BlackBerry refugees, we're here to help!

[SteveNoza]

If you use a Microsoft account (Hotmail, outlook, ect) it has push email on Windows Phone.

 

[anon(6038817)]

Glad to see this thread resurrected!

I have flirted with both iOS and Android since I last posted, but I am still clinging to my BlackBerry Q10 at the moment. I know it's only a matter of time before I need to move on from BB10, though. BlackBerry is no longer producing or designing their own hardware, so unless a third party is crazy enough to license BB10 and put it on their own phones, it's done (promised OS maintenance updates notwithstanding).

I am taking a serious look at the BlackBerry PRIV, but their DTEK line doesn't interest me as much because, frankly, they look like every other Android phone out there.

I recently used an iPhone SE for a month, but it quickly bored me and, again, it looks like every other iPhone 5/5S/SE out there.

The contrarian in me wants the phone I use to stand out in a crowd!

Although it is far out of my price range, I'm VERY intrigued by the HP Elite x3. I'm also still considering the Lumia 950.

I know Windows 10 Mobile and Continuum have a long way to go, but the platform is still closer to my ideal convergence setup than Android or iOS.

I'm still trying to decide whether now is the right time to revisit a Windows phone, or if I should just resign myself to my Android fate.

 

[anon(6038817)]

Actually, the Acer Liquid Jade Primo bundle currently going for $449 - which includes the phone, dock, and wireless keyboard and mouse - looks really tempting...

 

[anon(6038817)]

I got my hands on a Lumia 950 and WOW...I am very impressed!

I posted my first impressions here:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-lumia-950/394736-25.htm#post3590158

 

[adolfoalvarez]

Here is another one moving from BB10. Less than 24 hours with W10 and first impressions are good. I mainly miss the Blackberry Hub, the gestures of my old phone, and at the beginning the notifications LED, but you know what? I was kind of slave of my emails, all time checking the light on the phone!, now I am free of that.

Best regards!

 

[Tim-ANC]

Great thread! Been BB forever, but as we all know, forever is going to end. I recognize some other Crackberrians here. Pretty sure I'm going to jump on the WM ship within the next year. Looks like an intelligent and profession community also. Perfect for a BB10 refugee.

Are there newer WM devices with a PKB? The Z10 was my first and last phone with a VKB. Thought I was good with it until I got the Passport. Don't want to go back. I'm currently ATT and they only offer Lumia 950 and HTC One. I would considered an outright purchase for a high end device.

Is the Mireo Genius Map app available for WM? If not, then a comparable off line map app?

Thanks for this thread. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I educate myself in Windows Central.

 

[chris_t]

Another BB refugee here

Curve, Bold, Z10, Passport. One year ago sold my Passport, bought a Blu Win Hd LTE and a Huawei P8 Lite. Sold the BLU, and went Android for half an year. A friend of mine wanted to get rid of a mint condition 830 so here I am

Must admit, I like more W10 than Android, and I still miss some old BB10 features, but I'm here to stay. Wanted to upgrade to 950XL, but decided to wait until Idol 4S goes global or other OEM launches a W10 phone.

Regarding the map apps, haven't try to find Mireo, yet the MSFT Maps is very good. Still a bit below the Android version of Here, but I've managed to find my way around Prague and Vienna, driving, walking and transit too.

Happy New Year all!

 

[Mikepoint]

OMG, this sounds like home. My brother has two BlackBerry devices,(looking to get a third). Fighting with the bottom dropping out of BB10 and playing with my Windows Phone. Refuses to go to IOS or Android. I don't know what we're going to do after this year. Dixie cup and waxed string?

 

[xandros9]

OMG, this sounds like home. My brother has two BlackBerry devices,(looking to get a third). Fighting with the bottom dropping out of BB10 and playing with my Windows Phone. Refuses to go to IOS or Android. I don't know what we're going to do after this year. Dixie cup and waxed string?

Call me biased since I own a Priv and all but BlackBerry's Android offerings are rather nice. It's got some nice things from BB10 although I admit no major platform has really captured that magic completely.

