If this video does decently well, I think I'll go ahead and pickup a Blackberry Keyone to review as well. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Android phones I've reviewed... it's so cool and I spent a ton of time on this video, so I hope you enjoy! Follow me @91_Tech to keep up when I get that Keyone! Or don't. But please do Insta: instagram.com/91_tech/ Twitter: twitter.com/91_Tech
Kinda odd, considering there are newer android BlackBerries with physical keyboards, and they are also pretty good for what they are (except the one where they didn't glue the screen properly and it would fall out very easily), there are even ones with fingerprint scanner in the space bar. I guess they must really like the sliding design.
Blackberry didnt die because of the keyboard. The priv was the perfect combination of both worlds. It had both inputs, physical and on screen keyboard, and it was a great partial answer to the market demand. The thing that killed blackberry is that they werent as assiduous in responding to other market demands. They started as a corporate tool and they ran a train on that market all by themselves. And apple was the toy phone for the kids that wanted to play. What they didnt understand is that building toy is harder than building tools. Not that building tools is easy. But toys arent a concrete need, they have a need aspect, but they are deffinitely ruled by consumer WANTS. Corpoate tools are needs if you can meet and even slightly exceed the user demands and deliver at a less painful price than others you will win. And blackberry did. For a while. But what they didnt expect was that apple and android would bother trying to compete in that space, and then be able to do it so well, mainly because it really wasnt that hard to do and they over estimated the draw of the physical keyboard. They didnt really have any focus on developing their relevance in the game and recreation space, and once the competition met them in utility, the consumers asked why would they have a work device and a play device when they can have both in one.
I look as is that they went off-brand and tried to compete in a space where they were weak while losing focus on where they were strong. They let go of their niche to try to catch up with companies who dominated a different niche.
@@blazejefferson not really. Blackerry, or rather, RIM, hadvalways focused in developing or acquiring software or the companies that make it their entire existence. It was a supoorting role that they fell back on after they lost the consumer hardware game that they pretty much created.
@@metamorphicorder Is this phone really a 2015 phone as I saw it in T-Mobile in 2019. It caught my eye instantly because of the unique look which made the phone stand out of the crowd. Does Blackberry still exist or was it out of business already?
I still carry a BlackBerry Key2. The dedicated mute key is one of the most underrated and useful features on a phone. Super convenient when on a call, and it's something I miss whenever I use a different device.
I love mine, used it for over 3 months this year before switching to the KEYone. It gets a lot of looks in public, had someone say to me it looked cool and they hadn't seen a blackberry in years. The Priv is so much better than the KEYone but the slow software struggles with everything including basic things like emails. I only do basic things on my phone like calls, text and email. My Note7 on android 6.0.1 feels just as slow, comparing it to the note FE on android 8 it's significantly faster so some of its issues might be a result of android 6. From what i have seen this phone was prototyped running BlackBerry 10. Would love to put BB10 or a light custom rom onto it. The boot-loader is locked and i don't know it that makes it impossible but i hope not. Would love to use it again. Not sure why you didn't like the keyboard. However that might be a good thing or every other phone without one feels bad. You did forget to mention all the custom keyboard shortcuts you can assign as well as the copy, cut, paste shortcuts. Best software feature of the phone. Also i am a fan of the back, its grippy so you don't need a case. But its true they can get the squeaks. The back is actually kinda transparent: instagram.com/p/CEtkw_yHz-8/ Enjoyed the video Josh, was well produced and put together.
Valentine's Day 2017: after I slid my Priv closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She had an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all. I'll always have a place for my Priv because of the above. I only used it for a year, lag and not my favorite keyboard being my only real true gripes, but if they had addressed all its faults in its successor - better internals, better keyboard, battery not overheating, better software optimization, RAM management - this is definitely what I hope the 2021 5G BlackBerry turns out to be so it would be the best of both worlds. Will probably get whatever it is regardless, KEY2 is showing its age.
The back build quality was awesome. Used and abused my PRIV for two years before moving 1st to KEYone BE and then Key2 black edition. On 1st week I got my PRIV (retail, full price) I dropped it top first. With extended keyboard. On floor tiles. Not a scratch on the phone.
When I saw your post on twitter spoiling this video I immediatly knew that this video was going to be amazing! And I totally wasn't wrong! Great video from what I've seen so far Josh! :)
to be honest, if blackberry was still relevant i would probably buy one of their smartphones. Especially if they remade a phone like this one, but with updated cameras, internals and cameras.
