The recently released BlackBerry Motion is here on my desk.
BlackBerry hasn't always passed my durability tests.
With plastic camera lenses on the BlackBerry Priv and a screen that falls off on the BlackBerry
KeyOne, it will be interesting to see what happens this time around.
Let's get started.
[Intro]
BlackBerry claims to be a secure smartphone software-wise, and that's fine, but I'm here
to test the hardware.
The Motion is a much lighter phone than I anticipated.
The first thing I noticed was the large extra button on the side.
I thought it was the power button but it's actually customize-able.
It could be a mute switch, open the camera, or any other app.
It's almost like BlackBerry heard the complaints about Samsung's Bixby and then fixed the problem.
The part I'm most interested in though, is the screen.
On BlackBerry's website they claim to have a proprietary nano-diamond anti-scratch coating,
which is a pretty bold claim.
My Mohs picks do a pretty good job of differentiating between diamonds and just regular glass.
And looking at the scratch marks, I still see damage done at a level 6, which means
it's normal glass.
It might be my imagination that there's a little less damage than normal, but still,
damage happens at a 6.
BlackBerry could be talking about the little micro-abrasion resistance that happens in
your pocket though.
If you look at my unprotected Galaxy S8 that's been in my pocket for about a year, it's got
abrasions all over it.
Maybe BlackBerry's proprietary nano-diamond coating will protect against those micro-abrasions.
One of you guys will have to come back in a year and leave a comment about that scratch
resistance.
Only time will tell.
Or, just add a screen protector.
Sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
The menu and back buttons are both embedded under the glass and therefore protected, along
with that 8 megapixel front camera.
The wide earpiece grill is made from metal and solidly attached to the frame.
Perfect for keeping metal and dirt out of the earpiece.
And now for the home button which turned out to be surprisingly resilient.
The mark you see here from my razor blade is actually just a smudge – my razor left
no physical damage on the home button.
I tried out the fingerprint scanner just for kicks and giggles, and it registered and unlocked
the phone every single time with my thumb.
So thumbs up for that.
BlackBerry's on a roll so far.
BlackBerry comes in all your favorite colors - if you like black.
And the sides of the phone are made from aluminum.
Flipping it over to the other side and checking the buttons, we get more metal on the volume
rocker, the power button, and the button that Bixby wishes is was.
The top of the phone is made from plastic, but covered in a shiny metallic paint that
kind of flicks off a bit when damaged.
Down at the bottom of the phone we have we have more metal next to that USB-C slot, and
thankfully, a headphone jack.
It's almost like someone over at BlackBerry was like listening to customers or something
when they made this phone.
The material next to the camera lens is still that same plastic wrapped around from the
top.
Not a big deal, plastic is totally fine as long as it doesn't compromise the build structure.
The lens itself is made from glass, protecting that 12 megapixel camera underneath.
The camera protrusion is minimal as well.
Not too bad.
BlackBerry was basically the number one in the smartphone world before the iPhone was
released 10 years ago.
After that, they kind of basically declined to nothing, and then started their comeback
a few years ago with the Android operating system integration.
There have been a few bumps in the road, but it's nice to see them competing again.
This smooth rubber back doesn't add a whole lot of extra grip, but it does keep the phone
from sliding off a smooth table.
Keys and coins don't do any damage to the surface.
The little drupes we see on the back panel are inlaid and can pop off.
I imagine after a year or two in your pocket, you might be missing one or two of these,
but only time will tell.
One feature I thought was unique was this privacy shade thing, which basically dims
down the entire screen except for one little circle or rectangle that you can drag around
with your finger to unveil whatever sensitive information, or sensitive individuals, might
be on your screen.
Then lifting up your finger makes it all disappear again, until the privacy shade is turned off
and the screen goes back to normal.
And now for the burn test.
The BlackBerry Motion has a 5.5 point inch 1080p IPS display.
And, just if by chance your phone comes in contact with direct flame, it will last about
6 seconds before the pixels start going black.
Remember, try to avoid the temptation of doing this to your own phone.
Intentionally damaging expensive electronics would be dumb.
And now for the bend test.
The ultimate revealer of structural flaws, this phone is IP67 water resistant and survived
the first flex.
But I somehow managed to pinch my finger between the glass and the frame.
I've never had a BlackBerry try to eat me before, but other than that, there is no permanent
damage or kinks along the frame.
And it even looks like someone remembered to glue the screen on this time.
Impressive.
With the programmable side button, or thousand milliamp battery life, metal frame and headphone
jack, BlackBerry has done a fantastic job with this one.
It will be interesting to see what makes this thing water resistant when I do the tear down
video.
Come hang out with me on Twitter to stay updated.
And thanks a ton for watching.
I'll see you around.
And if you made it this far in the video, what is your favorite berry?
You know, the edible kind.
I'm curious.