Blackberry is about to release its first Android smartphone, the Blackberry Priv. It looks to be a promising grab.
This new phone is the result of an alliance between Blackberry and Samsung, bringing their forces together to make the ultimate Blackberry.
The device has an extendable physical keyboard and is equipped with top of the line hardware. It’s set to make a debut in November, and the estimated price for it is around $900, putting it right alongside the iPhone 6S and the Galaxy S6.
This installment of the Blackberry is slightly curved at the side, much like Samsung’s Galaxy Edge series. With a 5.4 inch AMOLED display of 2560×1400 QHD pixel, it gives way for vibrant colours and vivid blacks without costing you your battery. The phone’s equipped with a 64-bit, 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, paired with 3GB of RAM. Its internal memory will come in 32GB, and can be extended to up to 2TB with a microSD card.
The phone’s back camera is equipped with 18 megapixels and comes with double LED flash, but its front camera has a mere 2 megapixel resolution. Its battery’s capacity is 3410 mAh for long term use.
No details have been released with regards to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth specifics.
The Priv Is Good Competition, But Is It Worth the Price?
The Priv, interestingly enough, is said to be quite a heavy smartphone for its size. The phone, at 9.4mm, is slightly thicker than the ones in other high end smartphones, and it weighs 192g. It has Blackberry’s customary polished finish, which gives the sense that despite the likeness to the Galaxy, it still holds some of the Canadian company’s classic look.
The fact that this smartphone, despite being Blackberry’s claim back into the market, has such a steep price may be discouraging for people looking to compare it to the new Samsung Galaxy or the new iPhone, but it could be what businesspeople have been waiting for. The Blackberry looks durable, less sensitive than its competitors, but there’s no word on what it really comes down to until it is released.
The Android fusion will come with the Android 5.1 Lollipop, and it will probably have a few specific gimmicks to increase appeal to the Priv. There’s no word yet on whether or not this phone might have the Android 6 Marshmallow OS.
Blackberry was a pioneer in the smartphone evolution, and it sold handhelds long before Apple and Samsung. Even though it’s been lacking in past years, what with the magnanimous popularity gained by the iPhone and it’s leading competitor (once Blackberry), Samsung.
It looks like by joining hands with Samsung, Blackberry’s hoping to get back in the race. This is said to be the company’s saving grace or ruin, as it may be the last smartphone they ever manufacture.
