Blackberry Priv - Blackberry's first Android phone.

Blackberry Priv is now officially available for purchase. It is the first Android phone from Blackberry which is priced at $699. It will begin shipping in the US from November 6, 2015. But its availability in India is not clear.

It has a 3GB RAM with 5.4 inch Oled QHD display. Its rear camera has optical image stabilization with 18 megapixel capacity. The front camera has 2 megapixel in place. It boasts of a 3410 mAh battery which is said to last for 22.5 hours under various uses. It also has a physical keyboard which is hidden inside.

I think this will be a do or die situation for Blackberry. Their CEO John Chen has already made it clear earlier that if it's mobile business doesn't return profits, they will be forced to shut down the business.

It's really good to see BlackBerry coming up with Android. The phone appears to be quite strong on paper though, let's see how it performs in the real world. A 5.4" Oled Quad HD display and 18 megapixel rear camera would be a delight to users. However, the biggest and most unique thing about BlackBerry Priv is it's expandable storage capacity of 2TB, I mean that's insane. In terms of pricing, the BlackBerry hits the right spot as the smartphones now a days are launched within the same price range with similar features. I wish I could bring it home some day.

I think the only way back for BlackBerry was to ditch their own OS and while moving to the android platform will surely help, I think a lot of people will take a lot more convincing to trade in their Samsung's and HTC's just yet.

Originally Posted by pwarbi

I think the only way back for BlackBerry was to ditch their own OS and while moving to the android platform will surely help, I think a lot of people will take a lot more convincing to trade in their Samsung's and HTC's just yet.

I think you are right. It is not going to be a smooth run for them due to stiff competition from Apple and Samsung and other players like Sony, LG, HTC etc. But I think they will survive as this is their last chance. As per management if they are not able to keep up the sales, this brand will be a history. So, it can even work as a motivator and demotivator at the same time.

But if they can come out with some innovative ideas, the whole story will change. They are also backed by a strong brand image.

Your right that the brand as still got a strong reputation, and that's surprising on its own considering some of the last devices they brought out.

This is certainly their last chance to try and claw some of their market share back, and while it might not be too late, its going to be a hard struggle.

I bet you all that it's going to be a big hit. In fact, I feel it's going to give a stiff competition to the well established players. I don't think Sony or LG really make decent amount of sales, at least here in India. The competition is going to get much hotter after it's launch in India, and I feel it's going to give most of the devices a run for their money.
Anyways, let's wait and watch how strong it performs in the real world, as on papers it's really looking hot.