Review: BlackBerry Leap

BlackBerry has launched its latest smartphone, the BlackBerry Leap, in Nigeria and South Africa. However, does the latest device from BlackBerry stand out in a crowd, or is it just another generic smartphone?

Taking a closer look at the specs of the BlackBerry Leap, we found that the device runs on the BlackBerry 10.3.1 operating system. The operating system is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm 8960 dual-core processor as well as 2GB RAM. The device also features 16GB of on board storage space; however, this can be expanded up to 128GB with the addition of a microSD card.

While the BlackBerry Leap did not make a leap to the Android operating system, the device is Android App compatible. The device also comes with a five-inch HD display, which is surprisingly not accompanied by the traditional BlackBerry keyboard. BlackBerry has done away with the traditional keyboard and instead opted for a touchscreen keyboard this time around. This was a great move by BlackBerry as the Leap’s touchscreen is fast, accurate, and easy to use. To add to the functionality, the onscreen keyboard features error correction, multi-language support, and customised adaption and flow.

While the onscreen keyboard functions rather well, the BlackBerry Leap has also been geared for security. The device is equipped with support for encryption and also has built-in malware protection, which will fend off potential cyber attacks on the device. If the device is lost or stolen it does feature the option to remotely locate or lock the device, which is an added bonus.

In terms of the design of the BlackBerry Leap, it has a rather modern, yet solid look to it. It is attractive overall, especially without the clunky keyboard featured in previous design builds. Incorporated into the attractive design is an 8-megapixel rear camera as well as a 2-megapixel front facing camera. Both cameras perform well; however, they are not entirely too impressive. Granted, both the front and rear cameras do take decent snaps; however, BlackBerry seems to be lagging behind in the camera department… especially with competitors launching devices with 20-megapixel rear facing cameras.

In terms of battery life, BlackBerry Leap is most definitely a powerhouse. While most smartphones last for around 8-9 hours, we got around 18 hours of battery life out of the Leap, with heavy usage. According to BlackBerry, the device should push for at least 25 hours of battery life; however, this is dependent on usage.

Conclusion:
While the BlackBerry Leap may not feature the best cameras on the market, it certainly is an attractive and secure device. Additionally, ditching the clunky keyboard was a great move by BlackBerry as it gives the Leap a more modern look and feel.

The device also features decent call quality while making and receiving calls. During use, calls were clear. This may vary depending on the network; however, during the review process we found no fault with call quality and audio.

The device is available through Orange for R3990 (about $323 USD). In Nigeria, online retailer, Jumia, retails the device for NGN 67,000 (about $336 USD ).

Reviewed by Darryl Linington