Blackberry Priv release date: Smartphone coming to T-Mobile this month
The Blackberry Priv, the Canadian company's first Android–based smartphone, will finally be available in more places. The handset will finally be on offer on U.S. carrier T-Mobile starting next week, on Jan. 26 to be exact.
The telecom company's announcement comes a month after a document stating that the new handset donning a physical keyboard will drop on T-Mobile this month. As it turns out, the leak was in fact accurate.
T-Mobile customers can get the Blackberry Priv without paying anything upfront through the company's Jump! On Demand Program. The payment will be $30 per month across 24 months, which amounts to $720.
Customers can also opt for an 18-month lease, which should require them to pay $34 a month. After a year and a half, customers are to return the phone or pay up the remaining costs to be able to keep the phone.
The Blackberry Priv will also be available in India this month. To be specific, it will be up for grabs in the country by Jan. 28. According to Indian Express, the company has already sent invites for the device's unveiling there. It is expected to be priced at about Rs 47,000.
The Blackberry Priv is most notable for its physical keyboard, which is concealed unless the screen is slid up. This classic design of the handset is what makes the tech firm distinctive from its competitors. It surely helps the device stick out from the rest as well.
Unveiled last October 2015, the smartphone is often dubbed "the secure smartphone powered by Android." This paved way for its moniker, which is believed to stand for "privacy" and "privilege." This seems to be the selling point its manufacturer likes to go by too.
The Blackberry Priv has a 5.4-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with 540ppi pixel density. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hums under its hood with 3GB RAM and 32 GB storage to boot. It boasts a hefty 18-MP rear camera and a 2-MP front snapper.
