Hands-on review: BB Live: BlackBerry Q5

The BlackBerry Q5 is here, and about time too as the Canadian firm launches its first affordable BlackBerry 10 device.

Unveiled at the annual BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando the BlackBerry Q5 had been almost completely leaked under the moniker BlackBerry R10, so its design and specs come as no surprise.

There's no firm word on which countries will be treated to the Q5, but BlackBerry is touting it as an entry-level to mid-tier device aimed at emerging markets.

What we do know is that it will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, with expected availability beginning in July.

It looks like the US is set to miss out on the BlackBerry Q5 and when TechRadar quizzed spokespeople on UK and Australia availability no one could provide a solid answer.

At first glance you can tell the BlackBerry Q5 will be a more keenly priced device than its high-end Q10 brother, with a swath a bezel adorning the front of the noticably plastic handset.

It lacks the premium look and finish of the Q10, but retains the classic BlackBerry QWERTY phone look, with the isolated keys a nod to past BB OS handsets such as the Curve 9320.

In terms of specs the Q5 has a lot in common with the Q10, with both devices sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 3.1-inch, 720x720 display - although the Q5 is furnished with a lower quality LCD offering compared to the Super AMOLED screen on the Q10.

While the bezel around the screen may be larger than on its higher-end relation it's not necessarily a bad thing as it provides more room below the display for the upwards swipe gesture required to exit apps.

On the Q10 there isn't any space between screen and keyboard which made the motion a little tricky at times, however on the Q5 we could easily slide our finger around without fear of pressing any keys.

Of course this does mean the Q5 is longer and the Q10, and it's also a little chunkier as well but BlackBerry has managed to keep the weight down so it's not overbearing in the hand.

The solid plastic rear is reminiscent of the iPhone 3GS, but there's no metallic rim round the edge to hold things together and the glossy finish doesn't provide a great deal of grip.

Up top there's a headphone jack and centralised power/lock key which we found was pretty difficult to hit as it wasn't raised above the chassis meaning you really need to push down hard for the Q5 to register your action.

Down the right side are the trio of buttons which also feature on the Z10 and Q10 with volume keys sandwiching a third switch which provides a shortcut to voice commands.

On the left there's a microUSB port, but there's no HDMI out option - something you do get on the other two BlackBerry 10 handsets.

Instead on the left we have a plastic flap which covers microSD and microSIM ports, allowing you to build on the 8GB of internal storage inside the BlackBerry Q5.

As you may have already guessed the presence of the slots of the left means you can't whip the back off the BlackBerry Q5 to access the 2100mAh battery.

That shouldn't be too much of an issue though as the battery in the Q5 should easily last you more than a day if the Q10 is anything to go by - which has the same size battery.

Thanks to the decent processor and amount of RAM BlackBerry has managed to stuff inside the Q5 the BlackBerry 10.1 operating system provides a fluid and lag-free experience.

We were easily able to glide through homescreens and apps generally opened up pretty quickly.

Because the BlackBerry Q5 is running the latest version of the BB10 OS you get features such as pin to pin messaging, but the HDR camera mode hasn't made the cut on this cut-price handset.

The camera app itself opens in a second, but the auto-focus is quite laggy and we found the Q5 took two to three seconds to snap a picture, which is a little too long for our liking.

Round the back you get a 5MP camera and single LED flash which does produce some decent snaps, plus the front facing 2MP snapper will help with video calling and vanity checks.

BlackBerry has managed to take its lightening quick web browsing performance from the Z10 and Q10 and stick it into the Q5 and we were able to load the desktop TechRadar site in under five seconds on a strong 4G connection - that's impressive for a handset which is aimed at the lower end of the market.

Web pages, text and images appear crisp and clear on the 3.1-inch 720 x 720 display, but it's not quite as bright and colours don't pop like they do on the Q10's Super AMOLED screen.

Obviously the big attraction for anyone considering the BlackBerry Q5 is its QWERTY keyboard and once again the Canadian firm shows its prowess in this area.

The isolated keys have a decent amount of travel, but we did find it was a little trickier to type on the Q5 compared to the Q10 and the whole keypad did wobble quite a bit under our prods, which just reinforced the budget nature of this device.

For anyone who's grown up using BlackBerry keyboards the Q5 offers more of the same, but if you're considering switching from a fully touchscreen device you probably won't be convinced.

