Yes, Virginia, there really is a market for a smart flip phone

 The BlackBerry Style is really starting to stick with me. I was chosen to be a product ambassador right around the same time the EVO was finally released for employees. Being very cheap, I could not resist the $50 discount opportunity we were given for that day only and got one right away.

This gave me the chance to use the EVO a couple of weeks before switching over to the Style. Now I am living the best of both worlds with the BlackBerry active as my primary phone and the EVO Android rocking along just fine on WiFi as a mini tablet.

Here’s the deal. I love all the apps and cool things the EVO brings but as an actual everyday carry around in your pocket and take places device the Style wins hands down in my book. It has proven to me that there is a market for a simple flip phone. It is the perfect form factor and function for someone like me that likes a small device that fits nicely in the pocket and operates with little complexity. I have also found even though I have access to 1,000s of apps my main use on the device is still e-mail, text, twitter and that weird thing some of us still do—talk.

My conclusion from all of this is in a best case I would have a small smartish device like the style plus a second larger tablet device like the Samsung Tab. This indeed would give me the best of both worlds.

What is your opinion? 

Using the BlackBerry Style Camera

One of my favorite features of the BlackBerry Style has been the 5.0 MP camera.  The camera is feature rich and thanks to the ability to assign the function to a side convenience key super easy to use.  I love taking pictures and sharing them.  My only complaint about the camera is the placement of the lens. It is really awkward and I find my finger covering it up much of the time.

Here is what the camera home screen looks like and going left to right you will find quick access to gallery-geotag-camera-flash-scene mode.

The impressive scene mode menu matches all the features you will find in a basic point in shoot camera including: Face detection, portrait, sports, landscape, party, close up, snow, beach, night, and text. Actually the text option was a new one and according to the description this feature is “ideal for capturing text on white backgrounds”

Want to see some pics?

The wonderful Mrs. Copeland shooting a gun!    

                

 A beautiful Oklahoma sunrise!

 I thought this mushroom was interesting!

Geotagging is becoming more and more common now with a camera embedded in devices. This allows the shooter to add a location reference to the image. Here is pic of me enjoying another wonderful day here in my cubicle at Sprint:

 And now here and example of the geotag:

Pretty cool stuff huh?  What do you think?  Is a good quality camera something you find important in your device? What are some creative ways you are using the camera to capture moments to share with others?



BlackBerry Style first impressions

BlackBerry Style first impressions

It has been a full week with the BlackBerry Style and the phone is really starting to grow on me. I previously had the Curve 8330 and for just a few weeks prior to the Style I had moved over to the EVO. Having the EVO too has given me a great perspective on the Style and why someone might chose it.

My top four Pros:

6.0 OS
Previous BB users will appreciate the familiarity of this OS. The overall functionality is improved over the previous version. I found the internet experience on the curve to be difficult and fortunately the new OS finally brings an easy web experience. Menus are easy to navigate and I love the simplicity.

Camera
I am huge camera lover and the 5.0 MP camera of the Style really delivers with flash, autofocus, geotagging, and wide variety of scene modes. A big win over the EVO here for me is the dedicated convenience key. This wonderful option allows the user to set a dedicated button on the side of the phone to launch the camera. 

Screen
Ok yes the screen is small compared to the EVO however it does have one tremendous advantage for people like me that spend a lot of time outside.  It has great visibility in direct sunlight. With the EVO, I found myself seeking some shade or another dark cover anytime I was outside. Not a problem with this phone. I think this is pretty important for the active customer.

The flip

I love the flip design and the overall form factor of this device. There was a time when the competition was to get phones smaller at it seems lately the phones are like carrying around my home TV. The flip design fits nicely in the palm of my hand, pocket, back of bike and anywhere. No worries about breaking the screen or sitting on it.

My top three NOs

APPs
BlackBerry likes to say they go for quality over quantity when it comes to apps and as you know there are more than 7,000 available. Do we really need 10 fart apps? BlackBerry says no. At the same time, I would like to see more variety and more free options.

Camera
Just moments ago I was talking about how much I love the camera. One drawback is the placement of the lens.  It is hard to launch without covering with a finger but I am sure I will get better.

