BlackBerry once ruled the Smartphone world. The techno giant was used and appreciated by millions. But that was “Once Upon A Time”! The company has lost its value since then. But, who would have known that BlackBerry would revive again, when it was just hanging on the verge of death on international market. Yes, we are speaking truth here. BlackBerry has managed to steal the heart of audience once again.
Have you ever wondered what would be the result of the combination between sheer brilliance and world’s most trusted and powerful OS (Android)? The result would be BlackBerry’s prodigious and fascinating masterpiece- The BlackBerry Priv.
BlackBerry is the phone which combines the privacy and amazing features all into one place. The privilege to enjoy and to stay private is what this new Smartphone is offering. The new phone has emerged as bit of player along with inciting all the long lost fans to buy it.
HITS
- The display is breath-taking
- A perfect combination of Blackberry and Android
- High Specifications and Pretty Great Camera
- Fairly attractive looking device with an easy grip on hold
FLOPS
- The Price is way too high for a sinking company’s latest Smartphone
- Battery Time is not so impressive
- The signature physical BlackBerry keyboard which used to be the talk of the town isn’t that much satisfying.
- These were just the main details you need to know about the device. Just for your convenience, there is a complete detailed review below. Read and decide if you want to live those old keyboard times or not.
A DETAILED REVIEW:
BlackBerry is indeed a nice effort by the company. The device has received its fair share of love and criticism both. Some of the long lost BlackBerry lovers are finally returning to the physical keyboard world.
Let’s take a detailed look at what Priv has in store for us;
What’s Up With The Display And Sound?
BlackBerry Priv’s display fit between the famous devices that have been storming the sales this year. The perfect 5.43-inch plastic AMOLED display with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and 540 ppi pixel density falls between Galaxy S6 Edge and the LG G4. The perfect AMOLED display gives the accurate and warm colors to the screen. Regardless of mentioning the super-cool display, the winner here is the fact that when you watch movies and videos, you will find yourself going into the depths due to the serene and beautiful looking screen. This is the big plus for Priv the beautiful and warm colors will accentuate the watching experience.
However, the saddening point is that BlackBerry has not taken into account the sleek, sloping curved screen. The only visible usage is the indicator bar on the right hand side curves which lits up when the device is charging. The feature here is given the light touch to the device which contrary to BlackBerry’s I-don’t-care kind of attitude gives the phone a sweet appearance.
On the sound front, there are short but wide speakers hidden behind the bottom of the back side. The sound is enough that you can split some moves along with your friends. Not so ground breaking speakers but you can use your Priv for a little party at home.
A Detailed Look On Priv’s Hardware
BlackBerry, lately, has been focusing in diverting all of its energy towards business and elite customers. Somewhere along the path, the company lost its charm and the value which makes the device, worth a second look. The rugged mainstream design with Black body, silver buttons and something of this and that was the sole design mantra of the company for some time.
The BlackBerry Priv came to defy all the stereotypes. Re-introducing a big touch screen along with a physical wide keyboard has once again filled a life into the Smartphones’ body.
Without being dubious and skeptical, Priv is the most stylish and attractive device, BlackBerry has ever given birth to.
The curved screen along with the prominent edges is something no one wants to miss showing off. Sadly, the signature silver buttons and matte black are still there but who wants to cry over that one default when you have many other pluses.
The thickness of the phone is a little drawback, but, cleverly tapering the edges of the device has given the Priv a thin appearance. It is around 9.4mm thick. Also, the company’s stand at making the device solid and sturdy is there too. While, the Priv looks so delicate and easily breakable but that is near to the impossible on the new device. The woven glass fabric on the back has Gorilla Glass 4 display coating, which ensures that the device would last longer than expected.
As for the other physical units there is a BB logo just below the earpiece, selfie camera, light sensor and a notification light all nestled at back. Below the display, there are speakers and a main microphone. On the top, there is a microSD slot. The expandable memory is supported up to 2TB while there is also a micro-USB 2.0 port along with the SIM tray. The sleep and volume buttons are all adjusted on the left hand side. All in all, the device is 184mm tall including the keyboard. The keyboard is a masterpiece in the entire device with its considerations at appearance and the auto-choice option.
What’s Under the Hood? Priv’s Software Selection
BlackBerry 10 has also got a little re-introduction in the device. The regular insta-swipe was placed at the left side to get to the usual BlackBerry hub. The resting place has been shifted and now there sits a Productivity Hub. The Productivity Hub is a good concept by the company. It contains all you important information in tid-bits regarding the important messages, reminders etc. All can be accessed easily through pulling a white little tab placed on the left side of the screen.
