back to article Pitch Black: New BlackBerry Classic is aimed at the old-school

How can a phone maker sell out of its new smartmobe in advance when no one even knew what was inside? BlackBerry has somehow managed that feat. Click to enlarge pics Back in February it announced the Classic, which be could be ordered online last month, and until today nobody knew the specifications. “Too many things …

Page:

  1. John Sanders
    Thumb Up

    Tell me...

    What I need to know:

    * How much RAM does it have?

    * Does it has a Mini SD Card slot?

    * Can I install Android apps without much hassle?

    * How long will BBRy produce updates for it?

    In the past that is what mostly killed Blackberry**, if they have solved all of those, I'll get me one.

    **Not the lack of SD card slot though.

    1. Oninoshiko

      Re: Tell me...

      Except for the last one, those where covered by the article. You did read the article before commenting, right?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Tell me...

      > Can I install Android apps without much hassle?

      The Android apps will come from the Amazon market place. So they won't come from Google Play. I have some paid apps on Google Play, so don't know if I still access my paid-for apps from Amazon, but it is not a big issue, as the apps were cheap.

      In the UK, there is n't a single Android phone with a QWERTY keyboard. So this is where Blackberry have my attention.

      1. RAMChYLD
        Boffin

        Re: Tell me...

        Well, no,. you can't. I have paid apps on Google Play too (which I ditched with the HTC ChaCha- stupid POS phone, only thing they got right was the QWERTY keyboard). I recently sideloaded Amazon AppStore onto my Q5- and nope, I had to re-buy stuff I've already bought on the Play Store. On a side note tho, you can try sideloading Snap, which allegedly gives you access to the Play Store and your old apps tho. Although you have to think it through- do you really want to give a third party proxy service your Google password?

        Blackberry World has a few Android apps too, but they're mostly crapware or badly outdated (ie eBay. Apparently no one told them that 10.2.1 supports newer versions of the their Android app).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Tell me...

          There is a way round this if you still had the Android phone. You can download some software (sorry I have forgotten the name) to you PC, connect the Android phone a d it will copy the .apk file for that app to your PC. You can then install the .apk file on the Blackberry effectively side loading it. Not exactly convenient though.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tell me...

        "So they won't come from Google Play"

        On my Z10 I sideloaded the 'Snap' app, which has allowed me to install Google Play apps. These install nicely via the BB installer, as per the Amazon market app.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Tell me...

      The default ring tone is apparently "Nearer, My God, to Thee".....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DualSIM?

    If it had DualSIM I'd put my money down right now.

    1. SupraTico

      Re: DualSIM?

      BlackBerry bought a company called Movirtu earlier in the year. This company created a virtual sin card solution. You can have two or more numbers running on the same device with only one physical sim card, as the others are, as I mentioned, viryusl.

      This hasn't been implemented yet, but it's in the works.

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/11/blackberry_buys_movirtu/

  3. Terry Cloth

    Do they encrypt transmissions

    Voice (presumably BB to BB until a standard develops)?

    1. Terry Barnes

      Re: Do they encrypt transmissions

      GSM is encrypted. It's a basic component of the standard.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Do they encrypt transmissions

        "GSM is encrypted. It's a basic component of the standard."

        Only problem is the encryption has been provably broken since 2006 though probably long before that. It might protect you against a casual listener but it won't protect you against a government agency.

    2. SupraTico

      Re: Do they encrypt transmissions

      BlackBerry voice calls have always been encrypted through BlackBerry's own technology.

  4. Ambivalous Crowboard

    Also

    Can I delete the million emails and text messages that I receive on an hourly basis without going tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap?

    Android and iPhone don't seem to have this sorted out. At least on Z10 you can do "Delete everything prior to this date" - but it deletes from handset, not server, meaning you still have to go home and delete from your computer. What's the point in that?

