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Blackberry Z30 Phablet Announced

Posted by Unknown on from the last-year's-latest-craze dept.

iONiUM writes "Today the new Blackberry Z30 was announced today (release coming in the next 'few weeks'). It has a 4.97" 16:9 screen running at 720x1280. The CPU also got an upgrade, at 1.7Ghz. The news claims that the battery is a 2880maH with up to 25 hours of use. I'm not really convinced this is enough of a differentiation between the Z10 to save Blackberry, and as someone who owns a Z10 and Q10 (but uses an S3 instead), I don't see how this addresses any of the real issues Blackberry is facing, the biggest being a lack of apps."

13 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Amazing, for 2012 by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Funny

    What a wonderful device for people living in 2012. Here in 2013 it looks pretty outdated. 720p? seriously? on a 5" display? It is like they almost tried, but then decided they rather go under.

    Will this one be able to do email without a blackberry phone to tether to?

    1. Re:Amazing, for 2012 by jason.sweet · · Score: 2

      Nostalgia

    2. Re:Amazing, for 2012 by h4rr4r · · Score: 2

      There are many smartphones with 1920x1080 displays. LG G2, HTC one, Samsung Galaxy S4.

      The iPad mini is not exactly a top of the line device.

  2. Remember when.. by the+computer+guy+nex · · Score: 2

    we measured innovation by how BIG we could make computers?

    I don't either. 5" is outrageous for a phone.

    1. Re:Remember when.. by h4rr4r · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not at all. The next Nexus will be smaller than the current one and have a nearly 5" display.
      Have you seen a Galaxy Note? That is a great device size for a lot of people.

      You have to remember that for a lot of people these devices are becoming their primary computing device. So a 5" device is easily pocketable and gives a lot of display to use.

  3. Really.. the lack of apps? by Adult+film+producer · · Score: 2

    What exactly is the author of this story missing on his blackberry phone? Besides that, most android apps run just as well on a Z10 as they do on an android phone.

    1. Re:Really.. the lack of apps? by AchilleTalon · · Score: 2

      Right, most reviews still refrain the same old thing over and over about BB lacking apps. It's not like the Apple Store isn't full of useless lame unmaintained applications neither. The size of your appstore doesn't matter. ;-)

      --
      Achille Talon
      Hop!
    2. Re:Really.. the lack of apps? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2

      Most likely the author doesn't pretend to represent everyone's needs when it comes to apps. I personally have no need for Candy Crush Saga but for some people it's a must on their next smartphone. With a larger app count, yes, there will be more crap but also there are more useful apps as well for everyone's needs.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    3. Re:Really.. the lack of apps? by iONiUM · · Score: 2

      As the author of the post, I can't predict what everyone will need (as someone mentioned below). If you want specifics, I need the timeplay app (Canada cineplex), and there is no .bar file for sideloading (and I'm too lazy to re-build it myself). In addition, I need Kakaotalk to talk to some Korean friends. And while the latest version (4.0.1) seems to sort of work sideloaded, there are a *lot* of disadvantages to sideloading. Here they are:

      • - You have to know how to sideload. As a developer, it's "easy" for me, but it's not as easy as just going to an app store.. it involves enabling development mode, hooking the device up to the computer, finding a .bar file (or compiling one using the Android SDK), and then moving it over.
      • - No Android EMU app can run in the background like other BB apps can. So, if you close it, it's gone, and can't notify you.
      • - Many Android apps have exceptions when run on the EMU. Try Kakaotalk 3.8.3 (the one on bb10bars). Or the youtube bar.
      • - Often when the Android apps do work, there is touch screen or other small annoying problems.

      Do I really need to go on? It's pathetic to expect "regular" users to put up with all that shit just to get access to a "normal" appstore, because no matter what you say (i.e. "well the BB appstore has everything *i* need"), it's seriously lacking apps.

  4. Re:competition by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Have you actually used the OS for a while, or just sounding off?

    Half the new gestures in the new and "groundbreaking" iOS redesign are ripped straight from bb10. The OS is fast, smooth and its gestures are intuitive and useful. I switched from iOS 6.1 to use it as my daily driver, and whenever I switch between iOS, Android and BB10 i find myself instinctively trying the bb10 gestures.

    I've not found any apps I need that I don't have on the platform, and if i want, i can side-load Android apps as well (I don't bother though)

    Hardly a 'lame' OS.

  5. Usage of the word Phablet shall by dywolf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Usage of the word Phablet shall be grounds for immediate incineration.

    --
    The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  6. Phablet? by Esion+Modnar · · Score: 2

    I prefer Tablone.

    --

    They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
  7. Re:So you dorks lovee you some Obama huh? by StoneyMahoney · · Score: 2

    Let's chalk this one up to a CRT monitor flicker induced synaptic misfire and carry on with our lives as normal.