It’s funny how the first enticing handsetย to come out of BlackBerry in years is also the company’s first Android-powered smartphone, but I’m sure BlackBerry will do pretty much anything to increase sales at this point. What makes the PRIV so enticing is the fact that it brings BlackBerry’sย unparalleledย focus on privacy and security without having to sacrifice the features and vast number of apps that Android has. Earlier today, the company confirmed that the PRIV will be going up for pre-order tomorrow, and has revealed the device’s full specs sheet.ย
The latest handset from BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Priv, has been making the headlines consistently of late. Of course, a new device from BlackBerry always would make some headlines. However, as this one represents a turn away from tradition due to its operating system being Android, this one has generated an ever larger number of headlines and especially within the Android world.ย Over the last twenty fours hours, those headlines have increased dramatically. The first of the surge of reports came through last night when a rumor began developing that BlackBerry is planning to open orders for the Priv starting tomorrow, Friday. This was then followed by a full leak of information coming through, thanks to an official BlackBerry webpage which went live and was subsequently pulled again. The page highlighted the full specs (which had already been leaked previously through retailers) along with the likely price of the device in the U.S., $749. The other revelation which came thanks to the leak is that the Priv will begin shipping on November 16th.