Yet another full touch handset was released by BlackBerry recently, dubbed the BB Leap. Announced back in March and released in the Philippines around last week of May, the BlackBerry Leap is another entry-level offering.
The BlackBerry Leap has that very classic look that’s unique yet unassuming. The anterior side reminds us a bit about the Xiaomi Mi3 with it flat and dark appeal.
The posterior side is covered by a dark, rubbery cover with textured/dotted pattern that stretches all the way around the side. A strip of black polycabonate band runs across the camera lens and LED flash with a label that says 8MP auto focus.
On the left side is the SIM card and microSD card slots hidden under a rubber flap. The power button, 3.5mm audio port and noise-canceling mic are on top. The volume controls are on the right with the BlackBerry Assistant having its own dedicated button in between them.
The autofocus camera is flushed on the left side with a single LED flash beside it. It is rather odd that BlackBerry had to put a large print just across it indicating the 8MP camera.
The loudspeakers are found at the bottom left corner at the back. The large BlackBerry logo is smack right in the center with a polished silver finish.
The device feels a bit heavy (170 grams) and chunky (9.5mm) for a 5-inch handset. However, we liked the dotted surface at the back that gives it a really good grip.
The Leap also comes with the latest BB OS 10.3 with a number of really good productivity features like the BlackBerry Hub and the BlackBerry Bend.
And since BB OS 10 doesn’t has a light footprint, it does not really require a workhorse class hardware to work smoothly. Of course, people will still look at the Snapdragon S4 as somewhat dated.
BlackBerry Leap specs:
5-inch HD LCD screen, 1280 x 720 @294ppi
Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus 1.5GHz dual-core processor
Adreno 225 GPU
2GB RAM
Expandable 16GB internal storage
Supports up to 128GB MicroSD card
4G/LTE
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0 LE with EDR
GPS w/ A-GPS
FM Radio
8MP AF rear camera, LED Flash
1080p video recording @30fps
2DOF Video Stabilization
2MP fixed-focus front camera
720p video recording
Blackberry OS 10.3
144 x 72.8 x 9.5mm (dimensions)
170 grams (weight)
The BlackBerry Leap has a suggested retail price of Php13,490.
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