Initial thoughts on Blackberry -> Android transition

[fuzzymath10]

Damaged my Z10 recently, so got an LG G4. Lots of positives so far, but I do think Blackberry did get a few things right which if there are comparables/equivalents in Android I'd welcome comments on.

I actually bought a Z30 on amazon for $200 to help with the withdrawal symptoms. I think if they hadn't made some questionable decisions in 2010-2011ish, they might have been more successful or at least bled fewer users.

I also don't/couldn't use swype or talk to my phone, so maybe the things I miss are archaic usage cases for a smartphone these days.

What I liked

-Hub and home screen - was super easy and intuitive to manage email, sms, fb, etc. all at once, either grouped or ungrouped. Is there a comparable "catch all" view for android?

-Browser - tabs and address bar system was done well (even a decision as simple as having menu at the bottom of the display); it was a solid no-frills browser.

-Bedside mode - one swipe + tab from home screen to silence, turn off radios, and turn on night mode clock. In the morning, everything enables after alarm dismissed. With the G4, I can do it by hand, but am I missing something else?

-Touch interface - was skeptical at first, but actually really liked ability to swipe up to unlock/wake up. Now I'm back to pressing a button, and I can't use it with one finger flat on a desk.

-Blend - somewhat gimmicky, but allowed me to communicate on a PC with my phone on the same wifi network or plugged in. I have multiple PCs in different locations and can avoid using the browser (plus, I can text from the PC).

-Memory card support and (until recently) removable batteries have been constants. Partly why I chose the G4 over other options.

-Micro HDMI - arguably an excuse for lack of wireless streaming support, but does allow for direct output to a TV or receiver (e.g. hotel, friend's place) as long as you bring the cable.

What I don't miss

-Horrendous app support - not a surprise. Hardly any native apps for things that I needed. Of the ones offered, Skype was bad, BB Maps wasn't very good, and many deserved better integration than they received (fb, google talk, WhatsApp, and wechat to name a few).

-Poor android performance - ability to run android apps helped with the app support, but could be slow/unstable/buggy. In some cases they worked well enough, and in others (especially games), they were useless. Apps requiring play would often not work.

-Long update cycle - they took 2.5 years to get OS 10 to the point it's at today, when it should have been there at launch. e.g. they broke the dropbox app sometime around 10.2, and didn't fix it for at least a year, during which time the slow buggy android version was a vastly superior choice.

-Mediocre hardware - their internal guts are probably 12-18 months behind cutting edge. Similar to windows phones, BB10 generally feels smooth if using anything native to the OS. Their choice of displays and cameras are neither terrible nor earth-shattering.

-Buggy software - the design was good, but the execution only average for their desktop software. Blend and Link freeze and crash from time to time for no good reason, and the wifi-based operation is also flaky.

 

[Commodus]

-Touch interface - was skeptical at first, but actually really liked ability to swipe up to unlock/wake up. Now I'm back to pressing a button, and I can't use it with one finger flat on a desk.

You're on a G4, so you should have the option of double-tapping the screen to wake it up. You can do that to put the phone back to sleep, if I recall, so long as you're tapping on an unoccupied space on the home screen.

 

[gorcorps]

A couple tips.

Bedside mode sounds like it'd be doable with an app called "tasker" but I doubt it would be as seamless.

Texting from your PC can be done if your install "mighty text" app. I love it

 

[ThisIsChrisKim]

You're on a G4, so you should have the option of double-tapping the screen to wake it up. You can do that to put the phone back to sleep, if I recall, so long as you're tapping on an unoccupied space on the home screen.

Double tapping on the status bar also sleeps the phone if you're in an app or using a custom launcher.

 

[ChronoReverse]

If you're on Lollipop, try using the profiles to change things like silence, off radios, etc. For example, I have a work profile that will switch my radio to 3G only, turn off wifi, set vibrate and turn media volume to zero.

Alternatively, Tasker is an app that can do all of that based on various triggers (e.g., NFC, a button press, time of day, location, etc.).

 

[sweenish]

A couple tips.

Bedside mode sounds like it'd be doable with an app called "tasker" but I doubt it would be as seamless.

Texting from your PC can be done if your install "mighty text" app. I love it

My profile paired with priority mode make sure that my phone doesn't make any noise aside from an alarm or flash any lights at night.

I don't think that the night clock is hard to add.

I haven't seen a comparison, but there's a simpler-looking app, Automate that looks tempting.

While free and also simiple, I don't think that IFTTT or whatever they're calling it now has the capabilities needed.

What's nice is that if you want to automate something in Android, you can.

I'd probably still recommend Tasker, just because some of the add-on apps like AutoInput are indispensable once you get the hang of them.

 

[fuzzymath10]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've slowly started to customize it and I'm finding most things can be figured out. The widgets are handy for simulating a lot of the hub stuff.