BlackBerry Q5 Philippines Price Php 18,690 Specs, Release Date, In the Flesh Photos, Hands-On Video, Key Features Explained
If you're a current BlackBerry Curve owner or simply a budget-conscious gadget lover who wants to experience the many wonders of BlackBerry 10 OS, you might want to check out BlackBerry Q5.
Donning an official suggested retail price of Php 18,690, BlackBerry Q5 - believe it or not - is already the most affordable handset by the Canadian company to run its new BlackBerry 10 operating system.
As earlier explained on TechPinas, BlackBerry 10 "comes with unique features that can surely charm a lot of consumers. For one, it supports true multitasking, which other mobile operating system can only dream of having. And, of course, BB10 offers a gamut of cool enhancements, which include BlackBerry Balance for managing multiple profiles in one unit, BlackBerry Hub for keeping all messages, emails, and social networking accounts in one neat location, the all-new Camera App that can take time-lapse shots helping you get the best shot possible, and the new Flow user interface, which is not only smooth but also lets you get more things done by allowing apps to work actively in the background."
While BlackBerry Q5 doesn't really have the premium look and fretted keyboard of the more expensive, Bold follow-up BlackBerry Q10, the sub-Php 20,000 handset nonetheless has several things about it that should make it attractive to a lot of consumers.
Although the device lacks lush metallic accents (apart from the BlackBerry logo at the back), for me, it still looks very cute and feels very solid in the hand. Measuring 10.8 millimeters at its thickest point and weighing just 120 grams, it's one of the slimmer and lighter touch-and-type smartphones out in the market.
BlackBerry Q5 has dual cameras. There's a 5 MegaPixel autofocus shooter at the back with LED flash and this is complemented by a 2 MegaPixel cam in front allowing you to take clear and crisp selfies.
Just like BlackBerry Q10, Q5 offers a combination of a full QWERTY physical keyboard and a 3.1-inch 720 x 720 pixels IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen. This combo lets you take full advantage of BB10's touch-centric interface while allowing you to type text messages and emails faster and more accurately. If you're coming from a BlackBerry Curve handset, you'd be glad to know that Q5's keyboard is largely the same as the one on your device, even having the same tactile feedback.
But what's particularly great about this release is that it has almost the same set of innards as its pricier siblings. Q5 runs on a Dual Core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 chipset and effectively handles multitasking with 2 GB of RAM. Users also get a non-removable Li-Ion 2180 mAh battery, delivering up to 12 hours of multimedia use. This means that Q5 will give you the same smooth touch response and powerful gaming and web-browsing performance that both BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 deliver.
TP Friends, during the launch of BlackBerry Q5, I got the chance to have a conversation with Mr. Kristian Salvo and to ask him a few questions regarding the handset. If you're thinking about upgrading to Q5, you might want to watch this exclusive TP Video to learn more about this cool smartphone:
With Mr. Kristian Salvo, BlackBerry's Country Manager for the Philippines, during BlackBerry Q5's official launch in the country held at the Glasshouse of New World Hotel last August 23, 2013.
Donning an official suggested retail price of Php 18,690, BlackBerry Q5 - believe it or not - is already the most affordable handset by the Canadian company to run its new BlackBerry 10 operating system.
As earlier explained on TechPinas, BlackBerry 10 "comes with unique features that can surely charm a lot of consumers. For one, it supports true multitasking, which other mobile operating system can only dream of having. And, of course, BB10 offers a gamut of cool enhancements, which include BlackBerry Balance for managing multiple profiles in one unit, BlackBerry Hub for keeping all messages, emails, and social networking accounts in one neat location, the all-new Camera App that can take time-lapse shots helping you get the best shot possible, and the new Flow user interface, which is not only smooth but also lets you get more things done by allowing apps to work actively in the background."
With Atom Araullo who hosted the BlackBerry Q5 Media Launch Event
While BlackBerry Q5 doesn't really have the premium look and fretted keyboard of the more expensive, Bold follow-up BlackBerry Q10, the sub-Php 20,000 handset nonetheless has several things about it that should make it attractive to a lot of consumers.
Although the device lacks lush metallic accents (apart from the BlackBerry logo at the back), for me, it still looks very cute and feels very solid in the hand. Measuring 10.8 millimeters at its thickest point and weighing just 120 grams, it's one of the slimmer and lighter touch-and-type smartphones out in the market.
BlackBerry Q5 has dual cameras. There's a 5 MegaPixel autofocus shooter at the back with LED flash and this is complemented by a 2 MegaPixel cam in front allowing you to take clear and crisp selfies.
Just like BlackBerry Q10, Q5 offers a combination of a full QWERTY physical keyboard and a 3.1-inch 720 x 720 pixels IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen. This combo lets you take full advantage of BB10's touch-centric interface while allowing you to type text messages and emails faster and more accurately. If you're coming from a BlackBerry Curve handset, you'd be glad to know that Q5's keyboard is largely the same as the one on your device, even having the same tactile feedback.
But what's particularly great about this release is that it has almost the same set of innards as its pricier siblings. Q5 runs on a Dual Core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 chipset and effectively handles multitasking with 2 GB of RAM. Users also get a non-removable Li-Ion 2180 mAh battery, delivering up to 12 hours of multimedia use. This means that Q5 will give you the same smooth touch response and powerful gaming and web-browsing performance that both BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 deliver.
TP Friends, during the launch of BlackBerry Q5, I got the chance to have a conversation with Mr. Kristian Salvo and to ask him a few questions regarding the handset. If you're thinking about upgrading to Q5, you might want to watch this exclusive TP Video to learn more about this cool smartphone:
| Name | BlackBerry Q5 (non-LTE) |
| Type | Full QWERTY with Touchscreen |
| Price Category | Midrange |
| Dimensions | 120 x 66 x 10.8 mm |
| Weight | 120 grams |
| Available Colors | Black, White, Pink, Red, Gray |
| Operating System | BlackBerry 10 OS |
| Display | 3.1 inches (~328 ppi pixel density), 720 x 720 pixels, IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Processor | Dual Core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 chipset |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB options, expandable via microSD card slot |
| Camera | 5 MegaPixels, 2592 Ñ… 1944 pixels, autofocus, 2 MegaPixels front camera |
| Video Capture | Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second for main camera, 720p for front camera |
| Audio and Video Playback | MP3, WMA, WAV, eAAC+, Xvid, MP4, WMV, MKV, H.263, H.264 player |
| Ports | microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, 3G HSPA+ |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope |
| Network | 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 |
| SIM Card Type | microSIM |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 2180 mAh battery |
| Uptime | 336 Hours of Standby, 12 Hours 30 Minutes of Talk Time |
| Value-Added Features | Physical Keyboard and Touchscreen input, BBM |
| Announcement | Philippines: August 23, 2013 |
| Availability | August 24, 2013 |
| Price | Official SRP: Php 18,690 |
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