Review: BlackBerry PRIV

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The BlackBerry PRIV is a greatest hits effort that encapsulates many of BlackBerrys strengths and innovations into a singular device. Not only is this the most compelling Android smartphone I’ve tried this year, it is also the most versatile device out there.

It’s not surprising that BlackBerry has gone all-in with Android. While the company continues to stress they are still dedicated to BB10 (with a significant software upgrade promised for 2016), BlackBerry had really been flirting with Android since it launched the BB10-powered Z10 in 2013.

Most BB10 users have been able to sideload Android apps via roundabout ways for years now. Getting applications like Instagram or Snapchat to work on BlackBerry devices necessitated some sneaking around the system and installing apps through the Amazon App Store. The lack of Google Play Services (the secret sauce that makes legit Androids tick), was a huge limitation for BB10 devices and limited access to bona fide Android experience on BlackBerry.

This flirtation between BlackBerry and Android has blossomed from forbidden love to a marriage of convenience. For Android, they now have a truly secure enterprise grade device that fits nicely within their ambitious Android for Work initiative, and BlackBerry now has the first of a possible new line of smartphones to sell and keep itself relevant.

From Venice to PRIV

The PRIV (CAD $899 direct from BlackBerry) has been widely anticipated and for many reasons. The device, codenamed Venice, was the next BlackBerry slider and the modern representation of the Torch line of the past that incorporated a full touch screen with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The idea with a slider is that users could swipe and tap to their heart’s delight while still retaining all that screen real estate when they needed to type with a proper BlackBerry keyboard.

The PRIV, which takes its name from privacy and privilege, however, is much more than a rehash of the old BlackBerry Torch’s ethos. It is an all-in attempt to jump the line and land itself at the top of the Android flagship heap. It also showcases BlackBerry as a world-class hardware maker with one of the most diverse lines of devices encompassing QWERTY-enabled phones, touchscreen phones and innovative products like the Passport.

A Greatest Hits effort

The BlackBerry PRIV is a Greatest Hits effort that encapsulates many of BlackBerrys’ strengths and innovations into a singular but cohesive device. Not only is this the most compelling Android smartphone I’ve tried this year, it is the most versatile device out there right now.

We have a really impeccable handset design with no less than 5.4-inch dual-edge screen (previously seen only in premium Samsungs), a 64-bit Dual-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A57 and Quad-core 1.44 GHz CortexA53 (Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64 bit) processor, 3GB of RAM, an 18-megapixel camera with 4K video capture capability, BlackBerry’s excellent Hub software, security and a large 3410 mAh battery that promises 22.5 hours of mixed usage.

The press renders and product photos really do the BlackBerry PRIV a disservice, since it looks a lot larger than it really is. This device is thinner than a HTC M9, yet features a full-QWERTY keyboard, which slides out with a reassuring mechanical click.

They keyboard has its own tricks as well, including predictive text functionality as well as capacitive control, which turns it into a trackpad for scrolling or for getting into specific areas or lines of text. Keys are soft but responsive for thumb-typing and all the popular BB shortcuts are still accessible.

Here’s the thing, though. You can enjoy the PRIV as device even without ever sliding down the keyboard. It integrates BlackBerry’s equally accurate (and ever-learning) software keyboard which is just about my favourite predictive keyboard on any mobile platform, and now it is on Android.

Design and build

The curved glass display differentiates the PRIV from the gaggle of Android flagships, while the grippy carbon-weave back gives it a functional and purposeful character.

BlackBerry spared no expense in terms of materials and build, and while some will balk at the device’s premium price, you only need to spend some time with the PRIV to realize this is a premium smartphone through and through.

Setting it next to a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge +, which has a similar size and curved display, shows that the PRIV is slightly thicker but even more compact. Not bad at all for a device that’s got a hidden retractable QWERTY keyboard under its bonnet.

The PRIV feels good in my hands and its width and height isn’t outrageous, I can just manage it with one hand. The curved display does get in the way when I reach with my thumb as the skin of my palm inadvertently opens the Contacts apps in the lower left hand side. This is a device best managed with two hands and if your thumbs have forgotten how to work a QWERTY keyboard, they will soon be chugging gleefully along on the PRIV’s keyboard.

The QWERTY keyboard is responsive and functional. You can assign special functions or apps to open when you long press a specific key (for example ‘I’ can open Instagram) which adds another layer of customization.

