We’ve talked before about how Blackberry has shifted leadership and focused more on profitable ventures after being crowded out of the smartphone market, like its messaging service and targeted phones for healthcare, government work, etc. And yet the company keeps on producing more general smartphones, too – such as the Priv.
The Priv is focused largely on Blackberry’s solid security, which is a good move. It comes with all the company’s strengths, like security apps and the new DTEK, which warns you when it looks like your phone privacy is being threatened. The OS has been updated with Android and compatibility with multiple Google Play apps, too. Even the ordering process includes an obvious tab for ordering more than 10 phones for business and government users.
It’s odd, then, that the Priv also includes so many features that aren’t friendly to businesses (including that name, which amazingly made it past product design while still reminding us of “privilege” and “privy” long before “private”). There’s a slide-out physical keyboard, which Blackberry continues to include despite the fact that the business world has moved on to the touchscreen. There’s a powerful 18-megapixel camera with autofocus which seems designed for selfies. There’s even an HD curved screen which appears made for individual entertainment media.
The Priv features a physical keyboard and security features…familiar.
In the end, we’re a bit baffled about who the Priv is supposed to be made for. Did Blackberry sweep up all the last ideas on its cutting room floor and put them into one more smartphone effort while its supply contracts were still in place? Because it sort of feels like that.
Look, Blackberry’s problem has always been retention. Companies that switch to Android or Microsoft or even Apple platforms aren’t going to want to switch back to a limited Blackberry, even if it comes with an older version of Android – which Priv does. There are simply too many other options on the market: we’ve also talked about the rise of secure phones running versions of Android that can match or perhaps beat any security that Blackberry can offer.
Of course, for departments that still prefer Blackberry, most of these concerns are washed away, and employees may be looking forward to a new model. Nota bene, though: this phone debuts at a far higher price than the average Blackberry, costing $700 per unit, if you are interested. On the bright side, this is a bit lower than many of the new secure phones we are seeing, so business savings may still play a factor.
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