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Blackberry Priv: Too little, too late?

15K views 154 replies 20 participants last post by  stampeder 
#1 ·
#3 ·
I would have been a LOT more interested had it been loaded with Marshmallow than Lollipop which it comes with. But I guess the development cycle along with the OS tweaks mean they didn't have Marshmallow (Android v6) to work with.

Of course the other 65 cent question is, will it be available on Wind Mobile?

Cameron
 
#4 ·
Lots of complaints on the BlackBerry fan site about issues with the BlackBerry hub. Things like not being able to attach files from DropBox to emails and other messaging activities that are easily accomplished with BB10's hub. Other issues like no native file manager have BlackBerry 10 users confused. Not sure why Android OS doesn't come with a file manager...

Also poor speaker quality (it's a single mono speaker behind the grille) has many disappointed. Anyone coming from a Z30 or Passport knows what good sound on a phone can be like.
 
#5 ·
They actually added one in Android 6.0, but the reason it didn't was the same reason iOS doesn't have one - for the average users there's no need. There are plenty of excellent file managers on the Play Store, but I haven't bothered with one since Android 2.3. If BlackBerry (or BlackBerry users) wanted one, it's easy enough to add one.
 
#6 ·
I use the file manager on BB10 on a regular basis - how else do you get to your stuff?

I'm often emailing things from either my device or my OneDrive account, or fetching files while in a meeting. File management is a key feature of any OS, and when performing simple tasks like emailing a file to someone can't be done without one, then it seems silly Google would omit this from Android.

Anyway, I was just surprised to hear the "King of OSs" didn't have one baked in. After all, my daily BB10 device is just a useless dinosaur :rolleyes:
 
#10 ·
Emailing files is generally done from the Document Manager in Android. If you want something a little better for managing files, there's a lot of choices in the Play Store. That's the great thing with Android.

We know full well your opinions on Android ssbtech, and obviously if you are dead set on sticking with what you know about BB10, the Priv is not the BlackBerry for you. Other BB users may not want to do things the same specific way you're used to, and the freedom of options with an Android device won't be a problem.

As for other BlackBerry users complaining, most will figure out that Android does things differently. Android isn't BB10, and there will definitely be differences that BlackBerry users will have to get used to.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
Exactly. When I attempt to attach from an email, the document manager gives me the following places to look: Recent, Images, Video, Audio, Downloads, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Other apps can also plug into that api and show up there.

A file explorer forces users to learn the architecture of their phone, which they should never have to learn. It's user unfriendly, which is why even in Android 6.0 it's hidden deep in the settings. But, as mentioned, if you want one, they're easy to find.
 
#16 ·
A file explorer forces users to learn the architecture of their phone, which they should never have to learn.
When I load up and Android file explorer, I see what you mean - there's lots of stuff there to complicate the view for the user.

But if the file explorer is done correctly, it doesn't really force users into anything obscure. The BB10 file manager for example already hides the folders and directories the user has no business being in. You don't have to browse through all the root, user, accounts, system, etc... folders - the stuff you're likely to need is visible, all the system stuff is hidden.

It's a piece of cake to get to my SD card, DropBox, OneDrive and even my home PC (if it's running) from the stock BB10 file explorer - these are all in the "hamburger" menu.


If users shouldn't be exposed to the architecture of their phone (and I agree with you there) then they shouldn't be forced to go shopping for a file explorer either.
 
#17 ·
The document manager can do all those things on Android, it just only becomes visible when an app calls on it (for example, when you attempt to attach to an email). The rest of the time, you can access those sources through their individual apps, which provide a better experience since they're tailored to the source.
 
#18 ·
When you have a mix of file types (some reports might be in DOC, others in PDF, etc...) then having to open those files through their respective application is tedious. I find it much more efficient to simply hope into File Explorer, navigate to where I know the files are and open them from there. I don't have to think in advance about what type the file is.

