The first BlackBerry smartphone to run entirely on the Android operating system, the PRIV, will be available in South Africa early next week.
The PRIV is an attempt to regain status in a market BlackBerry previously dominated. It combines BlackBerry favourites, such as a physical keyboard and upped security, with a large screen and familiar operating system.
The smartphone is set to enter the top tier market. It has been available in other markets since last year, and although the company can't reveal sales numbers at the moment, global director Gareth Hurn told ITWeb most PRIV buyers come from outside the BlackBerry ecosystem.
When rumours of an all-Android BlackBerry first emerged last year, Swift Consulting CEO and tech blogger Liron Segev said it would ultimately represent a mutually beneficial relationship, where BlackBerry ("known for all the wrong reasons") would benefit from becoming more open source, and Android (with "questionable" security, especially in the enterprise space) would gain more of a reputation for being secure.
"This could be one of the market's big game-changers, where two companies create a real powerhouse," he commented.
The PRIV sets itself apart, looks wise, with a curved screen, similar to the Samsung S6 Edge, but does not offer much more than aesthetic value. There is an option to add a productivity tab that provides an "at a glance" view of information from the messaging hub and calendar.
Return of the keyboard
When the PRIV was conceived, BlackBerry wanted to make sure it combined the best features of previous BlackBerry smartphones with the Android OS. A physical keyboard was one of the features, market research showed, customers wanted back.
"However, they were not willing to sacrifice screen size," says Hurn. The result is a large 5.4-inch screen with a physical keyboard that slides out at the bottom, similar to the BlackBerry Torch.
The keyboard also doubles as a track pad for scrolling the Web or the phone. Shortcuts can be programmed to allow for speed dialling and other actions like long pressing "C" to compose a message.
Privacy focus
PRIV is short for privacy. BlackBerry has always been known for its secure devices and the new smartphone comes with the pre-loaded DTEK app. DTEK can be set up to alert users every time an app attempts to turn on the phone's microphone or camera, ping their location or access their photos. It also gives a breakdown of what permissions each app has in an easy-to-navigate menu.
Users are then able to turn off certain permissions if they do not want, for example, a torch light app accessing their location 14 times a day. They also have the option to uninstall apps with too much access to information on the device.
DTEK will assign an overall security rating to the device along with a rating for each of the security features it monitors. If a security feature receives a poor rating, there will be recommendations on how to improve it.
The company has always maintained customers' privacy and security is of utmost importance. This was demonstrated last year when its business was booted out of Pakistan because BlackBerry refused to comply with the government's demands to access private messaging.
Android experience
BlackBerry has kept the Android operating system on the PRIV relatively untouched, adding only pop-up widgets and improved gesture control.
However, it would not be a real BlackBerry without the hold-all messaging hub. This is accessed on the main screen and brings all communications, from social media, e-mail, SMS, calendar to phone calls in one place. This is accessed through the main screen.
Price has not yet been given, but is said to match other top tier smartphones on the market. Operators are expected to announce device prices this week and open up pre-orders.
Specifications
Size: 147mm (184mm opened) x 77.2mm x 9.4mm
Display: 5.4-inch, 2 560 x 1 440 resolution, 540 PPI 16:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 4
Keyboard: Capacitive touch four-row physical sliding keyboard
Software: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB storage on board, MicroSD slot (up to 2TB)
Processor: Qualcomm 8992 Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit
Battery: 3 410mAh battery with up to 22.5 hours battery life
Camera: Rear facing - 18MP auto-focus, optical image stabilisation, HDR, 4k video recording at 30fps, 1 080p HD video recording at 60fps, 4x digital zoom Front facing - 2MP OIS with selfie panorama mode, 2x digital zoom, 720p HD video recording
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