BlackBerry sold off the licensing of producing a BlackBerry smart phone to Onward Mobility so they can produce a BlackBerry phone. Just like what they did with TCL prior till they ended the contract and now make there own regular android phones. But... My fingers are crossed that when they do produce a phone that they borrow from the design of the Priv! I feel it's honestly the best way to do a physical keyboard phone.. Because when your not using the keyboard it now looks & acts like any other Android phone! Onward Mobility is behind on even showing the phone something that was supposed to happen Q1 2021. But I am sure it will still happen eventually. Even if it looks like the Key series I'd still be maybe interested since I did one a KeyOne Black Edition as my last phone.
I really miss my Priv. I user replaced the battery once, but a second time was too much. I loved the grippy back so I didn't drop it. The physical keyboard was awesome. The "hub" that aggregates all my e-mail accounts, facebook, whatsapp, twitter, etc is so good that I pay for the software on my current Android phone.
What does the Hub give you that you like it so much? I tried other aggregators back in the day when they were more popular but by the time this phone came out I just used my notifications zone. In screenshots Hub looks kinda like it mirrors notifications but… now I’ve gotta guess there’s more to it than that.
@@kaitlyn__L It's a single inbox on my phone which means unified search. I don't need to remember which e-mail account something came in on when I'm looking for it later.
Blackberry only doing 1 late OS upgrade for it was a slap in the face. I loved my Priv, but the lack of support from BB was insulting. The Priv was my last phone from them.
Blackberry died because it acted like any other Canadian company, was incompetent from the start but saw random success, eventually it got arrogant over its size and killed itself. This is why Canada isn't dominant in the tech field, failure to innovate.
The OG blackberry’s were amazing. Essentially two way pagers. That was no random luck. They like MS and others were too stuck in their ways to react to iphone and all sure but no way that was random success.
I've owned one for 4 years, I mainly use it now for CZcams, podcasts, music, Gmail, some surfing, and eBay haha.. a great phone overall, but it heats up and lags every so often, I use an app once a week to improve touchscreen sensitivity and it works great.. Another positive is a relatively easy battery change if needed I'll keep using it until it dies on me, it's still fast and great for watching videos, it still looks awesome as well, love the design
Hers what i think as a late 90s baby that never had a BB but got a KeyOne, I brushed a physical keyboard off as a stupid gimmick when i had first seen pictures of it, but when i saw a review for it out of curiosity, the moment i found out you could program 60 shortcuts (2 for every key) I fell in love, the fact i could program ANYTHING to any key made me buy it right then and i purchased one for 480, it took a while to adjust to it, but once i got used to it, it really changed how i used my phone. All my frequent contacts? Assigned to keyboard shortcuts. Frequently used apps? assigned to keyboard shortcuts. it made daily activates much easier as i could just open the phone, push F for facebook and go straight to it. Missed a call from my dad? i could just press and hold D and I'd be calling him right then and there. It really made communicating and staying in touch with people A LOT easier to do, and once i got good at the keyboard i didnt even have to look at it anymore, something I've never been able to do with any of the normal phones I've had. I switched to am xperia 10 ii and since then, I've come to really miss the keyboard on the KeyOne, I hate that i cant have all my shortcuts, returning calls is now a lot harder, and in general, i feel like I'm so much more sluggish without the keyboard. Might switch back to it, but, i just wanted to share my perspective since i also brushed it off as a gimmick with no place on smartphones, but after i used it, I now understand why older people love physical keyboards now.
Would have loved to see this design evolve over time and turn into an awesome, bezeless, high resolution, high refresh rate, amoled display phone with better cameras and specs... But oh well... RIP blackberry, and RIP physical keyboards (for now at least hopefully)
I still have a priv and I refuse to throw it away. Sadly the battery dies so fast, it's not working as a daily.. I love it. I love the look people give you when you slide it open. I wish there would be a newer version today
I'm still nursing my 7-year old PRIV and would love to have one with current processing power and OS. I"m glad that it's still working with some infrequent issues of randomly rebooting and slow with apps that need updating. Hell, I'd love the interface and the wonky interface gestures of BB10 on Android with upgraded PRIV hardware. If they could add water resistance, it would be near perfect, for me at least.
I'm still using a Priv daily and I still enjoy the crazy looks I get when I slide the keyboard. I have always carried a ipod for apps. I have a new key 1 new unused but continued to use the Priv. FYI my phone isn't 6th finger.
@@dzimi23 Exactly but I'm now using a key one, the battery life on the Priv started acting up even once it was replaced. I had a key-one standing by. I've been using it for about 4 months w/o problems.
