BlackBerry decides to leave Pakistan due to recent demands for backdoor access
Based on a new report, Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority has demanded BlackBerry to grant backdoor access to the company’s encrypted handsets. Unfortunately, no compromise was made.
BlackBerry has responded to the request by completely eliminating influence in the territory. BlackBerry noted it’s far from willing to give up its users’ privacy and is therefore fully abandoning the country. BlackBerry stated that this was the only remaining option and was given no other choice. As it stands for now, consumers in Pakistan will no longer be able to purchase or activate BlackBerry handsets. Up until this point, Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority has refused to settle and revise its high demands. If we hear anymore action on the topic, we’ll let you know first thing. To see the official blog post from BlackBerry, tap the source link down below.
Source: BlackBerry
Come comment on this article: BlackBerry decides to leave Pakistan due to recent demands for backdoor access
BlackBerry pulls out of Pakistan after refusing the governments demands for unrestricted data access
Even though Pakistan remains an important mobile market, BlackBerry has announced that they will be formally withdrawing from the country. This development has come about as a result of Pakistan’s government insisting that BlackBerry grant them backdoor access to encrypted services earlier this year.
BlackBerry is a company that touts the value of security pretty vocally. The CEO even said that the BlackBerry Priv was given its name in-part because it was short for “Privacy.” In an era in which companies seem more than willing to fold on their values for financial gain, it’s encouraging to see BlackBerry’s unconditional refusal. The company has taken a firm stance on the side of their users’ personal privacy, and the Pakistani government wasn’t thrilled.
See also: NSA can no longer collect info on your phone calls
When BlackBerry refused to comply, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority commanded carriers in the region to shut down BlackBerry’s Enterprise Service by the end of 2015 for “security reasons.” The ultimatum is that Pakistan will allow service to continue only if the government gains free access to emails and BBM messages flowing through Enterprise.
What happens when an unrelenting force encounters an immovable object? The answer is: a lot of very disappointed Pakistani BlackBerry users. BlackBerry says that, while they would be willing to grant limited access to law enforcement agencies for use in investigations, what the Pakistani government is demanding is a bridge too far.
With the NSA recently ceasing bulk collection of data from US smartphones, this is a second win for privacy in as many days. A change in the winds, perhaps? We can all hope. As information becomes more and more available and valuable, security and freedom from government surveillance are both becoming issues of immense import.
What are your thoughts on this? A financial mistake on the part of BlackBerry, or an important statement to their user base regarding their commitment to privacy? Let us know in the comments!
Now this is privilege: BlackBerry Priv gets a coat of 24K gold
There’s no denying that the BlackBerry Priv is a beautiful smartphone. It’s pretty sleek, and offers a premium look and feel that many other high-end smartphones on the market just can’t offer. If you’re looking to take that premium look and feel to the next level, though, Karalux, a Vietnamese gold-plating shop, has got you covered.
Karalux has just introduced the 24K gold-plated BlackBerry Priv, which will soon be available for purchase from the company’s online store. Karalux is the same company who brought us the gold-plated Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and many others. As you can see from the images below, the camera module, side buttons, rear panel (below the screen) and the screen bezel are all plated in gold. To do so, Karalux’s engineers had to take apart the Priv piece by piece before dipping it into a gold tank.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
As is the case with other 24K gold items, these don’t run cheap. For domestic customers, Karalux will give your Priv the gold treatment for VND 8 million (~$355 USD). Domestic customers can also purchase a gold-plated Priv from the company for VND 25 million (~$1,111 USD). International customers will need to pay VND 30 million (~$1,333 USD) for a gold-plated Priv.
We reviewed the standard non-gold version of the Priv, which you can find at the link attached below. Before you go, tell us – would you ever consider purchasing the 24K gold Priv? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Karalux unveils the 24K gold BlackBerry Priv!
Popular Vietnamese gold-plating company Karalux has today revealed that BlackBerry’s first Android-powered smartphone, the Priv, is the latest flagship handset to enlist in its vast lineup of 24K gold devices.
As the Priv supports a Gorilla Glass display and a solid textured backplate, there isn’t much surface area for the Karalux team to dip, so it could only coat the bezel surrounding the unit, the volume rocker and the metal rim surrounding the camera module in gold.
Hit the break below to see a selection of hands-on pictures.
Source: Karalux
Come comment on this article: Karalux unveils the 24K gold BlackBerry Priv!
BlackBerry Priv – Second opinion
BlackBerry’s failure to keep up with the changing times resulted in a dramatic shift in fortunes for the once extremely popular smartphone manufacturer. The company has struggled to make an impact over the past few years in a market that it used to dominate, but BlackBerry is hoping to steady the ship with their first Android smartphone, a device that does a great job in combining BlackBerry’s signature features with current market trends.
