The BlackBerry Z10 is one of the most eagerly waited devices, as it boasts the Canadian company's latest BB10 OS. The sales of the Z10 will determine if BlackBerry can reinstate its status as a force to be reckoned with in the smartphone space and regain its lost glory.
On the other hand, the LG-made Nexus 4 smartphone offering from Google has had its own devils to deal with. While the Nexus 4 saw a surge in demand thanks to its affordability, Google was plagued by supply issues a few months into the launch. However, with the inventory issues sorted out, the Nexus 4 is among the top-end phones available in the market and at a pocket-friendly price.
Here we take a look at how the Nexus 4 and BlackBerry Z10 measure up against each other: Which device is better placed in the battle of the Android and BB10 ecosystems?
Processor
A powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5GHz powers the Nexus 4. By contrast, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5GHz powers the BlackBerry Z10. The Nexus 4 is clearly more powerful of the two phones as it has a quad-core processor as opposed BB Z10's dual-core one.
Display
The Nexus 4 features a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution, whereas the BlackBerry Z10 has a 4.2-inch LCD display. Both the smartphones have the same pixel resolution of 1280 x 768.
However, the smaller 4.2-inch display of the BlackBerry Z10 is packed with a higher pixel density of 356ppi vis-avis the Nexus 4's 320 ppi. BlackBerry Z10 may pack in more pixels per inch but the Nexus 4 has a bigger display, so both the phones seem evenly matched.
Form Factor
The Nexus 4 measures 5.27 x 2.70 x 0.36 inches and the BlackBerry Z10 measures 5.12 x 2.58 x 0.35 inches, making the Google smartphone taller and wider than the latter. Both the smartphones have nearly the same thickness.
Moreover, at 4.90 ounces, the Nexus 4 is slightly heavier than the BlackBerry Z10, which weighs 4.85 ounces.
Memory
The Nexus 4 is available in 8/16GB internal storage options; however, the handset does not have an expandable memory option via a microSD card. The BlackBerry Z10 edges out the Google offering in this category as the smartphone is available with 16GB on-board storage along with the option to expand using a microSD card.
Both smartphones offer 2GB of RAM.
Camera
Both the Nexus 4 and the BlackBerry Z10 pack in an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. However, the BlackBerry Z10 has a better 2-megapixel front-facing camera when compared to the 1.3-megapixel front-facing snapper of the Nexus 4.
Battery
The Nexus 4 has a bigger battery of 2,100mAh when compared to the 1,800 mAh battery of the BlackBerry Z10.
Operating System
The BlackBerry Z10 runs on the company's latest BlackBerry 10 operating system, while the Nexus 4 runs on Google's latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform.
Colors, Availability, And Price
The Nexus 4 is available from Google Play Store for $199 and $299 for the 8GB and 16GB, version respectively. The Nexus 4 can also be procured from regional carriers at different price points. On the other hand, the BlackBerry Z10 is expected be available from March this year in the U.S. The smartphone is already retailing in the UK and Canada.
The BlackBerry Z10 is available in black or white variants, whereas the Nexus 4 comes only in black.
On paper, the BlackBerry Z10 houses impressive features but the smartphone has a slower processor and a smaller display than Nexus 4. Whether the BlackBerry Z10 has enough chutzpah to make Android fans jump ship to the ecosystem and eat into its market share remains to be seen.
