Following weeks of beta testing, BlackBerry has finally started rolling out Android Marshmallow update to its first Android smartphone, the Priv, globallyincluding India over-the-air.
Currently the unlocked units (STV100-1 model in the U.S, Canada & STV100-4 model in the UK,
France) are getting the update, while all major U.S carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon (STV100-2 and STV100-3 models), will start receiving the update on May 3.
The Android Marshmallow update for BlackBerry Priv brings the usual Marshmallow goodies including App Permission, Google Now on Tap, Doze mode and more, as well as includes Android Security update for May 2016.
The update also brings improvements to BlackBerry related features. It comes with a new S/MIME feature in BlackBerry Hub to let you digitally sign and encrypt your emails. It also brings customised personal data permission for apps, clearer notification settings, enhanced BlackBerry keyboard w/ 200 new emojis, keyboard gestures, enhanced word prediction and better cursor controls. The update adds new camera features including 24fps mode for 4k, 1080p and 720p, and 120fps slow-motion video recording.
At an event in New Delhi today BlackBerry launched the Priv Android smartphone in India. The Priv brings the company's legendary security features to Android and positions the device as "the BlackBerry secure smartphone powered by Android" .
The Priv is priced at Rs. 62,900 (MRP) and will be available from Amazon India and BlackBerry authorised partners & resellers. It will go on sale starting January 30.
The
BlackBerry Priv comes with a slide-out keyboard along with four row
BlackBerry keyboard. It packs 5.4-inch QHD AMOLED display, Snapdragon
808 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 18MP rear camera w/ PDAF, LED
flash & 5MP front camera, NFC and 3410mAh battery.
It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and comes with BlackBerry suite of app including BBM, BBM Meetings, BlackBerry Camera and BlackBerry Hub. It also comes with a feature called DTEK that lets you know when your privacy could be at risk so you can take action to improve it. BlackBerry has also promised that it will roll regular software security patches.
Specifications of BlackBerry Priv
Display: 5.43-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD AMOLED dual-curved display at 540 PPI with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
RAM and Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory expandable up to 2TB using microSD card
Camera: 18MP rear camera with
dual-tone Flash, OIS, PDAF, f/2.2 6P lens, 4K video recording, 6DOF
video stabilization | 5MP front facing camera with 1.7 micron pixel size
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity: 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GPS, NFC, USB 2.0 with Slimport
Battery: 3410mAh with fast charging
Dimensions: 147 (184 opened) x 77.2 x 9.4mm; Weight: 192g
Others: 4-row BlackBerry slider keyboard, DTEK by BlackBerry, 3.5mm audio jack, Front-facing speaker and 3 microphones
BlackBerry's most secure Android smartphone is coming soon to India. BlackBerry has sent out invites for a press event in New Delhi, India on January 28, where the company will launch its first Android smartphone, the Priv. To recap, Rumors and speculations of the existence of Priv started in the second half of 2015, and BlackBerry finally confirmed about the Priv in September last year.
Without much fanfare or launch event the BlackBerry Priv directly went for pre-order in October 2015, and finally went on sale in the U.S and Canada in November last year. In the U.S the Priv was priced at $699 which is roughly 47,000. The Indian pricing could be between Rs. 50,000 - Rs. 55,000. The BlackBerry Priv comes with a slide-out keyboard slong with four row BlackBerry keyboard. It packs 5.4-inch QHD AMOLED display, Snapdragon 808 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 18MP rear camera w/ PDAF, LED flash and 5MP front camera.
Specifications of BlackBerry Priv
Display: 5.43-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD AMOLED dual-curved display at 540 PPI with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
RAM and Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory expandable up to 2TB using microSD card
Camera: 18MP rear camera with
dual-tone Flash, OIS, PDAF, f/2.2 6P lens, 4K video recording, 6DOF
video stabilization | 5MP front facing camera with 1.7 micron pixel size
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity: 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GPS, NFC, USB 2.0 with Slimport
Battery: 3,410 mAh with fast charging
Dimensions: 147 (184 opened) x 77.2 x 9.4mm; Weight: 192g
Others: 4-row BlackBerry slider keyboard, DTEK by BlackBerry, 3.5mm audio jack, Front-facing speaker and 3 microphones
BlackBerry has released a video of its first Android smartphone, the Priv. The video highlights the privacy and productivity features of the Priv.The video shows the highlight features of the BlackBerry Priv including the physical keyboard on the slider, BlackBerry Hub, pop-up widgets, 4K video recording capabilities, dual curved edge screen, touch enabled physical keyboard with SmartSlide, rear camera with OIS and DTEK. DTEK by BlackBerry for Android lets you know when your privacy could be at risk so you can take action to improve it. Check out the BlackBerry in action below-
In addition, U.K retailer Carphone warehouse received a release unit of BlackBerry Priv and unboxed it. The packaging contains the words 'Privilege' and 'Privacy'. Inside there is the device itself, a SIM ejector tool, manuals, headphones and a USB cable. The video also demonstrates several unique BlackBerry features. Check out the unboxing video-
The BlackBerry Priv is now available for pre-order in the U.S, Canada and U.K. In the U.S, the BlackBerry Priv is available for $699 via BlackBerry Store , in Canada the cost is $899 and in UK for £559. BlackBerry says that the Priv will be shipped starting November 6. The Priv is not a CDMA handset, so it will
not work on Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular, but it is compatible with
AT&T and T-Mobile.Roll out details to other countries will be announced soon.