@@manonanisland2712 Key 2 looks okay but price wise has no chance against the Unihertz titans... neither do other non-Blackberry physical keyboard phones
@@manonanisland2712 It's not overall that much better (except the original Titan's sick battery life and the water/dust resistance if that applies), but IMO price is always a significant factor. I'm sitting on a Classic Q20 but it looks like the usability of BB10 is hanging by its last thread.
About that fingerprint: It`s not like someone would cut of your finger and use it. It`s about digital data - all fingerprint does it that it`s converted on some sort of key. Once someone get somehow to that key, they could digitaly slip this key to any device you own. Is your notebook locked by fingerprint? Hacked. You change your phone for new one? It`s a shame you still have the same fingers. And don`t even start about payments and cloud services secured by fingerprint: Are your payments secured by fingerprint? Say goodbye to your money. Someone hacks the cloud - he could have so many keys - and unchangeable, it`s not like leaked passwords, that you can change at any time.
I think a big thing you need to keep in mind is not only convenience but also choice. The phone should have the choice. Yea I think it’s silly to be worried about someone exploiting your fingerprint sensor, but if you’re concerned you could just not use it. But the Priv doesn’t offer the choice. Ironically, given people defend that lack of fingerprint sensor because of security, you do have the very unsecure option of face unlock which just uses your camera and would probably be fooled by a picture of your face.
@@91Tech Wait, PRIV had face unlock? Then yes, that is stupid. And about the choice... Well, those were the time when BB used Apple like Approach "We know what is best for user". --- By the way the last Blackberry I used was Z10 (Maybe you can do some review of BB10 phones, it was really interesting OS), and I believe the reason Blackberry failed was wrong (almost nonexistent) marketing. There were not enough users, so developers wouldn`t port their application to BB10 - so there was lack of applications, which drove away potential users. It was vicious circle. BB PRIV was their last attempt to return to the top, but it was too late - that is where I agree with you.
I used a Pearl and a Torch way back. I liked the OS, still the best integration of email across apps. Keyboards worked fine, cameras were utter trash. Very good phones for business users syncing to their work computer. I'd moved on by the time of the Priv, but still miss some things about Blackberry
Wow I want one...I've used many android devices and never ever imagined the blackberry priv- now I've seen it, I want that sliding keyboard and curved screen.
Blackberry needs to re do this phone with design and upadated specs. This has all the potential to be the future of smartphones. Dual function is so cool.
When you said you get the best of both world when explaining the BlackBerry duality keyboard with touch sensitivity screen, I instantly got the Hannah Montana theme song “You got the Best of Both Worlds”
I've spent 2.5+ years, and tried 14+ devices, and have yet to find a phone I enjoy more than the Priv (only Note10 came close, but I've tried many: from Motorola, Nokia, LG, Samsung, to Razer phone and other BlackBerry handsets). Highlights just off the top of my head - love sliding it open to answer calls (turns heads all the time), the most comfy phone for calls overall (so soft and grippy to hold, perf size when slid open, loudest + clearest ear speaker), great for landscape video (front speaker means holding it amplifies the sound, and doesn't muffle the audio like w/ bottom firing speakers, good sound quality too), tbh the physical keyboard is my fav of all the bb's (perf combo of soft but clicky, and smaller keys give it a wider, more luxurious layout), the virtual keyboard is also my fav (so much so that I've installed the BlackBerry vkb on every device I've had, from my moto g5+ that I got after the Priv, to the Note10 that I just sold to a friend a week ago), love the software between marshmallow and KEYᵒⁿᵉ w/ nougat-oreo (menu layout, and more basic features, Android 9 and onwards created a ton of annoying/convoluted submenus), and lastly while it def has tons of drawbacks and is obviously dated it's great to have a 2015 device that was so far ahead of the curve w/ some features: QHD amoled screen + wireless charge + 4k video etc.
It’s interesting how when this phone is brought up almost the entire conversation is on the fact that it has a slide out keyboard in the android era seemingly forgetting that the first truly popular android phone and actual iPhone competitor (the Motorola droid) had a slide out keyboard.
Part of me really misses using my Priv... I loved the hide away physical keyboard! But I got that phone new & I always found the battery life to be terrible! Also the 808 often would overheat in it and throttle as well. But yeah Android 6 isn't useful now at all... But.... If my wives phone broke... I'd humor the noble gesture of giving her my Galaxy S10 & going back to the Priv. Also liked how unique it was. BlackBerry has sold the licensing of producing a Blackberry to Onward Mobility... There behind on even showing their phone.. But I am sure it will come sometime... No idea if it will be like the Blackberry Key Series TCL made. Or like the Priv.... Or somehow go with a more old school Blackberry design (Doubtful) But I am keen to see what they produce because I might wanna buy it! 100% sold if they produce a modern day BlackBerry Priv!