Josh has already covered the finer details of the BlackBerry Priv in a comprehensive review, but I would like to share my own thoughts on this device in this “second opinion” look at the BlackBerry Priv!
Design
Starting with the design, the BlackBerry Priv is a portrait-slider phone, which is a form factor that we haven’t seen in a long time, and BlackBerry’s decision to bring it back is definitely interesting. With a thickness of just over 9 mm, it’s not as thick as you would expecte a device with this form factor to be, and combined with the 5.4-inch display size, the Priv is quite manageable in one hand.
Also helping the handling experience a lot is the back cover, made from a soft plastic weave with a carbon fiber look to it, which is one of the most grip-y materials I’ve come across recently on a smartphone. Holding the device almost makes it feel like having a suction cup stuck to your hands, which also means the BlackBerry Priv can certainly go without a case, since there is likely little risk of it slipping out of your hand.
The fact that the BlackBerry Priv features a portrait-slider form factor is sure to evoke a sense of nostalgia, and it certainly helps that it works really well. It comes with a spring-loaded mechanism that makes it very easy to slide up and down, and by sliding it about half way, it will spring into place. Pushing the slider is also easy, with it protruding just a little bit above the bottom chin, and there is also a metal rail that gives you a point of contact to slide this portion up or back in place.
Moving the slider upwards reveals the physical QWERTY keyboard, which is something that BlackBerry has been known for, for a very long time. However, any BlackBerry enthusiasts may not be particularly satisfied with this keyboard, because it is quite cramped, which makes it really hard to type on. I don’t have big hands, and even then, typing on this keyboard wasn’t the easiest experience, and the travel on the keys is also a touch shallow.
The nice thing about the keyboard is that it also doubles as a track pad, so you can actually use to scroll through a web page or your social media feeds, and also swipe between home screens. The keyboard can also be used to auto-complete words by swiping up, or delete whole words, by swiping to the left. However, I did notice that the scrolling is very inconsistent, with it switching between being inverted or not, quite randomly. While the functionality available with the keyboard is great, I do wish that the overall typing experience was a little better.
Display
The BlackBerry Priv comes with a 5.4-inch AMOLED display, with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 540 ppi. As you would expect from any AMOLED screen, you get the inky deep blacks, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratios, and the high resolution makes it great for reading text, browsing the web, watching videos, and playing games. It may not be the best AMOLED screen around, with OEMs like Samsung doing a better job with leveraging this technology, but overall, the display of the Priv is really good as well, and I’ve had no issues with it at all.
One thing you will notice with the display is that it is curved along the edges, but it isn’t as drastic as what is seen with a device like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and doesn’t offer any additional functionality either, with the majority of the curved glass covering the bezel.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the BlackBerry Priv comes with an hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.8 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. As far as day to day to performance is concerned, the device does handle general tasks very well, with everything going smoothly, including opening apps, mutli-tasking, and gaming.
That said, while I haven’t faced any issues with day to day performance, the buggy software package is what proves to be a let down. There have been reports of some users having a very buggy experience with the Priv, while there have been others for whom everything has been flawless, but I unfortunately fall in the former camp. Most of the bugs are minor, but there are a few that can get annoying. For example, when I am typing on the physical keyboard and then want to switch to the software keyboard, the latter doesn’t show up. To get it to work, I actually have to exit the application and open it again to get the software keyboard to pop up. Another issue I’ve had is while making phone calls. After hitting the dial button, the screen turns off, and even pressing the power button doesn’t help.
However, the biggest problem I’ve had with the Priv is that it overheats when playing games or watching videos. Of course, all devices tend to get warm when performing any strenuous tasks, but the Priv actually got hot enough to the point where I had to put the phone down and let it cool off for a while.
In my experience, the battery life possible with the large 3,410 mAh unit of the BlackBerry Priv has been just average. It is possible to get through a full day, but required being somewhat miserly with my usage. If I did play games or watch a lot of YouTube videos however, I would typically find myself having to recharge the device half way through the day.
See also: Blind Camera Shootout – the winner is…
Camera
The BlackBerry Priv comes with an 18 MP primary camera with optical image stabilization and optics made by a reputable European company, Schneider-Kreuznach. This is actually a pretty decent camera, and is capable of taking some great shots in good lighting situations, with good colors, sharpness, and a good amount of detail. Image quality deteriorates significantly in low light conditions however, with a a lot of noise to be seen in the shot. The front-facing 2 MP camera isn’t the most impressive either given its low resolution, but it is serviceable enough to take a decent looking selfie.
