New cellphone: Z30

 

My cellphone contract was finally up for renewal; this time, on 20 November, I went for the BlackBerry Z30, which was launched that very day.

I posted about my BlackBerry Z10 back in May. Well, the Z30 is similar, with the following major changes:

• 5" AMOLED screen (same resolution though)
• Faster dual-core CPU and a quad-core GPU
• Dual antennas for better reception
• Stereo speakers
• Multiple microphones and speech optimisation for improved voiced clarity
• Huge battery (not removable)

So far, loving it. The OS version is now 10.2, which carries a number of improvements. 10.2.1 is around the corner, with one huge feature: the ability to install Android apps directly. Beta testers are already able to download and install apps directly from a number of third-party store, like Amazon. I really like the operating system; though new, it's solid and intuitive, and feature-packed.

Areas I think the phone could have been better: the camera, at 8MP, is adequate, but not great. The screen would have been better at 1080p resolution (that said, it's a stunning screen - maybe the resolution isn't necessary). More internal storage would have been nice (still upgradeable via SD card of course).

The showcase feature: the sound. It can go seriously loud, and sounds absolutely brilliant. Better than any mobile device I've ever heard. Second best: a much improved battery life.

Another positive for me: my contract with Vodacom is actually cheaper now than it was, and I get a bit of free data (200MB, which compared to my usual usage is actually trivial). They gave me an 8GB SD card with the phone; I have so many, I have no idea what to do with it.I bought a pouch; no official BlackBerry accessories were available, so I got a generic XXL-sized Swiss Army Gear pouch in (fake?) black leather with red stitching.