Hopefully you would have seen our recent unboxing video of the Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9982 and got the idea that I was rather pleased with the premium new BlackBerry 10 device. Kevin will be doing a full review in due course, as he also reviewed the P'9981, but in the meantime I thought it was worth bringing you a first impressions post. Plus I can make Kevin jealous as I managed to get my hands on one before him. So sorry Kevin, really I am - NOT!
As I said when I did the unboxing video - the Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9982 will certainly not be a mainstream phone. Mainly due to it's price of £1400 here in the UK and also that there is only a very limited amount of stock being manufactured. That said, the handset is quite glorious and despite the majority of the CrackBerry nation not getting hold of one (or most people at all really) it's clear from comments that people are really digging this prestige new BlackBerry.
Although it has that whopping price tag we shouldn't forget that essentially the P'9982 is a BlackBerry Z10 is a new shell. Sure, BlackBerry have been kind enough to ramp up the internal storage to 64GB and tweak the app icons along with the clock interface, but that's pretty much the only difference. What you'll be paying for is the name. Oh, and the special PIN which will start with the characters 2AA - although I'm not sold on that as much of a selling point.
Chances are, like its predecessor, it will only be the rich and famous that we see rocking the P'9982 out in public - pop stars, football players and probably some Arab sheikhs - as you can also pick it up from the BlackBerry store in Dubai.
So what do I think of the new super BlackBerry?
Taking the price out of the equation I have to say that I have fallen in love. Regular visitors to CrackBerry will know that I have the Z30, Q10 and Z10, but it's actually the Z10 that I still use as my main device. This is purely down to size. I just find that the 4.2 inch screen suits me best. So having a Porsche Design version is like a dream come true for me and I'm pleased to say that when I made a quick visit to my local pub last night a few friends looked at the BlackBerry with wide eyes and said "what's that". Of course I had great pleasure in explaining all about it.
In terms of design, the Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9982 is certainly unique and this is what makes it stand out from the crowd. The silver casing makes it look nothing like the Z10 and in addition we get the re-designed bottom bezel - much the same as we saw with the P'9981. Plus the Porsche Design branding across the top bezel is certainly in your face.
Things get spiced up over on the back too. Beside the camera flash and lens is the model number 'proudly displayed' and we also get a premium hand-wrapped genuine Italian leather battery cover which to look at would appear much the same as on the P'9981, but it's actually softer to the touch - which not only feels nicer, but I found it to give a better grip. In addition there will also be a version with crocodile skin covering the back cover. They should get snapped up swiftly!
One final thing on the software front is that P'9982 customers will find a unique special Porsche carousel in BlackBerry Word. This section will feature relevant apps that BlackBerry believe consumers need and the list will be updated every couple of weeks.
So, that's the basics and I'm going to continue rocking the P'9982 for the foreseeable future. Yes, it's ridiculously expensive, but it's made for a certain type of person. Porsche Design and BlackBerry have done a sterling job with this one and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to use it.
Keep your eyes peeled for Kevin's full review coming soon.
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