This is why I've always held the position that Android generally provides users with a fragmented, inconsistent experience - browsing for files while in the process of attaching them to an email is done through a different application/interface than opening files for viewing on the device. Whereas with BB10 it's the same file manager regardless of where you are and navigating it essentially becomes muscle memory.

Another thing I find incredibly handy is the ability to attach multiple files to an email in a single action.
If I want a PDF, DOC and a few JPGs all from different folders (or locations such as local, SD Card and OneDrive) it can all be done in one "attachment action". That is to say you don't have to attach files individually and hit the paperclip for each additional file. While Android file managers that I've used do allow you to select multiple files, that selection is cleared when you move up and out of that directory to go to another.


Fine, I get it. I don't have the option to choose from 8 different keyboards and installing an app that changes the colour of light bulbs in my bedroom takes an extra step, but the base OS has a far better "flow" to it than Android. I fear that the Priv is moving away from this efficient navigation.


I find it humorous that those who made fun of BB10 users having to take extra steps to get apps such as using "Snap" are now advocating that the additional steps to get a file manager onto their device suddenly constitutes "choice and customizability". ;)
 
#25 ·
Ok, fine, if you really must go there:

I am well familiar with Snap. Snap is the very definition of a hack. You have to side-load it, which means that the average user may not even know about it, let alone be able to figure out how to do it.
So sideloading an app so you can go get the rest of the stuff you need is a hack, but having to hunt for a file manager that should have been included in the core OS is considered "choice".
 
#29 ·
The device is usable without a file manager. If you insist on doing things the old-fashioned way, a quick search in the Play Store will find what you need (and I'm sure any smartphone user is familiar with how simple it is to download an app from the Play Store).

Again, look at iPhone - the single most popular series of phones out there (tens of millions sold each quarter). The fact these have NO file manager, yet are still extremely popular with consumers and even businesses says that a file manager app isn't super crucial when alternatives exist.

By your logic, if someone needs Facebook and it's not preloaded on the phone, it's a hassle to download from the Play Store. Neither Facebook, nor a file manager is a core app. If you need them, they're a quick download away (from a legitimate source preinstalled on the phone).

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk
 
#31 ·
By your logic, if someone needs Facebook and it's not preloaded on the phone, it's a hassle to download from the Play Store. Neither Facebook, nor a file manager is a core app. If you need them, they're a quick download away (from a legitimate source preinstalled on the phone).
The advantage of having a file manager baked into the OS is that it provides a consistent interface for selecting/managing files from whatever app you're in. So instead of the email app loading up one interface for selecting files, and another interface comes up for browsing for files to send in an IM, or you're trying to locate a file in the middle of a meeting - it's all consistent which is important when you're trying to get things done as the familiarity improves the speed at which you can use the device.
 
#30 ·
People will get all bent out of shape because they don't have an app to control the colour of their LED lightbulbs, but they'll gladly put off work because the phone lacks the basic functionality that the OS of any mobile phone should have.

If you only knew how many times I've had someone tell me they'd email me from the office because their "smartphone" phone is too fiddly or otherwise incapable of doing it.

Folks have been complaining for years that iOS didn't handle email attachments nicely. Apple finally got around to doing something about it this year, but it's still half-baked. Oh well, they can make their LEDs dance while they snapchat with eachother instead.
 
#33 ·
People will get all bent out of shape because they don't have an app to control the colour of their LED lightbulbs, but they'll gladly put off work because the phone lacks the basic functionality that the OS of any mobile phone should have.
What, exactly, can Android not do with regard to file manipulation that it should? It's not like it's hiding files away from you. Android does things differently than BB10, just like it does things differently than Windows Phone and iOS. What you're complaining about here isn't lack of functionality, it's a change in workflow. And not even a permanent one - you can make it work the way you want!

