If major players in the modern market such as Apple have stolen its thunder to a certain extent, BlackBerry still remains a name synonymous with mobile technology. The legendary smartphone manufacturer may have lost its position in the consumer marketplace, but it is still very much involved with making mobiles, and retains a significant corporate presence.
After a very difficult period in its history where it looked as if the corporation might disappear completely, the recently appointed CEO of BlackBerry, John Chen, has successfully steered the company back to profitability. BlackBerry has also released two very credible smartphones during the last year, and even solicited a celebrity endorsement from none other than Kim Kardashian!
BlackBerry will always retain a certain number of supporters as long as it is able to release mobile devices, due to its exalted reputation and certain aspects of its devices. The trademark keyboard associated with BlackBerry handsets is a very favored aspect with many customers, and the fact that BlackBerry has also produced its own proprietary software for its mobile range finds favor with a lot of consumers.
The BlackBerry Z30 and BlackBerry Classic were both released over a successful last twelve months for the company, but which one of these two smartphones offers a better deal for consumers?
Design
The Z30 attempts to provide a modern smartphone visage to consumers, whereas the BlackBerry Classic, as the name would suggest, features a design synonymous with the infamous devices from the company’s past. BlackBerry aficionados will doubtless prefer the Classic version, but BlackBerry has shown that it is willing to evolve and adapt for the modern marketplace with the Z30, and this is a perfectly respectable looking smartphone that will meet the needs of contemporary consumers.
Operating System
Both of these BlackBerry devices used the proprietary BlackBerry operating system, but the Z30 has a more advanced version of this software. The BlackBerry Classic runs off the 10.3.1 version of BlackBerry OS, while the Z30 utilises the 10.2 release. Whether this makes a significant amount of difference is debatable, but the latest version naturally features some additional functionality.
Display
The BlackBerry Z30 has the appearance of a contemporary smartphone, and thus has the sort of screen size that one would associate with such a device. The 5-inch display which the Z30 is built around is significantly larger than the 3.5 inch screen which is included in the BlackBerry Classic.
Neither device particularly impresses compared to some of the market leading handsets in terms of resolution. The Galaxy Z30 naturally features a higher resolution, considering that it has a screen which is nearly 50 percent larger. Nonetheless, the 720 x 1,280 resolution which the BlackBerry Z30 is capable of is certainly nothing special in the modern smartphone market.
The smaller BlackBerry Classic features a 720 x 720 resolution, but both devices ultimately offer a 294 ppi rating. This is only just over half the resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, for example, and it does mean that the BlackBerry smartphones suffer a little in terms of the quality of display images which can be produced. What can be said is that there is little difference in this department between the two BlackBerry handsets, and most consumers opting for the BlackBerry are not choosing it for multimedia purposes.
Memory
Both the BlackBerry Classic and BlackBerry Z30 feature 2GB of memory as standard. Although this might suggest that the two devices perform in very similar fashion, the BlackBerry Classic should be better placed for memory given that the smaller display size involved in the device typically necessitate less processing. Thus, 2 GB of memory for this smaller, more compact handset would seem to put it in the position of being more powerful.
Processor
Qualcomm is a dominant name in the world of mobile processors, and it comes as no surprise that both of these BlackBerry devices benefit from processors manufactured by the company. The Z30 is built around a dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which makes it a very nifty performer indeed. The BlackBerry Classic has slightly the weaker processor of the two, having been armed with a dual-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, which is clocked at 1.5 GHz.
However, it is worth remembering that the BlackBerry Classic has a smaller screen size to deal with, so the slightly less powerful processor included in the smartphone is not necessarily a particular burden to its operation.
Camera
Both the BlackBerry Z30 and BlackBerry Classic actually featured pretty decent cameras. BlackBerry devices aren’t exactly associated with their outstanding photograph taking capabilities, but both of these devices in fact offer a pretty good package in this department.
These two handsets are both fitted with cameras of an 8-megapixel rating, capable of producing photographs with a 3,264 x 2,448 pixel resolution. Autofocus and LED flash are both a fundamental part of the camera package, but it is worth bearing in mind that the screen of the Z30 is perhaps better suited to being utilized as a viewfinder, and as a means to display photographs which have been taken.
Both cameras are capable of similar levels of video capturing, with full 1080p HD at 30 frames per second compatible with both devices. However, the Z30 features a video stabilization system which makes taking videos considerably easier.
Battery
Both devices have been praised for the amount of battery life that they offer. The Z30 feature a Li-Ion 2880 mAh battery, while the BlackBerry Classic is fuelled by a non-removable Li-Ion 2515 mAh battery.
Keyboard
This will be a big sticking point for BlackBerry aficionados. The BlackBerry Z30 does not feature the trademark keyboard associated with BlackBerry devices, while the BlackBerry Classic lives up to its name and billing with the Classic qwerty keyboard as part of its make-up. This makes the BlackBerry Classic ideal for e-mailing in particular, and has made the device a big favorite with corporate clients. Whether or not you deem this necessary, it is certainly worth trying out the BlackBerry Classic to see if this feature is useful to you.
