- [Michael] It's been 14 months
since the BlackBerry Priv hit shelves.
There's still nothing quite like it on the market.
With a spiritual successor on the horizon,
let's take another look
at BlackBerry's first Android smartphone
to see what's held up, what's fallen off,
and what's next.
I'm Michael Fisher and this
is the BlackBerry Priv Review Re-Do from Mr. Mobile.
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I've been using the Priv intermittently
since I reviewed it for Pocketnow in November of 2015.
The key thing that's kept me coming back
is the design.
If you ask me,
BlackBerry hit a home run with the Priv's look,
from the curved AMOLED screen,
to the faux carbon fiber,
to the full Qwerty keyboard tucked within a vertical slider.
Yeah, the portrait design makes it super tall when deployed,
but I don't really mind people eyeballing my phone
when it looks this good.
The usefulness of those keys doesn't stop at typing.
The BlackBerry keyboard is the only one that doubles
as a track pad to help you navigate the interface,
so your thumb isn't blocking the screen
every time you scroll through a list or a webpage.
Shortcuts are great too.
Assign any key to any app
and a long press will take you right to it.
The board is also a potent weapon
in the never ending battle with auto-correct.
You just swipe up to accept a word
when the Priv guesses it right,
which is pretty often.
If you don't want to use the physical keyboard
because say you've only got one hand free,
the software version has the same solid prediction.
Speaking of software,
BlackBerry is one of the few companies
that's kept its promises on security.
Every time I've moved back into the Priv,
it's had the latest monthly security patch
from Google waiting for me.
Also the BlackBerry Launcher has a few conveniences
not found in stock Android.
You can swipe up on certain apps for a widget view.
Just start typing right from the keyboard
to do a search of the whole device,
and you can pin specific tasks right to the home screen.
For example, instead of opening the clock
and finding the alarms section to schedule a wakeup,
you just tap on the shortcut to take you right there.
Much of BlackBerry's heritage has been ported over
to Android as well.
You get the handy mute key for phone calls,
the old flashing LED for notifications,
and you can group all of those notifications
into a single list with BlackBerry Hub,
the most feature-packed messaging app I've ever used.
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Unfortunately many of those features
are only convenient if they work quickly.
Most of the time the Priv is not a quick device.
This was true even when it was brand new.
The introduction of truly fast Android phones like the Pixel
have made using the Priv
a particularly disappointing experience,
especially with apps like Snapchat.
Now I can hear the protests already.
"This is a business device, it's not for wasting time
"on Hashchat Snaptag."
Well okay, but the Priv's plotting pace extends
to its core assets.
The Hub is one of the slowest apps to open and load.
The feature that let's you start a search right
from the home screen just by typing
is my favorite thing on the whole phone,
but I never use it because it's too slow
to even keep up with my keystrokes.
This general sluggishness translates
to Android version updates too.
As I record this in the opening days of 2017,
Priv owners are still waiting for Android Nougat.
The Priv's primary camera is still acceptable
with occasional flashes of brilliance
and a revised viewfinder that's easier to use
than it was at launch.
It's front facing camera is not acceptable in the slightest
with someone recently telling me
it looked like I was using a Minecraft filter.
I'm not sure if it's the software or the Snapdragon 808,
but the Priv's power pack can barely get me
through a day despite its size.
There are exceptions to some of these shortcomings,
as the passionate BlackBerry fan base is sure
to remind me in the comments.
It's not my intention to dismiss or insult these folks.
If this phone was faster,
I'd have bought one myself.
If you're the type who doesn't mind tweaking
and optimizing Android,
the Priv is a great project for you.
But for everyone else,
for all but the most devoted BlackBerry
or Qwerty keyboard fans,
even the discounted rates through third party resellers
are a bit too high.
The next smartphone due from BlackBerry is a candy bar,
unofficially code named Mercury,
which I saw briefly at CES.
Though not a direct sequel,
Mercury does address some of the Priv's shortcomings
with the fingerprint scanner,
Android Nougat right from the get go,
and almost certainly more efficient silicon running it all.
We don't have full specs yet
so all of this is subject to change,
but my biggest hope for this new device
is that BlackBerry speeds up the software
and that hardware partner TCL delivers
rock solid build equality from day one.
Lastly, though I understand it's targeted mainly
at corporate users,
I hope the price is a bit more palatable to ordinary folks
than the Priv's $700 launch tag.
In any event, Mercury will benefit from the same upside
that made the Priv sell at all,
and probably the one that made you watch this video,
the power of the BlackBerry brand,
which persists years after the company's last big success.
With competitor's having sacrificed some
consumer goodwill in 2016,
the time is certainly ripe for a renewed BlackBerry
to make up some ground.
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Share your own experiences with the Priv
or your hopes for the Mercury in the comments
and subscribe to the Mr. Mobile YouTube channel
so you don't miss future videos on BlackBerry
and all things mobile tech in 2017.
Till next time,
thanks for watching and stay mobile my friends.
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