It has been known for some months that BlackBerry is releasing a new sliding touchscreen device running Android later this year. The Priv, symbolizing both privacy and privilege, will slide open to reveal a classic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, and this feature has excited many Android fans who have waited for years for a mainstream high-end phone that dares include a physical keyboard in this day and age. BlackBerry will also be upholding their corporate values by shipping the Priv with a slightly modified version of Android with increased security measures, including a unique hardware key to prevent malicious apps from running, an app that monitors what software accesses your private data and can advise if your passwords are too easy to guess, and BlackBerry’s usual “hardened” Linux kernel. The phone comes in at $700 unlocked, putting it firmly in high-end territory.
The excitement for the Priv has been near-palpable, for a few reasons. BlackBerry diehards are finally getting another chance at mainstream validation, people miss physical keyboards on smartphones, and even in the scope of current Android flagships, the hardware is superbly crafted. The phone has a thinner body than the Galaxy Note 5 and Nexus 6 even with its keyboard, and the 5.45-inch screen serves as a nice middle ground for those dissatisfied with our current generation of Very Big phones.
Unfortunately, the main selling points of the phone arrive in an unexpectedly neutered form. “[The keyboard] is small, and the tiny keys are hard to press—it’s more the sensation of button mashing than elegantly typing,” wrote Gizmodo reviewer Mario Aguilar. “The weight also hurts your ability to use the cool touchpad feature that lets you scroll through webpages with a swipe. The keyboard ends up being an afterthought because it’s so useless.” Engadget’s Daniel Cooper was slightly more charitable: “ But then there’s that slightly lackluster keyboard, which isn't bad, but isn't as glorious as what you'd expect from a BlackBerry device.” BlackBerry opted for an atypical keyboard design for the Priv, likely in an effort to keep the device as thin as it is. But when you see these kinds of damning criticisms, you have to wonder if they’d have been better off just making the device a thick enough to encompass the standard BB Classic keyboard layout.
As for software, BlackBerry has left Android mostly unscathed by the ill-conceived cosmetic changes that Samsung and LG can’t seem to resist. Instead, we’re met with a barebones version of Lollipop (no bonus points for an outdated version of the OS) with a few tweaks in the home screen, and some additional apps, Hub and DTEK. Tim Moynihan of Wired wrote this in regards to the Priv’s BlackBerry integration in Android: “Although they’re the marquee features, this isn’t just an Android phone with a slider design, a physical keyboard, and overdue catchup specs. It folds in some of the BlackBerry platform’s best features and introduces some new ones... It’s BlackBerry’s wheelhouse, and now it’s on a phone that runs Android.”
Overall, it seems like users’ mileage with the Priv will depend on their relationship with the BlackBerry brand as it stands. People who used BlackBerry for years will appreciate having the ability to finally get some apps on a phone with a modern design. People used to Android will desire a better camera and lower price, and the keyboard does little for either demographic. If the device doesn’t sell enough, CEO John Chen has indicated that the company may leave the hardware business. If BlackBerry can’t deliver on a phone that competently blends BlackBerry’s strong industrial design with the benefits of the Android ecosystem, can we say we’d miss them?
