Blackberry Priv will have a tag price of $749. (Photo : Twitter)
Because the newly released Android-OS BlackBerry Priv is said to be the Canadian phonemaker's last chance to return to its old glory in the mobile phone industry, products reviews would play an important role if the company that was apparently on the verge of collapsing could still recover.
On one hand, BusinessInsider found the smartphone realy good. It lauded the Ontario-based company for straying from its comfort zone and opting to use Android as the flagship's OS instead of the BlackBerry OS. But the gadget retains its distinct BlackBerry "dark classy look," its robust security and apps such as BBM and Hub, plus its signature physical keyboard.
Another plus is the gadget's "dark aesthetics, silver accents, and slightly curved screen at the edges," but it observes that the Priv is not as solid or well-built at the Taiwan-made HTC One. Nevertheless, it still gives users the best of both worlds by being a modern smartphone through its large, vibrant touchscreen, and having a classic board for more accurate typing.
For BusinessInsider, Android lovers would find the $700 tag price reasonable, but it points out that BlackBerry fans are insufficient in numbers to keep the company relevant and financially viable.
On the other hand, for Engadget, having the Android OS for the Priv cannot save BlackBerry.
However, the tech website also acknowledges the good features of Priv such as the physical keyboard. It states that while the $700 price would turn off fair-weather buyers, "but if you can't stand typing on glass, this is your only option."
Engadget notes that Priv's 5.43-inch plastic AMOLED display with its 2,560 x 1,400 resolution and pixel display of 540 ppi is behind Galaxy S6 Edge's 577 ppi, but ahead of LG G4's 538 ppi.
It adds that the rest of the noticeable changes on the Priv as cosmetic instead of functional. Engadget finds BlackBerry's adoption of Android OS four years too late. While it found the Priv a "pretty decent Android smartphone," the tech website concludes, "I just can't imagine anyone who has become inured to using an on-screen keyboard will considering dropping seven hundred big ones to go back to how it was."
