BlackBerry Phones in 2020 - What Are Your Options? By TechOdyssey

Everybody welcome back to tech Odyssey, so today, I'm here with the special episode and this time, I'm here to talk about what options are available for blackberries. If you still want to use one in 2020 now, there's not a lot left. There hasn't been a new phone in over a year now, the last one being the BlackBerry key to Ellie that came out in December 2018 right before we rolled into 2019. So it's just almost a year and a half old. Now the first one of course was the key one. Then they came out the q1 black edition, and then they have the motion and the key to so.

We have the four different devices that BlackBerry Mobile made and then, if you look back a little farther, you can get into the BlackBerry privilege was the last true blackberry made, but I made by blackberry and then there's still the BlackBerry 10 options, and then some people are still on legacy devices. So I know that people like to hold on to their BlackBerry's I mean shoot. I've still got my z10 here that I switched over from the galaxy s3 to this phone. Whenever it came out, I waited for it forever. I also have the Privy he won, and then I have the key too, and then I have the motion and the key to Le.

So I have all of them sitting here, and I'm here to talk to you about which one may still be the best for you, if you're interested in using one in 2020. Now there are caveats there are asterisks, there are all sorts of things next to them, because really, and truly they've run it face reality, which reality is something we have to deal with. Obviously, there are no more new blackberries, and we don't know if we're going to get any, because the licensing deal with TCL under the BlackBerry mobile name is going to end on August 20 August 31st of this year, 2020, which effectively means we're back in the same position. We were when blackberry stopped making devices a few years ago. So there are a lot of reasons not to use one moving forward, but I know that there's a bunch of diehard blackberry fans out there like me, who still are interested in using one.

So those are the people I'm talking to today now before I go any further. I do want to say thanks for stopping by the channel. If this is your first time coming to watch. One of my videos I appreciate you being here. If you enjoy this video and the content, please hit the like and the subscribe button, and if you want updates on the latest videos, they go ahead and hit the notification bell.

So you can get those notifications now, let's go ahead and move forward and talk about the BlackBerry options in 2020 all right, so option number one is I'm going to talk about BlackBerry 10 devices, so BlackBerry 10 I, believe came out in like 2012 I. Was there the first day that the store opens, so I could get my blackberry, z10 blackberry 10 was the upgrade from the legacy system. Os is Bib, OS 7, and it took them forever to make it and by time it finally hit the market. The demand for BlackBerry's in the consumer world had already shifted over to iPhone so or even some Android devices, because it just took them so long to catch up with the times, and they decided that they wanted to compete in this consumer sector, which was fine, I've, been using a blackberry since 2005 totally loved them. Well, the z10 is, you know, probably not a phone that you want to use nowadays.

Neither is the z30 there's, also the classic. There's the leap. There's the q5, there's the q10 there's the passport, there's a bunch of different devices they made with BlackBerry 10 operating system. I, really can't on good conscience, recommend that anyone use one anymore. The BlackBerry 10 OS has basically been on life support for a long time now, but some people still like to use them.

If you insist on using a BlackBerry 10 device recognize that it's basically only good for email text messaging, the browser last time I tried to use. It is completely terrible. It's pretty much only a communications device which is kind of funny, because it's really and truly what the original blackberries were. We just as blackberry users had a desire to have consumer operating models on them like iPhone and Android, where we could use them for games, we could use them for all sorts of things. Social media, the BlackBerry, 10, app store, I believe is shut down already.

If it's not as going to so really the only way you can get stuff, you can still side load Android apps, but it's limited to the Android 4.4 KitKat operate systems. So how long that's going to be supported, really kind of depends on the apps that are out there. So there's not a lot that you can really do other than side loading this stuff, and there are ways to do that, and I've done it before, but I'm kind of removed from that market now and I. Don't really recommend that if you're going to go that route, I would say just get one of the Android Blackberry phones and move on, because really they are better and newer and more efficient. But there are still options.

If you insist on using a BlackBerry 10 device now, if you really love this device, there's also the BlackBerry Drive I made a video on this recently, a look back at it at the privet was very revolutionary. When it came out, you've got the slider with the sliding keyboard which is touch sensitive, which rolled over into the BlackBerry key one device I never had in to detect devices. I, don't really recommend them. I know some people love them. Furthermore, I, don't have any personal experience with them, and they're still not much newer in the operating system and overpriced.

So this phone had a lot of issues with it. It still does it's still overheats. So that's poor battery life, the camera is okay, the keyboard and the typing experience are still good. A lot of people still really love this device. I found when I made the video that a lot of people still really love it and that's cool I mean I, really love this device, too I went out, and I sat in line.