Underneath, the system is powered by the Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop). This is where BlackBerry falters a bit. In order to adjust the company’s logo, the designers have added some sort of mysterious cryptographic key above the surface. Yes, Yes, above the surface, on hardware! The new cryptographic step has solidified the Linux Kernel and has created a Dtek security app which monitors the user’s activity. BlackBerry has also confirmed that the Lollipop is soon updating to Marshmallow, Soon.
The default home screen has also been shifted to the left side instead of the usual mid. Also, the app tray consisting of the major apps also has a continuous scrolling option. If you swipe to the side you will have access to all the widgets and shortcuts which can be customized, Interesting enough? BlackBerry has also customized the android functioning with some of its own. The navigation features for one are now in the traditional BlackBerry style. The move has been criticized by many but personally, I think that the option to get an easy access to all the widgets and shortcuts is pleasant to have.
Who would be disappointed with an easy to navigate app tray? Well, for me, I am disappointed on all those who are disappointed with this new change.
My most favorite part of BlackBerry Priv is here. Yes, I am all giddy telling you this. In my humble opinion BlackBerry Priv breaks record or not, the company has introduced the most trusting security system ever. The Dtek babies you Android from all the hacking and stealing. Just the code will manifest wonders on you device, which you would have never considered before.
Is The Camera worthy Of Photo shoot?
BlackBerry’s over-active imagination has never been active in the camera front. The company in order to protect its sinking ship has fitted the Priv the dynamic, super amazing 18-megapixel Schneider-Kreuznach-certified imaging sensor. Apart from it the designers have done their best to put whatever comes to their hand in order to make this handset stand right in the race with DSLR.
BlackBerry Priv contains all the magical elements to make the camera hit.
It has auto phase detection focus, Optical Image Stabilization, and the capacity to record 4K video at 30fps. The camera also contains the software-based live image filters that are already the part of BlackBerry 10 devices.
The selfie camera is, however, a bit dim with 2 MP, 720p video capture and 2 xs digital zoom that can also take panoramic selfies. The sample images by the company are quite good to look at, but they are no testament to the device’s picture quality. They can be rigged. Right? There is a minor discrepancy in color consistency between two shots, sometimes. The pictures that are captured during night are nosier and foggy. But, stunningly, in some instance the Priv managed to take some bearable shots in utter darkness.
The BlackBerry Priv camera is nowhere near DSLR, but it is good addition to all the other specifications of the device.
Overall Performance And Battery Execution
BlackBerry Priv has been created with all the desperate attempts by a company which was trying to save itself. The device has been powered by 1.8GHz hexa-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chip. There is a paired 3GB RAM and 32GB of built-in storage.
BlackBerry’s attempt at producing an Android device definitely caught the audience by storm. The quick performance paired with chip-and-RAM combo is obviously worth considering over. The performance of the device is instantaneous and quick but not as good and quick as mentioned in various benchmark results. The BlackBerry claims that Priv is more call-friendly than ever are a sham. Since, the device has 11 antennas inside its svelte frame doesn’t matter much. The audio is weak and the sound chokes off.
As far as battery is concerned, BlackBerry Priv has a non-removable, 3,410mAh battery. The battery is powerful but the company still rated the usage as limited to 22 hours of mixed use. The battery is dubious and can only be figured by constant use after some time. As mentioned by various test, the battery can well run for about nearly 12 hours. But, the fact here is that the battery is not good enough for day to day use or for constant video playback.
BOTTOM LINE
BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen has pledged to shout the division if profits or sales figure does not turn out well before 2016. Well, the truth is that Android itself is not surfacing well in these times. Big companies like Samsung are also struggling with keeping their standards as they used to.
The BlackBerry Priv is definitely a good signal for the company. But, the heavy $699 price tag can scare off many customers. Although, the specifications and features are fairly good but price tag is the major stimulator in sales. The built, display, touch, software and the curved edges are all near to the perfect. The keyboard gives you the typical BlackBerry feel but it lacks some of the glory.
All in all, the device is good for those who want to use keyboard once again. Those who don’t like keyboard should have to think twice or thrice before making the decision. Till then, I am thinking should I jump from my HTC to BlackBerry or not? If you have any suggestions, please drop them in the comments section.