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BlackBerry launched into the Android world in 2015 with the Priv, a phone to satisfy those who need to be super-secure. At that time, the company promised that it would update the phone for two years, though it was pretty confident in its ability to lock down insecure parts of the operating system. That 24-month period has come and gone, and sure enough, BlackBerry is officially cutting off support for the phone.
The BlackBerry Priv was an odd device for many reasons. It was the first Android phone from BlackBerry, it was a flagship device with a physical keyboard, and it was the last phone manufactured in-house by BlackBerry. But as many Priv owners have probably been expecting, it won't receive further updates.
By now the BlackBerry Priv has lost most of its shine and appeal, but if you're looking for a good enough smartphone at a decent price either for a relative or as a second device, then the Priv is worth considering. Add the fact that it's one of the rare Android smartphones with a physical keyboard and it can easily tickle the fancy of a few users who won't touch a phone without a real QWERTY.
The BlackBerry Priv was the company's first Android phone, after years of trying to make its own operating system successful. It wasn't quite the runaway success BlackBerry hoped for, and ended up being its last phone developed in-house. Now you can buy the Verizon model (which has some GSM compatibility) for just $259.99, the lowest price we've seen for this phone.
The BlackBerry Priv was not just BlackBerry's first Android phone, but it's also the company's last device developed in-house. It has been a little over a year since the phone's introduction, and minus the initial price tag, it was mostly received as a good device. Now you can get the Priv on eBay, new and factory unlocked, for a penny short of $280.
There's been no shortage of sales on the various models of BlackBerry Priv in the last few months, which is perhaps not the best sign for the company's first-ever Android-powered flagship. But it's great news for bargain hunters, and today DailySteals has the AT&T version of the QWERTY slider on sale for just 9.99, well under half of the retail price. The deal is available for another two days according to the site. Shipping is free.
We've seen the BlackBerry Priv go on sale for some compelling prices recently. Two months ago it hit $399.99 on Newegg. Last month it reached $379.99 on eBay.Now we're seeing it dip down a penny below the $300 mark. That's right, you can grab a BlackBerry Priv for 9.99.
For comparison, AT&T wants over twice as much money for the same phone. Amazon is moving shipments for much less, but the phone will still cost you 4.99. By comparison, $299.99 is a bargain.This deal is available on eBay, where a seller is parting ways with new and unlocked devices. Units are available to people in North America, Europe, and Australia. In the United States, shipping is free.Source: eBayThanks: Steve
The BlackBerry Priv is rapidly dropping in price. Not officially, mind you. But if you have the patience and the willingness to hunt around for a good deal, the Priv is one high-end Android phone to keep and eye out for.
Marshmallow is now making its way to BlackBerry's flagship, and only, Android device.
The BlackBerry Priv is an expensive phone. Despite undergoing a price drop earlier this month, the device still costs $650! That's quite a chunk of change, especially for a debut product from a new Android manufacturer (though you may have heard the name once or twice somewhere else).
The BlackBerry Priv is nice. It really is! As the company's first full Android device it's impressive, and it's a downright godsend for all those users who've been starved for a high-end phone with a physical keyboard since the DROID 4 came out four freakin' years ago. But it's also expensive. At $700 in the US, it's among the priciest phones on the market... and BlackBerry's falling star in the smartphone world means that they can't afford to play at the same level as Samsung and Apple, at least not yet.
The Blackberry Priv launched last November. While it undeniably has an interesting form factor and shipped with some compelling enterprise-oriented security features, it has remained on Android Lollipop as its flagship competitors received their Marshmallow updates left and right.
The BlackBerry Priv is already available in North America, parts of Europe, and a few Asian countries. Now the phone is making its way to India. BlackBerry says the phone will be ready for purchase January 30th.
Pour one out for the little guys, folks... even if this particular little guy used to be a 700-pound gorilla that dominated corporate and government sales all over the world. After a mostly positive response to the BlackBerry Priv, the company's latest flagship and its first to run the Android operating system, CEO John Chen says that the older BlackBerry OS is not going to be used in any of the new phones it has planned for the 2016 calendar year. He told Cnet the news at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The BlackBerry Priv is the sole option for Android users looking for a high-end phone with a physical keyboard. But, here in the States, the phone is currently only available on AT&T. Want the Priv? You need that carrier. Network not good in your area? Tough.
The PRIV is BlackBerry's first true Android device. It's something that we, and a considerable portion of die-hard BlackBerry customers, have been looking forward to for a long time. But there are a couple of things that might make potential buyers trepidatious: one, a relatively high price tag of $699, and two, well, it's BlackBerry's first entry on a new software platform. So what are the highlights, aside from the obvious slide-out QWERTY keyboard? BlackBerry would like to show you. The video below is a highlight reel of what makes the PRIV different from other Android flagship phones.
Earlier this week Blackberry's official online store posted a pre-order page for the Priv, a high-end QWERTY slider phone that also happens to be the company's first full Android device. Apparently that was a bit premature - it disappeared after a short time, but not so short that prospective customers didn't balk at the $749 USD starting price. Today the pre-order page is back with a slightly cheaper price: $699. Was the original page an error or did Blackberry see the quick reaction and adjust it down? We couldn't say. The page says the phone will start shipping on November 6th.
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- BlackBerry has further outlined its vision for the Priv on its blog, along with providing a logo (pictured above). In short, BlackBerry sees now as a good time to release a phone that emphasizes privacy and security.
A rumored BlackBerry device has been making its way around the web for long enough now that it hardly qualifies as a rumor. Since June, we've seen leaked promotional photos and videos. We've seen photos of it in the wild. We've seen hands-on footage. And then yesterday we heard that its name would be not the Venice, as previous expected, but Priv.
We started hearing rumors about BlackBerry's plans to release an Android device with a full QWERTY keyboard in June. We later caught a glimpse of the device in promo photos and videos, then saw real world photos of it, and finally enjoyed a 4-minute hands-on video with the phone.