BlackBerry’s first Android smartphone, the Priv, goes on sale
Blackberry which was once the king of smartphones is trying a comeback piggybacking on Android operating system. With the launch of the Priv, BlackBerry hopes to resolve many of the ills that are facing the company and its smartphone.
Priv is Blackberry’s first Android-based phone, though its developers have modified the operating system to add some of BlackBerry’s strengths. Priv is seen as the only hope for BlackBerry as CEO John Chen said it needs to sell 5 million devices this year, or may have to finally get out of the handset business.
Design : Priv has dual curved-edged display which is now being adopted by most major smartphone makers. The display slides up to reveal a physical keyboard. BlackBerry had cutely hidden the keyboard so if you didnt know Priv had slider, Â you might never know the keyboard is there.
Keyboard:Â Giving a physical keyboard on their smartphones has always been a BlackBerry plus point. The physical keyboard in Priv may also be a strong selling point for BlackBerry.
Google Play Store :Â Unlike old BlackBerry smartphones, Priv users will have full access to all of the apps on the Google Play store.
Native BB Apps : BlackBerry engineers have build a nice App called DTEK which is a app manager. DTEK gives users information about which apps they using at the moment. It also gives users a good look at Priv is doing at any given moment. BlackBerry has put Window’s-like tile interface of different sized app screens which may not go well with users.
The Priv comes with a 5.43-inch, 2560×1440, 540 PPI, AMOLED display. The phone has an expandable SD card slot, supporting up to 2TB of additional storage. Priv packs a 18MP  rear shooter
Detailed Specs :
Name: BlackBerry Priv
Price (unlocked/2-year contract): $799/$399
Operating system: BlackBerry modified Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Screen (size/type): 5.4-inch QHD AMOLED screen with 1440 x 2560 resolution (540 ppi pixel density)
Features: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, capacitive touchscreen keyboard, expandable storage slot.
Camera: Rear: 18 MP with optical image stabilization and phase detection autofocus. Front: 2 MP with 720p video.
Weight: 192 grams
Battery life: 3,410 mAh battery, good for a day and half.
Competition: iPhone 6s/6s Plus, Samsung S6.
