Reinventing BlackBerry: BlackBerry Z10 Review

Is the BlackBerry Z10 a good smartphone? In short, yes. Should you buy one? That depends. If you’re a loyal BlackBerry user who has been waiting a long time for a new handset, the Z10 is a great step in the right direction. In addition, customers who place a high value on both personal and corporate security will likely appreciate the Z10’s security features. However, if you have already made the switch to Android, iOS, or Windows Phone, there may not be enough compelling features on the Z10 to entice you to switch platforms. In addition, although the BlackBerry World store is growing, it still lags behind the other more established platforms from Apple and Google.

Once we overcame the learning curve associated with picking up a new OS, we were very comfortable with the Z10. Performance was responsive and nimble. We also appreciate the fact that BlackBerry lets heavy users swap batteries if necessary. All in all, the Z10 is a good phone that delivers some of BlackBerry’s most-loved functionality in a modern package but unfortunately the Z10 doesn’t offer anything that really knocks our socks off in terms of features, function, or performance.

The BlackBerry Z10 has been a long time coming. The company has had many ups and downs through the years and there’s a lot riding on the Z10. Over the past year, BlackBerry, formerly Research in Motion, has made some big changes. Some of those changes have helped the company return to profitability in its most recent quarter. Still, the company has a long road ahead with the Z10 and other BB10 handsets it if wants to remain a viable competitor in the smartphone market.  The Z10 feels like a good start at least.

     
  • BlackBerry Balance work and personal profiles
  • Respectable performance
  • Great camera
  • Limited App Store
  • No revolutionary features


Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer Johnson

Jennifer grew up around technology. From an early age, she was curious about all things related to computers. As a child, Jennifer remembers spending nights with her dad programming in BASIC and taking apart hard drives to see what was inside. In high school, she wrote her senior term paper on her experiences with building custom computers.

Jennifer graduated from the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. After college, she began writing full-time for various PC and technology magazines. Later, she transitioned to the Web. In these roles, Jennifer has covered a variety of topics including laptops, desktops, smartphones, cameras, tablets, and various consumer electronics devices. When she's not playing with or writing about the latest gadget, Jennifer loves to spend time with her family, capture memories with her camera, and scrapbook.

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