The camera application is very easy to use, for the most part, and the availability of an exposure slider along the bottom of the view finder is a useful addition. That said, the actual act of taking a photo is really slow, and sometimes it takes a few seconds before a shot is taken. This is certainly unacceptable for a flagship smartphone in 2015, but hopefully, that is another issue that can be resolved in a future software update.
Software
On the software side of things, the big story here is the fact that the Priv is the first smartphone from BlackBerry to run Android. What you get is a mostly stock build of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, so you aren’t going to find a whole lot of customization here from BlackBerry. The user interface is mostly familiar, with the only noticeable changes being the grid layout seen in the Recent Apps screen, and the three dots under the icons on the homescreen, that mean that if you swipe up from it, a pop up widget will appear, which is a great way of saving space on the actual homescreens.
Extra features available include BlackBerry Messenger and DTEK, with the latter being a security application that can do anything from setting a screen lock, to encrypting the entire device. The app will also show all that the applications are doing and what they are accessing, and even comes with event logging. Security is something that BlackBerry has been known for in the past, and it is great that you are still getting that here with the Priv.
Another fun feature that is built-in is the ability to use third party icon packs from the Google Play Store to customize the look of the default launcher. This is something that you can normally do only with another third party launcher, and having it available here is a nice touch.
Specifications
| Display | 5.4-inch AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 540 ppi |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Adreno 418 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB expandable via microSD up to 200 GB |
| Camera | 18 MP rear camera with OIS, dual LED flash Schneider-Kreuznach optics 2 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac A-GPS Bluetooth 4.1 NFC microUSB 2.0 |
| Battery | 3,410 mAh |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Dimensions | 147 x 77.2 x 9.4 mm 192 grams |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So there you have it for this second look at the BlackBerry Priv! Overall, I think that the BlackBerry Priv is a solid smartphone that does a good job of bringing together the best features of BlackBerry with the Android OS.
Read next:
Most of the issues that this device faces can be fixed with software updates, and ultimately, the Priv is a great first attempt by BlackBerry, and will certainly have fans excited about what the company may have in store in the future.
BlackBerry is leaving Pakistan over demands for backdoor access
BlackBerry has announced it’s formally shutting down shop in Pakistan over demands from the country’s Telecommunications Authority that backdoor access be granted to the company’s encrypted services. Back in July, local carriers were ordered to shut off BlackBerry Enterprise Service from the end of November, because “security reasons.” While the order has been pushed back to the end of the year, Pakistan’s government isn’t budging, leaving BlackBerry no other option but to abandon the country. As the company explains, “remaining in Pakistan would have meant forfeiting our commitment to protect our users’ privacy. That is a compromise we are not willing to make.”
Source: BlackBerry
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – November 28, 2015
The year is winding down already, and we’re just now starting to recover from the madness of constant smartphone announcements. That doesn’t mean we’re slowing down, though – this week has been packed full of reviews, comparisons and more tech deals than you can shake a stick at.
This week we brought you our full review of the BlackBerry Priv and Pebble Time Round smartwatch. We’ve also compared the Galaxy Note 5 and the iPhone 6S Plus, as well as the OnePlus X, Xperia Z5 Compact and the latest Moto G. We’ve also rounded up some of the best Thanksgiving weekend deals available on the web. Also, Gary just got back from the ARM TechCon 2015 in California, where he brought us some super informative interviews regarding IoT, future wearables and some challenges developers might face when making apps.
Without any further ado, here are the best Android-related videos you don’t want to miss this week.
Reviews
BlackBerry Priv review
BlackBerry is back… with an Android phone? That’s right, the Priv is BlackBerry’s very first Android smartphone, and we’ve just published our full review. Could this be the next smartphone that’s worthy of your hard-earned dollars? We aim to find that out in our full review of the BlackBerry Priv.
Pebble Time Round review
Pebble just recently launched its very first circular smartwatch – the Pebble Time Round. How does it compare to the best from Android Wear, and is this new wearable worth the money? Josh answers all of those questions, and more, in his full review of the Pebble Time Round.
Battle of the big and small
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S Plus
Samsung has held the title of “King of the Phablet” ever since large-screened smartphones came to be. How does the latest phone from Apple compare? Krystal takes an in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 vs the Apple iPhone 6S Plus.
Battle of the minis: OnePlus X vs Xperia Z5 Compact vs Moto G
Not a huge fan of giant smartphones? You’re not alone. To help you decide between some of the best mini smartphones on the market, Gary has made an incredibly informative video comparing the OnePlus X, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and the Motorola Moto G (2015).