 

[Tim-ANC]

Regarding the map apps, haven't try to find Mireo, yet the MSFT Maps is very good. Still a bit below the Android version of Here, but I've managed to find my way around Prague and Vienna, driving, walking and transit too

Thanks for the response. Are the MS maps usable offline or do they require a data connection?

 

[Tim-ANC]

Am I correct in assuming OneNote, OneDrive, MS office, and Skype all work flawlessly on WM10? There are BB10 apps for these but they don't function to full potential.

 

[chris_t]

Thanks for the response. Are the MS maps usable offline or do they require a data connection?

Am I correct in assuming OneNote, OneDrive, MS office, and Skype all work flawlessly on WM10? There are BB10 apps for these but they don't function to full potential.

Maps work offline with prior downloaded maps for driving and walking. You would of course need an online connection for traffic info and also for transit info. Or at least I wasn't able to use transit off line.

OneDrive/Note, Office, like a charm. I use Skype Preview and it's ok-ish, maybe a little slow when opening, but that might have smth to do with my old gen phone, the 830 is not the best W10 phoje around Yet, the notifications are coming thru extremely fast. As a matter of fact, both Skype messagges and outlook.com sync faster on my phone than on a W10 laptop with Office 365.

 

[Tim-ANC]

Great to hear about the maps. Understandable about live traffic and all that because that requires frequent communication back and fourth instead of a one way signal with GPS. Skype preview is relatively new as far as I understand. It showed up on my Thinkpad after a Win10 update recently. Didn't now it was there until someone called me on Skype while my desktop app was off. Played with it a bit but it is essentially, a light version, of the desktop app. I like the dark theme though. Thanks for the confirmation about the other MS products.

So could I play Halo 5 on a WM10 device?

 

[SteveNoza]

Are there newer WM devices with a PKB? The Z10 was my first and last phone with a VKB. Thought I was good with it until I got the Passport. Don't want to go back.

There's been a rumor of a PKB windows phone, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it. Also, some rumors of a keyboard cover for the upcoming Surface phone, we should see leaks of this phone soon. The other question is would they have all the cool BlackBerry shortcuts, ect?

 

[Tim-ANC]

There's been a rumor of a PKB windows phone, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it. Also, some rumors of a keyboard cover for the upcoming Surface phone, we should see leaks of this phone soon. The other question is would they have all the cool BlackBerry shortcuts, ect?

Been reading a bit about the Surface phone. Intriguing. Hopefully more detail comes out at CES this week.

 

[Tim-ANC]

What is a good WM10 substitute for BBM? I think Skype will satisfy most my BBM uses. BBM has good group features that skype doesn't though.

 

[chris_t]

I use Skype and the cr*ppy Whatsapp

 

[Matty]

If it weren't for the epic fail of my Q10 keyboard, I would have stayed with BlackBerry because of these reasons. Unfortunately, BlackBerry has given up on BB10, I had to go somewhere.

Yeah, unfortunately the Q10 did have some double typing issues. Its a shame because i loved the phone the first time i saw it. Its battery life was miles better than the Z10 so it really did look promising. Just because of my budget, i could only get the Q5, which looking back now, was one of the best devices i have owned. I don't think Blackberry gave up on BB10 because they wanted to, i think the market just wasn't interested.

What was really great to see. i was watching some adverts last night and i saw that a lot of the new Apps coming out were supporting Windows 10M as their 'Third' option. Hopefully W10m can becoming more popular. We need a 3rd OS competitor and the OS is fantastic.

 

[Matty]

I got my hands on a Lumia 950 and WOW...I am very impressed!

I posted my first impressions here:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-lumia-950/394736-25.htm#post3590158

Yip!

I'm in the same boat, a friend of mine in class got the 950 and it looks so good. Very premium and the camera is no slouch. But since i just dropped some cash on a Blackberry PRIV. My wallet wouldn't be very happy with me if i got a Lumia 950. Even though i would like to, or even a Idol 4s would be cool. haha

 

[Tim-ANC]

I got a 950XL last week. Been babbling about it here:

http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-10-mobile/451134-3.htm#post3627055