Last year the BlackBerry KEYone placed in my list of top phone releases for 2017. With its full Qwerty keyboard, Android OS and unbeatable DTEK security app, the KEYone remains a top pick today. So, I have been keen to get familiar with the upcoming addition to the BlackBerry range – the BlackBerry Motion.
The BlackBerry Motion is built to be tough. Its brushed aluminum frame, rubberized back and its “first of a kind” Nano-Diamond anti-scratch display means it can take a knock. Add in the IP67 rating for water and dust resistance and this phone is a great choice for anyone that struggles to keep their phone in their hand.
The Blackberry Motion has been fitted with a large 5,5” display. Unfortunately, it does not have an “edge to edge” display and is stuck with a conventional 16:9 screen aspect ratio. This makes the phone look a tad dated and in-hand it feels bigger that it should. Where the Motion does impress though, is with its virtual keyboard. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the keyboard responsiveness scored top marks every time.
BlackBerry have carried through one of my favorite features – The BlackBerry HUB. For those not familiar, BlackBerry’s HUB allows you to access all your information in one place. Imagine the following: You get a WhatsApp from your mom, an email from your boss, an invite from a friend, an SMS from home affairs and a calendar reminder for the day. On most smartphones you would have to fumble from function to function in order to access each of these messages. With BlackBerry’s HUB you can find them all in one place. a blessing for those who like things easy and convenient.
Security on the Motion, is top notch. This is of course what BlackBerry are known for. Featuring the DTEK security App, Blackberry Motion users can rest easy knowing that they will get up-to-date security updates at a click of a button. BlackBerry have also included useful features like Locker to hide your photographs and documents and Privacy Shade to prevent eavesdroppers reading your messages.
The Motion camera left me feeling rather whelmed. With a 12MP main camera and an 8MP Selfie camera you can expect decidedly average photos from the Motion. It also struggles in low light conditions.
Looking at the user experience the Motion runs on Android OS and features the same processor, chipset and RAM as the KEYone giving you the same power as their flagship device but at a fraction of the price.
Whist not positioned to compete directly with its older brother, it also offers and has two key benefits better than those of its sibling: The Motion comes with a 4000mAh battery giving you up to 32 Hours usage and it supports expandable memory of up to 1TB.
While the Blackberry Motion does lack some “X-factor” and is definitely not the sexiest phone on the market, it does have a place for users looking for a rock-solid phone that offers ease of use, great security and a really good battery life.
We expect the BlackBerry Motion to be released in South Africa in May. The initial indications are that it will retail for around R7499 cash or from R399 on a Vodacom Post-Paid contract.
Review By: Lesa J
