The Android-powered smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard will be available at leading retail outlets and Amazon from January 30
Blackberry has launched its first Android-powered smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv, in India. The device has been priced at Rs. 62,990 and will be available at leading retail outlets and on Amazon from January 30. Not only is the Priv Blackberry’s first device to be powered by Google’s OS, but it is also one of the few phones to come with a physical QWERY keyboard that slides out.
The device comes with a 5.4-inch WQHD AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels that is curved, similar to the display found on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and Edge+. It is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor clocked at 1.8GHz with 3GB of RAM. On the storage front, the smartphone is equipped with 32GB of onboard storage with the option of expanding it by up to 2TB via a microSD card. At the back of the device is an 18MP primary camera with dual-LED flash and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), while at the front is a 2MP camera. The Priv runs Android Lollipop v5.1.1, and comes with a 3410mAh battery.
Aside from the usual collection of Android apps, the BlackBerry Priv also comes with a number of the company's own suite of applications like their messenger app, BBM. Another app, called BlackBerry Hub, is a smart inbox that manages all the user’s communications in a single hub. This lets users compose emails and social posts or respond to calendar invitations. In addition, the Priv comes with DTEK, a security focused app that is designed to monitor apps and processes in real time. It also provides a security rating to the device. DTEK will notify users whenever an app accesses sensitive features such as location, pictures, camera, etc. as well.
If the BlackBerry Priv is a success, it may spur the company into releasing a mid-range Android-powered phone. In an interview to Bloomberg last month, BlackBerry CEO, John Chen has said that Priv’s sales results in the next few months would be key in determining the next step that the company takes. He also said that BlackBerry is looking at Priv’s results in terms of margin, and not necessarily volume. The company’s recent financial reports suggest that it is showing signs of recovery. BlackBerry has reported shrinking losses in overall operations as well as a 13% rise in its stock prices. This can be attributed to the company’s revised hardware and software strategies, under which falls the BlackBerry Priv.
Follow Us
Digit NewsDesk
Digit News Desk writes news stories across a range of topics. Getting you news updates on the latest in the world of tech. View Full Profile
