Why the Blackberry Z10 Is More Depp than Fonz

My first Blackberry was very cool, was secure, and provided a keyboard while other phones required hitting numbers on the keypad enough times to get to the right letter. Seriously, trying to type . . . “Hi, how are you?” took at least ten minutes.

So, my Blackberry with its cool keyboard started out as James Dean. He was faster than the other phones, and I liked it. But, as other phones added keyboards and become smart, my Blackberry fell behind. Still faster than most, he just didn’t seem quite as cool. But I remained loyal because the email speed was faster than any other phone’s and the security was the best.

My James Dean Blackberry eventually turned into the Fonz Blackberry — still cool, but without the edge. I had lost enough of my own coolness when I hit mid-life . . . I couldn’t sacrifice the cool accessories.

So, my Blackberry and I put our relationship on hold. But, luckily, Verizon Wireless recently became a matchmaker extraordinaire and gave me the new Blackberry Z10 provided by Blackberry.

May I say that the Blackberry Z10 had me at hello. The packaging was incredibly sleek, and I was squealing before the phone and I were even properly introduced.

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Once I pulled the new Blackberry out of the box and was properly introduced, I instantly knew that James Dean was back. Only now he was Johnny Depp. Cool, but also incredibly clever. Relevant items like photos, lists and messages can be grouped together. I am still playing with that function.

And the keyboard offers me next-word suggestions that are based on past messages I’ve sent. Once I see them, I just flick my finger and they become a part of my text. Very cool.

Best of all, the Blackberry speed is still amazing. I can browse faster than the teenager next to me, which is a lot like beating them off the line at a stoplight.

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I’ve still got a lot to learn about this phone, and that requires short-term memory — something that menopause borrowed and has yet to return.

Is Johnny Depp too much for me? We’ll see.

Disclaimer: Realdames.com receives free devices from Verizon Wireless as part of their participation in the Verizon Lifestyle Blogging Team.  All posts reflect the independent opinion of Donna Highfill.