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BlackBerry's Priv Android phone comes to Verizon
For power Android users who need a physical keyboard, one of the few devices left is the BlackBerry Priv. Until now, it could only be found on AT&T and T-Mobile, but it's now available on Verizon, the biggest network in the US -- for a price. While it costs as little as $700 or so unlocked, Big Red is selling it for $720 sans contract, or a hefty $30 per month over two years. However, it means that BlackBerry's first and only Android device (so far) is now available to over 80 percent of US subscribers, with just Sprint missing from the big four.
Report: BlackBerry lays off a third of its Waterloo staff (Updated)
Citing multiple sources, Mobile Syrup reported Friday that BlackBerry has laid off roughly 35 percent of its workforce in Waterloo, Canada -- where the company is headquartered. That translates into about 1000 people losing their jobs. According to Mobilesyrup, the BB10 and Devices divisions suffered the deepest cuts with 150 members of the latter team getting sacked. A small number of workers from BlackBerry's Sunrise, Florida office were also let go.
BlackBerry CEO says Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint will sell the Priv
For two months now, there were only two worthwhile ways to get a BlackBerry Priv in the US — you could buy one unlocked straight from the source or ink an agreement with AT&T. That won't be the case for much longer, though. BlackBerry CEO John Chen just confirmed here at CES that Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have all signed on to sell the Priv... at some point. Chen couldn't provide any further information on when these carriers will officially add BlackBerry's latest phone to their line-ups, noting that "they all like to do that themselves". Fair enough, John.
Living with the BlackBerry Priv hooked me on its keyboard
When my colleague Dan reviewed the BlackBerry Priv, he was understandably cool about it. You're paying a steeper-than-average price ($699-plus in the US) for a phone whose selling point is its slide-out keyboard. That's a big gamble when there are more affordable touch-only phones that are also more powerful. But what's it like if you take that plunge? I've spent several weeks living with a Priv to find out. All its stand-out features and quirks are still there, but I've found myself gradually drawn in by that keyboard -- enough so that my opinion of the phone has changed for good.
The mobile world's walls are crumbling
Ponder the photo you see above for a moment. Yes, that's Apple Music running on a BlackBerry phone powered by Android -- products from three mobile rivals working in harmony. The very concept of this would have been outlandish just a year ago, let alone a few years earlier when these companies were at each other's throats. This is the best sign yet that some of the walls in mobile tech are finally tumbling down. Companies are realizing that they sometimes have to play nicely with each other if they want to succeed... and that's good for everyone.
BlackBerry's Android phone is coming to Verizon, too
You won't have to jump to AT&T or get an unlocked phone just to give the BlackBerry Priv a try in the States. Verizon has teased that BlackBerry's first Android smartphone is "coming soon," and it's taking sign-ups if you want to know just when the slider will be available on its network. There's no mention of a release date or pricing, but AT&T is selling the Priv for $250 on a 2-year contract, or $25 per month on a similarly lengthy installment plan. We'd expect something comparable with Big Red.
BlackBerry Priv review: Android alone can't save the company
Sports fans often say that their team could pull itself out of a losing streak if only it'd play that exciting but untested, kid who's usually consigned to the bench. Gadgets fans sing a similar hymn about BlackBerry, opining that it would have remained relevant if it'd adopted Android to run on its phones. Now, several years too late, we're going to see what the long-deposed world champion can do with the world's most popular operating system. The result is the Priv, a premium Android smartphone-cum-hail-Mary that's offering two things other companies can't: Privilege and Privacy. It's also packing a slide-out physical keyboard, a 5.4-inch curved display and, naturally, the company's famous security software. But the device has something else that we've not seen in a BlackBerry phone since the launch of the Q10: the expectation that the device might actually be worth buying.
BlackBerry can bypass carriers to deliver Android security fixes
Multiple Android phone makers are promising monthly security updates, but there's a big gotcha: they typically have to get approval from carriers, which means you'll wait weeks before those updates arrive. BlackBerry won't be making that compromise with the Priv, however. It's not only planning to deliver monthly security updates, but won't always have to go through carriers to do it -- the company claims it can "directly patch" every Priv model, even if it's locked to a specific network. The smartphone maker will work with its partners on pushing fixes when it can, but it'll skip the queue and deliver an out-of-cycle patch if there's a major vulnerability.
