BlackBerry Aristo Z30 Leaked Specs Point to Phablet, BB Q5 Released and Reviewed, Leaked OS 10.2

True to its word, BlackBerry has been steadily rolling out new smartphones after the release of its first-ever touch screen phone, the BlackBerry Z10.

However more phones do not necessarily mean that it is meeting its goal of coming in at third place after the two giants, Samsung and Apple. In fact, other contenders like LG and HTC have been nabbing wins since the release of their respective flagship devices.

The question now is if the latest released BlackBerry device, the Q5, the recently rumoured Aristo Z30 phablet, and a handful of other BB models now on sale can save the company and propel it to a higher level in the smartphone industry.

Aristo Z30: Entering the phablet competition?

So far, BlackBerry has released a regular touch screen smartphone, a back-to-basics but improved keyboarded phone, and a low-cost keyboarded phone. Now, it seems like the next agenda is to catch the bandwagon for the phablet, with its Aristo Z30.

Rumoured to have a 5-inch Super AMOLED screen, the Z30 will be the big-screened device for the BlackBerry 10 lineup.

According to Phone Arena, the BlackBerry Z30 has been compared with the Nokia Lumia 925, one of the brand's sought after devices. The Z30 reportedly has 2GB of RAM and 2880 mAh battery. In terms of the make quality, the report also says that it surpasses the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is the Korean company's flagship device of the year.

The BlackBerry Z30 is expected to release before the year ends. Other features include support for wireless charging, a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and the BlackBerry 10 OS in tow.

Considering that there is still an entire quarter left before the potential release, the BlackBerry 10.2 update may already be in the BlackBerry Z30 when it rolls out.

(Credit to BBin for the image)

BlackBerry Q5: Low price, not so high in quality

The first devices released by BlackBerry, the Z10 and the Q10, had been very targeted for the business professionals, what you could say to be what once was BlackBerry's main target audience.

With the Q5, BlackBerry decided to switch gears, opting for a lower end device for a different market, so it can offer the trademark BlackBerry keyboarded phone to do those who may not want the touch screen variety.

However, what could have been a successful endeavor came a bit short. Forbes reports that the physical make of the Q5, which could have taken cue from the Q10, was lacking in the way that made the Q10 a successful comeback of the keyboarded phone.

With performance, you can expect a little more, as battery life lasts for a while, and the 720x720 screen is pretty good for a low-end phone. The phone also features a 1/2GHz dual-core processor, a 3.1-inch LCD display, 8BGB of internal storage, and a 5-megapixel rear and a 2-megapixel front camera, which are pretty fair for a low-end phone.

All in all, the Q5 is functional for those who are looking for a budget phone. But in terms of innovation, BlackBerry may not have hit the right notes for this one, if it is looking to deliver a defining experience in the same way the Q10 did.

BlackBerry 10.2 OS leaked

BlackBerry has been very adamant about conducting improvements on its OS, this time prepping to roll out the 10.2 version.

The latest update will be made available for BlackBerry Z10 STL-2/3/4 models, according to CrackBerry. According to the report, the improvements that have been coming in have been making operations with the BlackBerry an even better experience.

While there are still no definitive list of features and fixes to expect with the 10.2 update, CrackBerry has given a list of possible features. One of the most functional suggested features is the toast notifications, which allow you to access and respond to these messages in whatever app you are in.

Background apps are also expected, as it was not transferred to the BlackBerry 10 update. One last thing to note that can be a possible addition to the 10.2 update is the inclusion of more apps in the Hub. As of now, only the native apps and the more popular apps are on the Hub, with other apps being stuck only in the Notifications area.