The Android-based BlackBerry Priv is currently an exclusive to AT&T but that's about to change. T-Mobile has become the second major carrier in the U.S. to offer the Priv and has announced it will begin offering the smartphone on Jan. 26.
Reports began circulating in June 2015 that BlackBerry was planning to release a QWERTY-equipped Android smartphone. The device would be the company's first handset to run Google's mobile OS in place of BlackBerry's BB10 OS, which has failed to gain a substantial user base and top-tier apps found on iOS and Android.
The Android smartphone was codenamed BlackBerry Venice and was spotted using a dual-curved edge display like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and a slide out QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry officially named the smartphone the BlackBerry Priv and exclusively partnered with AT&T in November 2015 to release the handset.
Reviews of the BlackBerry Priv have been positive and all three major carriers, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile, have pledged support to offer the handset to their customers.
T-Mobile has just officially announced that the BlackBerry Priv will be coming to its network starting Tuesday, Jan. 26.
The BlackBerry Priv features a 5.4-inch 2,560 x 1,440 quad-HD dual-curved edge display with a pixel density of 540 pixels per inch (ppi) and is powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM. The handset includes 32 GB of internal storage and microSD expansion slot that the company claims will support up to 2 TB cards.
In terms of camera capabilities, BlackBerry has packed in an 18-megapixel rear camera with OIS (optical image stabilsation), dual-LED flash and 2-megapixel front-facing shooter for selfies and video chat. It ships with a large 3,410 mAh battery that supports fast battery charging with Quick Charge 2.0, which provides a 60 percent charge in 30 minutes.
It wouldn't be a BlackBerry without the company's iconic physical QWERTY keyboard, which now can be hidden away when not in use. For users who prefer an on-screen keyboard, the excellent BlackBerry 10 keyboard is pre-installed. The BlackBerry Priv runs Android 5.1.1 out of the box and has already been confirmed to receive a software update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The T-Mobile BlackBerry Priv will be available in T-Mobile stores nationwide and online for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $30.
