Acceptance is the first stage to success and it seems the used-to-be-the-best BlackBerry is in this stage, as they have started producing mobile phones running the Google OS, Android.
BlackBerry Priv is the first device produced in this new strategy and in this AW Center article we are going to point out the BlackBerry Priv Pros and Cons to find out whether the first ever BlackBerry ’s phone powered by Android is worth the price or not.
BlackBerry Priv General Specifications:
- 147 x 77.2 x 9.4 mm, 192 g
- 4 inches, AMOLED, 1440 x 2560 pixels
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, Adreno 418
- 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage
- Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (promised an Android Marshmallow update)
- 18 MP Main camera, 2MP front camera, 2160p@30fps or 1080p@60fps video recording, optical image stabilization, HDR
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.1, NFC
- Li-Ion 3410 mAh battery
- Color: Black
The BlackBerry Priv specifications seem to be promising and honestly after spending some quality time with the Priv, we really started to like it. Now let’s see the BlackBerry Priv Pros and Cons:
BlackBerry Priv Pros:
The Quality Build: If you are a loyal BlackBerry fan you’ll definitely know the great feel when you hold a BlackBerry cellphone and the Priv is no exception. Although the Priv is really heavy for its size, but there is no argue about its great quality build and its premium feel.
Security: If you own a BlackBerry phone, you totally know how secure your phone is. How about the Priv? Is it secure? A big YES. While Android is mostly known for having too many security concerns, thanks to the DTEK security app on the Priv, your phone is 100% secure and safe.
Full QWERTY Keyboard: A QWERTY keyboard is the signature of BlackBerry and we had really missed it on the smartphones. While the virtual keyboard does the job perfectly, you may slide the screen up and use the keyboard for longer messages and emails.
Battery Life: We really were satisfied with the Priv’s battery life and it last for a complete day under a r egular mixed usage. There is no complain about it.
Stock Android with a few Useful Tweaks: The pure Android is only found on the Nexus devices and the experience is just sweet. BlackBerry Priv delivers a sweet and mostly smooth user experience, as the device is running the almost-stock Android.
BlackBerry Priv Cons:
QWERTY Keyboard: Well, the physical keyboard in the Priv is both a positive and negative point. As the Priv is really heavy for its size, when you open the keyboard by sliding up the device it really gets hard to type. It may take a while to get used to it, but frankly we preferred the virtual keyboard.
No Fingerprint Sensor: We first mentioned that BlackBerry is all about the security and privacy. But we really don’t understand why they haven’t included the fingerprint sensor in the Priv.
Software Performance: We were kind of confused when testing the software performance. While it was running smooth and neat, it suddenly started to get slow and with lag, and after a while everything was just fine. We believe some RAM management updates could solve the issue.
Price: If you are going for an unlocked BlackBerry Priv, make sure you have already saved about $700. The Priv is really pricy and you really should love it to spend that much money on.
Bottom Line: Do We Recommend the BlackBerry Priv?
Well, if you are loyal to the BlackBerry and want to experience the Android, then you definitely should go for it. If you just care about a physical keyboard, then we recommend you to first try typing using the physical keyboard and if it doesn’t bother you then go for it.
If you are looking for a premium Android device and don’t care about the money, BlackBerry Priv is strongly recommended, as it is powerful, secure, beautiful and most importantly feels good in hand.
If you care about the price but still looking for some eye-catching Android device, then you should consider some other options including the Galaxy Note 5 and Nexus 6p.