There was no line, I'm not going to lie I got there. The morning they came out, and I actually took a picture and I posted it on Crack Berry because they used to be really involved with the Crack Berry forums. I was like here, look guys yeah, it's the line for the BlackBerry Drive, and there wasn't one and also thought that when they came out with the name provide, it was really, really dumb, but either way. This is still an option. It's running, Android 6.0, so quite far behind, where we're at now battery life I mean it probably won't really get you through the day, but it's still a viable phone in some aspects other than the fact that, like I said it overheats battery performance is not very good, and you're missing out on very vital security updates that you're getting with newer phones that are not BlackBerry's. So that's the crib.

It's still available. You can still find them refurbished. Renewed used online I, definitely wouldn't buy one, that's new, just because you're, probably going to get charged an arm and leg, and that's really how a lot of these devices are. Nowadays, if you're going to get one you're subject to trying to find them on the resale market like swap or eBay or Amazon, and it might not be new and I- wouldn't recommend paying full price, because it's going to bring me into another segment here in a minute with the BlackBerry motion, because people want an arm to leg for this phone, really it's ridiculous. So those are the two last true BlackBerry options before we get to the BlackBerry mobile world.

So in the BlackBerry mobile world we have, what's probably my number one recommendation. If you still want to use a blackberry in 2020, it's the BlackBerry key one black edition. It's got four gigabytes of RAM. It didn't have the manufacturer defect issues like the screen that fell out and some other problems. Furthermore, it still holds up very well I've been using this a lot lately, and I still really love this phone.

Furthermore, it was fantastic. The original key one worked me because seven days after I got it, my screen fell out. It was laggy with the three gigabytes of RAM, so this one they fixed that bumped it up to 64. Gigabytes of storage over 32, it's still got that pixel image sensor camera on the back, so it still takes some pretty decent pictures and overall it's a really solid phone. Now you can still find these some of them brand new in the box.

You're still going to run into some issues is the older phones? Oh, now it's running Android 8.1, which is better than the other blackberry alternatives that are running Android, 6 and or running blackberry 10. This will still support pretty much anything. That's out there. You don't have to worry about loss of app support. The keyboard still works like a champ, and it has the four gigabytes of RAM.

So it performs better overall, no multitasking issues. It really is an enjoyable phone to use I like it. A lot I think that the keyboard is really, really good. It's got the touch sensitive stuff, and you can find them anywhere from about two to three hundred dollars, either new or in good condition. In most cases, now the true Black Edition, one with the 64 gigabytes of storage and all that stuff might be a little more.

But you can probably still find some older ones. I haven't shopped around for them too much, but still this right here would probably be my number one recommendation. If you still want to use one now, and mainly that's because the camera to me is still the best out of the other ones, and it's not going to cost you as much because people are really selling the key tooth for a lot of money out on the market. Now. The next one is the BlackBerry motion, I just recently reviewed and did a look back at this phone here this last week.

It's essentially the key one. It's got the same processor. Furthermore, it's got four gigabytes of memory, I believe it's got, 32 gigabytes of storage yeah, and it's its a perfect phone, but the problem with this one is you can't find them if you can't find them they're expensive and if you find one that's cheap I, wouldn't really recommend it. I. Don't really recommend anybody going out and buying this phone at this point and unless you've used it, you absolutely love it, and it's the phone that you want and that's what you spend your heart on running hard-earned money on, because I've seen a lot of people saying, and I've seen them myself.

Looking around Amazon you're looking at five $600, some people are wanting for these brand new, and it's just not worth it. It's a Snapdragon 625 processor, which is fine great for multitasking, four gigabytes of RAM. It really was a novel phone, and it was very creative, a lot of cool things about it and I very much enjoy using it's a great phone, but in the year 2020 it's just not worth spending more than probably a hundred ninety-nine bucks to get one of these. So it's an option, but there's not really a viable. It's not really viable when I would pursue unless you just have used this phone before, and you loved it now.

The next phone, which is arguably the best most powerful BlackBerry ever made- and it's still available, they're very hard to find, especially the red one. But the black great key to they increased the keyboard size. It's still got the touch sensitive features on it. It's got dual 12 megapixel cameras on the back. Furthermore, it's got this nice rubberized backing to it.

They moved all the buttons over to the right side, which was something that urged me about the key one, because the power button was on the left side. You inadvertently hit it all the time, so they moved all the buttons to the right side effectively. The same screen is so still the four point: five inch 1080p modified resolution screen Full HD and fingerprint sensor, built into the space bar all that good stuff I really enjoyed this phone I've had this phone two or three times it came out. It was really at that point in time, not as much demand I think as blackberry mobile really anticipated that there was for blackberries. It was like 600 bucks, 650, 699, I can't remember, but entirely too much money had they brought this out around the $449 449 dollar price point.

Furthermore, it would have been much, much better and much more well-received I. Think now it's got the snapdragon 666 gigabytes of ram, it's a very powerful and capable phone great for multitasking. Furthermore, it's still perfect. This right here is the pinnacle of the BlackBerry Android experience and if you ever use one, you probably love it, and it's going to be good for at least another year or two again. The only hang-up is the fact that it's not going to see anything beyond Android 8.1, just because the licensing deal with TCL pike. Very mobile is ending at the end of August of this year, but you're not going to get any security updates.