I was dragged kicking and screaming away from physical keyboards, I just liked them better (like them still) but at this point I've adjusted to that not being the norm.
They had the potential to become an Apple 2.0 with privacy but they dropped the ball but not promoting and supporting the app ecosystem. My first device was a blackberry and I still remember it fondly
I wish BlackBerry came out with a Priv 2.0! I went through 2, using the Priv since it came out. I've obsessed with it being best of both worlds; can't type with touch screen, but I now have to move on... (Gonna get a detachable keyboard for what I end up getting) Also, my Priv doesn't creek like yours does and I've dropped it many times.
I put my Priv down in the summer of 2018 and i miss it real bad. Currently using a Blackberry Keyone Black Edition and its fine but i miss that slider so much. Im very much still attached to my Blackberry and its buttons.
I'll always have a place for my Priv. Valentine's Day 2017: after I slid my Priv closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She had an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all.
If they were to make a Blackberry Priv 2 with bezeless screen, slide up physical keyboard, 8gb of ram, snapdragon 865, latest android firmware, and a nice 128gb storage I think blackberry could’ve sold very well with those specs.
What did Blackberry did them in is that they were very late to the Droid party. My company was still using Blackberry until 2008. When Droid went on the scene around the same time, I felt Blackberry should have came out with this specific product in 2009.
I used the Priv from 2015 to 2017. The battery would heat up like a marshmallow and suck the hell out of it but yes potential is what I agree is best description. The keyboard was too cramp but future keyboards were much much better so a second Priv with a better keyboard and battery would have been a godsend. A reworking of the Priv seems to be the common thought of what BlackBerry enthusiasts want out of the 2021 phone that is to be released. I do have a particularly fond memory of my Priv which will always make me appreciative of it. In 2017, I'm in the pantry and after I sent a text and slid the phone closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She's got an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all.
Wait it has wireless charging? Lol I didn’t even realize! That’s cool, not super common back in 2015. If only they could’ve added a fingerprint reader...
7:48 Actually the rubbery material is there on purpose. Like on older BB phones (Q10, Passport etc) it is there to make phone less slippery e.g. when holding phone in one hand and typing with thumb. Had my PRIV for two years (until it was run over by Volvo loader :D ) and this prooved to me very useful.
If you enjoyed the physical keyboard, you would not mind typing your password because it was so satisfying. My problem is the Camera with that phone only. If Samsung made a good phone with a keyboard I don't wanna lie, i would buy it.
I had a Q10, then a Passport, then the KeyOne, and was very proud to be #teamBlackberry in a market saturated with iPhones and Androids! I finally converted to the iOS side in 2018 and have been LOVING it ever since, but I do sometimes miss the tactile response of the physical keyboards, especially from my Passport, and the Blackberry Hub was awesome. It’s a shame they didn’t respond fast enough to the direction the market was going in, they definitely had the fan base to keep them afloat by the time the iPhone came out.
I have my old one still! Screen is damaged but not cracked! I never really liked it lol. It would get hot and the corners of the phone would dig into my hand which hurt. Plus it used micro usb when usb C was definitely being used already.
I used the BlackBerry Q10 for 3 1/2 years and bought the Playbook for compensating the tiny but sharp display. In my opinion the gestures of Blackberry OS10 (and Playbook OS) are comparable to the iphone OS nowadays. I would be so happy to see the two devices presented on your YT-Chanel :)
MeeGo had pretty good gestures too, the Nokia N9 had no keys, buttons nor navigation bar, only the power and volume and power ones. I liked windows phone, 8.1/10 mobile we’re great, but it is a shame they ditched MeeGo for that, because WP7 was so lacking in features
Actually the mute button was a legacy function, just like the iPhone totally not needing the hardware switch but still keeping it there. That button was there since the old BlackBerry days, and it is somewhat helpful once you develop the muscle memory to reach for it when you need it. It's that one button you wish you had when you have that awkward phone or alarm ringing in the middle of a meeting or a presentation. Instead of searching for a dismiss button or tapping on the volume down button rapidly in embarrassment, just one click of a button and the phone would get the message and shut up. At least that one's much more useful than those Google Assistant or Bixby buttons phone makers slap onto the phone from time to time.
I had one a few years ago and I literally threw it against the wall . Had a passport before and that phone was awesome! Switched to iPhone and never looked back
Blackberry Priv is one of the last remnants of an era when manufacturers took creative risks and being different and unique was what the companies strived towards. An era when the last thing a smartphone manufacturer wanted was for its product to look and feel like the competition. An era when every smartphone manufacturer had its own unique identity. Nowadays every product looks similar to the competition and creativity is effectively dead. Everything is vanilla and there is no uniqueness to any of them.
