More images of the BlackBerry Priv surface along with camera samples

BlackBerry's upcoming Android phone, the Priv, could be the company's last chance to gets itself back being competitive in hardware. John Chen and others is Waterloo are hoping that combining the company's strengths in physical keyboards, security, and enterprise with Android's versatility will go over well with consumers. The Priv is expected to be released in November, but BlackBerry has had to watch the handset appear unofficially multiple times. Now, derStandard has a pre-production unit (with potentially unfinished hardware and software) to show the world more of the Priv.

The physical keyboard appears by pushing up on the display and derStandard notes that the process supplies a “very sturdy impression.” However, the small gap between the display and the physical keyboard allows dust, dirt, and other things to sneak in.

What actually using the physical keyboard is like:

The keyboard, however, has its ups and downs. Since the keys are arranged like little scales, its easy to distinguish them by touch. But Since they are pretty small and already trigger under light pressure, it might take a good while to get used to them and be more efficient than with an onscreen solution.

The review unit was equipped with a QWERTY layout, which is used mostly in English speaking countries. Depending on the markets which Blackberry wants to cover, you can expect the company to produce variants with layouts for other regions.

Due to the size of the display and the large chin at the bottom of the Priv, one-handed use is apparently very difficult to achieve comfortably. Either you're going to need two hands or a really tight grip with one hand. Fortunately, the materials used to compose the body of the Priv are said to make it very easy to grip. The Priv may not feel premium but the rubber (which includes kevlar) feels decent, according to the source.

derStandard went over the specifications:

• 5.4-inch Quad HD (2560×1440) display with curved edges
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage (with microSD card slot)
• 18MP / 5MP cameras
• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• Slide-out physical keyboard

Performance monitored by AnTuTu positions the Priv alongside the HTC One (M8) and OnePlus One from 2014. Stuttering is occasional and that could be because this is an unfinished unit without any optimization.

Aside from Google apps being pre-installed, BlackBerry designed its own alternatives. For example, BlackBerry has its own contacts app and designed a new on-screen keyboard.

BlackBerry will also allow those with Android and iOS devices to move over to the Priv with ease:

When setting up the priv you can import user data from iPhones, other Android devices as well as from Blackberry OS phones (version 5.0+). Blackberry has preinstalled some own apps, like the Blackberry messenger for secure communication. Part of the privacy promise is also an app called “safe guard”, which basically analyzes your current security-relevant settings and provides a score.

The left side of the Priv has the power button while the right side offers three buttons, two of which are for controlling volume. The unidentified button is actually positioned between the two volume buttons and only seems to launch the notification drawer. BlackBerry might decide to let users customize this button's function.

And here are a few camera samples:

Outdoor, daylight

Indoor, artificial light

You can see more camera samples from the BlackBerry Priv by following the source link below.

Source: derStandard
Via: Android Central