Since the rise of the iPhone and Android phones, BlackBerry's life has become more and more difficult. BlackBerry naturally knows this. From the full touch screen Z10 to the innovative appearance Passport, BlackBerry's efforts are proof. Their new Classic is a tribute to the classic design of BlackBerry, which proves that they have not forgotten their original intention.

Specifications:

3.5 inch 720 × 720 touch screen, 294ppi;
Qualcomm MSM8960 dual core processor, with the maximum main frequency of 1.5GHz;
2GB RAM+16GB expandable storage space;
8 megapixel rear camera, backlight sensor, supporting 1080p video recording;
2 megapixel front camera, supporting 720p video recording;
BlackBerry 10 operating system;
2515mAh built-in battery;
131 × 72.4 × 10.2 mm, 178 g.

Appearance and design:

Classic looks very similar to the Bold 9900 in 2011 at the beginning, but Classic still needs a big circle in the three circles. For those who like the classic design of Blackberry, Classic should be in line with their appetite. Compared with Passport's more radical appearance design, the mellow fuselage exudes a strong nostalgic taste and the feeling of industrial times, which is really another flavor.

For a BlackBerry, the QWERTY keyboard is an indelible label, Although Passport also has a full keyboard, to be honest, the full keyboard doesn't feel like a BlackBerry at all, while Classic uses the nostalgic design of the Bold 9900 keyboard. It is very comfortable to use the Classic keyboard to type. The special shape of the keycap and the stainless steel separator between each line make users feel comfortable when they hit the keyboard, The quick and sensitive response like Classic is the basic quality of a full keyboard business phone.

The fuselage frame is made of metal, and the two openings at the bottom that look like speakers are actually only one speaker, and the other is a microphone.

The 3.5-inch screen also brings a small body with a good grip.

The texture on the back ensures the hand feel. The camera is covered by glass, highlighting the whole strip.

Screen performance:

Classic is not positioned as a high-end market, so we certainly don't have much hope for the screen. The 3.5-inch square 720 × 720 screen is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The 294 ppi is also appropriate, and the screen display is still fine and clear.

In terms of brightness, Classic 's screen is amazing. The maximum brightness of 900 nits is the highest among the smartphones we have tested. The amazing brightness brings excellent outdoor visibility. In addition to brightness, the contrast of 1170:1 is also impressive. Other parameters, including color reproduction, are excellent. If you really want to pick a thorn in this screen, then it is the size, The small screen size makes our misoperation rate in the evaluation high. For example, when we scroll the web page vertically, we accidentally minimize the APP.

System and UI:

Classic runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1, which is the latest BlackBerry OS. The overall UI and operation logic of Classic are the same as those of Passport, for example, Classic also has built-in BlackBerry Assistant, BlackBerry App and Amazon App Store, and of course BlackBerry Blend is the last one. This app allows users to access some functions of the phone through a tablet or desktop computer, including replying to SMS, checking email or viewing multimedia content inside the phone.

The Classic system has also made many adaptations to the touchpad. Users can select a series of information in their inboxes or use the touchpad to accurately position the pointer. In terms of productivity, this touchpad and the QWERTY keyboard together with the built-in Docs To Go software enable users to process files during the mobile process. In general, Blackberry's system and hardware are all for productivity, not entertainment.

Because of the different positioning of the system, BlackBerry is still at a disadvantage when facing iOS and Android, The number of apps is also limited. The built-in app is really good, but the Android app is better to use. To be honest, the efforts of BlackBerry to constantly improve the system experience for so long do not help the overall menu based experience of the BlackBerry system. The BlackBerry system is still the BlackBerry system.

Performance:

Although Classic is a product that pays homage to the classic, to be honest, the appearance of a Qualcomm MSM8960 processor on a new mobile phone at the end of 2014 is still very shocking. Although the classic machine runs smoothly after being paired with 2GB RAM, to be honest, this product is not sincere enough.

In the actual performance test, the MSM8960 is really bad. The level of Sunspider is just like that of the previous generation product, and other performance tests can't be done too much. After all, Entertainment Rabbit has not logged into the BlackBerry operating system yet.

Camera:

The interface of the camera application is still the same as that of Passport. The user can select HDR, panorama and continuous shooting modes. For the manual part, the user can select the scene, which is just adjusting the white balance. This is understandable for a mobile phone that does not sell photos.

In terms of hardware, the main lens of Classic uses an 8 million pixel sensor, which supports auto focusing. BlackBerry has been equipped with a single LED fill light, a 5-lens lens and an F/2.2 aperture for a long time, so there are no highlights.

In terms of the quality of still photos, Classic performs surprisingly well. At least for a business phone, this kind of photo effect is already very good. Naturally, Classic photos are not perfect. In general, Classic's still photos taken under sufficient light conditions are quite sharp, with excellent details. The color is slightly lighter, but the overall appearance is pretty good. When the light is insufficient, the picture becomes much softer, and the dynamic range is slightly insufficient. However, the flaws do not outweigh the flaws on the whole.

Endurance:

Classic has a built-in 2515 mAh battery. Although it is not detachable, for a phone with only 3.5 inches, the battery capacity is still very abundant, and the endurance is fairly good. A battery can last for a whole day under moderate to heavy use. There is nothing to complain about. Generally speaking, it is medium.

Summary:

BlackBerry has been losing valuable customers over the years. In addition to the rapid rise of iOS and Android platforms, the lack of innovation of BlackBerry itself is also one of the reasons. BlackBerry's prospects are uncertain at present. In addition to its loyalty, BlackBerry lacks the ability to attract other users. Classic has no help for this.

Yes, Classic is essentially a productivity tool, with a classic appearance and the traditional advantages of BlackBerry. For people who like mobile office, Classic is good, but for more users who use mobile phones as entertainment terminals, Classic has no bright spot.

The price of Classic in the United States has reached $450, which is not cheap for such a mobile phone, and the high price is often the existence of Dealbreaker. Many people will only look and feel "Hmm, good" rather than buy it. For those who are new to BlackBerry, Classic has such a "nostalgic" appearance and specifications, It may become the direct reason for those buyers to return their goods.

advantage:

The keyboard is excellent and easy to use;

It is a very good productivity tool;

Intuitive button control;

The touchpad works well.

Disadvantages:

Lack of multimedia entertainment function;

It is easy to cause misoperation when vertically scrolling the screen;

Android applications have a poor running experience.

Via