If you only knew how many times I've had someone tell me they'd email me from the office because their "smartphone" phone is too fiddly or otherwise incapable of doing it.
And you think the problem is the difference between the document manager and a full-fledged file manager? That is, in a word, ludicrous. They can adjust to using an interface designed for a 5 inch screen and a touch keyboard, but if the file manager isn't consistent they just can't cope? The people you deal with would have just as much challenge on a BB10 device. It's not the workflow that's holding them back.

As I said, I regularly work off my phone, and the document manager suits me just fine. I obviously have the ability to go find a file manager, but I don't believe it would offer me an improved experience. the document manager is simple, straight-forward, and extremely easy to use.

Folks have been complaining for years that iOS didn't handle email attachments nicely. Apple finally got around to doing something about it this year, but it's still half-baked. Oh well, they can make their LEDs dance while they snapchat with eachother instead.
Should they make sure they get off your lawn while doing it?

I've actually never had snapchat, and I don't have any Hue lightbulbs, but let's say for a minute that I did. What, pray tell, makes your use case more meaningful than mine? Why must your experiences and your needs be transposed onto everyone else? Who are you to pass judgement on what everyone else wants to do with their devices?

People have different needs and wants from their smartphones, and for you to suggest that their needs and wants are frivolous because they don't align with your own is, quite frankly, asinine. You're not that important.
 
#32 ·
Once again, the Document Manager is consistent across apps. If people want something that resembles how they do things on a desktop, it's super simple to grab something that works for them.

Seriously, you're making a big deal out of nothing here. Complaining for the sake of complaining, when pretty much ANY smartphone user would just go to the Play Store and grab a file manager if they really needed one.

If that's too hard to comprehend, perhaps you're better off sticking with your BB10 phone and leave it at that. I really have nothing more to say, as you obviously are stuck in your ways and simply believe nobody is willing to adapt to change.

Case closed.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk
 
#35 ·
I don't know that that's necessarily fair (though I understand that you weren't being entirely literal). Lots of perfectly capable and intelligent people have chosen to never invest the time in truly mastering their smartphones, just as their are plenty of similar people who have never quite mastered their PCs. I just don't see the barrier to entry for those people as being a small element of the workflow.
 
#37 ·
In other news....

Was at a Rogers store today... Looked like possibly a Blackberry rep, or a Rogers trainer was in training 2 of the staff on the "features" of the new Priv... I let them take me for a test drive as they walked me through it... Had my kids with me so did not soak it all in .. IT was funny to have theme explain how great android was(im a androidfan). Kool little thing though i have not seen before was the ability to swipe a calendar app icon on the home screen and have it turn on its widget. Other apps/widgets could be swiped up for widget view. Neat. A brief explanation of DTEK security feature was pretty neat as well. Letting u know what apps maybe doing bad things in the background...

They had it on a tether so i could not really handle it well or get a sense of its weight. But it seemed light, looked pretty cool, the slide up keyboard...hmm i never used one, i worry about durability..

not sure im ready to give blackberry my money, i wish them the best, not sure i want to fund what could be there last phone or the first step in there next chapter of hardware..
 
#42 ·
Worth noting that most of the BlackBerry services will install on other Android phones, including the launcher and virtual keyboard.
The Hub on the Priv pales in comparison to the Hub on BB10. Anyone installing it thinking they're getting the "BlackBerry experience" is in for disappointment. The keyboard however is great and I'm sure the Priv version is the same as BB10.
 
#40 ·
played with one at work yesterday. I really didn't mind it


I might be one of the last guys out there, but I would have preferred the slider the other orientation

I really liked my old LG slider, and before that I had an OQO and would love to have a modern version of it
 
#41 ·
Bb10 user here, I looked at the priv in a bell store and thought it was quite nice. Hardware wise it was a little big for me but manageable, in winter at least when I'd have a coat pocket to put it in. I thought the pkb was a bit on the cramped side but I could probably get use to it. On the software side I found android fairly intuitive and seemed pretty responsive but I am much more comfortable with BlackBerry 10 obviously. This was my first exposure to Android. I hope the priv does well and keeps them in the hardware game.
 
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