Keyboard
I think they did the best they could to cram a keyboard in but the buttons are just a little too close for me even thought I have tiny fingers. My guess is this may be an issue for someone with larger hands.

That is it for now and more to come.

Finally getting the Style next week

After several weeks of waiting the word is that I will be getting the BlackBerry Style next week. I was lucky enough to be selected as a Product Ambassador for this phone by Sprint (my employer) This great program lets employees try out our newest devices right at launch as our personal phones so that we can review them and give feedback to the company. We also get the great opportunity to share our thoughts with customers through social media and events. I especially respect that we are told very clearly to be completely honest with our feedback both positive and negative.

I will have pretty good perspective on this phone since I was a BlackBerry Curve user until very recently. I have been using the 4G EVO Android device as my personal phone the last two weeks and that is going to help even more with a comparison.

Anyway, I am excited about next week.

Any BB lovers out there already using this device?  What do you think about so far?

The reviews keep coming….(BlackBerry Style)

I have been following a lot of customer comments and reviews online since the launch of the BlackBerry Style over the weekend.

Here are a few comments I captured this morning from a variety of sources:

“Blackberry OS 6.0 looks so purrrty.”

“Just saw a #blackberry that is just taking my breath away! Besides the #tourch CHECK OUT the BB #style!!! To Die For!!!”

“Im stoked to pick mine up as soon as best Buy opens no mail in rebate! Im glad to see it's getting good reviews it's supposed to look way better in person once you get your hands on it”

“Am glad they have these for those who want a flip I prefer the candybar type phones always have but it is nice to see RIM doing this for those who prefer it. I have a friend who wants to try BB and this might be a better choice for her because she is rough on her phones”

Here is a review from PC Magazine

Here is a review from CrackBerry.com

Here is a review from slashgear.com

My own hands on thoughts are on hold as I wait for my device to arrive. Can't wait and am hoping for it to get here soon!

Now that it has been out a few days what do you think? 

Several BlackBerry Style Reviews

There was a small delay getting the BlackBerry Style shipped out and it now will be mid next week before I get this new device. This week I have been reading a bunch of reviews about the phone and I am please to hear that most of the comments have been really positive. Many people were surprise about the clam shell design choice but once they had the phone in hand opinions changed.

I am personally holding off on my final opinion until I get the phone in hand and working on my account.

Here are a few of the better reviews if you would like to learn more about the phone. My thoughts are coming soon.....

The folks over at Gizmo are not fans of the design "It's a beautiful phone—if you are a Jersey Shore character"


Some thoughts from BGR. As you can clearly see ...

Here is an unboxing from the fellow over at Phone Dog

CNET to me is one of the more credible review sites out there. Here is their comprehensive review

If you have never checked out the resources of at phonescoop.com this is a great place to go for device reviews. Check out what they had to say here

This is just a few of the many reviews I read this week. I am getting more and more excited to try this out and get my hands on the updated 6.0 OS. It is looking to be quite an improvement over my current BlackBerry Curve.

It is coming!

I get kind of excited about new devices. This in a way is amazing given that I have worked in the wireless industry now for over 19 years. Things have certainly changed from the first few years when phones were either huge "bricks" or installed in your car. That is one reason I was excited to sign up for the Sprint Product Ambassador program. This program puts the latest devices in the hands of employees at launch so that we can test them out and at the same time be a liaison to the public about the many great things that are possible with the product.

I have been lucky enough to be selected to try out the new BlackBerry Style which is going to be exclusive to Sprint starting 10/31. This phone is different from many recent super phones because it runs the new 6.0 OS and because it is a clam shell design.

I have been a BlackBerry user now for about 18 months and currently carry a very worn 8330. This phone has been a real workhorse as I have traveled the around for work and on many campouts as a Boy Scout leader.

My device will arrive early during the first week of November and you can look forward to posts here about my experience. I will share the great, the not so great and promise to have honest feedback for you current and future BlackBerry lovers. All from the point of view of a pretty typical user who just happens to work for Sprint.

What are your initial thoughts about this new device?

In a world increasingly dominated by I-Phones and Adroid do you think BlackBerry can keep up?

Want to learn more? Here is a nice article about the new Style from the great folks over at crackberry.com

*it is important to note that although I am a Sprint employee, opinions and reviews expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent Sprint in anyway.