No reason to buy a Blackberry unless you really want that keyboard so hiding it behind the screen is a bit pointless. I prefer my Keyone and Key2 LE to my old Priv.
I think this is an incredible design and hope it makes a comeback. Marketing was the clear failure of this one, as I had never even HEARD of the PRIV until now. Around 2015 is when I was switching from Android to iPhone (never to look back) so I wasn't exactly shopping androids at the time, but still. Being a techy and not hearing about this, means they left a lot on the table in regards to marketing. If iPhones didn't exist and I was forced to use an android, this is exactly what I would want.
Blackberry has always have a soft spot in my heart. I remeber when it was blackberry vs iphone era. BB priv should be the design of modern flgship smart phones. U just cant go wrong with an optional physical keyboard. And u just cant ignore how classy their phone designs are.
The only thing I don't like about the Priv, is the battery over heats, but I love mine, and I hope they make updates now that Blackberry is back on, I love this phone,
You leave fingerprints on everything you touch. They don't have to cut off your finger to get it, just dust the print, and make a false finger with that print, like Mythbusters did.
Blackberry should have made this phone a Flagship. Solidly built (stainless steel) Flagship specs, 256 internal memory SD card expansion flagship cameras, (Sony or Samsung) screen 6"+ (Samsung amoled), speakers Etc they could always do a premium Blackberry priv two
I still don't think it's a failure. I still love the idea of having the physical keyboard behind the screen. You can easily make a new version with the more trendy 20:9 screen panel, and no one will know there's a physical keyboard behind.
You're absolutely right. Made for business people. And what do business people do a LOT of? Conference calls - so there you have your answer to why it's mute between the volume rockers. I have been MISSING this feature from all my phones that came after my blackberry passport SE - which I'm still using btw and you probably should take a look at that design and keyboard of that. TBH if I need to do a lot of email from a phone I still reach for the passport. The other great thing is (was) it's operating system - it is QNX based and crazy fast. Take a look - really. Sadly apart from crisp clear phoen calls in any environment and email there's not much use to it anymore. No apps etcetcetc...
Priv's got issues but it's a beautful piece of hardware and while I only recently got mine I do enjoy it. I swap between the Unihertz Titan and the Priv.
Although I've made the switch to iPhone, if BlackBerry brought out a Priv 2 with current flagship specs, or even current premium mid ranger specs, as well as support for a couple of years I'd buy it as a second phone in a heartbeat.
![BlackBerry Priv Review Re-Do [2017]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_jP3L1-RyL0/mqdefault.jpg)
If this video does decently well, I think I'll go ahead and pickup a Blackberry Keyone to review as well. This is without a doubt one of my favorite Android phones I've reviewed... it's so cool and I spent a ton of time on this video, so I hope you enjoy!
Follow me @91_Tech to keep up when I get that Keyone! Or don't. But please do
Insta: instagram.com/91_tech/
Twitter: twitter.com/91_Tech
BlackBerrys started it all..
I still wish more phones nowadays had physical keyboards.
What do I do if my balls get itchy (asking for a friend)
If it runs Android then there's no security.
@@rorywalters1614 Ah, a classic Apple user. Assumes no other platforms have any security just because of Apple’s marketing fluff.
Priv has a weird cult following in China, there are people offering services for around $40 to increase ram from 3gb to 4gb
Interesting lol
What good will 4Gb do?
@@ScheKitoff m u l t i t a s k i n g
Kinda odd, considering there are newer android BlackBerries with physical keyboards, and they are also pretty good for what they are (except the one where they didn't glue the screen properly and it would fall out very easily), there are even ones with fingerprint scanner in the space bar. I guess they must really like the sliding design.
@@marcino457 key 1 had an amazing camera. Lasted all day too. I miss it.
Plot Twist: The voice actor of SpongeBob and the voice actor of Karen, Plankton’s computer wife, have been married since 1995.
@Divij Singh Thakur you had one job
@Divij Singh Thakur boomer
R/whoosh
The fact we never wanted but the fact we really needed
And they both had blackberry privs
Blackberry didnt die because of the keyboard. The priv was the perfect combination of both worlds. It had both inputs, physical and on screen keyboard, and it was a great partial answer to the market demand.
The thing that killed blackberry is that they werent as assiduous in responding to other market demands.
They started as a corporate tool and they ran a train on that market all by themselves.
And apple was the toy phone for the kids that wanted to play.
What they didnt understand is that building toy is harder than building tools. Not that building tools is easy. But toys arent a concrete need, they have a need aspect, but they are deffinitely ruled by consumer WANTS.