    On the Bold 9700 (oh how I miss thee) it was simply hold shift, drag down on the track pad, and press the backspace key. Voila. And no double-delete required, too, they just disappeared straight off the server also.

    1. RAMChYLD

      Re: Also

      Well, I noticed on 10.2.1 that highlighting the date at the top of the messages selects all messages under the date, so maybe that's the key to quicker deletion?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Re: Also

      When you delete a message from the Hub it asks if you want to delete it just from the handset or the server as well, and gives you the option to remember that setting, stop asking, and always apply it (this can be changed later under settings). So yes, if you always want to delete it from the server as well, or if you want the option on a deletion-by deletion basis, then BB10's got you covered.

      1. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: Re: Also

        BB10 has done this from the start. Overall deleting emails s much easier now.

    3. AMBxx Silver badge

      Re: Also

      To delete from the server at the same time, you just need to make a small change in your settings.

      Easy enough.

    4. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Also

      Yes, you can hold down the shift and use the trackpad to select a sequence of emails. Then go back and unselect ones individual (trackpad click) you want to keep. Then hit Backspace to get shot of the others.

      1. Ambivalous Crowboard

        Re: Also

        Then sold, thanks.

        Regarding the hold-date thing; yes, but this selects all prior emails. Chances are I don't want to delete all prior, just today's crud (or yesterday's, or last week's if I've been being lazy).

        Regarding the "just change a setting" to delete off server/handset; yes, I know, but the hold-date thing only deletes from handset regardless of setting.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Also

      "but it deletes from handset, not server"

      On my Z10, I can choose whether to delete emails just on the handset or on the server also. I imagine this is common to any OS10 device.

    6. mevets

      Re: Also

      Second that.

      Avoiding email is a top criteria for me in any electronic device.

      If you don't use gmail, Android is particularly adept at this - you don't have to delete what you never see....

  5. Jim84

    They need to bring back a proper version of the torch

    Somehow with a decent slide out keyboard.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: They need to bring back a proper version of the torch

      I've always liked the tactile keyboard and my present phone is a little old side slide out LG feature phone. I'm thinking my next phone will be a Blackberry Classic or Passport.

      My little feature phone is all I really need but it is always fun to have an upgrade.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: They need to bring back a proper version of the torch

      I may be wrong about this but I think that the problem with sliders now is how to design them while still allowing the cpu to be close enough to the air to keep cold and prevent throttling. That is why so many phones are now large, thin and metallic. It's difficult to design a slider which doesn't have the electronics in the middle.

  6. Paul Smith 2

    That Thinkpad

    It's anywhere between 10.1" and 17" in size.

    1. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: That Thinkpad

      Sorry, daft omission. It's an X230, so it's 12" wide.

      Don't get me started on Lenovo ruining the Thinkpad X series...

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Give me one of those… BUT

    - with an e-ink screen (I care more about outdoor readability and longevity than colour or fast updates)

    - ideally an open-source operating system (Android preferred; although maybe BlackBerry's Android emulation might be "good enough".)

    - antenna jack (for areas of poor coverage, capacitive coupling doesn't count)

    and maybe you've got a sale. It's nice to see a phone that recognises the utility of an actual tactile keypad over a capacitive imitation.

    Sadly, if you want a decent keypad, Blackberry is one of the few, almost no one does an e-ink screen (Yotafone aside) and nearly every manufacturer assumes you spend all your time in good mobile coverage. (I live in Brisbane but do like to get out occasionally.)

  8. le.zap

    Why didn't they keep the keyboard curved?

    Sigh. The Classic looks nice, but why did they have to make the keyboard straight? BB keyboards were always curved and small enough that they were reasonably easy to operate single-handedly.

    It's like bringing back "Coke Classic" but with "almost the same taste as before, but not quite" :-)

    I would still prefer to have a device with a real keyboard. Let's see if this catches on.

    1. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Why didn't they keep the keyboard curved?