So that's the only real concern is security updates, but from a usability perspective, this is gonna, be good for a long time. It's got the power. It's got the memory it'll do whatever you need it to do. You have all the app support, and it really is a pleasurable and enjoyable typing experience, so super cool there. Now, last but not least, we have the BlackBerry key 2 LE if they release this phone a year prior to when they did I would wager to guess that they would still be making blackberry phones.

Today. This was the most complete. Finally, got it right with the pricing it came out, it was like 449. You can still find these things on sale, I, find them and see them all the time it's unlocked. It worked with Verizon and Comcast, or their Xfinity mobile service.

They got rid of the touch sensitive keyboard, which I really didn't have any heartburn over, because I've never really cared for it. In the first place, I thought it was an overpriced thing that some people did care for, but I was happy. They took it out, they tightened up the keys a little. This is probably my most favorite keyboard. Ever it's still running Android 8.1. It's got a slightly better Snapdragon processor in it than the key one, four gigabytes of RAM, so they really realize their problems with the original key one updated all that stuff in the key to that lease.

Still, the same 4.5-inch screen some pretty shoddy cameras on the back I'm not going to lie there. It doesn't take very good pictures at all. If you have optimum daylight, it's great, but if you're out anything, that's outside optimal lighting is not good, but overall I think that they captured the BlackBerry experience really, really well, but with Android, and it works, and it performs well. I would run into memory issues every once in a while, but that's just because it had four gigabytes of memory and the Android operating system, combined with the interface that Blackberry put it in here and all their preloaded stuff, like to detect security software, the hub and all that stuff really sucked up the memory. So it would run into issues every once in a while.

Now these you can still find some places are still selling them, especially outside the US and in like Canada, along with the key to you're gonna, be hard-pressed to find them. They might still have them on Amazon and eBay, but they're fairly well priced I think around 350 bucks. You can probably find it cheaper than that especially used, but if I were to recommend that you go out and buy a blackberry nowadays, it would be probably one of these two just because you're going to get the most bang for your buck. You're still going to get an enjoyable Android experience, and they work great, but I totally from the day that the key to Ellie came out. I fell in love with this phone I really liked it, the rubberized back it just felt great, especially carrying it without a case.

The only problem with this one the frame is made out of polycarbonate instead of metal. It's perfectly fine. You're, not gonna, worry about messing it up, but if you put a case on it, or you carry it in your pocket all the time, or it rubs up against your keys or whatever the finish on here would actually start rubbing off, like I had a case on here, and it would rub on the top corner. So my red one and it kind of rubbed some paint stuff off, but that's the only real issue I ever ran into with this phone other than some memory complaints. But after you this, if you disable some BlackBerry garbage that's running in the background, you don't really run into those problems, and you get a better smoother experience.

I found by the typing experience a breeze, totally loved it. It didn't have the whole a key thing going on like some other keyboards, it feels nice and tight really, in my opinion, the best typing experience out of all the BlackBerry mobile devices. But anyway, that's all I have on my options that are available for you. If you still want to use a BlackBerry device in the year 2020, like I, said my two choices would be the BlackBerry key to LE. Are the BlackBerry key one, the Black Edition? If you can get one and if you want to spend the money, and you want to track one down, the key two is gonna, be the best experience.

You're going to get overall totally love the phone power performance, memory, management, efficiency, everything and two good cameras on the back. You can take portrait mode shots which I've done it's pretty good, so that's all I've got. Hopefully this video has been helpful for you. Hopefully, if you're a blackberry fan, you just enjoyed it anyway, because I really enjoy blackberry devices. I and I still like to watch some videos.

It's I really do hope that one day we will get something else at this point in time. It would be irresponsible for me to lead anyone on believe that there might be at this point. All we know is that the licensing agreement with TCL under the BlackBerry mobile name is going to end at the end of August of this year. Beyond that who knows, I hope somebody or blackberry themselves picks up the mantle and makes another device. You know, even if it were like a $300 device like the key to Ellie, but with an updated processor and Android 10 on it, I would be happy.

I would not be using an iPhone. I would not be using a Samsung. Furthermore, I would still be using it, and I still do put my sim card in these. My sim card is actually in you know my blackberry q10, so yeah they're, still very good, very capable and if you enjoy blackberry, you're, probably still using it still enjoy using one today. So that's all I've got if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them down in the comment section I'll get back with you as always, thanks for tuning in if you enjoyed the video like I, said in the beginning, please hit the like and subscribe button and the little notification bell.

If you want updates on the latest and greatest, and thanks for being here again, I appreciate it and, as always, I'll see you guys next time.

Source : TechOdyssey