Blackberry’s first Android phone isn’t going to be a low-end or mid-range device, but a power packed one that could well challenge the current flagship smartphones in the Android segment. Named as PRIV, this phone from Blackberry ensures that the data is kept private and safe, while giving the user a good experience with Android OS.
The phone is already on pre-order as we write this, and the price seems quite insane, about 580 pounds for a SIM-free unit, which converts to about Rs. 58000. Though, that’s Blackberry and they might not expect everyone to get interested in getting one of their Android unit.
Display: It is an AMOLED display, thus you know you are looking at a very vibrant one that has been a part of several Samsung smartphone screens (although flagships had Super AMOLED). But what’s interesting, is the resolution. The Blackberry PRIV comes with a 5.4-inch 2K display, with a 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution, getting the pixel density of 540 PPI.
Internal hardware: It is Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a hexa-core chipset (1.8GHz dual core + 1.44GHz quad core) along with 3GB of RAM. While there is 32GB internal storage, the phone has a MicroSD card slot that allows storage expansion by up to 2TB.
Camera: Although nothing is detailed about the sensor included, this is a 18-megapixel camera on the back of PRIV, and there is Dual LED flash assisting it. On the front, there is a 2-megapixel shooter.
OS: Probably the most important aspect of this particular device. The Blackberry Priv runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and that is customized by Blackberry. An app called DTEK is included, and this will be the privacy hub for the users. There is Google Play store installed as well, so you are not looking at one of those forked versions of Android that doesn’t even come with Google’s apps.
Battery and connectivity: The PRIV has a 3410 mAh battery packed in, and on the connectivity side, there is 4G support alongside Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
The Blackberry PRIV has both touch and physical keyboards, and it is a full QWERTY keyboard that is hidden under the screen part, with a technology called SmartSlide technology. The phone is said to be coming with a Single Nano SIM slot.
For now, this is what we could get to know from the list at Carphone Warehouse, where the device is available for pre-order. This will be updated whenever more information is available. As for the device and our views on it, check out why we’re excited about Blackberry Priv.
