Blackberry Priv Smartphone

Blackberry Priv Smartphone

The BlackBerry Priv smartphone is developed by BlackBerry Limited and was introduced in November 2015. The term Priv stands for both “privacy” and “privilege”. The Blackberry Priv is the first BlackBerry phone to run on android instead of the Blackberry OS or Blackberry 10 platforms. This Android version is customized with features inspired by those with BlackBerry phones. With the use of Android, BlackBerry gained access to all the Android software available via the Google Play Store. Conveniently, it is equipped with a physical keyboard and privacy-focused features as well.

BlackBerry has struggled in recent years, due to the dominance of the iPhone line, marketed by Apple Inc., and Android devices, marketed primarily by Samsung Electronics. In 2014-2015, BlackBerry worked in collaboration with Google to engineer a version of Android for the Priv in order to up the competition.

The Blackberry Priv features a massive 5.43 inch, 1440p AMOLED display which is sharp and rich with color. It curves on each edge and its rear is coated in a glass weave material. The screen can slide up, revealing a physical keyboard. Similar to the BlackBerry Passport, the Priv’s keyboard is touch-sensitive. It can register sliding gestures across its keys for scrolling, text selection, and autocomplete suggestions. The device’s bezel also features a dedicated camera and convenience button.

The Priv ships with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, using a stock user experience which has been customized with additional features and BlackBerry-developed apps. BlackBerry Hub retrieves notifications and content from multiple sources. It allows for granular management of messages. It also allows snoozing based off time, location or network availability.

According to the reviews, the BlackBerry Priv is a good smartphone. People who pine after the days of the hardware keyboard, are sure to love it.

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Blackberry Priv. Credit photo: ca.blackberry.com