We’re seeing more and more people sharing their “I’ve returned to BlackBerry” stories with us. Whether they’re coming back for the BlackBerry Passport’s screen size, the BlackBerry Classic’s iconic QWERTY keyboard or the BlackBerry Leap’s all-touch screen (to name only a few of the reasons we’ve seen), the outreach is not slowing.
Take Erez Nounou, for example. This UK entrepreneur hasn’t looked back since returning to BlackBerry with his BlackBerry Leap. As the on-the-go founder of Bizoogo – a forum for startups seeking investment – and creator of the London Enterprise Festival, he can’t afford to carry emergency chargers with him.
Guest Post by Erez Nounou:
The last BlackBerry phone I owned was the BlackBerry Bold and it was, at the time, a welcome upgrade to the Nokia I had before it. The QWERTY keyboard, BBM and email client were features I loved about it – the red flashing light that all too often reminded me of the work emails I had to deal with, I didn’t. But all in all, making the change to a touchscreen smartphone after that wasn’t easy.
The Blackberry Leap doesn’t have the iconic keyboard, and time has definitely moved on from the days when BBM was the ‘only’ instant messenger, but many of the features it does have remind me of why I was originally hooked. The Leap feels solid and well-made. Picking it up for the first time, you don’t feel like you have to buy a titanium case to protect it from everyday knocks. It looks great, it’s lightweight and the screen is well-sized; I have no trouble working on it, reviewing documents, reading emails or watching videos, yet it still fits in my pocket – just about. It’s also unmistakably professional, with its black, sharp-edged design and I much prefer that to the fashion-led phone designs on the market right now.
A few days of use and I was back in the swing. The battery life survives incredibly well against a long day of emails, document downloads, apps and internet browsing – anything longer than a full day that doesn’t have me carrying emergency chargers is a welcome innovation.
The email client now does more than just sync all your email accounts in one place, it syncs all messages, including social media, into one (BlackBerry) Hub, saving me the hassle of disparate sites and notifications. I should also mention the fact that the keypad on the Leap, even if it is a smartphone, is solid. There isn’t the normal sensitivity that has you typing the wrong letters all the time, but instead it’s easy to type clearly and quickly.
On the consumer side of the phone, having been on Android for a few years now, it does take some getting used to. The interface and screen layouts are slightly different, but organised. If you’re a Google account user, you won’t find the official apps in the BlackBerry store. But equally, I was surprised to see how much the BlackBerry operating system did have, and it was more than I’d thought. The essentials are all there, and like I said, you’re normally likely to find a pretty good alternative. I was also really impressed with the photo and audio quality. The camera boasts 8mp, which compared to the 20mp I have on my Sony Xperia sounds weak, but I’ve found the quality to be better. I’m not quite sure how that one works.
I’ve really enjoyed having a BlackBerry smartphone phone again. It looks like a modern smartphone but in my opinion it behaves differently. It’s a solid work phone and covers all my needs incredibly well.
****
To learn more about the BlackBerry Leap, check out these blog posts, read these interviews with other happy Leap users (including this multinational startup CEO, this recruiting firm CEO, and this UK cosmetic doctor), or visit BlackBerry.com/Leap.
Looking to buy in the UK? You can get yours unlocked today from ShopBlackBerry.com in white or black. For the latest BlackBerry Leap availability in other regions, check out our one-stop post.