All of the deals you don’t want to miss
We’re still recovering from the onslaught of Black Friday deals that were available this week. And just because Black Friday is over, that doesn’t mean the deals are done. Be sure to check out Joe’s video overview and Andrew’s detailed written piece on the best Black Friday deals of 2015.
Android Apps Weekly
Pandora buys Rdio, no more Humble Bundle, Oddworld! – you don’t want to miss Joe’s latest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
Samsung speculation: what’s the point of the Galaxy View?
The Samsung Galaxy View is a very odd tablet. It has a giant 18.4-inch display with only a 1080p resolution, and overall, the specs just aren’t very good for a tablet this size. Why does it exist? Samsung tries to explain.
Recapping the ARM TechCon 2015 interviews
Our own Gary Sims recently spent some time at ARM’s TechCon 2015 in California, where he interviewed many folks on GPUs, upcoming wearables, the future of fastboot technology, and much, much more. Here are all of the interviews from ARM TechCon 2015.
- Interview: Where does the Cortex-A35 fit in ARM’s lineup?
- ARM VP talks about GPUs, VR and Media processing
- For developers: reversible debugging tool for Android
- Zach Shelby demos wearable with 8 weeks of battery life
- Developers: The challenge of UI design for Android and all touch interfaces
- Walkthrough of ODROID’s range of Android boards
- For hardware gurus: Android QuickBoot demo
- Running Android over a secure RTOS
Priced to…sell? Are the BlackBerry Priv and HTC One A9 too expensive for their own good?
Despite being two diligently different companies, both HTC and BlackBerry share some surprising similarities: (1) both are established players in the mobile game, (2) both have found their fortunes are no longer the same, and (3) both have released new flagship hardware this month. In the case of HTC, the contentious One A9 is being offered, and in the case of BlackBerry, we have the Priv, nee Venice.
To be sure, both devices are solid pieces of hardware, with the Priv occupying the high-end spec segment and the A9 going for more middle-ground. The problem however, is largely the pricing of each, a situation compounded by the fact that neither company can seemingly afford to alienate any potential customers.
The BlackBerry Priv
Despite all the rumors and leaks for the “Venice“, one thing very few people actually mused on was the cost of such a smartphone. It became clear the device would be expensive based on the curved 5.4-inch QHD AMOLED display and high spec internals including a Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, an 18-megapixel rear camera, a physical keyboard slider, a 3,410mAh battery, and all of BlackBerry’s home-grown security software.
Still, when the pricing was finally announced, $700 seemed slightly high for a device like this: BlackBerry is not the most common answer when one asks for “some popular Android OEMs” given that it literally wasn’t one period until just now. Likewise, some may have lingering fears that the company might be nearing the end of its hardware plans and thus the Priv is an extra risky proposition, a bit ironic given that BlackBerry itself is trying to sell this device in part by the promise of better security for Android.
The fact that Marshmallow (Android 6.0) won’t even hit the device until next year is already a minor irk for some, and the device doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor despite its release in a post-Nexus Imprint world. If the asking price was $500 at most, many customers might not even hesitate, but at $700 it is more directly competing with the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, or even LG’s new V10.
The HTC One A9
To HTC’s credit – or detriment – the company’s American pricing of the One A9 was seemingly a fair deal: $400. The trouble was, shortly after its announcement, the “limited time” initial cost was discovered to be far more ephemeral than anyone had expected. Specifically, the promotion ended on November 7th. From that day forward, the device would be sold at its real retail value: $500.
The specs are decidedly mid-range, though with a twist of premium thrown in. Highlights include a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, an Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 SoC, 2/3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, Quick Charging, and the first non-Google deice to ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with HTC itself promising majorly expedited updates.
HTC One A9
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
The Case Against
That HTC is charging $500 for the One A9 is a questionably decision at best. The device, at that price point, is thereby more expensive than the OnePlus Two, the Axon Phone, the Motorola Moto X Pure Edition, and – believe it or not – even an unlocked Galaxy S6 depending on where it’s purchased from. This would be all well and good, were it not for the fact that the A9 is a mid-range phone with a small screen. All others in the list have significantly higher specs.
ZTE Axon
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
HTC is not exactly in a position of power these days. After making some solid recovery last year, the lackluster sales of this year’s One M9 hurt finances. Currently, the Taiwanese OEM has not only been delisted from the main Taiwan stock inded, but has also decided to forgo offering any guidance estimates for the upcoming 4th Quarter earnings.
