by BlackBerry have been credited for reinventing the mobiles category by bringing smartness to them through its security features, Blackberry mail service, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) and most importantly its QWERTY keypad, which allowed faster and error-free typing. It all changed with the touchscreen era bought by iPhone and iOS. Blackberry’s tryst with touchscreen smartphones like Storm didn’t yield much good results, and that’s when it decided to cater to this touchscreen generation by building an OS from scratch and then adding BlackBerry’s uniqueness to it.
The new BlackBerry 10 OS have been getting good reviews and launched with two devices — touch based smartphone Z10 and QWERTY cum touchscreen smartphone Q10 targeting high-end customers. But, BlackBerry very well knows that they’ve to cater to the need of you, that’s why it launched Q5 with following specifications:
Design and Display
BlackBerry Q5 follows the design principle of Q10 with 3.1 inch touchscreen having a square resolution (720 x 720). It equates to pixel density of 328 pixel per inches. The dimensions and weight of the smartphone makes it very comfortable to hold in hands. Being targeted at youths, BlackBerry is giving Q5 a youthful touch by bringing it in 4 colors- Black, White, Red and Pink.
The main highlight of Q5 is its QWERTY keyboard with well-spaced out keys. Blackberry’s ‘Instant Action’ option will allow users to do specific tasks quickly by pressing the shortcut key. Since, the device gives touch and type option to users, they can use either of them based on convenience and need.
Hardware
Q5 is powered by 1.2 GHz qualcomm snapdragon dual-core processor with 1 GB RAM. It will have an 8 GB internal memory with support for external memory via microSD cards. In camera department, it’ll have a 5 MP rear camera with auto focus and LED flash. Secondary camera of 2 MP will be useful for video calling purposes. For connectivity, it offer usual features like 2G/ 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC. It is fueled by a non-removable 2100 mAh battery.
Software
BlackBerry Q5 will be coming with latest OS- 10.1. BlackBerry 10 introduced various features like gesture based interface (swiping to bring apps and home screen), BlackBerry Hub (centralized place for all notification and BBM, Emails, messages, etc.), camera enhancements (time shift and story mode), and more. With 10.1, BlackBerry Hub will also enable users to view emails with attachments and send PIN to PIN messaged to other BlackBerry users. Users can now also customize the notifications through ringtones, vibration and LED lights. Camera will allow users to shoot HDR (High Dynamic Resolution) photos.
Conclusion
BlackBerry Q5 will be available in the month of July in emerging markets like Asia, Latin America, Europe, etc. While the price is not yet announced by BlackBerry, it is expected to be priced as a mid-range device. With its decent hardware, intuitive software and especially QWERTY keyboard, Q5 presents itself as a great choice for users.