      It would be nice to have that shape, but in practice, I am finding this is the best keyboard ever on a BlackBerry. They've really nailed this one.

      1. le.zap

        Re: Why didn't they keep the keyboard curved?

        OK, thanks for the feedback. I will definitely locate one and try it out myself: keyboard are not archaic, the tactile feedback when you type stuff in is quite useful.

  9. Jonathan 27

    Grampa Phone

    It looks like it could and should have been released 3 years ago. Oh wait, it literally could have with those specs. It's almost as if BlackBerry died 5 years ago and now just shambles along as a rotting corpse slowly collapsing under its own weight. How do you release a new phone with a 3 year old processor? HOW!

    As a added note, I bout a Nexus 5 more than a year ago. It cost me $400, this is $465 and worse in every single conceivable way. Slower processor, less storage, worse screen, smaller battery, less apps, it looks like a phone released 5 years ago. BlackBerry, just surrender. No one even wants to buy you anymore.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Grampa Phone

      Yes, because one needs a veritable supercomputer to handle voice calls, email, and light document editing. It's a business phone - it doesn't need to have the horsepower to run a bunch of flashy stuff. Spot on with the screen and battery though - I remember the much (much) earlier blackberries, they lasted forever with that bulky expansion battery. I think a number of us would be perfectly happy if they re-released the phones that made them the business toys of a generation, just with the antenna upgraded to maintain compatibility with modern networks.

    2. fruitoftheloon
      FAIL

      @Jonathan 27: Re: Grampa Phone

      Jonathan,

      do you ever:

      - wear the same clothes as everyone else?

      - have the trendiest hairstyle?

      - follow colours that are 'really in this season'?

      - go to the same place every year for your holiday/vacation?

      - only listen to 'new and hot' music?

      - always order the same food in the same restaurant

      - have any opinions of your own?

      Just wondered...

      J

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Grampa Phone

      Perhaps you aren't interested in functional phones, Jonathan 27, but for many people we want a phone that doesn't need recharging every 5 minutes, handles voice and text communications, that one can set alarms on and take simple notes on. Anything else is icing on the cake. If it's games that interest you, then buy a games machine. Me, I just want to communicate, and have something that reminds me what I need to be doing when. If it were still working (it died 3-4 years ago) I'd still be using my original Blackberry and be utterly happy with it.

    4. Waspy

      Re: Grampa Phone

      Hmm, have you actually used BB10? It's actually very efficient. And while we're on the subject of specs, go out in the street and ask any Sony, Sammy, HTC etc owner what specs their phone has. I doubt very much if a) any of these people actually know and b) that they give aa shit. You'll probably get a few blank looks when you mention Android ("but mine's a HTC").

      BlackBerry are a known quantity - rock solid email and built to survive a nuclear war. People know it for what it does, much like they do for iphones. I hope BlackBerry do well with this.

    5. Looper
      FAIL

      Re: Grampa Phone

      Your points:

      1. Looks. Yeah, right. That's what every business user really needs.

      2. Processor. Does it work? Yes. Is it smooth and usable? Yes. And your point is?

      3. Less storage than a Nexus 5. I think it has plenty for 99.99% of the target market.

      4. Worse screen. Again the dpi is sufficient for the size of the screen. And your point is?

      5. Smaller battery. It's a smaller phone with a smaller screen. The battery may last longer.

      6. Less apps. Okay, how many essential apps are not available? Or did you mean games?

      Jonathan. You are like an innocent child that has wandered into the room and tries to be part of the conversation, when you have no frame of reference and don't know what the bloody hell you are talking about.

      Stick to the kids stuff. The adults are talking about a business phone, not the latest toy.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Win

    When blackberry went mad and started designing crap phones our firm moved to android phones with touch keys on screen. Shit!

    Typing speed went from 2 thumbs fast to 1 finger slow with no tactile feedback. The email client to Exchange is also shit.

