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The sleek BlackBerry Z10, one of the newest additions to our smart phone Ratings, is the first phone to run on the radically redesigned BlackBerry operating system. Taking a fresh, innovative approach to BlackBerry's renowned messaging capabilities, the Z10 demonstrated it has the chops to take on other top-tier entries like iPhone, Samsung Galaxies, and several Android and Windows Phone models from HTC.
The BlackBerry Z10's virtual keyboard has an impressive predictive-text tool called Flick that suggests words it thinks will be next based on what's already in the sentence. As the name suggests, you literally flick a suggested word up into a sentence. Enhanced touch capabilities make it easy to navigate. For instance, sliding your thumb up from the bottom of the screen and then pulling to the right will always take you to the BlackBerry Hub, a list of calls, messages, and calendar notifications received by the Z10.
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The phone hardware isn't too shabby either. Its 4.2-inch high-definition display looked great, even in bright light, and the 8-megapixel camera is decent as well. The Z10 is available on AT&T and Sprint for $200 with a two-year contract.
Another phone that impressed us was the Kyocera Torque, a rugged Android phone built to meet Military Standard 810G for shock, immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter (3.28 feet) of water, and other conditions. We submerged this toughie in about three feet of water for a half hour and it continued to work, with no visible signs of water intrusion or damage. It also survived our tumbling tests.
Convenient controls include a button on top of the phone for turning the speaker phone on or off, as well as another button for push-to-talk communication with other compatible handsets. Don't plan to use the push-to-talk feature? Not a problem. You can easily reprogram that button to launch other apps, such as GPS navigation, messaging, or the music player. Available from on Sprint for $100 with a two-year contract.
