I do believe it's much better than anything Samsung had done before the S6 and Note 5.

Hahahah.... the priv much better than a Note 4? You make me laugh. A guy at work has one and that thing is all loose, creaks, etc. The Note 4 is a solid phone and never made any noises for me. The S6 and Note 5 are some of the worse designs Samsung has done with no battery to swap, or expandable ram. Made out of glass.......will break the first time you drop it.

 

[Aneres11]

Hello everyone. Bit of a thread bump if you like, but posting in here again as ive done what I didn't think I would do and come back to the Priv.
Why I hear you say... haha.

Well a couple of things really.

Firstly, I was impressed with some elements of the device the first time round, mainly the screen, the good blend of BlackBerry and Android, and the overall look of the phone.

Secondly, I knew that there had been a pretty big update to the phone in December which had, apparently, fixed a number of bugs and performance issues.

I had been using a One Plus X which I fell out with pretty quickly, mainly due to not liking the virtual keypads that Android offers. I generally, hate VKB's, but I just found them all the be pretty dire compared to Apples's, which is the only one I can just about tolerate.

So I decided to give the Priv another go due to an upcoming upgrade offer.

I've received it this evening and once again, have mixed impression and thoughts. It it wouldn't be normal if it was all just good for me and this phone would it now haha.

Well to start, the build date is showing as mid December for this and right out the box, I can tell it's much better than the other 2 very early models that I had. There is no squeak, no creak and no crack to the back plate and strangely, the back playe actually feels thicker? Could be wrong, just seems it. Very good.

Slide the screen up though and what's this? No sharp quick snap up like the other 2. A slow, difficult push that doesn't spring into action. Instead the screen sits halfway up until you push further to extend fully. Same on the way back down. After several pushes up and down to try and loosen this, it hasn't helped. Somewhat annoying but not a deal breaker, and nicer than the creaky back of the older ones.

Booted up, all good.

The biggest gripe and reason for getting rid of the Priv first time was the keypad not keeping up with my quick typing. Software update has ensured this is no longer the case and all letters flow beautifully onto screen with nothing missed what so ever. Lovely.
But not. This model has a very dodgy space bar button. And it has very little tactile feedback. In all honesty, most of the keys on this keypad have very little feel, but the space bar feels dead. You have to hit it right in the middle and even then I wonder if I've actually pressed it. My older ones had dodgy zero's which didn't bother me, because I rarely pressed that button. But the space bar? Rough.

The software update from December though was definitely a huuuuge much needed update. Everything (and I mean virtually everything) has been improved upon. The speed of the phone is now exactly what you'd expect. Heat issues are no more unless updating loads of apps / downloading a large file or large number of apps. Animations are smooth and fluid. But best of all the cameras is night and day better. Much much quicker to process, not much lag at all (easily comparable to my One Plus X) and in low light it is now extremely respectable.
Really really good job.

Hub also now includes whatsapp and whilst it's not perfect or as good as BB10, it's a huge step forward.

So, I'm very pleased I took the plunge. Am I pleased the keyboard has a dodgy space bar? Nope. But I think I can just about live with that if I'm honest. I'm already very quick on this keypad and it's finally giving me the experience I expected right out the box the first time.
With Marshmallow coming in quarter 1, things look to be only getting better. And I finally have my physical keypad back!

I now would definitely recommend this device which is not something I'd have been quick to do before!

 

[MRU]

@Aneres11 thanks for the update ... I nearly ordered one myself, your making it harder to resist temptation and quenching my interest.

 

[jamezr]

@Aneres11 thanks for the update ... I nearly ordered one myself, your making it harder to resist temptation and quenching my interest.

Same here....it is coming to TMO next week. So at least i can see it in person. For me it depends on the camera and the keys on the keyboard. If they are too small then it will frustrate me to no end. Most BBs i have had the physical keys are just too small for my big hands.

 

[Aneres11]

Same here....it is coming to TMO next week. So at least i can see it in person. For me it depends on the camera and the keys on the keyboard. If they are too small then it will frustrate me to no end. Most BBs i have had the physical keys are just too small for my big hands.

Hmm I feel you may find them too small as these are the smallest keys I've seen on a BlackBerry. The newer ones anyway. Even the Q10 had bigger keys and that was one small phone.

I am finding the space bar on this one to be really troublesome so might have to exchange. It's annoying but at this point it is impacting my typing somewhat.

The rest of the phone I am absolutely loving though. Well chuffed with it now.