BlackBerry today officially launched the BlackBerry PRIV smartphone as its first ever “pure” Android device in the Philippines, running a near-stock — slightly modified — version of the Android OS and offering many well-known BlackBerry-exclusive niceties.
Things like the BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry’s unified messaging system that spans SMS, email, and social media communications, as well as BlackBerry brand security and privacy that can’t be found anywhere else, come pre-loaded on the PRIV as part of its customized software.
The BlackBerry PRIV is powered by a Qualcomm chip called the Snapdragon 808, which is comprised of six separate cores clocked at 1.8GHz, with support for 64-bit computing. It also has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, plus a hot-swappable microSD card slot that supports an astonishing 2TB of external storage.
Camera-wise, the PRIV offers a Schneider-Kreuznach-certified 18-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus, OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), 4K video recording at 30 fps, and up to 4x digital zoom. It also has secondary front camera with a 2.1-megapixel sensor, and although it lacks a front-facing LED flash, it can be used in wide angle mode and for selfie panoramas.
Other BlackBerry PRIV features include Wi-Fi ac, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, GPS with A-GPS, micro USB 2.0 connectivity with Slimport support for video out, and a 3410mAh non-removable battery that is rated to last up to 22.5 hours of steady use.
Although probably tempting, you won’t be able to buy the BlackBerry PRIV as of yet. But don’t worry, because its local release date is scheduled some time in the middle of December. And the price of one PRIV? Only Php 45,000. So only you can tell how many Christmas bonuses it will take for you to cover the cost of this sexy, sexy beast.