Corpoate tools are needs if you can meet and even slightly exceed the user demands and deliver at a less painful price than others you will win.
And blackberry did. For a while.
But what they didnt expect was that apple and android would bother trying to compete in that space, and then be able to do it so well, mainly because it really wasnt that hard to do and they over estimated the draw of the physical keyboard.
They didnt really have any focus on developing their relevance in the game and recreation space, and once the competition met them in utility, the consumers asked why would they have a work device and a play device when they can have both in one.
I look as is that they went off-brand and tried to compete in a space where they were weak while losing focus on where they were strong. They let go of their niche to try to catch up with companies who dominated a different niche.
@@blazejefferson not really. Blackerry, or rather, RIM, hadvalways focused in developing or acquiring software or the companies that make it their entire existence. It was a supoorting role that they fell back on after they lost the consumer hardware game that they pretty much created.
@@metamorphicorder
Is this phone really a 2015 phone as I saw it in T-Mobile in 2019. It caught my eye instantly because of the unique look which made the phone stand out of the crowd.
Does Blackberry still exist or was it out of business already?
A
@@barrydemay3348 its a software company now. It still exists. They do not make any hardware.
I still carry a BlackBerry Key2. The dedicated mute key is one of the most underrated and useful features on a phone. Super convenient when on a call, and it's something I miss whenever I use a different device.
Mute slider on iPhone’s: am I joke to you?
@@tomojagooriginal622 what they meant was a mute key *during* a call. iPhones have mute switches but they won't mute a call in progress.
HTC One m8 in 2020 :) It's promotion and promises were very big back in 2014
That's one I definitely need to review!
czcams.com/video/SA-RdAdPYYE/video.html
I wanted one of those at the time. Best looking phone at that time
@@91Tech I had one m8
I love mine, used it for over 3 months this year before switching to the KEYone. It gets a lot of looks in public, had someone say to me it looked cool and they hadn't seen a blackberry in years.
The Priv is so much better than the KEYone but the slow software struggles with everything including basic things like emails. I only do basic things on my phone like calls, text and email.
My Note7 on android 6.0.1 feels just as slow, comparing it to the note FE on android 8 it's significantly faster so some of its issues might be a result of android 6.
From what i have seen this phone was prototyped running BlackBerry 10. Would love to put BB10 or a light custom rom onto it. The boot-loader is locked and i don't know it that makes it impossible but i hope not. Would love to use it again.
Not sure why you didn't like the keyboard. However that might be a good thing or every other phone without one feels bad.
You did forget to mention all the custom keyboard shortcuts you can assign as well as the copy, cut, paste shortcuts. Best software feature of the phone.
Also i am a fan of the back, its grippy so you don't need a case. But its true they can get the squeaks. The back is actually kinda transparent: instagram.com/p/CEtkw_yHz-8/
Enjoyed the video Josh, was well produced and put together.
Coming from Hugh Jeffrey 💯 approved
You speak like the Keynes us blazing fast.
Man, stop living in the past and get a real smartphone
Valentine's Day 2017: after I slid my Priv closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She had an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all.
I'll always have a place for my Priv because of the above. I only used it for a year, lag and not my favorite keyboard being my only real true gripes, but if they had addressed all its faults in its successor - better internals, better keyboard, battery not overheating, better software optimization, RAM management - this is definitely what I hope the 2021 5G BlackBerry turns out to be so it would be the best of both worlds. Will probably get whatever it is regardless, KEY2 is showing its age.
The back build quality was awesome. Used and abused my PRIV for two years before moving 1st to KEYone BE and then Key2 black edition. On 1st week I got my PRIV (retail, full price) I dropped it top first. With extended keyboard. On floor tiles.
Not a scratch on the phone.
If only the phone had custom rom support... But due to its incredible security it's almost impossible.
When I saw your post on twitter spoiling this video I immediatly knew that this video was going to be amazing! And I totally wasn't wrong! Great video from what I've seen so far Josh! :)
expected you here
Man this phone with updated specs would be amazing!
to be honest, if blackberry was still relevant i would probably buy one of their smartphones.
Especially if they remade a phone like this one, but with updated cameras, internals and cameras.
cameras and cameras? lol
i agree i love the privs design!
Blackberry found a new partner for future phones, a 5G "Flagship" is in the works for next year.
@@JorgeOrtizIII I know I can't wait!
BlackBerry is going to be very very relevant in the near future, but not for their phones
Man I REALLY wanted this when it came out. I think in an alternate universe if there was a 2020 version of this, it could be successful.
