BlackBerry has become what Nokia was a couple years ago – dying. And it’s about to bring the last greatest hit that it has up its sleeve. As of now, that will be the DTEK50. It’s apparently the company’s nicest offering to date. So if this is the best that BlackBerry can do, how does it really do against the best that’s always prevailed? We’re talking about the Samsung Galaxy S7.
On the inside: Back in BlackBerry
The BlackBerry and the S7 both feature similar internals. Both come with the Snapdragon 820. The DTEK50 being newer, should have come with the 821, but this will have to do for the company. The 4GB of memory come as standard on both and both also feature a 3000mAh battery. The BlackBerry’s internal storage stops out at 32GB while the S7’s goes up to 64GB. They can both be expanded though, with BB sporting up to 2TB of expandable storage and the S7 – up to 256GB.
The screens on these two phones are quite similar – both have a little more than 5 inches of screen space and are AMOLED with qHD resolution. But Samsung’s phones have been known to possess the prowess of an AMOLED that other companies haven’t yet achieved.
On the optics front, BB features a 21MP main shooter at the back and 8MP selfie shooter. The S7’s 12MP and 5MP cameras at the back has been praised time and again for its performance, being one of the best smartphone cameras of the year. Although there haven’t been any demos for the camera, the DTEK50 does seem to have chops for at least being up to flagship spec.
Software and Looks
Both phones run on Marshmallow and haven’t yet reached Nougat. The DTEK50, being released just now, should have come with Nougat, but they probably decided not to take that route. It’s a shame, because BB aren’t really known for their prompt updates. The same can be said for the S7, but there’s still time for that.
Blackberry’s security-oriented software should attract the more business-minded of users, but the S7 has all the features that users really want. They’re both vastly different on the software front, with the DTEK50 providing a vanilla experience, while the S7’s is more customizable. Blackberry’s smart apps that can integrate with existing apps for scheduling and planning are second to none. In the end, the software on each of these phones is for very different users.
Wireless charging and waterproofing are two features that we won’t get with the DTEK50. And that’s only exclusive to the S7 for now. Not that the DTEK can be blamed since a lot of phones in the flagship arena still don’t have those features for the price they’re worth (we’re looking at you, Google).
On the outside, the two phones feature tropes that are quite characteristic of their makers. BlackBerry has resorted to a more understated look on the outside. Without anything flashy to command a presence, while the S7 as we all know, is anything but! Both are elegant alright, but in a room, we’d notice the S7 more than the BlackBerry for sure. And rightly so, because BB isn’t about being vibrant and colourful – it’s silently elegant.
Conclusion
Blackberry has a ton of impressive software applications and features to its merit. It’s got hardware encryption, a host of BB exclusive apps for management and also the best security on a platform for a price that’s unbelievable – $500. It’s great value for money, and something that’s truly flagship-worthy.
The S7 isn’t an easy choice for most, because they’ll have to part ways with upwards of $600. It’s still worth the waterproofing and the display technology and software that comes packed with it, but then again, it’s the user’s choice.
For bang for buck, the DTEK50 should take the cake. It’s good to consider the possibilities of the new flagship from BlackBerry. The Priv from last year wasn’t really any good. For a phone that was always known for its keyboard, it’s trying to make more than just a comeback. It’s actually going all the way.
Props to BB!