BlackBerry has confirmed the specifications of its attempt to make it back into the smartphone industry, the BlackBerry Priv, ahead of the phone's Nov. 6 release in the U.K.
The phone is now available for preorder in the U.K. from Carphone Warehouse, with the price sitting at 579.99 pounds, which equates to around $890 in USD. It's likely, of course, that the price will be a little cheaper when the device does hit the U.S.
Users on this side of the ocean, however, won't be able to put down any money on the device just yet. Interested buyers can only go through a preregistration process in the U.S. and Canada, after which they will be notified when the Priv goes on sale in their particular country.
The Priv itself is the first BlackBerry device that runs on Google's Android mobile operating system and also features BlackBerry's proprietary security app. Before the Priv, BlackBerry devices featured BlackBerry's own mobile operating system, but the BlackBerry 10 operating system didn't offer too many apps, and certainly not when compared with the likes of iOS and Android. It makes sense that BlackBerry would turn to Android, allowing users to take advantage of apps in the ever-growing Google Play Store.
One of the key things that sets the Priv apart from other smartphones on the market, however, is the sliding keyboard, which basically gives users a way to physically type emails and messages. It also has a touch keyboard.
Other specs on the device include an 18-MP camera with a dual-flash, along with a 2-MP front-facing selfie camera, as well as a 5.4-inch Quad HD display. The processor on the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. It has a 5.4-inch dual-curved screen and a long-lasting 3,410 mAh battery.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the specs, combined with the physical keyboard and the security features, will be enough to sell the Priv. However, if they aren't, the Priv could be one of BlackBerry's last smartphones. According to BlackBerry CEO John Chen, the company needs to sell at least 5 million units to turn a profit.
Via: Fortune