    A BB with a decent keyboard and apps plus decent Exchange client will be a major hit in the corporate world for those of us who want email functionality over 'bragging rights' from having pretty but useless alternatives.

    1. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: Win

      My Z10 has good Exchange support to be honest. I have it hooked up to an Office 365 account and it's been perfect.

      1. Hans 1
        Boffin

        Re: Win

        Calendar works better than on JesusPhone, no event that is 4 weeks past its date when you reschedule. The iPhone seems to get lost when you re-schedule an event which has a repetition ... the iPhone simply sets the "last modification date" as the date for the event ... at least, my manager has that problem with his iPhone - he might be doing something wrong, I dunno - he is a senior dev, though so I doubt it is human error on his part.

    2. pmelon

      Re: Win

      I feel your pain.

      We switched to a fleet of 'sheet of glass' phones (I've had em all personally too - iPhone to Nexus blah) and they're shit. MDM is worse. Typing is worse. Build quality is worse (9900 to S5 being compared. S4/5 are very brittle).

      The only thing missing, which seems to be the main thing people complain about with BB phones, is the numerous stupid, infantile ways to waste minutes of your life that Apple and Android offer - what everyone refers to as 'apps'. When they say that they don't mean 'ways to work', they mean they want to play with toys.

      Anyway, whatever - idiots always seem to win in the end. All hail the rise of the idiots with their handheld twit machines. I'll stick with my Passport. The wife wants a Classic. Blend is excellent BTW.

    3. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: Win

      Exchange email support in BB10 is excellent, other parts could be better.

      Specifically, it doesn't support Tasks as well as it should (Categories are ignored by Remember) and Contacts doesn't respect Exchange contact groups. Which is incredible, the old BlackBerry did.

      1. Ambivalous Crowboard

        @Orlowski Re: Which is incredible, the old BlackBerry did.

        BB10 missed a lot of things off OS 7 that I couldn't understand why they dropped. Profiles, vibrate-this-many-times and for-this-long for different app/message notifications, auto on/off timer, the low-power battery saver mode, all stuff which I found incredibly useful on OS 7 and missed like a limb on the Z10.

        However, I've had a Z10 since its release and it's come on leaps and bounds since version 1 of the software. So hopefully, maybe they will continue to implement what is missing, and what is needed, and hopefully in some sort of sensible order...

      2. Phil Koenig

        Re: Win

        @Andrew

        I agree it's incredible, but basically RIM fired 95% of the BBOS developers and had the QNX staff designing things they had no experience with, e.g. email, with little oversight from the few remaining BBOS devs. Ergo, they flubbed a variety of things, like basic RFC2822 email formatting errors and so on.

        Luckily the most egregious of those errors have since been corrected over the last 1.75 years, but there are some omissions that remain. The Contacts app is one of the worst of those - clearly the devs had never designed any PDA apps before. At this point the only solution would seem to be completely abandoning the current codebase and starting over from scratch. I refuse to sync BB10 contacts with any other online/cloud entity (or even Outlook) unless I want a complete debacle on my hands.

        That said, I'm actually considering a Classic as a secondary device to replace my current secondary device, especially since my carrier never offered the Passport. I'm still a sucker for a BlackBerry. :D

    4. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Win

      I have touch SwiftKey and after a learning curve typing is as fast as or faster than a full size keyboard.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Has it been back-doored by GCHQ/NSA.

  12. AMBxx Silver badge

    BBM

    If they've fixed the bug in BBM that wipes out your battery randomly in under 20 minutes, I'll switch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: BBM

      I believe that was fixed in 10.3 code

    2. The March Hare

      Re: BBM

      My Z30 is on the latest vodaphone version and seems to be stable now regarding BBS and battery life.

      Only problem is the screen cracks too easily when you drop the thing!

      1. SupraTico

        Re: BBM

        Don't drop the thing!

        Lol... but seriously, both the Passport and the Classic come with Gorilla Glass.

Page:

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like