The BlackBerry Priv features a 5.4-inch dual curved screen with a 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution. The Snapdragon 808 SoC is under the hood with a hexa-core CPU and the Adreno 418 GPU. 3GB of RAM is inside, with 32GB of expandable, native storage. The rear-facing camera is an 18MP Schneider-Kreuznach snapper with OIS, and there is a 2MP front-facing camera that shoots selfies and handles video chats.
Back in June, BlackBerry CEO Chen said that he would not offer an Android powered ‘Berry until the platform could be secure. Chen said in a blog post on Friday that this day had come. The executive said that the Priv is for “BlackBerry users who need it all: choice, innovation, security, privacy and productivity.”
Did BlackBerry miss out on a chance to do some big time promoting by failing to hold a media event for the phone? Or has BlackBerry come to the conclusion that consumers wouldn’t be interested in the Priv. If so, the company might have made a terrible mistake. Where has BlackBerry been the last three months? Ever since images of the Venice (and then the Priv) started surfacing, there has been plenty of attention from Android users who had previously said that they would never buy a BlackBerry phone.
I committed that we would release an Android phone only if we could make it, like everything else we produce: secure. We have – and so today is that day.
I’m proud to announce the world’s first BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android, PRIV, is available for pre-order today.
PRIV will be the solution for smartphone users who are learning daily of the lack of privacy they have on their current devices. PRIV will be the answer for former BlackBerry users who miss the physical keyboard but want more apps. And we’re responding to current – and prospective – BlackBerry users who need it all: choice, innovation, security, privacy and productivity.”-John Chen, CEO, BlackBerry
This is not the BlackBerry Storm. Unless BlackBerry has a reason for wanting the Priv to fail, the device should be given every chance to succeed. And that means holding a media event, advertising it, and letting the world know that BlackBerry has this unique Android handset that might have all of the features that people are looking for in a smartphone.
BlackBerry officially starts accepting Priv pre-orders, Telus sells the phone starting November 6th
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source: BlackBerry, Crackberry (1), (2)