The A9 has already been accused of being an iPhone clone, even though the company insists Apple is the copy-cat. This could appeal to Android fans who secretly wish they had an iPhone (or at least the design of one), however the pricing is a major problem.
Some have been very vocal of their feelings about HTC’s design language.
With BlackBerry, it’s simply an issue of the company’s image. Many young Android users have never even used an OG BlackBerry and have no reverence to the company whatsoever. Others have long since made the jump, and yet even another group of Android fans are literally waiting for the OEM to declare bankruptcy (something that some “h8rs” have been saying about HTC as well). BlackBerry is arguably too little too late, and the fact that they are charging such a high price for the phone when it needs as many customers as possible to buy it, seems like a poor pricing decision.
Moto X Pure Edition
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Why it makes cents (The Case For)
In order to understand why this pair of products cost more than you might expect, let us consider both the pricing, and the production itself.
Cost
As far as the actual cost itself goes, neither of these devices are actually that expensive. Considering that the Galaxy Note 5 launched at around $850, the $700 BlackBerry is asking for the Priv isn’t actually that outlandish, especially given its curved QHD OLED display. Likewise the software itself is far more geared towards security-oriented consumers and, perhaps even more so, corporate customers. BlackBerry has been immensely successful in the enterprise realm, and there is no reason why the Priv can’t be viewed as intended for such a market as well.
With HTC, the One A9 is made of metal and thus is also a far more costly affair than a simple plastic piece. Likewise, the Taiwanese OEM has included 3GB of RAM in many variants, as well as a newer Snapdragon 600-series SoC. Beyond that, HTC products making use of the “One” moniker are rarely cheap, and this product in particular is somewhat more than a “One M9 Mini” might otherwise be considered given the new design and such.
The whole reason they seem “expensive” is largely due to various OEMs – many in China – bringing down the average cost of devices and thus the consumer market is now becoming un-receptive to what were once standard price points.
Production
Samsung has a much larger production run for its major devices than most other rivals do.
With respect to price as a factor of manufacturing costs, unlike rivals such as Samsung or even LG, neither HTC nor BlackBerry have production runs as comparably large. This means that every device arguably costs more to manufacture, and therefore part (or all) of that cost is passed onto the customer. It makes sense to keep numbers low, because should any given device fail to sell, it will tangibly end up as a write-off for that fiscal year, similar to Microsoft with its $900 million write off from the original Surface RT.
This is exactly why companies like OnePlus have limited production runs and the invitation system: because they can’t afford to overestimate demand for the international market. In China, the phone is readily sold with no loop-holes. Even Carl Pei has mentioned the invite system as a way to defer waiting times of multiple months while more devices are manufactured, though due to popularity that has even become less realistic.
Wrap Up
While we have discussed some cost-related content in this post, namely the problems and the possible reasons, the ultimate test is what you think. After all, even the best device EVAR is ultimately much less if no one wants to buy it, and companies like Sony have seen this first hand with sales of the PS Vita hardware, for example. While there does seem to be substantial interest in the Priv, it remains to be seen as to how it ultimately fares, as it does the HTC One A9.
What do you think? Are these devices priced too high for their own good? Or are the prices sufficient for the product you would be purchasing? Please feel free to take our surveys below and then drop us your thoughts in the comments section!
(function ()
var opst = document.createElement(‘script’);
var os_host = document.location.protocol == “https:” ? “https:” : “http:”;
opst.type = ‘text/javascript’;
opst.async = true;
opst.src = os_host + ‘//’ + ‘www.opinionstage.com/polls/2310822/embed.js’;
(document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0] ());
(function () ());
BlackBerry Priv: 5 things I like & 5 things I don’t
For everyone who used the first generation of smartphones, the name BlackBerry will invoke at least a moment of nostalgia for the Canadian company that was one of the fore founders of the mobile phone industry.
For many years, the world of BlackBerry – or RIM as it was known then – was relatively simple: dish up communication devices equipped with a hardware keyboard and watch the dollar signs fill up the bank. However, all good things must come to an end and like its peers of the time, a failure to keep up with the changing tech world almost spelt the end for the company. Yet, here we are at the end of 2015 and BlackBerry’s latest smartphone is certainly a marked difference from its past handsets.
Our very own Joshua Vergara is working on our full BlackBerry Priv review but ahead of it, I wanted to share my views on the BlackBerry Priv and whether it lived up to my lofty expectations.
£590 (~$890) later, was the Priv worth my money? Here’s 5 things I really like about the Priv and 5 things I’m not a massive fan of:
-
Finally, a relevant Blackberry
Whether you were a fan of BlackBerry devices in the past or just a cynic, there was one thing that everyone agreed on: BlackBerry wasn’t who you went to for cutting edge hardware.
