I've been a stalwart Blackberry user, and a Sprint customer, for as long as I can remember. Over the past several years, after watching developers continue to ignore the Blackberry platform, it has been harder and harder to justify my phone choice. The only thing that has kept me a Blackberry customer this past year is the fact that the Sprint Blackberry Bold 9650 is a worldphone. When Motorola released the Android-based XPRT, I jumped at the chance to make the switch.
So here are some thought about the XPRT from a former Bold 9650 user:
1. It's slightly heavier, slightly longer, and slightly narrower than the Bold. The handset has a very solid feel to it, with not much flex anywhere. It feels very nice in the hand.
2. Keyboard is QWERTY, much like the Bold. Because the XPRT is slightly narrower than the Bold, former Bold users may feel a little cramped while typing. But based on my usage so far, I'm pretty sure I will be able to get used to it.
3. The layout of the keys is slightly different. Some major points of departure:
(a) The numbers are aligned across the top of the keyboard and accessible by an ALT keypress. I prefer the layout on the Bold, where the numbers were aligned on the left side of the keyboard -- when you are keying in a bunch of numbers, this layout facilitates quick entry.
(b) The atmark and period are directly accessible. This is different from the layout on the Bold, where they are accessible only by an ALT keypress. I prefer the layout on the XPRT, as keying in e-mail addresses and URLs is much easier.
4. The speakerphone on the Bold was a gem: good quality, and loud enough to use outside. The speakerphone on the XPRT isn't terrible, but it doesn't get as loud as the Bold. I haven't tried to use the XPRT's speakerphone outside yet, but I suspect it will be less of a gem.
5. Android runs fairly smoothly. Not as nice as the iPhone or the Google Phone -- certainly there is a detectable lag when swiping, typing, etc. But it is good enough for my purposes.
6. There is the usual stuff that you can read about in the PC Mag and CNET reviews. Not that the camera on the Bold was fantastic, but the camera on the XPRT is not very good. (It will be fine for taking scenery and portrait shots outside in sunlight, but indoors there is an unacceptable amount of noise.) I haven't tested the full range of the battery, but the crazy (reported) battery life has me very excited. XPRT kills the Blackberry on apps, but you knew that. And I have yet to take the phone overseas, but I can't imagine there will be any surprises there.
Hope people find this helpful!
So here are some thought about the XPRT from a former Bold 9650 user:
1. It's slightly heavier, slightly longer, and slightly narrower than the Bold. The handset has a very solid feel to it, with not much flex anywhere. It feels very nice in the hand.
2. Keyboard is QWERTY, much like the Bold. Because the XPRT is slightly narrower than the Bold, former Bold users may feel a little cramped while typing. But based on my usage so far, I'm pretty sure I will be able to get used to it.
3. The layout of the keys is slightly different. Some major points of departure:
(a) The numbers are aligned across the top of the keyboard and accessible by an ALT keypress. I prefer the layout on the Bold, where the numbers were aligned on the left side of the keyboard -- when you are keying in a bunch of numbers, this layout facilitates quick entry.
(b) The atmark and period are directly accessible. This is different from the layout on the Bold, where they are accessible only by an ALT keypress. I prefer the layout on the XPRT, as keying in e-mail addresses and URLs is much easier.
4. The speakerphone on the Bold was a gem: good quality, and loud enough to use outside. The speakerphone on the XPRT isn't terrible, but it doesn't get as loud as the Bold. I haven't tried to use the XPRT's speakerphone outside yet, but I suspect it will be less of a gem.
5. Android runs fairly smoothly. Not as nice as the iPhone or the Google Phone -- certainly there is a detectable lag when swiping, typing, etc. But it is good enough for my purposes.
6. There is the usual stuff that you can read about in the PC Mag and CNET reviews. Not that the camera on the Bold was fantastic, but the camera on the XPRT is not very good. (It will be fine for taking scenery and portrait shots outside in sunlight, but indoors there is an unacceptable amount of noise.) I haven't tested the full range of the battery, but the crazy (reported) battery life has me very excited. XPRT kills the Blackberry on apps, but you knew that. And I have yet to take the phone overseas, but I can't imagine there will be any surprises there.
Hope people find this helpful!