BlackBerry sold off the licensing of producing a BlackBerry smart phone to Onward Mobility so they can produce a BlackBerry phone.
Just like what they did with TCL prior till they ended the contract and now make there own regular android phones.
But... My fingers are crossed that when they do produce a phone that they borrow from the design of the Priv!
I feel it's honestly the best way to do a physical keyboard phone.. Because when your not using the keyboard it now looks & acts like any other Android phone!
Onward Mobility is behind on even showing the phone something that was supposed to happen Q1 2021.
But I am sure it will still happen eventually. Even if it looks like the Key series I'd still be maybe interested since I did one a KeyOne Black Edition as my last phone.
This phone is so dope, what a shame all of its potential was wasted
My friend uses one till today, it works fine just heats up from time to time.
For gaming? or for regular things too?
I really miss my Priv. I user replaced the battery once, but a second time was too much. I loved the grippy back so I didn't drop it. The physical keyboard was awesome. The "hub" that aggregates all my e-mail accounts, facebook, whatsapp, twitter, etc is so good that I pay for the software on my current Android phone.
What does the Hub give you that you like it so much? I tried other aggregators back in the day when they were more popular but by the time this phone came out I just used my notifications zone. In screenshots Hub looks kinda like it mirrors notifications but… now I’ve gotta guess there’s more to it than that.
@@kaitlyn__L It's a single inbox on my phone which means unified search. I don't need to remember which e-mail account something came in on when I'm looking for it later.
Blackberry only doing 1 late OS upgrade for it was a slap in the face. I loved my Priv, but the lack of support from BB was insulting. The Priv was my last phone from them.
Having the snapdragon 808 was the worst thing
Blackberry died because it acted like any other Canadian company, was incompetent from the start but saw random success, eventually it got arrogant over its size and killed itself. This is why Canada isn't dominant in the tech field, failure to innovate.
The OG blackberry’s were amazing. Essentially two way pagers. That was no random luck. They like MS and others were too stuck in their ways to react to iphone and all sure but no way that was random success.
Hey Bro, I'm still using this phone since last 4 yrs :)
me too!
Me too. I love it.
Any battery review in using this device?
@@erickkjellancho2638 Hi Erick, it looks like weak performance :(
@@MishMashFurniture how long when it comes to normal used of phone without any data usage or wifi too much
"I really do love sliding it in and out.... it's pretty cool!"
-91Tech
I've owned one for 4 years, I mainly use it now for CZcams, podcasts, music, Gmail, some surfing, and eBay haha.. a great phone overall, but it heats up and lags every so often, I use an app once a week to improve touchscreen sensitivity and it works great..
Another positive is a relatively easy battery change if needed
I'll keep using it until it dies on me, it's still fast and great for watching videos, it still looks awesome as well, love the design
Does it heats up a little or gets too hot ? I somehow find it alot more premium looking than key series .
The last time I had a BLACKBERRY PHONE, was in 2013, brings back memories, for real, my Brothers and Sisters.
Hers what i think as a late 90s baby that never had a BB but got a KeyOne,
I brushed a physical keyboard off as a stupid gimmick when i had first seen pictures of it, but when i saw a review for it out of curiosity, the moment i found out you could program 60 shortcuts (2 for every key) I fell in love, the fact i could program ANYTHING to any key made me buy it right then and i purchased one for 480, it took a while to adjust to it, but once i got used to it, it really changed how i used my phone. All my frequent contacts? Assigned to keyboard shortcuts.
Frequently used apps? assigned to keyboard shortcuts.
it made daily activates much easier as i could just open the phone, push F for facebook and go straight to it.
Missed a call from my dad? i could just press and hold D and I'd be calling him right then and there.
It really made communicating and staying in touch with people A LOT easier to do, and once i got good at the keyboard i didnt even have to look at it anymore, something I've never been able to do with any of the normal phones I've had.
I switched to am xperia 10 ii and since then, I've come to really miss the keyboard on the KeyOne, I hate that i cant have all my shortcuts, returning calls is now a lot harder, and in general, i feel like I'm so much more sluggish without the keyboard.
Might switch back to it, but, i just wanted to share my perspective since i also brushed it off as a gimmick with no place on smartphones, but after i used it, I now understand why older people love physical keyboards now.
Would have loved to see this design evolve over time and turn into an awesome, bezeless, high resolution, high refresh rate, amoled display phone with better cameras and specs... But oh well... RIP blackberry, and RIP physical keyboards (for now at least hopefully)
I had a Blackberry Curve, the keyboard was so amazing.
a priv 2 with polished software and an amazing camera would go soooo hard
I still have a priv and I refuse to throw it away. Sadly the battery dies so fast, it's not working as a daily..
