When BlackBerry released the Z10, it was met with lukewarm reactions, especially with the influx of excited from its direct competitors Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5.

However, when the Q10 was released, there was a considerable shift in viewpoint, particularly because the Q10 is one of the more unique and surprisingly novel ideas that BlackBerry has brought to the market.

Physical keyboard and a touchscreen

When Blackberry first announced that it will be releasing the Q10, already touted to be very similar to the old BlackBerry phones with the physical keyboard, many became skeptic.

Since BlackBerry seemed to have already gone to the dark side of touchscreens with the Z10, it seemed redundant to want to suddenly switch to the keyboarded phone. However, no one had imagined that the Q10 would also have a touchscreen feature, allowing for an easier time to manage apps and activities on the phone with swiping gestures.

Longer talk time

Given how rare the keyboarded smartphone is in the day of the touch screen, it seemed that the Q10 was an unnecessary rehash for BlackBerry. However, pushing aside the many great qualities of the revamped Q10, it also features a better battery compared to the Z10.

IT Business reports that there is a smart usage in design for the Q10, specifically for the background of the Hub, Calendar, and Remember app. Because of this, there is less usage of energy for the apps, adding to the life of the Q10's battery and boosting it to 13 hours of talk time.

Top this off with the device's bigger battery, and it beats the Z10's 10 hours in a snap.

Same keyboard shortcuts

If you have already owned a BlackBerry prior to the Z10, you may already know some of these keyboard shortcuts. But as a rundown for those who have either forgotten or are thinking of trying out the Q10, here are some of the well-used shortcuts using the physical keyboard, as reported by N4BB.

1. To go to Contacts, press any key to get to List views and Search.

2. Togo to Calendar, press E to see Event detail, and Switch to edit mode.

3. To go to File Manager, press T for top, B for bottom, and S for search.

4. To go to the Camera, press the space to get to capture mode, and Capture.

5. To go to BlackBerry World, press S to Search.

Enjoy the list of apps

True, BlackBerry is not known for its long list of apps--it's still growing, don't worry--the Q10 already has a good deal of useful ones that you can integrate with your lifestyle.

Social apps, such as BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook, Skype, Foursquare, Twitter, and LinkedIn are already accessible for your Q10.

There are also gaming apps, such as Angry Birds, Bejeweled 2, and Need for Speed Undercover, among the more known ones. Be sure to check out App World for the rest of the good finds.

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