The Q5 is a more affordable option to those not opting for the higher priced BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 and arguably could have (or should have) been released along with the others - or even as the first BlackBerry 10 device. The price of the Q5 is currently around $500USD so even though it's the least expensive BB10 device currently available, you'll still be shelling out quite a bit to pick one up (though it will most likely be cheaper if/when it hits the US).
At first glance, the Q5 has all the important checkboxes ticked. You get a dual-core Krait chipset, a 3.1" display of the same 720 x 720 pixel resolution and a four-row QWERTY keyboard for that serious texting and emailing.
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Key Features
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Main Disadvantages
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Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri/quad-band
UMTS/HSPA, 100 Mbps LTE
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Screen size is somewhat small by
today's standards and the 1:1 aspect is awkward for video watching
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NFC
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BlackBerry World is still missing key
apps
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Dual-core 1.2 GHz Krait, 2GB RAM,
Adreno 225
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No FM radio
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5 MP auto-focus camera with face
detection and Time Shift; LED flash
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BlackBerry Maps may be even worse than
Apple Maps
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2MP front facing camera
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QWERTY keyboard could be better
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Full HD (1080p) video recording at
30fps; 720p on the front-facing camera
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Bluetooth 4.0
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Standard microUSB port, microHDMI
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Four-row hardware QWERTY keyboard
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BlackBerry 10.1 OS; Office document
editor
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BlackBerry Hub is a unified inbox of
all your communication and social networking accounts
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Four-row hardware QWERTY keyboard
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16GB of storage, microSD card slot;
Dropbox and Box.NET integration
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Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot; Wi-Fi
sync
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3.5mm audio jack
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GPS receiver with A-GPS
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The Q5 has some good features overall, but falls short in places as well. What's good is that it has a 1.2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM - more than enough to power the BlackBerry 10 OS and keep it running smoothly. The 3.1" LCD touchscreen is bold and bright and the Q5 is sporting LTE, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and NFC. The integrated 2180mAh battery is actually one of the biggest to date, but the fact that it's non-removable is a downer.
Where is falls short are in things like the small 8GB of internal storage, a 5MP camera and lack of a micro HDMI port. The Curve-style keyboard feels like a bit of a step backwards as well. It's not a bad typing experience but still feels a bit out of date.
Ultimately the BlackBerry Q5 is a good device. It's not the top quality of the BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 but it will still find it's place in many markets. I actually really enjoyed using it for the past few weeks. I've always been a big fan of the smaller devices and the physical keyboard, so the Q5 is a good fit for me. I won't be making it my full-time device but I'll certainly revisit it from time to time. The Q5 has great battery life, fits well in hand, is very sturdy and works like a champ. I have to take points off for the lack of a removable battery, low resolution camera and lack of HDMI out though.
The Q5 obviously won't be competing with more modern devices, but for BlackBerry users on a budget or those looking to get started with BlackBerry 10, the Q5 is a good option. If you're going to spend the money though, I'd say take the jump and go with the Q10 though.
If you love a physical keyboard and are looking for an inexpensive alternative to the Q10, the Q5 is for you. Available in a variety of colors and at a more affordable price, the Q5 will find it's place among new users and emerging markets with no problem. It has a few downsides as we discussed but overall it's running the same BlackBerry 10 with nearly the same processing power as other devices, so you aren't really compromising too much in the long run by choosing the Q5. If price doesn't matter however, the Q10 (or Z10) are better phones for the money.