AT&T will be the first US carrier to offer Blackberry's Priv
AT&T will begin carrying the Blackberry Priv on November 6th, the company announced on Monday. The phone, which runs Android's Lollipop OS and features a slide-out physical keyboard, will be available that Friday in both AT&T retail outlets and the company's website. Specs for the Priv leaked late last month, though the price listed there has since been corrected to an even $700 if you buy it unlocked.
BlackBerry's Priv will cost you $699
BlackBerry has opened-up pre-orders for its first ever Android smartphone, the curved-screen slider that's better known as the Priv. The move comes just a day after the spec list was leaked on the company's site, although the price that was included in the listing turned out to be a red herring. In fact, American BlackBerry fans will be able to pre-order the device for $699 starting from today, with delivery expected on November 6th. Canadians, meanwhile, can plonk down $899 CDN to get the device in their home country, while UK users are expected to stump-up £559 ($857) for the same deal.
BlackBerry might have leaked the Priv's specs and release date (update: confirmed)
BlackBerry's been drip-feeding data about its first Android phone for the last few weeks, but it looks as if someone's spilled the rest of the beans a little bit early. An eagle-eyed member of the Crackberry forums found a page on the firm's website that shared the spec list and price for the US and Canadian version of the device. If accurate, then we know that the Priv is packing a fair bit of power beneath the hood, but has a listed price of $749. There's no indication if that figure is for the US or Canada -- but the page does reference the (GSM) handset not working on American CDMA networks like Verizon and Sprint. You'll also spot that the device is marked for release on November 16th, so we won't have long to find out if all of this is true or not.
BlackBerry reveals the lengths it went to make Android 'secure'
BlackBerry's reputation for security is so strong that its devices are frequently used by world leaders as their go-to smartphone of choice. With the forthcoming Priv, the firm has had to try and bring its brand-name security to Android, an operating system with a less-than stellar history when it comes to security and privacy. In order to reassure customers that the Priv has all of the benefits you'll find on its BB10 handsets, Alex Manea, BlackBerry's director of security, has opened up on the measures it took to make Android secure.
BlackBerry's CEO isn't sure how to use BlackBerry's Android phone
BlackBerry CEO John Chen may be immensely proud of his company's upcoming Android-powered Priv smartphone, but he still has a few things to learn about using it. In an on-camera demo of the Priv for BNN, it's apparent that the exec hasn't used Android much -- he talks about how it "runs Google," and has trouble launching basics like Chrome. Not exactly putting your best foot forward, BlackBerry. It's hard not to sympathize a bit with Chen, since he's likely been using BlackBerry 10 devices for a while. With that said, SlashGear raises a valid concern about what this goof-ridden clip means for long-time users. Moving to Android is a big help for newcomers and people who'd left BlackBerry for greener pastures, but it might alienate loyal fans who've never tried another company's platform.
BlackBerry confirms 'Priv' Android phone will launch this year
BlackBerry confirmed that rumors of its first Android device, called Priv, are accurate. In the company's latest earnings report, CEO John Chen said that the smartphone "combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform." It'll arrive by the end of 2015 "in major markets in-store and online," and Blackberry will reveal other details like specs and price within the next few weeks. So far, rumors indicate that it'll have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge-like curved screen, QWERTY keyboard slider and 18-megapixel camera. Despite the company's turn toward Android, Chen said it "remains committed to the BlackBerry 10 OS," and will release version 10.3.3 in March, 2016.
BlackBerry's Android phone will be known as the 'Priv'
BlackBerry's upcoming Android phone has been called "Venice" for quite some time, but that's apparently nothing but a moniker meant to be shed and replaced by its real model name. According to Evleaks and N4BB, it will be released as the BlackBerry Priv, presumably due to its privacy features. Evleaks also revealed a new stock photo of the phone, which you can see below the fold. Don't expect to see anything new, though: it's still a QWERTY slider with a curved screen and an 18-megapixel camera. Hopefully, we'll find out more about it and its release date soon. If the device turns out to have killer features, then it doesn't matter what it's called: after all, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
