Oct 28, 2015 05:22 AM EDT
It is official!
The Blackberry Priv will soon roll out in a few days. In fact, the Blackberry store has opened the device for pre-orders already. Shipping will commence on Nov. 6, though tech pundits are still skeptical as to whether the device will be able to resurrect Blackberry’s plummeting profits.
Rumors swirled around the possibility that Blackberry will power a high-end device with Android, and the rumors started to coagulate with Blackberry’s purchase of related domains, such as “AndroidSecured.com,” and “AndroidSecured.net.” Then in September, the rumors started to get a more concrete feel, as Blackberry officially released the brand for the Secure Android device, “Blackberry Priv.”
This week, the Blackberry Priv officially went on pre-order status, and Blackberry also rolled out the apps for the new device. On Oct. 26, BlackBerry Central reported that the apps BlackBerry Launcher, MicrosoftexFAT for BlackBerry, and BlackBerry Keyboard have appeared on Google Play. Blackberry Central promised to update their post and list down all the other Blackberry-specific apps that will soon be published on the Google Play Store.
The apps that will be bundled with the BlackBerry Priv include the following:
-BlackBerry Launcher
-BlackBerry Keyboard
-MicrosoftexFAT for BlackBerry
-BlackBerry Services
-BlackBerry Password Keeper
-BlackBerry Camera
-DTEK by BlackBerry
-Content Transfer for BlackBerry
As of the moment, the BlackBerry Limited page on Google Play now features these apps, as well as the following:
-BBM Meetings
-BES12 Client
-Secure Work Space for BES12
-BlackBerry Blend
-Notes by BlackBerry
-Tasks by BlackBerry
-BlackBerry Calendar
-Contacts by BlackBerry
-BlackBerry Hub
-BlackBerry Device Search
-Work Space Manager for BES12
-BlackBerry Secure Connect Plus
-Work Security ID for BES12
These apps will help ensure that BlackBerry Priv users will be able to migrate to the new platform from the BlackBerry 10, especially if they have existing BlackBerry devices.
The BlackBerry Priv units start at $699, and the specs are already out:
Processor/Chipset: Hexa-Core Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 chipset, composed of a 1.8 GHz dual-core A57 Cortex processor and a 1.44 GHz quad-core A53 Cortex processor, 64-bit
RAM: 3 GB
GPU: 600 MHz Adreno 418
OS: Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Internal Storage: 32 GB
Connectivity: GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSPA, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Expandable Storage: Hot-swappable Micro-SD slot (up to 2 TB)
Display: 5.4-inch dual-curved screen, with a maximum resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and a ~540 ppi pixel density, protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Cameras: Primary: 18 MP Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera with optical image stabilization, dual-LED (dual tone) flash, autofocus, and face detection; Secondary: 2 MP
Battery: 3410 mAh Li-Ion battery, with a battery life of up to 22.5 hours
Goodies: A slide out physical keyboard
In spite of the fact that there are a lot of pessimists about BlackBerry’s possible “resurrection,” the BlackBerry Priv’s product page on the BlackBerry store shows that there are users who are actually excited to receive their pre-ordered BlackBerry Priv units, as soon as they roll out on Nov. 6. For those who prefer a more secure Android, and those who are die-hard BlackBerry fans, the Priv may be well worth the wait.
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Pre-Order your BlackBerry Priv here: https://store.shopblackberry.com/store/bbrryus/en_US/pd/productID.328095700/categoryID.70448700
BlackBerry Limited apps on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=BlackBerry+Limited
Other BlackBerry Priv articles on Droid Report: https://www.droidreport.com/taxonomy/term/23640
BlackBerry Central’s App Article: https://www.blackberrycentral.com/news/article/keyboard-launcher-google/
FirstPost Tech’s take on the BlackBerry Priv release: https://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/blackberry-releases-android-apps-on-google-play-store-for-upcoming-blackberry-priv-285998.html