Clearly the failings of BlackBerry 10 has forced John Chen & Co into a decision to make BlackBerry competitive in the hardware stakes as well as the software. With the Priv, they’ve done just that, bringing a QHD display, hardware keyboard, stylish slider, powerful Snapdragon 808 CPU with 3GB RAM and a host of other flagship-worthy internals.
Yes, the Snapdragon 808 is not the best processor on the market and 3GB RAM isn’t exactly market-leading but compared to BlackBerry of old, it’s the most advanced that the Canadian company has been as a smartphone manufacturer.
-
A show stopping design
10 years ago, the concept of a phone with a physical keyboard was certainly not special. As BlackBerry discovered, people transitioned to on-screen keyboards very quickly and the physical keyboard was lost to the world.
A genuine showstopper…
Yet, here we are in 2015 and for once, BlackBerry’s latest smartphone is a showstopper. How do I know? The proof is in the pudding as they say. Over the past couple of days, I’ve been using the BlackBerry Priv in the wild and especially when the keyboard was open, the Priv definitely piqued the interest of people nearby.
Why? It’s simple – weren’t we all saying that the keyboard was dead? Yet, here in 2015, we have a smartphone with a physical keyboard that is a genuine showstopper.
-
Who said Android can’t be secure?!
Hats off to BlackBerry: if there’s one thing that the company knows, it’s security and the DTEK by BlackBerry security suite is nothing short of genius.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Worried about what apps are doing on your smartphone? Which apps have been using location and how often? Concerned about whether there are any security loopholes that would allow someone to take advantage of your smartphone? Want to know how to make your smartphone more secure?
DTEK will tell you this and more in a simple and easy to use interface, that puts you in control of your smartphone. Well played BlackBerry, well done!
-
To key or not to key?
Like most of the world, I’ve transitioned to touch screens and trying to use any physical keyboard is an interesting transition. When I first picked up the BlackBerry Priv, I dismissed the keyboard very quickly but in hindsight, I was too quick to do so. There’s a few things I’m not too pleased about with the keyboard (which I’ll touch on below) but once you get used to it – which took me about 30 hours of use – the keyboard becomes an invaluable tool in your pocket.
As I type this entire article in Microsoft Word for Android in testament of the keyboard’s capabilities, there’s one thing that comes to mind: I would have given up by now if I was typing this on a touchscreen.
A combination of gestures – such as swiping up on the keyboard to select a highlighted word or using a gesture to place a cursor in a block of text – the ability to select text and surprising comfort result in a familiar experience. A personal pet peeve of mine is when trying to select text or place the cursor in a particular position: Android doesn’t do this very well and although they’re slightly temperamental – which is likely to be fixed in a software update – the gesture to use the keyboard was a cursor is a great idea.
Remember the biggest complaint with touch screens when they first debuted: the lack of tactile feedback when typing? The BlackBerry Priv feels like it solves this problem, even though you didn’t know it existed. BlackBerry’s onscreen keyboard is also pretty good and while you might find yourself reverting to it at first, the Priv’s hardware keyboard will soon draw you back in. It takes a while but it will grow on you… as long as you let it.
-
Android, but not as you know it
The beauty of Android is that it allows OEMs to create unique experiences with the Android OS underneath. The open sourced nature has also played right into BlackBerry’s hands as well because the company has been able to deeply customise some parts of the experience.
BlackBerry has taken the route used by the likes of Sony and Motorola, who use a mostly stock-like experience with a few welcome additions on top. BlackBerry was always known for relatively decent software and its changes to the Android OS are actually very impressive.
Android CAN be the saviour of BlackBerry
From shortcuts to apps, contacts or speed dials using the keyboard on the home screen to a wide range of settings, a customisable style of app launcher – of the choices, tiles are my favourite – and a whole lot more including the Productivity Hub that swipes in from the side, there’s a lot to like about BlackBerry on Android.
The best way to describe it is: the BlackBerry we know with the more powerful and widely-supported Android OS beneath it. Regardless of what happens with the Priv, Android can be the saviour of BlackBerry and the company shouldn’t give up on this path.
So that’s the positives of the new BlackBerry Priv but is it all positive? Of course not; when is it ever? Here’s a few of the not-so-good parts of the BlackBerry Priv:
-
A disjointed software experience
BlackBerry have… pulled a BlackBerry
Yes, BlackBerry have certainly put their own stamp on Android but sadly, they’ve pulled a BlackBerry. There’s a lot to like but there’s also a lot to dislike and the simplest explanation is that some decisions just don’t make sense.
