BlackBerry Priv owners can now sign up for a beta program for testing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow on their smartphone.
Blackberry CEO John Chen launched the company's first Android device — the BlackBerry Priv — in September and the mobile phone hit the shelves in November 2015. Many smartphone enthusiasts hoped that the Priv would come running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow but it had Android 5.1 Lollipop pre-installed.
Chen has confirmed that the Priv will get Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in spring but now the company is giving a chance to try the beta version of the OS on the Priv.
"If you're one of the people who want to see Marshmallow on your PRIV, we have great news. We're kicking off the first beta program of the Android OS in BlackBerry Beta Zone. Starting today, we're inviting PRIV owners to sign up now to participate in our Beta Zone program and contribute to testing Android 6.0 on PRIV," says BlackBerry.
However, not all BlackBerry Priv owners can sign for the beta program. The Canadian company will send the first wave of invitations to Priv owners who have purchased their handset from Blackberry Store, Amazon and Carphone Warehouse (a British retailer). Customers who have purchased their Priv from other sources can apply but they will have to wait.
According to BlackBerry, there is limited space in the Priv beta program. Registration will be open for about two weeks and the beta program will last for about four to eight weeks.
Customers who sign up for the program should note that they will have to give their consent for sharing device information.
"Participants are expected to follow instructions to enable background diagnostic reporting so engineering teams at BlackBerry can analyze collected data in aggregate and make improvements where necessary. The BlackBerry Bug Reporter for Android is also available, so participants can submit detailed bug reports for specific issue areas they encounter," says BlackBerry.
There are a slew of mobile phones in the market but only a select number of mobile devices have received Android 6.0 Marshmallow software update. The OS brings a host of new features, which will improve the overall usage experience. Google's latest mobile operating system also features power management features, which enhances the usage time of devices.
BlackBerry has not confirmed a release date for Android 6.0 Marshmallow for Priv. However, the announcement of the beta program suggests that Priv owners will not have to wait long for Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Photo: Maurizio Pesce | Flickr