Once the slide out keyboard is deployed, the entire display is now free to show content. It’s not as expansive as the Passport, but then again, once the keyboard is hidden, it is a more compact device to carry in one’s pocket.

I like that the display is built on a solid metal frame and below this is the speaker grille. There’s balance to the design as well as purpose. The display is quite beautiful, but I find it too dim. Even with the brightness turned almost all the way up, the PRIV’s pixel-dense display isn’t as brilliant as other recent Android devices.

The high-level design and build quality extends to the included earbuds as well as the range of cases, sleeves, charging docks and accessories that BlackBerry has designed to outfit the PRIV. These include a leather Folio Case with a window that users can interact with, and a slider case that protects the PRIV at the cost of extra weight and girth.

Android on a BlackBerry

As BlackBerry’s first device running Android (yes, more are coming), the PRIV could have been a bloated abomination of two operating systems struggling to take command of the experience. BlackBerry has done a remarkable job at letting Android be Android, while creating a safety net around the user experience.

From the time you boot the device, which greets you with an Android robot holding a black shield, you quickly understand that Android is running within some stringent security fences. Each time you reboot the device, it doesn’t dive into the Android start screen, PRIV asks if you want to start Android.

Running Lollipop (because of the long lead time required by US carriers), the PRIV promises a future with Marshmallow, although when that will be is anyone’s guess. Marshmallow has been the slowest version of Android OS to make it to Nexus devices, which doesn’t bode well for everyone else.

If you’re an Android user, there’s nearly no learning curve to use the PRIV, there are various BlackBerry Apps that add functionality, but aside from that, you can download and enjoy all your Android apps and you can also enjoy the features that BlackBerry excels in like the BlackBerry Hub as well as specialty apps like DTek.

DTek gives users a top level view of how secure their device is. It can even show you which features your apps are accessing (including frequency), so you can get a clear idea of how your apps are using up resources. DTek gives a great overview of your PRIV’s health and security and makes the interface clear and friendly enough so that consumers can understand. There’s also a password keeper application, a Content Transfer app that moves files and preferences from iOS, Android, BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 10 to the PRIV.

Unlike a lot of bloatware that ships with some Android devices, BlackBerry’s apps are actually useful and worth investing time to check out.

The camera is another big feature for the PRIV. BlackBerry has called in some big guns to help with imaging. Schneider-Kreuznach which has certified this 18-megapixel camera and its ‘DSLR level,’ features.

Not sure about DSLR-level, but the PRIV has a much improved camera experience and the quality of the photos seem very realistic and don’t have much of the in-camera processing that other smartphones tend to leave on by default. There are some interesting and fun features as well, like various filters you can see even before the picture is taken and a pretty interesting ‘Panoramic Selfie’ mode.

The PRIV takes very sharp photos and video, it is fast enough to take 5 frames a second in burst mode (hold shutter button down), and HD and 4K video are very nice to have. It’s a step up from previous BB10 cameras but falls short of competing Android flagships in terms of speed, accuracy and quickness of the camera’s AI.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry PRIV is an impressive outing and a notable first Android device from a company that has made its reputation on security and enterprise grade solutions. BlackBerry has managed to create one of the most compelling arguments for allowing Android in enterprise, BYOD, and various other security focused industries by leveraging its own hardware and software solutions to work as a security bubble surrounding the Android OS.

Most consumers might find the BlackBerry PRIV a confounding choice. It is expensive, comes from a company that’s lost a lot of its previous relevance in a market it helped define, and many would argue that the days of the QWERTY keyboard on smartphones are over.

I found the BlackBerry PRIV to be a competent performer and just as quick and powerful as the latest from Samsung, LG, Huawei and HTC. The experience is very close to stock Android and the BlackBerry apps are useful and reassuring. It is also great to have a smartphone of this size that can last a day and a half plus which can use Quick Charge 2.0 functionality to get hours of use from under 30 minutes of charge (with supported chargers).

Last year, BlackBerry paid fan service with the release of the BlackBerry Classic, which was a nostalgic look back to the glory days of the QWERTY-keyboard dominant messaging device that ran businesses and governments.

With the BlackBerry PRIV, we see a very forward thinking BlackBerry device that holds on to core strengths while opening potential users to the multiverse of Android apps, ecosystems and experiences.

While locking down on security and privacy, the BlackBerry PRIV actually opens doors for BlackBerry and its future as a premium Android handset maker.

Rating  4.5 out of 5