The BlackBerry Thread

So it's official - BlackBerry is making an Android-powered device: http://crackberry.com/blackberry-officially-announces-blackberry-priv

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It's called the Priv (pronounced like 'give'), which seems like a terrible name to me. But I do like the idea of a physical keyboard on a phone with a proper ecosystem.

Still very few details right now, the confirmation came during their quarterly earnings conference call in response to recent leaks of the device. But rumours suggest a Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, Quad HD 5.4-inch display, 18MP camera, and 5MP front-facing camera. It's also supposed to use grsecurity to harden the kernel for security, though I'm not sure how that compares to Google's use of SELinux on Nexus devices.

If they can launch it with Marshmallow, or deliver an update shortly after launch, I might be game - though I'm still deciding between this and the iPhone 6S for my next upgrade.
 
Evel said:
So it's official - BlackBerry is making an Android-powered device: http://crackberry.com/blackberry-officially-announces-blackberry-priv

Render-BB-Priv.png


It's called the Priv (pronounced like 'give'), which seems like a terrible name to me. But I do like the idea of a physical keyboard on a phone with a proper ecosystem.

Still very few details right now, the confirmation came during their quarterly earnings conference call in response to recent leaks of the device. But rumours suggest a Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, Quad HD 5.4-inch display, 18MP camera, and 5MP front-facing camera. It's also supposed to use grsecurity to harden the kernel for security, though I'm not sure how that compares to Google's use of SELinux on Nexus devices.

If they can launch it with Marshmallow, or deliver an update shortly after launch, I might be game - though I'm still deciding between this and the iPhone 6S for my next upgrade.
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Dat keyboard *bites lip*

I want this in the worst way. Like you I'm wavering between this or the iPhone (in my case a 6S Plus)
 
And the Blackberry CEO looked like an incompetent fool when he tried to demo it on camera.
 
I have to say I did love my Blackberrys hardware is always just right for your hands. Even playing with the Blackberry Passport you could tell they get how hands work. With Android OS I would put them back in the consideration pool.
 
Perc said:
And the Blackberry CEO looked like an incompetent fool when he tried to demo it on camera.
Click to expand...

That was pretty embarrassing - he kept trying the BlackBerry 10 home gesture on it (swipe up from the bottom of the screen), must have never used Android before. They really should've held off on the demos till they were ready.
 
Specs have been confirmed by Carphone Warehouse in the UK today: http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/phones/blackberry-priv/

Looks like most of the rumours were correct - Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 18MP camera, 5.4-inch Quad HD AMOLED screen. Battery sounds promising too, 3410 mAh is pretty huge. Looks like it won't be launching with Marshmallow though. Hope they can get it updated quickly.

They've opened pre-orders and expect to ship it by November 6th.
 
 
So I took the plunge. Had a look at the reviews and ended up getting myself a Priv yesterday. Thoughts so far:

-I've had it heat up quite a bit a few times, usually during prolonged use involving switching between apps. Not sure why that's the case, but I haven't yet noticed any impact on performance.
-A few minor software bugs here and there. No dealbreakers though, and most of them can likely be resolved with updates via Google Play.
-The display is gorgeous. The colours aren't overdone like on some other OLED displays, though you can adjust saturation in the settings if you prefer vibrant colours.
-The physical keyboard is a little cramped, takes some getting used to. Once you adjust it feels great, but there's room for improvement in terms of key size and travel.
-Slider mechanism is an excellent piece of kit. Super sturdy, well-balanced, and has a satisfying click at each end.

The price of entry is rather high (same price as the iPhone 6s in Canada), but so far I think it was worth it. It's not just a good BlackBerry, it's a good Android device. BlackBerry's software adjustments are well-integrated, usually useful, and can be customized or opted out of quite easily. It could stand to benefit from an update to Marshmallow though, which BlackBerry says is coming "sometime in the new year."
 
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