The BlackBerry Leap is being touted as the go-to device of young professionals, but the smartphone is a blend of the old and the new.
The BlackBerry Leap touts a 5-inch HD screen with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM. The mid-range smartphone also packs in an 8MP primary camera and runs on the BlackBerry 10 OS.
However, with no NFC capabilities or IPS screen to boast of, will the BlackBerry Leap be able to strike a chord with the consumers? Here's a look at what the reviewers are saying about this smartphone.
"The BlackBerry Leap is a capable chap, perfect for messaging, decent at snapping pictures and great at browsing and organizing tasks. It's also got the business appeal which is part of the BlackBerry DNA that will get the right kind of attention at a business meeting. Yet in this day and age, the €230 that the Leap goes for can get you a lot of smartphone so mainstream appeal will likely be out of reach," opines GSMArena.
Steve Ranger of ZDNet is of the opinion that "The Leap is likely to provide what you need from a business smartphone, particularly when it comes to handling email. But the real test of a smartphone these days is whether you would want to use it for work and play. Thanks to the lack of native apps, this smartphone is unlikely to make that Leap."
"Were this an Android phone, it could be written off as an affordable handset that any budget-conscious user could make do with to stay connected. That doesn't fly here, simply because this is a BlackBerry, a platform fewer and fewer people are using nowadays," feels Ted Kritsonis of Digital Trends who calls the smartphone more of a hop than a leap.
"The Leap is a mixture of so many things but we feel that the firm is still banking on the enterprise-use approach which might not aid the sales of the device. The device is nowhere close to competition from Android, Cynanogen or Windows device. Plus it lacks a USP making the Leap look overpriced from certain angles. For blackberry die-hards, it's a leap of faith," is the verdict from FirstPost.
Engadget's Jamie Rigg surmises that "Viewed in isolation, the BlackBerry Leap isn't a terrible device; there's just nothing particularly exciting about it. The design is unimaginative, largely borrowed from the lesser-known BlackBerry Z3, and its size can make it cumbersome to use at times." Rigg also avers that die-hard fans of the BlackBerry may be willing to overlook the smartphone's shortcomings, considering it's not steeply priced.
The common sentiment surrounding the BlackBerry Leap is that if you've been given the smartphone by your company - owing to its robustness - chances are you're stuck and have to make do. The device is great for productivity purposes, but when it comes to personal use, the BlackBerry Leap leaves a lot to be desired.
