Plenty of journalists are stoked about the PRIV, BlackBerry’s first-ever Android smartphone (now available for pre-order). See for yourself, also check out what social media users and other commentators are saying about our privacy-enhanced device:
Adrian Diaconescu, Pocketnow: The privacy-centric touchscreen/QWERTY keyboard hybrid goes after a target audience of its own, and the bundled slide-out “accessory” doubling as a touchpad helps it easily stand out from the Android flagship pack rather than live in the Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Note 5’s shadow. Bottom line, $750 might not be such an unwarrantedly high price to pay for a wholly unique gadget.
Sheldon Pinto, Techtree: “For the first time on a BlackBerry device, you’ll have a combination of powerful hardware, secure and flexible software, and millions of apps and games…The Priv could change BlackBerry’s future in the smartphone business, and bring back the days of the pre-Apple era.
Kevin Tofel, ZDnet: “BlackBerry is playing the Priv smart: Even the name alludes to “privacy.” The more we hear about Google Android security scares, the more I think BlackBerry’s security heritage and approach could bring a surprising number of handset sales, both to consumers and enterprise workers alike.”
Rhiannon Williams, the Telegraph: “The Priv could well prove to be the handset which helps to turn [Blackberry’s] fortunes around. Given smartphones’ almost total adoption of touch screens, it’s easy to forget that an entire subsection of consumers still clamour for the physicality of a QWERTY keyboard, with the Priv encapsulating the best of both worlds.”
Brian Chin, Daily Buzz: “The name might be a little strange and mentioning the company in public may even garner some snarky comments, but the BlackBerry Priv is certainly a smartphone to get excited about…With the Priv, which is short for privacy and privilege, BlackBerry is looking to provide the best of both worlds to the consumer: a customizable and app-friendly Android device with the security and physical QWERTY keyboard of a BlackBerry.”
John McCann, TechRadar: “The more details BlackBerry teases out about the Priv, the more I’m getting genuinely excited about it...there’s the slide-down keyboard which reminds me of the Nokia 7110 and 8110, and we all know how cool that was back in the day. Then there’s BlackBerry’s bread and butter: privacy and security, things you don’t really hear too much about in the Android world.”
Richard Devine, Android Central: “In 2015 it looks like I’ll be able to get back what I lost without the compromises I wasn’t prepared to make. Android — regular, untampered Android, at that — with BlackBerry’s legendary keyboard. Take my money. Take it now.”
Richard Goodwin, Know Your Mobile: “Taken together the BlackBerry PRIV — I really do hate that name, though — sounds like a winner on paper. It also looks gorgeous, too. BlackBerry is going to have to seriously mess something up badly for me not to absolutely love this device.”
Rob Enderle, IT Business Edge: “It will likely be the combination of Qualcomm’s security improvements with BlackBerry’s that will provide a blended benefit that should allow BlackBerry to support the claim that it has the most secure Android phone when it launches…This could be the breakout device for BlackBerry.”
John Nieves, Unbox.ph: “There’s something that only BlackBerry is able to do well, and that’s messaging…BlackBerry’s able to consistently deliver an amazing messaging experience primarily through [its] keyboards, and it looks like the PRIV won’t be an exception.”
James Nieves, BerryFlow: “If you sit back and think about the name ‘Priv,’ it actually makes a lot of sense….the hardware is only part of what’s offered. Sure, there’s Android…but there’s also Privacy, which is a much more intangible thing. To capitalize on the data losses in popular apps and services, BlackBerry has crafted a device that is enterprise grade when paired with BES software and also has consumer services to defend against compromised data.”
Mariella Moon, Engadget: “If the device turns out to have killer features, then it doesn’t matter what it’s called: after all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica: “Android OEMs have been in a race to the bottom, cutting costs everywhere they can and axing features…Blackberry obviously isn’t falling in with the current Android OEM groupthink, and that makes the PRIV one of the more exciting devices to come along in some time. We’re excited about a BlackBerry device. What year is it?”
BLA1ZE, CrackBerry: “Arguably the biggest reason an Android customer might actually want to consider picking up the BlackBerry PRIV…That fantastic BlackBerry keyboard that even the most touch-screen faithful individuals will admit to missing at times.”
Matthew Deluca, NBC News: “The smartphone, called PRIV, is aimed at business customers who just can’t separate themselves from a physical keyboard, but also want the range of apps that come with Google’s Android operating system.”
Ben Woods, The Next Web: “If the PRIV arrives looking like its leaked images, then it’ll certainly stand out from the sea of other Android slabs on offer. How many can you think of with a physical keyboard in a sliding form factor?”
Elyse Betters, Pocket-Lint: “Leaked videos appear to show that the BlackBerry PRIV will have the same sort of weave to the rear as we saw – and loved – on the Q10, but highly polished. Given that this whole phone revolves around a slider mechanism, it’s a sure bet that it will have a metal frame.”
That’s what the media’s got to say – but what about you? How do you feel about BlackBerry’s new phone? Think there’s one in your future?
Let us know in the comments – and if you haven’t already, why not order one for yourself?