It’s funny to think that a year ago, most folks couldn’t imagine seeing two adequate BlackBerry handsets on the market. No one was a believer because the Canadian phone maker was losing market share and relevance seemingly by the day. In comes 2013, Thorsten Heins and company wanted a clean slate and convinced customers that its troubles were a thing of the past. While the jury is still out on that, we’d be hard pressed to say things haven’t changed for the better.

BlackBerry succeeded by answering the bell with two quality devices: the Z10 and Q10. I’ve been spending a lot of time with both the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 to find out which is best. So I happily gave my perspective in a brief breakdown. Enjoy!

Device	Z10	Q10
Display	4.2-inch, LCD, resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, and 356 pixels per inch	3.1-inch, S-AMOLED, resolution of 720 x 720 pixels, and 330 pixels per inch
Processor	Dual-Core 1.5GHz – Snapdragon S4 Plus	1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960
Memory	2 GB of RAM	2 GB of RAM
Storage	16 GB internal; MicroSD card slot for expandable storage up to 64 GB	16 GB internal; MicroSD card slot for expandable storage up to 64 GB
Camera	8MP rear camera, 1080p HD video recording, and 2MP front-facing camera that records 720p HD	8MP rear camera, 1080p HD video recording, and 2MP front-facing camera that records 720p HD
Platform	BlackBerry 10 (10.1 update still rolling out)	BlackBerry 10.1

As you can see from the chart above, the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 are almost identical when it comes to specs. However, I found the Q10 offered a better quality screen that also provided more impressive viewing angles. This is due to the Z10’s lesser quality LCD display that only pumps out a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, while the Q10’s S-AMOLED 720p screen flourishes above. It’s not even close.

To no  surprise, both the Z10 and Q10  share superb hardware. These devices aren’t plasticky or cheap, instead, they represent a past where a phone’s build quality was a top priority. Still, after handling both phones I’d have to give the advantage to the Z10. The Z10 just feels better in the hand than the Q10. Hell, this year’s touch screen BlackBerry 10 device resembles the iPhone in many ways, as it gives off a feel much similar to the iPhone 5.

Yet, there’s something to be said about the nostalgia that overcomes you once you feel a physical keyboard in your hands. Suddenly, you feel more important, more business-like — I can’t explain it. However, the reality is, QWERTY keypad phones are a relic in time gone by. Do I believe they should stay around? Sure. Just like I how I feel vinyls or CD’s should stay around.

In the end, I came to the conclusion that the handset that appeals to the larger majority of smartphone customers is the Z10. This device represents what people are accustomed to in the year 2013, while the Q10 appeals to a shrinking customer base that prefers a physical keypad over a virtual one.

In addition, smartphone buyers are becoming more attracted to devices with bigger screens — just think the Galaxy S and Note series. A 3.1-inch display won’t make people come back to BlackBerry. The Z10 is BlackBerry’s re-entry into a market that appeals to those thirsty for a decent sized touchscreen smartphone that can handle day-to-day tasks.

So it’s simple. If you don’t want to upgrade away from the style and feel of your old BlackBerry handset, go with the Q10. But, if you want a change, I’d recommend you give the Z10 a shot.