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The Classic has been eagerly awaited by BlackBerry enthusiasts and it absolutely hits the mark for that audience, those who care far more about a clicky, physical, full-size keyboard than installing Instagram.
Unfortunately, BlackBerry can't have it both ways – the same features that its existing fans love are going to be off-putting to newcomers.
We liked
As someone not overly familiar with BlackBerry devices, I found the keyboard and trackpad a refreshing change as far as input goes. The device is solidly built and feels comfortable in the hand.
The stand-out apps are the BlackBerry Hub and the browser, though there's plenty to please business users and the security-conscious here too. BlackBerry Blend isn't perfect, but it's a promising start.
We disliked
You're not going to find the majority of the world's most well-known apps here, unless you want to play around with side-loading them (and even then it's hit and miss).
The screen is fine but just doesn't suit the majority of tasks that today's smartphones can tackle: that's okay for BlackBerry enthusiasts, but they're dwindling in number. The battery life isn't great, performance is questionable at times and the camera is only so-so.
Final verdict
The Classic is a difficult phone to rank: it's like the greatest Bond movie ever, as long as you're really into your Bond movies – and specifically the old Connery and Moore ones before everything went a bit Jason Bourne.
BlackBerry CEO John Chen has gone on record as saying this is a smartphone built in response to requests from BlackBerry die-hards, the majority of whom should be very pleased with what the company has produced.
There may be iOS and Android users out there who yearn for something a bit more business-like, secure and durable – so there is the possibility that the Classic will win converts – but the tide isn't going to turn against slimline touchscreen devices at this late stage, and what matters most to most people is the app selection, an area where BlackBerry is still some way short.
Scoring the Classic has to take all of this features into account, weigh them carefully against each other, consider every user case scenario, and come up with a mark out of five; but to be honest, you already know what you're going to think of the BlackBerry Classic as soon as you hear its name.
First reviewed: December 2014
