Back when the BlackBerry PRIV was first announced, commentators on reddit – known for their no-holds-barred views – were positively entranced by the device. Now that it’s been on the market a few weeks, not much has changed. Users on “the front page of the Internet” still love the PRIV, as do people on Facebook and Twitter, major review outlets, and many other satisfied buyers.
Check out some of the pre-release hype below, then have a look at what reddit has to say now. And if you’ve any questions about the PRIV, be sure to read through our recent AMA on r/Android.
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“Am I the only one who is impressed that they made a slider phone with a keyboard that is only 2.3mm thicker than the iPhone 6s?” (Source)
“This is everything that /r/android wants and hates Samsung for. Let’s see how it works out.” (Source)
“I am now ready to trade my Nexus 6 in for the next BB phone. Last BB I owned was the storm and I loved it.” (Source)
“I love to quote this from Market Ticker: In terms of price there’s no reason to believe BlackBerry did anything other than shoot right up the middle. If you’re whining because you didn’t get a $400 device that does what a $700 one does then just suck it up and admit that this is what you were after; on a spec-for-spec comparison BlackBerry has nothing to atone for in terms of pricing.” (Source)
“This is something you’ll never see on iPhone.” (Source)
“Tried it out today and it’s definitely my next phone. I have an Android as well as a BlackBerry, and the PRIV is the best of both worlds.” (Source)
“I normally wouldn’t bite on a sliding keyboard but I can’t tell you how much this intrigues me.” (Source)
“BlackBerry was my first smartphone, this might be my next!” (Source)
“Been eyeing this up for the last month or so. I think it will be my upgrade in February. So far it’s the only phone to even slightly take my interest in the last two years. Never had a BlackBerry before, but this looks too good to pass over.” (Source)
“This is the future, good on you BlackBerry!” (Source)
“I miss physical keyboards. Touch screens just aren’t as good. I could type so much faster on the G1 than any of my later phones.” (Source)
“I have missed keyboards ever since they disappeared! I loved the first Google phone with its slide out keyboard. No longer having half of my screen disappear behind a keyboard is just the start. Blind typing and the clicky feel of buttons is even better. But then I did start texting on an old Nokia, where each button had several letters on it. (Source)
“Looks great. I will sell my iPhone 6+ for this phone. It ticks everything I need.” (Source)
“Was just telling my brother how much I miss my BlackBerry Storm and would love another full touch screen with a slide-out keypad like it.” (Source)
“Alright, it’s final now. I have already ordered Nexus 6P and was waiting for the day when it comes so that I can selll my S6. But now, I am going to cancel my 6P order, live with pathetic S6 for a couple more months and buy this phone.” (Source)
“I really want the Priv. Ever since those first renders running Android. It’s an S6 edge with a nicer software suite, a much larger battery, and an SD slot. The keyboard is just a bonus.
That said, this isn’t just a physical keyboard – it’s capacitive, so you can use it as a trackpad and navigate the UI using swipe gestures, as well as insert predictions. This was awesome on the Passport and looks even better here. It’s also a unique offering in the Android space when most vendors are making the same rounded rectangles.” (Source)
“For me [the keyboard] will be a godsend. Touch keyboards are great for short replies and even some reddit posts, but I work for a small business (a Tattoo studio) and I do almost all the work bar tattooing and accounts. I run the Facebook, website blogs, email (mine and the general one) as well as my personal ones too and I can tell you, I bloody hate touch keyboards for this my typing.
The BlackBerry will make my work life much more enjoyable and let me give better service to our clients as I will be much happier giving a quick reply out of hours as it won’t be a hassle.” (Source)
“I always preferred the real keyboard.” (Source)
“The CEO wanted to make BlackBerry sexy again, and privacy is sexy!” (Source)
“I’m excited to see BlackBerry’s famed security tweaks applied to android. I really hope this switch to android helps get themselves back up in the game. The blackberry standards of security combined with the android os and ecosystem are sure to make some attractive phones. Not to mention with marshmallow on its way with the toggles for data for apps, which will help boost security in that sense.” (Source)
“I’m an Android user who prefers physical keyboards, and ever since the Priv was announced, I’ve become interested in BlackBerry. I already love the Priv and I’ve learned that BlackBerry makes phones with great security and hardware.” (Source)
“Mark my words: BlackBerry is coming back.” (Source)
“Bickering over a name is such nonsense, there are way more important things to discuss such as when this device will be in my hand.” (Source)
“It’s easy to bash the phone over a name. Personally, I think the name is very marketable, but I’m not going to concentrate on that here.
The vast majority of complaints about the name are coming from Blackberry evangelists. Most Android threads show a growing number of people who are now more interested in Blackberry than anyone could have ever imagined. They’re concentrating on the hardware, mixing in a bit of nostalgia, talking up the keyboard, and very few seem to be hung up on what the phone is called. Which would make sense, considering there are some seriously stupid names for Android phones that sell many more units than the Passport ever did…Priv? Who cares. The only logo on the phone is “BlackBerry”, and that’s a sharp logo, and in the end, it’s the only brand that matters.” (Source)
“I initially came in to say something semi-snarky about Blackberry, but then I saw the sliding keyboard. I really want a physical keyboard again, but I’d want it to be wide, not tall. My favorite phone for this was the Samsung Impression.” (Source)
“This is what Android needs. Manufacturers who aren’t just trying to copy the iPhone. Samsung needs to take a look at the BlackBerry playbook and the rumored Surface pen enabled Windows phones dropping next month and get serious about making great, fully featured hardware again.” (Source)
“I…I might be in love again.” (Source)
“I’m truly excited for this. If it offers an actual Android experience, I don’t mind a few of my old (fond) memories of my blackberries. Typing on them was a breeze, I miss the simplicity of that while also having the option to type on screen.
PS – you should have seen how many errors I had to correct on my [touch] keyboard as I typed this. Annoying” (Source)
It’s not surprising to see that reddit’s just as excited as everyone else about the PRIV. Why shouldn’t they be? There’s a lot to love about the phone, after all – it really is the best of both worlds.