Specifications of BlackBerry Priv
Display: 5.43-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD AMOLED dual-curved display at 540 PPI with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
RAM and Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory expandable up to 2TB using microSD card
Camera: 18MP rear camera with dual-tone Flash, OIS, PDAF, f/2.2 6P lens, 4K video recording, 6DOF video stabilization | 5MP front facing camera with 1.7 micron pixel size
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity: 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GPS, NFC, USB 2.0 with Slimport
Battery: 3,410 mAh with fast charging
Dimensions: 147 (184 opened) x 77.2 x 9.4mm; Weight: 192g
Others: 4-row BlackBerry slider keyboard, DTEK by BlackBerry, 3.5mm audio jack, Front-facing speaker and 3 microphones
BlackBerry's first Android smartphone, the Priv went
on pre-order in the U.S, Canada and UK last week and is slated to begin
shipping starting November 6. Now BlackBerry has published Priv-specific
Android apps, while updating some of its other apps on Google Play
Store. These include MicrosoftexFAT, Notes, BlackBerry Calendar, Contacts,
BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Keyboard, BlackBerry Services, Tasks,
BlackBerry Device Search, BlackBerry Password Keeper, BlackBerry
Launcher, BlackBerry Camera, and DTEK. Some of the apps are brand new,
while others have been updated. The new apps will be available only
for the Priv smartphone and will release next month.
BlackBerry Priv apps on Google Play (Brand New)
BlackBerry Launcher – Easily turn multistep tasks such as sending an email or calling a friend into a one-click task.
BlackBerry Keyboard –
Quick and easy creation of text with the renowned BlackBerry Keyboard,
featuring auto correction, next word prediction and a Personal
Dictionary, More efficiency through learning and personalization.
BlackBerry Services – BlackBerry
Services is the foundation upon which all of your favorite BlackBerry
applications are built. It provides both enhanced security and improved
productivity.
Password Keeper –
Allows you to keep all of your passwords, login information, and
important records safe and secure. Encrypted using AES-256 and protected
by a single password of your choice.
BlackBerry Camera – Includes professional settings that you can apply as you frame the scene, including live filter effects and exposure control.
DTEK by BlackBerry –
Allows you to view and improve your privacy level and monitor
application access to your camera, microphone, location, and personal
information.
BlackBerry
also released 'BlackBerry Content Transfer' app for BlackBerry Priv
users, available on BlackBerry World. The content that the app will help
you move includes: Contacts,
Calendar, Pictures, Videos, Music, Text messages (SMS), Notes, Tasks,
Documents and Email accounts. The app works with BlackBerry 10 handsets
running on BlackBerry 10.2.1 or higher, and is a free download.
"Data that is associated with a
web-based account, such as contacts and calendar events, is transferred
when you add the account to your new device. Your data can be
transferred with password-protected encryption using Google Drive, your
media card, or a private Wi-Fi network," explains the app listing.
BlackBerry Priv has a 'Productivity Edge' feature
In
related news, the Priv is said to come with an interesting feature,
'Productivity Edge' or notification on the curved edge display. As you
know, the Priv sports a 5.4-inch Oled QHD display with curved edges,
just like the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+. So, the
Productivity Edge features makes use of the the dual curve design by
letting users to take a peek at notification, messages, calendar and
more- with a simple swipe. Users can set up Productivity Edge to work on
either side of the screen. Moreover, the curved edge of the display
also shows the charging bar when Priv is being charged. This
feature sounds similar to Samsung's People Edge, which allows users to
quickly access select contacts. Samsung aslo include an option to light
up the edge screen when there mails, messages or calls incoming.
Blackberry's first Android smartphone, the Priv, is now available for pre-order in the U.S, Canada and U.K. In the U.S, the BlackBerry Priv is available for $699 via BlackBerry Store , in Canada the cost is $899 and in UK for £559. BlackBerry says that the Priv will be shipped starting November 6. The Priv is not a CDMA handset, so it will
not work on Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular, but it is compatible with
AT&T and T-Mobile.
Optional accessories are also available
for order including Stylus sync pods, Slimport to HDMI or VGA adapters,
cases including pocket and holster style cases, flip covers and slide
out shell style cases and more.
BlackBerry touts that the Priv is the "World's first BlackBerry Secure Smartphone Powered by Android". It comes pre-installed with DTEK by BlackBerry warning system app for privacy purpose. The app lets you know when your privacy could be at risk so you can take action to improve it. With the app you also get to know the overall security rating for your device and specific security features. The Priv sports a four-row signature BlackBerry slider keyboard and has front-facing
speakers and three microphones. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.