The BlackBerry Q5 is one for the aficionados who can't afford, or refuse to splash cash on the highly priced Q10, with the solid BlackBerry typing experience at the heart of everything it does.

Without knowing the price it's difficult to say how it will stand up against other handsets, but anyone who isn't a BlackBerry fan and is in the market for a reasonably priced smartphone probably won't be taken with the Q5.

That said if BlackBerry manage to price the Q5 low enough it would make it a seriously attractive proposition with its decent power under the hood, HD display and rapid internet browser. We're just going to have to wait and see.

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Review: Updated: BlackBerry Z10

The BlackBerry Z10 is the first handset from the company formerly known as RIM, now renamed BlackBerry, to run its new operating system BlackBerry 10, and there's much more on the line here than simply making a few pennies – arguably the company's survival rests on the success of this device and the BlackBerry Q10.

It's no secret that BlackBerry has been on the rocks for the past year or so, with the company even admitting that it hasn't been in the best shape of late, and the 4G toting Z10 is the start of what is hoped to be a successful revolution.

Since its launch a few months ago the BlackBerry Z10 has received a software update which has seen things become more stable, plus the app store has also witnessed some new arrivals, so we've taken the time to update the keys parts of our review with the latest information.

In the UK the handset has witnessed a slight price drop since launch and you can pick up the Z10 free on contracts starting at £32 per month, while you'll need to fork out a still princely £470 if you want it SIM-free.

The US was only treated to the BlackBerry Z10 in late March, available for around $199.99 on contract and about $630 SIM-free.

Sporting a 4.2-inch 1280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and its steep price tag, the BlackBerry Z10 finds itself jostling for position with the Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5.

Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic that mimics the general aesthetical design of many a smartphone these days.

The Z10 is a little bezel-heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset.

It all seems a little unnecessary but luckily it doesn't make the BlackBerry Z10 overly cumbersome, with the handset measuring a comfortable 130 x 65.6 x 9mm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.4 inches).

Weight wise the BlackBerry Z10 finds a happy medium – weighing 137.5g (4.85 oz), it's nowhere near as heavy as the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, yet it's not as feather light as the iPhone 5.

The weight gives it a reassuring presence in the palm and while the chassis is distinctly plastic, the handset's heft at least restores some form of premium feel.

Around the back you're greeted with a textured plastic rear that is slightly rubberised, providing a decent level of grip.

There are only a couple of things to note on the back of the BlackBerry Z10: the 8MP camera with a single LED flash, sat in the top-left corner, and the shiny metallic BlackBerry logo in middle.

We were pleased to find that the rear can be removed easily by placing a finger in the indented speaker grill at the base of the Z10, enabling us to simply peel off the plastic.

Underneath you'll find microSIM and microSD slots, with the latter capable of supporting cards up to 32GB in capacity, although we've been told that a future update may see this support boosted to the 64GB variants.

This means you can build nicely on the already decent 16GB of internal storage, which will appeal to many who have been put out by the likes of the iPhone range and HTC One, which don't offer storage expansion.

An added boon is the removable 1,800mAh battery, enabling you to switch out a dead battery for a fully charged one if you're someone who likes to carry multiple power packs around.

On the rear cover itself you'll notice the NFC pad, which enables the BlackBerry Z10 to interact with other compatible wireless devices.

On the right-hand side of the Z10, anyone familiar with the BlackBerry PlayBook will instantly recognise the triple button setup, with volume rocker switches separated by a central key – used for playing/pausing music and activating voice control when held down.

Up top you get a centralised power/lock key next to a 3.5mm headphone jack, while on the left there's a couple of handy connectivity ports.

The metal finish of the keys gives the handset a touch of class - if not a little sharp when you catch your finger on them - and all are well positioned, enabling us to reach them easily when using the Z10 one-handed.

The now standard microUSB port that features on pretty much every phone these days (bar the iPhone) is present, alongside a miniHDMI port. This enables you to connect the BlackBerry Z10 directly to a TV for big screen viewing.

There's no HDMI cable in the box so you'll need to pick one up separately, but there is at least a USB cable so you can hook the Z10 up to your computer.

The BlackBerry Z10 doesn't wow us with a new design, but it's a sturdy handset with a decent build quality and functional layout that makes it easy to handle.

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