BlackBerry has officially started taking pre-orders for its first android smartphone, Priv, which is priced at $699. BlackBery says Priv will start shipping in the United States on November 6. At that price, BlackBerry Priv is still priced way higher than Android flagships like Galaxy Note 5, Moto X Pure and latest Nexus 6P among others.
For the first time, BlackBerry Priv is not falling behind the competition in terms of specs. The smartphone features a 5.4-inch Quad HD display with both the ends curved like Samsung’s Galaxy edge. The handset is powered by Qualcomm snapdragon 808 processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage.
The BlackBerry Priv comes with an 18-megapixel camera and has that trademark BlackBerry keyboard with biometric touch layer on top of it. The smartphone is backed by a massive 3,410mAh battery which BlackBerry claims should last for over 22 hours.
While BlackBerry Priv seems to be running near stock Android OS, the canadian smartphone major has added its own software to the mix. Swiping from the Home button reveals Google Now along with BlackBerry Hub feature. BlackBerry has also focussed a lot on security with its Android phone.
BlackBerry says its Priv will work only with AT&T and T-Mobile which leaves aspiring Sprint, verizon or US Cellular customers with no option.