BlackBerry KeyOne Review By The Verge: Part Productivity, Part Nostalgia (theverge.com) 34
Dan Seifert reviews the new BlackBerry KeyOne flagship smartphone via The Verge. Here's an excerpt from the report: It was in about the third hour of using the new BlackBerry KeyOne, available this month for $549 unlocked, that I started to question my longtime preference for touchscreen keyboards. Because as I was pushing on the KeyOne's tiny little buttons with the tips of my thumbs, I remembered why some people still have such an affinity for these things. It wasn't that I was able to type faster with the BlackBerry's keyboard (I wasn't), or that I was more accurate with it (I still used autocorrect). It was that I felt like I was more productive when using it. I wasn't wasting time tweeting nonsense or sending emoji in ephemeral messages. I was sending important emails, working with my colleagues in Slack, creating and completing to-do lists, and adding appointments to my calendar. I was Getting Shit Done. Getting shit done is really the entire ethos of the new KeyOne, and arguably, the many BlackBerry devices that preceded it. The KeyOne is a phone for a very specific person, one that longs for the days when the BlackBerry Bold was the most important device in the office and the majority of business communications happened over email. It's not the best choice for watching hours of YouTube videos, sending thousands of Snaps, or reading novel-length ebooks (though it can technically do all of those things). It is for sending email. Lots of email.
Getting Shit Done (Score:2, Insightful)
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vulgarity usually detracts from a good post.
It's how millennial "journalists" show that they're "edgy".
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There's another name for a Blackberry review (Score:2)
"wasn't that I was able to type faster"... (Score:5, Interesting)
It wasn't that I was able to type faster with the BlackBerry's keyboard (I wasn't),
Most people will be. On BlackBerry physical keyboards, a dozen people in my office could beat the touchscreen typing world record within a few tries.
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That was a key worry for me when I got my Z30. Once I got used to the auto-suggest I turned out to be a faster typer. Especially when it gets used to you, too. I've typed an entire (routine) sentence using 7 or 8 swipe-ups, f'rinstance.
Generally it won't auto-correct me. The suggested word is above the next letter one is going to type. Common variations show above other appropriate letters. Very convenient, and I don't have to look back and forth between the keys and the screen and a "suggestion field" or w
That's why I may get one (Score:2)
The biggest thing I miss about my Blackberry from long ago is the physical keyboard. I still suck with on screen keyboards, in part because I have big fingers. However I found that BB keyboard fast to use, despite the tiny keys, because of the tactile feedback.
Keyboard and hot swappable SD card! (Score:1)
That's great! I'm not seeing other important things such as an audio jack or removable battery in the specs though?
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That's great! I'm not seeing other important things such as an audio jack or removable battery in the specs though?
There's an audio jack but no removable battery. Crackberry.com has a review that mentions it.
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So it does have an audio jack then? Only the non-removable battery keeps it from being nearly perfect.
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Sadly, not many from what I've seen.
Are you kidding me? (Score:2)
It was that I felt like I was more productive when using it. I wasn't wasting time tweeting nonsense or sending emoji in ephemeral messages. I was sending important emails, working with my colleagues in Slack, creating and completing to-do lists, and adding appointments to my calendar. I was Getting Shit Done
Dear god not this tired old trope again: "iPhones and Android phones are toys; Blackberries are for work". Or even better: "for business". The distinction is sending lame tweets or important emails, and what makes the difference is the bloody keyboard!? Or is it that he didn't install the Twitter app? He does mention some other more relevant characteristics: a screen ratio that (according to him) is better suited for email, and a long-ish battery life.
The KeyOne is a phone for a very specific person, one that longs for the days when the BlackBerry Bold was the most important device in the office
Those days are long gone; it ended the second employ
Re: Are you kidding me? (Score:2)
Yes this. BB lost its way well before iOS came out. RIMs focused, like all successful vendors, was the senior management. Make them happy and you get the business.
Most managers need the equivalent of twitter for much of their work. They make decisions and can respond with Option C, Yes, Approve, etc. Short messages, any delay of which has no value add. So BBs fit this perfectly.
But once the workforce started becoming Mobile, there was need for more. Doing analysis, long emails, accessing systems, etc. In
Re: Are you kidding me? (Score:1)
Priv (Score:3)
BlackBerry Priv is the best phone I have ever owned. Hardware keyboard on a high end Android phone is a dream.
The other cool feature is the extended keyboard acts as a touch sensitive scroll control and a cursor.
And the screen is the same size as a iPhone 6+ but the priv is smaller due to a smaller bezel.
Great phone!
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I wanted to like the new i7s (Score:2)
I have a Z30. I strongly considered the i7s, but declined.
1. Still no gorilla glass.
2. Still no real multi-processing.
3. Apparently it just recently got cut & paste. Makes me wonder what other standard tasks that I would expect aren't part of the apple zeitgeist.
These aren't all my reasons, of course. Price and lock-in are considerations, etc.
I wanted to like the new i7s. I saw a side by side between i7 and S8. The i7 was snappy and the demo impressed me. And, of course, apps, apps and more apps.
Anyhoo,
Anybody who buys BB gets what they deserve (Score:2)
I LOVE physical QWERTY. I loved my BlackBerry phones, and back in the day, even my Playbook. Nice concepts, uneven execution, lousy updates that frequently made things worse rather than better... and then the updates stopped and platforms were abandoned after promises they wouldn't be.
RIM/BlackBerry consistently turns whatever they touch into shit due to poor decisions from the top of the organization. If you buy anything with their brand on it, you're a glutton for punishment.
not only to do stuff,also 4 hands that tremble... (Score:2)
For people whose hands tremble, for whatever reason, a physical keyboard is a must.
Also, for people who have to use the phone with gloves (yes, there are glass keyboards that work with gloves, but the key targets are harder to get correctly).
So, is good that there is at least one option with decent (not great, but decent) specs, good build quality, and more or less up to date SW.
I neither think nor hope Physical KBs will make a comeback anytime soon, but I certainly hope BB/TCL keep serving the niche.
I am g
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You have no self control. No phone will ever fix that.
Fwiw, tfs said that it did.
A crying shame (Score:2)
Exactly type of phone I would want. Love physical keyboards:
1. Pushing buttons is nicer experience v pushing on slates of glass
2. Faster inputs
3. Take up less on-screen space v on-screen keyboard
4. Instant speed dials
5. Instant software access shortcuts
6. Screen big enough I wouldn't give a F*** about lost space when keyboard was not needed.
I would get one as soon as I could if it didn't have blackberry "security" and a non-replaceable battery. Chances of modifying this thing to remove Vendor and Google
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Forgetfulness (Score:2)
How quick people are to forget and forgive these days... remember this?
https://news.vice.com/article/... [vice.com]
https://www.digitaltrends.com/... [digitaltrends.com]
https://www.theverge.com/2016/... [theverge.com]
http://www.computerworld.com/a... [computerworld.com]
Yeah. Not a single review or article about this new Blackberry phone ever mentioned the case. This is why we privacy keeps eroding and why security practices went down the gutter. Stop promoting the company.
On the fence (Score:2)
Palm Treo, Centro, Pre keyboards were better (Score:2)
The Palm Treo, Centro, and Pre keyboards were better. They were hard, tacky rubber domes. This made it easy to hit the correct key with your thumb. Flat keys are hard to hit accurately.