BlackBerry Q10 First look: The Keyboard Is The Key

BlackBerry (formerly RIM), announced its much awaited BB Q10 at a price which was not expected. At Rs.44,990, it is being priced at par with iPhone 5. BlackBerry says the device is targeted at "Power Users". Good for BlackBerry, as India is one among the top destinations to get BB smartphone.

In an event organized at New Delhi, BlackBerry clearly told the firm has $2.9 billion in hand and no debt. There are about 76 million BlackBerry users in the world and more than 61 active BBM users worldwide.

BlackBerry maintained its leadership in Indonesia, South Africa, Latin Europe, among others. At the press meet, Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director (MD) of BlackBerry India, clearly told media that "We can't produce $100 device."

Talking about the BlackBerry Q10, it's a smartphone with built in QWERTY-keypad and a touch screen. Let's face it. The BB Q10 is a premium device caters to senior level executives. A senior level executive told GizBot that BlackBerry primary aim at this hour is to make users realize the power of BB 10 OS.

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The OS is brand new, and it is completely different from company's previous generation OS. When asked whether BlackBerry is competing with Samsung's, LG's and Sony, the same executive told us that other tech vendors are outsourcing OS from third party. BlackBerry makes its own hardware, software, and e-mail client. The makers behind BlackBerry Z10 have the best e-mail client in the world. Many Fortune 500 companies still trusts BlackBerry strong for security reasons rather than iPhone.

The BlackBerry Q10 packs a 3.1-inch Super AMOLED diagonal screen with resolution of 720 x 720. Gizbot did hands on review at the event. The display size is just perfect for a business user. You won't be disappointed with the screen quality. It also supports multi-touch. The display size is small in comparison to Samsung Galaxy S4 or LG Optimus G Pro. But hey, this handset is not meant for pleasure. Be professional, is what BlackBerry wanted to communicate during the Indian launch of BB Q10.

Available in White and Black colors, the BlackBerry Q10 comes with a 2100mAh Li Ion battery. Yes, the battery is removable. On the other hand, the iPhone does not come with a removable battery. BlackBerry has used a special plastic to make the rear back cover of the device. It is bendable, but hard to break. Each BlackBerry Q10 handset is different from other Q10 devices. The BBQ10 comes with three triple noise cancellation microphones embedded inside the device. The handset also supports HD quality voice quality, but it depends upon Indian carrier providers.

The quality of the handset is damn good. It is rugged at the same time a delicate piece of machinery. It is good to see a handset in terms of Industrial design point of view. If are looking to buy BB Q10 device in the near days make sure you have a soft corner for QWERTY-keypad. The soul of this handset is its physical keypad. Undoubtedly, BlackBerry devices have the best keypads. The keys are soft and well spaced.

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While every tech vendor are crazy about higher mega pixel count, but BlackBerry seems comfortable with 8MP camera sensor. The BB Q10 packs an 8-mega pixel rear facing camera with LED flash, Auto Focus, and an ability to record Full 1080p HD videos. On the front side, you will see a front facing camera with 720p HD recording. Due to unavailability of time, it was rather difficult to use the camera fitted inside.

The device measure 66.8 x 11.9 x 10.35, and weighs 139 grams. The experience was rather positive. You won't get disappointed with the weight. It looks like BlackBerry tool inspiration from its last big success i.e. BlackBerry Bold, while designing this device.

Last but not the least; let's talk about BB 10 OS. It is redesigned, and its better you do not compare with existing BB 7 OS. BlackBerry says that there are some features that are exclusive to BB Q10 only. The keyboard shortcuts are great addition ---thanks to BB 10.1 OS. The menu is clutter free, and it is easy to navigate from one feature to another. The BlackBerry Hub is indeed makes BB 10 OS usable. It is the top stop for all your communication needs.

Besides, BB 10 OS, the company didn't go for Cat and mouse race -Quad Core processors. The BB Q10 comes with 1.5GHz dual-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM.

At last it is safe to say that BlackBerry Q10 is indeed a high priced smartphone. It has the looks, a great physical keypad, clean user interface, BBM, BlackBerry HUB, and a removable battery. Certainly, BlackBerry has a reputation of being a premium player. So, they would like to offer their services to power users especially those who had an experience with BB device earlier their lives. This is not a product for masses to be precise. Price is not an issue for those who earn Rs.15 lakh per annum.

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