BlackBerry phones, though not deemed normally competitive in the sea of smartphones presently, have proved themselves from time to time. It is no secret that their marketability liesfrom their strong mobile security, productivity… and their physical keypad. So when the brand released their keypadless BlackBerry Leap, is this their signal to let us know that they’re joining the competition?
What We Consider Great
BlackBerry Leap lives to the name of its brand—it is a certified electronic assistant that knows the value of confidentiality and productivity. Additionally, beside the physical controls located at the right side of the phone, is the button for the virtual BlackBerry Assistant.
What We Consider Unsatisfactory
The phone comes with the standard 5.0-inch display but it is not an IPS screen. Noticeably, Leap offers no NFC connectivity and lacks the accessibility to most of the applications found on Google Play or iOS app store. Apps are limited to what Amazon app store has to offer or what its native Android Jelly Bean can accommodate.
Conclusion
Though the chipset and OS are a little bit ancient considering what the other smartphone brands have to offer today, the specs perform harmoniously to give users a smooth work flow. However, if BlackBerry aims for the mainstream market, it yet needs to upgrade the hardware beneath the hoods of its models.
Highlights
- Dimension :144 x 72.8 x 9.5 mm, 170g
- Display : 5.0” LCD capacitive touchscreen, 1280×720 pixel resolution
- CPU : Snapdragon S4 Plus, 1.5GHz Dualcore Krait processor
- OS : BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 (with native Android support Jelly Bean 4.3 API)
- RAM : 2GB
- ROM : 16GB, can expand up to 128GB via microSD slot
- Camera : 8MP with single LED flash primary; 2MP front
- Battery : 2800 mAh
- Price : $275- unlocked