Blogger Loren Ridinger uses PRIV to take a photo of the gardens at her home.
PRIV, our first smartphone powered by Android, is a multi-tasking powerhouse. It packs in all the productivity and security you expect from BlackBerry, plus it gives you access to the nearly 2 million apps in the Google Play store. For anyone with a busy life, trying to juggle work and personal responsibilities, PRIV is the perfect device. (And, really, who do you know who isn’t doing the constant juggle?)
Last month, we shared what nine top family and lifestyle bloggers had to say about PRIV, and now we have reviews from eight other bloggers who took PRIV for a test run. Once again, we partnered with AT&T to provide these popular bloggers with free PRIVs to try out for a few weeks and give us their honest feedback. Here are some of the things they had to say.
“Because the PRIV is running the latest Android OS, I’m able to use all of my favorite apps, like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Candy Crush. … Any true BlackBerry fan will tell you, a keyboard is one of the reasons they have never parted from their BlackBerry phone. The PRIV not only has the touchscreen you expect from a new smartphone, but a slide out physical keyboard as well. This makes typing long or short emails, texts and notes a breeze. Not to mention the slide out keyboard frees up more screen real estate to enjoy apps, videos and web surfing on its 5.4” Quad HD dual-curved screen. BlackBerry fans rejoice!” (Joe Miragliotta, men’s lifestyle blogger, Joe’s Daily)
Kath Eats appreciates seeing her schedule at a glance on PRIV.
“I didn’t know that Blackberry and Android had paired up, but they have for this phone. It’s everything people love about BlackBerry for business (the Hub, tight security, a detailed calendar app) plus everything Android has to offer for personal and play! This phone is super sleek with a curved screen that goes beyond the edges. … My favorite part of the PRIV is the menu that slides out from the right side of the screen with a snapshot of your day including events, tasks, texts and contacts. I loved being able to see a snapshot of everything at once.” (Kath, registered dietitian and food and nutrition blogger, Kath Eats Real Food)
“… I love the warmth of our home as well. I snapped a couple of photos, inside and out, and was really impressed with the quality of the shots. The 18 MP camera with dual flash and live filters has everything any social media lover could ever hope for! … [My husband] JR and I travel pretty often and we keep crazy schedules, which sometimes means we are as far in physical distance as separate continents. But we always make it a rule to call each other as often as possible and catch up on our day. It’s one of the things that keeps our marriage so strong – constant communication! The BlackBerry PRIV has Natural Sound combined with 3 microphones, so it sounds like we’re in the same room when we’re catching up. It’s the next best thing.” (Loren Ridinger, Internet shopping mogul and fashion and beauty blogger, Loren’s World)
“As a full-time writer, blogger and digital media guy, I’m constantly on my phone, writing, tweeting and texting on the go. I co-host the #TravelSkills Twitter chat every Friday afternoon and sometimes I have to do it on the fly – from an airport, on the plane, in the back of an Uber … so having a physical keyboard makes typing easier and quicker, which is obviously important to me. Fewer typos, too! … Overall, I’m loving the new Blackberry PRIV. It’s got everything you’d expect from a smartphone as well as its own unique features like the slide-out keyboard and several integrated security features that are said to make Blackberry PRIV one of the most secure devices on the Android network. Form really does meet function in this new phone!” (Johnny, travel insider blogger, Johnny Jet)
MomTrends’ Nicole Feliciano checks her PRIV on the go.
“The gorgeous screen on the Blackberry PRIV from AT&T means photos and videos really come alive. PRIV makes it just as easy to type as it is to swipe (OMG, I think i just thought of their new tagline!). I tend to save my long emails for my laptop. With the PRIV keyboard, I’ve got the freedom to write REAL notes without fear of the dreaded autocorrect. AT&T’s PRIV is the first BlackBerry Secure Smartphone that has an on screen keyboard and an additional one that slides out. Creators like options; PRIV give me options.” (Nicole Feliciano, trendy mom blogger, Mom Trends)
“My husband unboxed the PRIV for me at night while I was brushing my teeth. I thought it couldn’t hurt to have him on hand, in case I required some back-up from a more Android-y kind of guy. I was all prepared to roll up my sleeves and get the device online but by the time I rinsed, spat and came to bed, he was done. Less than five minutes and the device was up and running. It took less than ten minutes total (plus minimal app upload time) to get my social credentials, additional emails and favorite apps loaded, up and running. Plus a few more apps for fun. It was a little anticlimactic as I was prepared to struggle through an elaborate set up process and in the end there was zero struggle. It just got done. But it was also exciting as I discovered the whole new world of apps that Android has to offer.” (Ciaran Blumenfeld, family and lifestyle blogger, Momfluential)
“The BlackBerry PRIV will now help me run my entire life due to all the cool specs and features it has. I mean really, if I lived underground in a bunker with WiFi, I still could manage my blogging, family and life – that’s just how amazing this phone is! Another feature I noticed while exploring is the Password Keeper, this feature locks on your phone and no one else can get in but you, since you will be the only one who will know the code for that particular section. … Not only can I use the password keeper for blogging I can also use this feature for my personal life, things like password safes, banking account and home security system. It’s one of my favorite features on the phone.” (Family and lifestyle blogger Mom Blog Society)
If you’re ready to join the PRIV team, here’s where you can buy one for yourself. You can also check out the PRIV’s official product page, our how-to demo videos or our ongoing coverage of PRIV news.