BlackBerry Q10 Unboxing: Keypad Mashing Time!

BlackBerry Q10 Unboxing: Keypad Mashing Time!

Unboxing the BlackBerry Q10
Unboxing the BlackBerry Q10

BlackBerry Q10 Unboxed!

The BlackBerry Q10 was originally announced alongside the BlackBerry Z10 when the company formerly known as Research In Motion introduced BlackBerry OS 10 to the world. It took them a while but the BlackBerry Q10 finally made its way here to the Philippines two months ago. We currently have a unit with us and we were genuinely excited to get our hands on it because it’s been a while since we’ve tested a smartphone with a physical tactile keypad, lol. Anyway, please do read on for our initial review and unboxing.

As usual before anything let’s quickly go over the specifications.

BlackBerry Q10 Spec Sheet

  • Snapdragon S4 Processor
  • Adreno 225 GPU
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 64GB via microSD
  • 3.1-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen (328 pixels per inch)
  • 8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED flash
  • 2.0-megapixel front-facing camera, 720p video
  • WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, FM Radio, GPS with aGPS,
  • BlackBerry OS 10.1
  • 2,100mAh Battery

It’s actually not too shabby. We’re definitely digging the 2,100mAh battery. That’s better than the 1,800mAh battery we saw with the BlackBerry Z10.

>>> SEE ALSO: BlackBerry Z10 Full Review

Unboxing and Packaging

Really nice packaging from BlackBerry
Really nice packaging from BlackBerry

Instead of the usual product photo at the front of the box, BlackBerry went with plastering “Q10” in purple on it. Kinda cool since gradient purple on black gives off a very cool and slick look. All the other usual product information can be found at the back and at the sides of the box.

We popped open the lid after removing the tape at the sides. We were immediately greeted by the BlackBerry Q10 and right away we found ourself reaching for it because our fingers missed the feeling on mashing a physical keypad, hehe. We picked it up and it felt very balanced, natural, and premium. The materials they used here feel much better than the ones that came with the Z10. The keypad felt responsive and tactile as well.

Officially UNBOXED!
Officially UNBOXED!

On the sides were the usual ports and controls including a mini HDMI port. The back plate is removable and we found the 2100mAH battery and slots for the micro SIM card and the micro SD card (up to 64GB) there as well.

What else is in the box?
What else is in the box?

Other than the phone, the box also had the earphones, micro USB to USB cable, charger, and a bunch of manuals and certifications. No free leather case (boo).

Hardware and Software Initial Impressions

Gorgeous keypad. <3
Gorgeous keypad. <3

So we’ve been playing with the Q10 for a few days now and we can definitely say that hammering down long emails and text messages on the keypad was strangely pleasurable and satisfying. It beats the crap out of typing on glass. We found ourselves getting that familiar “crackberry” feeling when there was always an urge to type things on the device (same feeling we had when we first got the Bold 9000 several years ago).

Using the touchscreen was also more natural unlike when they first introduced the feature with the BlackBerry Bold 9900. You’re actually forced to use it since they removed the menu button that we saw with the earlier BlackBerry phones. To properly navigate the device you’ll have to use the BlackBerry OS 10 gestures like swiping up and down from the bezels.

Thin, premium, sleek, and professional
Thin, premium, sleek, and professional

In terms of usage, we definitely came from the perspective and view that this was more of a work phone for us and not a gaming machine. As such our expectations on the variety of apps weren’t an all time high so we weren’t really looking for them. It was fantastic though for communication purposes – calls, e-mails, texts, and social networking. The camera wasn’t all that bad either (will cover this in the full review).

If there’s one downer though is that it’s only compatible with Globe’s LTE network. Smart subscribers won’t be able to enjoy LTE yet until Smart’s activates their 1800 LTE frequency. Hopefully they do that soon. Sayang e.

Early Verdict

As far as initial impressions go, we see the BlackBerry Q10 as a niche device that will have massive appeal to professionals who put communication above entertainment and even photography. There’s no getting around the fact that typing on a physical keypad is fantastic especially if you use your phone mostly for texting and e-mailing.

Watch out for our full review!

The BlackBerry Q10 is already available in various gadget shops and BlackBerry stores in malls.

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