AT&T (finally) released the much-awaited OS update for its BlackBerry Priv users, bringing the smartphone to Android 6.0 M, or more commonly known as Marshmallow.
Following T-Mobile's suit to release the 6.0 update for its own line, BlackBerry Priv users on AT&T will now get to experience the new slew of features Android M brings to the previous Android 5.1.1 Lollipop — such as the battery-saving Doze app that automatically puts the device to sleep whenever it's not in use while still functioning, that is, alarms in the morning.
In an advisory by AT&T, alongside the Android M update are other additional features that make the BlackBerry Priv experience more up to date. These include:
• security patches for Android devices up to June 2016;
• enabling S/MIME or basically more secured and customizable personal data permissions such as DTEK by BlackBerry;
• a refurbished BlackBerry Hub panel that now displays even more notifications from your favorite social media apps, keeping it all in one easier-to-manage space;
• improved support for BlackBerry's physical keyboard, making it more capable of predicting the text you type in while unlocking 200 new emojis;
• and lastly, camera upgrades that should now allow the built-in camera to capture videos in slow motion as well as stable 24 fps.
It is unspecified in the AT&T advisory if its BlackBerry Priv users will be receiving the updated BlackBerry Launcher as well, which was announced previously by the BlackBerry company itself. This new feature enables more customization options for the device's home screen and at the same time neatly sorts the application grid into Recent, Personal and Work tabs.
Manually Updating AT&T BlackBerry Priv
1. A device has to be "sufficiently charged" to avoid sudden blackouts in the middle of the update, resulting into a dead phone. We strongly urge users to max out their battery charge.
2. Make sure that the device is currently connected to your Wi-Fi network, as mobile data won't be stable enough for the estimated 1.4 GB download. Also, that's a ton of monthly charge.
3. Once the device is prepped and ready, users should now open up their Settings menu on the apps tray.
4. Scroll to the very bottom and tap About Phone, followed by Systems Update and then Check for updates.
5. An on-screen prompt will instruct the user on how to activate the download and install the update.
6. You're done! But your phone is not.
7. Wait for it to automatically reboot its system after installing the update. If successful, your BlackBerry home screen should be greeting you.
8. To check if the update was a success, users may return to the About Phone screen through the Settings menu. Once there, the Android Version should read as "6.0.1" (for Marshmallow), while the Build Number should read as "AAF355."