The biggest criticism is how the BlackBerry Hub handles email but it’s worthy of its own section below. Other than this, the BlackBerry software doesn’t quite seem to be completely finished.
Let’s take the curved display as an example: a key selling point of the handset in terms of design, the feature works less often than you might expect. When using the Productivity Hub – which slides in from either the left or the right and offers your calendar, favourite contacts, notifications and tasks at a glance – the data can sometimes vary from the up to date information found in the BlackBerry Hub. Similarly, the battery charging indicator doesn’t seem to always appear on the Edge when the display is switched off and charging and as a key USP, we’d have expected better reliability.
One feature that almost made me give up the Priv immediately is the “Picture Unlock” protection option. Simply put, it asks you to pick a number from 0-9 and then choose where to drag that on a picture to unlock the phone. Sounds complex right? It’s worse than you think – the number appears several times when you want to unlock your phone which makes it virtually impossible and, unless you’ve switched this option off in the settings, it will wipe your phone when you inevitably enter it wrong ten times. As I learnt to my peril, having your phone wipe itself is certainly not something you want to go through when trying to see some pictures you’ve just taken.
Whichever way you look at it, one thing is clear: BlackBerry’s software has a lot of positives but also a few elements that haven’t been fully thought through. Luckily for the Canadian OEM, software can be fixed and hopefully, the company will issue performance and interface updates to improve the overall experience.
-
No longer the best for email
What used to set BlackBerry apart from the competition? It’s legendary email of course. Unfortunately, this is no longer a strong point for the company and this could be bad news for BlackBerry in its fight to be relevant in the consumer market. As you might have expected, the Priv uses BlackBerry’s antiquated BES servers to handle email and unfortunately, BlackBerry kinda forgot to update these for a modern era. For enterprise customers with the existing infrastructure, the reliance on BES won’t be a problem but for pro users, it’s definitely an issue.
First, you have to configure each email account individually with BlackBerry Hub. That means if you’re like me and you have multiple Gmail or Google Apps accounts that you want to sync – I have a total of 7 – you need to configure them individually in BlackBerry Hub and then add them again in the Android OS if you want to use them with any Google services. Talk about redundant!
Second is how BlackBerry Hub handles Gmail or Google Apps accounts: it uses imap and has to manually fetch email. That means the lovely modern world of push email that we take for granted is no more if you want to use BlackBerry Hub. Of course, you could choose not to configure the email but that would then render the BlackBerry Hub and the Productivity Hub useless.
As an example – yesterday I was having an urgent business conversation via email and in the 15 minutes it took BlackBerry Hub to refresh the inbox – 15 minutes is default but it can be set to 5 minutes or more – I had exchanged 10 emails with the person using another Android phone.
There’s no doubt that 5 minute sync times will be acceptable for most users but it’s definitely disappointing that BlackBerry, and in particular BES, doesn’t support push email in 2015. Furthermore, the number of email solutions on the Play Store measures into the hundreds or thousands and even Microsoft has an (excellent) Outlook for Android app. Let’s hope this is solvable in a future update.
-
A physical keyboard… With a twist
Chances are, you’re going to buy the BlackBerry Priv for the keyboard. Yes, the software might be of interest but the real draw for almost all consumers – business customers will have their own additional reasons – is most likely to be the hardware keyboard.
Before you take the plunge, there’s something you should know: this is NOT the BlackBerry keyboard you might be used to. Rather than the luxurious wide easy-to-use keyboard of BlackBerry devices of old, we have a much smaller keyboard with smaller keys that definitely takes a lot of getting used to.
NOT the BlackBerry Keyboard you might be expecting
I have quite large hands and it did take me a while to feel somewhat comfortable with the keyboard. The good thing is that once you’re familiar with it, it does feel rather good. Unfortunately a personal favourite of mine on old BlackBerry devices – the ability to Cut, Copy and Paste using keyboard shortcuts (e.g. Alt+C) which mimic the familiar PC method (Ctrl+C) – are not available on the BlackBerry Priv, which means you have to use the standard on-screen Android options.
The smaller keys also means you have to be more precise with the gestures and as such, they don’t always work the first time you swipe. In particular, the swiping up to select a suggested word and using the keyboard as a cursor are both gestures that are somewhat unreliable. Hopefully this is a software feature that can be improved with an update but this remains to be seen.
-
A HOT phone
The BlackBerry Priv is powered by Snapdragon 808 CPU with 3GB RAM and the 64-bit hexacore CPU certainly gets a workout. Right from when you first turn the handset on, it’s noticeable how hot the phone can run and this is a trend that becomes all too familiar.
