Submitted by BlackBerry OS 10.2.1 has been released. The biggest new feature is much better support for Android applications – you no longer have to convert APK files into BAR files, and can install them as-is. BlackBerry details the other, smaller improvements as well.
I still have yet to see any BlackBerry 10 device, which makes me sad – I’d love to see what it’s all about.
Not for the PlayBook. Sad, I kinda love a QNX tablet with solid quality hardware.
Otherwise, I think BlackBerry still has something to offer that others don’t, like better security and high quality standards, but I’m not sure if the difference is as big as 3 years ago. I feel that the gap has become less wide. Today, there is less reason to buy BlackBerry. However, recently the Pentagon has placed a big order, so for the security-minded and for corporate use, they are still competitive.
O, and did I mention the greatness that is QNX?
No, they didn’t.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/23/technology/mobile/blackberry-pentag…
Picked up a Z10 a few days ago and couldn’t be happier.
Considering how poor carrier OS updates are in general, I was pleasantly surprised to get an update on starting the phone and then 10.2.1 once I connected to my provider.
Had a Z10 for a month (then it overheated and died). It’s a really beautiful device.
Blackberry-Style push and notifications are still the best, typography is great, and the OS feels simple, yet powerful. Gestures also work nice once you get used to them.
IMO as a developer, it’s good but more closed than necessary (too many steps for some stuff), still better than iOS.
Android compatibility is kind of poor in general, failing more times than it works.
It’s a nice device but it suffers the same fate as Windows Phone, which is that third party apps are just horrible.
Their biggest problem is that the Blackberry brand right now is seen as obsolete, and consumers can’t really tell that this device is different than the absolute crap phones their company released before before buying it.
The Android app compatibility improves with each release, it is now good with non-Google Play enabled apps.
The app selection looks better than Windows Phone even without the Android apps but I think you need to spend more than other stores for quality apps.
My phone didn’t get the 10.2.1 update yet. Vodafone UK is blocking it for now. I look forward to the easier install of Android apps, the picture password, the screen warmth setting and other improvements.
I really like the keyboard (and text prediction) on my BlackBerry. Flash support and Reader mode in the browser are nice. There are some features missing in the mail client, address book and calendar but overall I like the platform.
The BlackBerry Z30 may be the best phone on the market. I absolutely love mine. My previous phone was an iPhone.
The Z30 hardware sounds dated if you just look at the specs. The native App store is pretty easy to make fun of. There are lots of reasons you might not believe me.
That said, it is rated 5/5 stars on Amazon and on the websites of every wireless carrier in my area. The people that have it love it. The OS is fast and fluid, my battery lasts more than a day with heavy use, and it really is a better communications device and productivity tool. I am totally converted.
I have to say though that I might like it less if I could not run Android apps in addition to BlackBerry. Most of the apps I use the most are native but there are many other apps that I have to use the Android version of like the one for my thermostat (Nest), my daily parking (Pay by phone), my company benefits, Netflix, and one of my banks.
I often watch something on Netflix on the train to work. The problem is that neither my old iPhone or another Android phone I have get consistent signal on the train underground which made using Netflix on the train frustrating. It works great on my Blackberry even though it is actually an Android app. I guess the Paratek antenna really is better.
As for over-the-air apps, I can use BlackBerry World (native BlackBerry store), the Amazon Android store, or SNAP (a native Blackberry app that downloads from Google Play). Ironically, it is actually easier for me to install an APK (Android app) than it is to install a native app like SNAP that is not in the official BlackBerry store.
The “has been released” first link in the article has a double quote in the wrong place, so it doesn’t work for me (in Firefox).
A shame BB10 never made the PlayBook because the ability to sideload apk’s straight onto a BB device was something that should been on all BB devices as soon as they had an Android runtime present – this was a major ball-dropping moment IMHO. Converting to bar files isn’t that easy, no matter what people tell you.
One example – there are a zillion free Android video players that can play AC3 audio embedded in a video. The standard PlayBook (and maybe BB10?) video player refuses to play any video containing AC3 audio (even if it can decode the video format and could have played it silently).
Look on BlackBerry World on my PlayBook and I didn’t find *any* free video players that could handle AC3 audio (this is a popular audio format for, ahem, downloaded video). Kalemsoft Media Player can handle it, but normally costs 7 pounds (about $11), which is very expensive for something that’s free many times over on Android.
So it’s either faffing around with apk to bar conversion (assuming it will run OK on the PlayBook, which a lot of popular Android apps don’t) or paying a hefty price for something that’s free on most other platforms. And this crops up again and again with the PlayBook – enough that the people I know with a PlayBook barely use it now.
The Playbook is a sad story. On one hand, RIM really bungled their update planning, not to mention the BB10 promise. On the other hand, third-party developer seem to have been disinterested in bringing significant apps onto the platform. The media didn’t help either, fueling the anti-BB mentality.
I still use mine, and likely will until it stops working, since it does have useful apps on it and it satisfies my needs for it. I am contemplating a Surface however for my next tablet.
BB10 has had some major updates in the last year since it was first available. Each has brought notable improvements and additions. It’s a bit of a laundry list this time, but a notable one is the increased support for Android apps. There’s an app called Snap which, after being sideloaded, can download and install Android apps from Google Play. I’ve done this and filled a few gaps in the app lineup. Would be nice to have them native, but I’ll take what I can get.
Funnily, I’ve seen numerous BB10 devices in my area in the last several months. Heck, I’ve even seen a few people using Playbooks! I still use mine!
I’d be willing to guess you live in Canada. Its like Finland for Nokia.
Thom, I strongly encourage you to procure a BlackBerry 10 device. (Ideally a Z10 or Z30.)
The OS is fast and fluid, and the interface reminds me of the best aspects of webOS and BlackBerry OS.
The whole experience is such a breath of fresh air after using Android and the platform is far more open to tinkering than iOS.
I’ve been using my Z10 daily for almost a year now and wouldn’t trade it for any other device.
BlackBerry App World is sparser than Google Play or the App Store, but it has everything I need. In fact, the amazing core apps cover off almost all of my daily needs, and there are plenty of solid apps for my occasional edge needs.
The browser is second to none, and even supports Flash, the OS is updated frequently and has solid refinements and improvements with each release. 10.2.1, a minor point release, not only adds APK support, but also overhauls quick settings, and has many other subtle improvements that make everything a bit more efficient.
OK, I’ll stop now. Really, though, you ought to check it out. It’s QNX! In a phone! With a refined and elegant UI! You can pick up a Z10 any day on ebay for a few hundred bucks, and, thankfully, you don’t need BIS/BES or any special data plan anymore.
I’ve had the Z10 now for about 5 months and love it. 10.2.1 just makes it better. The overall integration and fluid feel is just super. The messaging/hub is just tops.
Thom, buy a used one on ebay and try it out, it’s worth at least a look.