As for the specs, the BlackBerry Priv features a 5.4-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixel) dual curved display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. It is equipped with Hexa-core Snapdragon 808 64-bit processor with Adreno 418 GPU and 3GB RAM. On-board storage is 32GB, further expandable via microSD card up to 1TB. For imaging, there is an 18-megapixel camera on the back with dual-tone flash, OIS, PDAF, f/2.2 aperture. It can record 4K videos and has 6DOF video stabilization. On the front there is a 2-megapixel shooter. There is support for 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GPS, MIMO, NFC and USB 2.0 connectivity. It is fueled by 3410mAh battery which offers up to 22.5 hours of battery life with mixed usage. There is also support for Qi wireless charging and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0.
BlackBerry after announcing pre-registration for its first Android phone, the Priv, has now come out with the first official promo of the smartphone.
The 41 second promo showcases the BlackBerry Priv from all angles. We can see the physical slider QWERTY keyboard, which is the highlight of the device, in action.
Just a day ago, BlackBerry outed some of the specs of the BlackBerry Priv including a 5.4-inch dual-curved touch screen with
physical keyboards, Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera, 3410mAh
battery and an extra ordinary audio quality. The Priv will comes
pre-installed with DTEK by BlackBerry warning system app for privacy
purpose.
BlackBerry is expected to be announced in November. Rumored price tag is $630 (Rs. 40,000).
Blackberry's first Android smartphone, the Priv, can now be per-registered via a dedicated website. The product page also confirms some of the specs of the Priv. Unfortunately there is no mention of the release date. BlackBerry says those who pre-register will get 'inside' news on
Priv, and also stand the chance to be the first to know when the phone
will be available for purchase. You can pre-register for the BlackBerry Priv here Blackberry touts the Priv to be the "World's first BlackBerry Secure Smartphone Powered by Android". The listed specs include 5.4-inch dual-curved touch screen with physical keyboards, Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera, 3410mAh battery and an extra ordinary audio quality. The Priv will comes pre-installed with DTEK by BlackBerry warning system app for privacy purpose "Priv has the authentic BlackBerry keyboard, legendary security, streamlined
communications and productivity, combined with the wide world of Google
Play™ store apps. It has been engineered with the world’s finest
technology, and packaged in an ultra-thin, ergonomically perfect device
with a keyboard hidden by SmartSlide technology." states the pre-registration page. The rumoured specs of the yet-to-be-announced BlackBerry Priv include: a QHD screen with 1440x2560 pixels resolution, Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable and an 18-megapixel rear camera.
BlackBerry is expected to be announced in November. Rumored price tag is $600.
Last month BlackBerry confirmed the existence of its first Android smartphone-the BlackBerry Priv. BlackBerry CEO John Chen showcased the Priv in a video, plus in the past we have seen renders and live photos of the device revealing details like its design, OS and apps.
Now a new set of leaked images has surfaced online (via N4BB) that shows the Priv's video recording capabilities and more. As seen in the image, the BlackBerry Priv would come with support for 4K (2160 x 4096 pixels) resolution video recording and 30 fps. It would also offer video recording options in full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution
and HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution with both 60fps and 30fps. The smartphone features 18-megpaixel Schneider Kreuznach main camera unit.
Moving on, earlier the BlackBerry Priv was rumored to be equipped with hexa-core Snapdragon 808 SoC with Adreno 418 GPU, in the photo we can see the device powered by an SoC with 64-bit processor, hinting it could be a Snapdragon 808, though it is not confirmed yet. The Priv will sports a 5.5-inch dual curve display.
Also seen in the image is the BlackBerry Safeguard app, which is said to lets users view the Priv's security status. Users can view and edit the app settings, developer options, screen lock and more using the app. The unit seen in the photo runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and has a battery level indicator on the right-side of the display when charging.
The BlackBerry is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display and be equipped with 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 5-megapixel front facing camera, 4G LTE support and 3650mAh battery. It is expected to launch sometime in November.
BlackBerry's much anticipated Android-powered smartphone, the Black Berry Venice, will called the BlackBerry Priv, according to @evleaks, which has also been confirmed by N4BB’s sources.
In addition, he posted a new press image of BlackBerry Priv that shows the smartphone's huge display, slider keyboard and speaker grill. Until now, BlackBerry's Android smartphone has been referred to either as Slider or by its internal codename, Venice. It is being speculated that 'Priv' might be short for 'privacy', suggesting that BlackBerry's Android phone may pack privacy-enhancing features. BlackBerry Priv will be running on a forked version of Android Lollipop with important BB10 features, such as Productivity Suite, Communication Suite and Security Suite. The rumored specs of BlackBerry Priv include 5.4-inch Quad HD display; hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor; Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB inbuilt storage, microSD card slot, 18-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, OIS and PDAF; 5-megapixel front facing camera, 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 and 3650mAh battery.
BlackBerry Priv is expected to launch on all four major U.S carriers, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon in November.