When completing the initial installation of apps, the phone becomes quite hot and it takes a couple of hours for it to cool down. When charging, the handset can heat up considerably and after a period of navigation, it can be hot to touch. Interestingly, since the first 24 hours the Priv has been somewhat cooler and it’ll be interesting to see whether the handset remains cool or overheats in the weeks to come but other user reports have suggested similar issues with overheating so the jury is out.
-
Mixed Battery Life
Imagine turning on your phone only for it to lose over 20 percent in the initial install. You’d think there was a problem right? In the case of the BlackBerry Priv, this happened to me each of the two times I set the handset up, so it’s definitely something to be wary of. After all, 20 percent in an initial install is certainly excessive.
Since the accidental reset, the battery life has certainly been interesting. It’s too early to report detailed findings of the battery, which is something we’ll look at in the full review but I will say that expectations of more than one day battery life are unrealistic.
As I write this, the handset has drained 17% battery in the 2 hours I have been writing. Furthermore, in the 14 hours it’s been off charge, the Priv has dropped to 43 percent battery which suggests it’ll barely make it through a day. With BlackBerry’s new approach to mobile, there’s no way to remove the battery on the Priv so if you’re a heavy user, a portable battery pack will be a must-have in your bag.
However, to make this piece fair, we continued to use the BlackBerry Priv over the past weekend and the battery life is certainly much better, with an average screen on time of over 4 hours and average battery life of 36 hours with medium usage. Like most smartphones, the BlackBerry Priv battery life does seem to get better after a few days’ of use.
Blackberry Priv – The preliminary verdict
There you have it – my initial thoughts on the BlackBerry Priv, having just spent $900 on BlackBerry’s latest flagship smartphone. If you read my preview, you’ll have learnt that I was very excited about the Priv and the overall experience has certainly been mixed.
On the one hand, the keyboard isn’t as easy to use as I would have liked, the software needs work, BES is antiquated and the battery isn’t as long lasting as we might have hoped. On the other hand, the keyboard and gestures are great once you get used to them, the Priv is one secure, sexy beast and BlackBerry’s additions to the Android OS are certainly useful.
Is it worth the money? I would say it’s not but it isn’t that far off and if you can gain enough value from it, it’ll definitely be worth the money to you. That being said, am I going to keep it or will it go the way of many other Droids and end up being sold on? This I honestly can’t answer; I ordered the Priv wanting to love it and while it has disappointed in some areas, it’s been surprising in others. I think to really understand BlackBerry’s latest flagship, I’ll need to live with it some more and I’ll return to this question in a few weeks to let you know whether I end up keeping it or not.
What do you think of the BlackBerry Priv and do you have one? Are you planning to buy one? Let us know your views in the comments below and don’t forget to stay tuned for the full review. If there’s anything you want us to look at in particular, shout off down below!
PS. 2700 words later, my hand is very cramped from typing on the Priv’s keyboard. Its definitely usable to type long pieces but writing your masterpiece on the BlackBerry Priv might be taking it a step too far.
PPS. for the number crunchers out there, 2800 words in 1 hours and 43 minutes equates to 27.12 words per minute, which is somewhat impressive given that I was writing this from scratch and not following a script. With SwiftKey for Android, my typing speed is approx 32 words per minute and on my Mac, it is 91 words per minute. Certainly food for thought about the need for a physical keyboard.
Carphone Warehouse is selling the BlackBerry Priv for £559 SIM-free
BlackBerry is enjoying a sort of renaissance thanks to the positive publicity generated by its first Android-powered smartphone, the Priv. Featuring a physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out, the Priv has seen demand outstrip supply, with direct orders from BlackBerry only shipping from November 30th. In the UK though, it’s possible to order the BlackBerry Priv SIM-free from Carphone Warehouse (CPW) with next-day shipping for £559 ($849).
If you’d rather take the Priv out on a 2-year contract, CPW’s recommended tariff is with Vodafone that involves a £54 upfront charge and £39 monthly, giving you unlimited calls and texts along with 6GB of 4G data. If you’d prefer not to pay any upfront charges, Vodafone is offering the handset free for £49 per month, giving you unlimited texts and calls and 2GB of 4G data. Naturally, the Priv is available on other networks via CPW. If you still aren’t sure about buying the Priv, don’t forget you can download its stock wallpapers from here to make your current handset a little more BlackBerry-like in the meantime.
Source: Carphone Warehouse
Come comment on this article: Carphone Warehouse is selling the BlackBerry Priv for £559 SIM-free
AIVAnet 