I love it. I love the look people give you when you slide it open. I wish there would be a newer version today
I'm still nursing my 7-year old PRIV and would love to have one with current processing power and OS. I"m glad that it's still working with some infrequent issues of randomly rebooting and slow with apps that need updating. Hell, I'd love the interface and the wonky interface gestures of BB10 on Android with upgraded PRIV hardware. If they could add water resistance, it would be near perfect, for me at least.
blackberry hub was so great on BB10. I used it for 2 years 2014-2016
I really liked my Priv. It even held up really well. My only real problem with it was the chipset, ram, and storage. They were just never enough.
I'm still using a Priv daily and I still enjoy the crazy looks I get when I slide the keyboard. I have always carried a ipod for apps. I have a new key 1 new unused but continued to use the Priv. FYI my phone isn't 6th finger.
Does it over-heat tho? I am wanting to buy one now, but that's what bugs me the most
@@dzimi23 Exactly but I'm now using a key one, the battery life on the Priv started acting up even once it was replaced. I had a key-one standing by. I've been using it for about 4 months w/o problems.
@@manonanisland2712 Key 2 looks okay but price wise has no chance against the Unihertz titans... neither do other non-Blackberry physical keyboard phones
@@coopergates9680 You really like the Unihertz ?
@@manonanisland2712 It's not overall that much better (except the original Titan's sick battery life and the water/dust resistance if that applies), but IMO price is always a significant factor.
I'm sitting on a Classic Q20 but it looks like the usability of BB10 is hanging by its last thread.
About that fingerprint: It`s not like someone would cut of your finger and use it.
It`s about digital data - all fingerprint does it that it`s converted on some sort of key. Once someone get somehow to that key, they could digitaly slip this key to any device you own. Is your notebook locked by fingerprint? Hacked. You change your phone for new one? It`s a shame you still have the same fingers.
And don`t even start about payments and cloud services secured by fingerprint: Are your payments secured by fingerprint? Say goodbye to your money. Someone hacks the cloud - he could have so many keys - and unchangeable, it`s not like leaked passwords, that you can change at any time.
@@mozzjones6943 Oh, yes. Face ID is so secure that two completely unrelated Chinese women were able to unlock each other phone.
I think a big thing you need to keep in mind is not only convenience but also choice. The phone should have the choice. Yea I think it’s silly to be worried about someone exploiting your fingerprint sensor, but if you’re concerned you could just not use it. But the Priv doesn’t offer the choice. Ironically, given people defend that lack of fingerprint sensor because of security, you do have the very unsecure option of face unlock which just uses your camera and would probably be fooled by a picture of your face.
@@91Tech Wait, PRIV had face unlock? Then yes, that is stupid.
And about the choice... Well, those were the time when BB used Apple like Approach "We know what is best for user".
---
By the way the last Blackberry I used was Z10 (Maybe you can do some review of BB10 phones, it was really interesting OS), and I believe the reason Blackberry failed was wrong (almost nonexistent) marketing.
There were not enough users, so developers wouldn`t port their application to BB10 - so there was lack of applications, which drove away potential users. It was vicious circle.
BB PRIV was their last attempt to return to the top, but it was too late - that is where I agree with you.
I used a Pearl and a Torch way back. I liked the OS, still the best integration of email across apps. Keyboards worked fine, cameras were utter trash. Very good phones for business users syncing to their work computer. I'd moved on by the time of the Priv, but still miss some things about Blackberry
Wow I want one...I've used many android devices and never ever imagined the blackberry priv- now I've seen it, I want that sliding keyboard and curved screen.
If you want one you can buy it on best buy for couple hundred bucks! As well amongst other older blackberry devices for cheap too
Blackberry needs to re do this phone with design and upadated specs. This has all the potential to be the future of smartphones. Dual function is so cool.
When you said you get the best of both world when explaining the BlackBerry duality keyboard with touch sensitivity screen, I instantly got the Hannah Montana theme song “You got the Best of Both Worlds”
I've spent 2.5+ years, and tried 14+ devices, and have yet to find a phone I enjoy more than the Priv (only Note10 came close, but I've tried many: from Motorola, Nokia, LG, Samsung, to Razer phone and other BlackBerry handsets). Highlights just off the top of my head - love sliding it open to answer calls (turns heads all the time), the most comfy phone for calls overall (so soft and grippy to hold, perf size when slid open, loudest + clearest ear speaker), great for landscape video (front speaker means holding it amplifies the sound, and doesn't muffle the audio like w/ bottom firing speakers, good sound quality too), tbh the physical keyboard is my fav of all the bb's (perf combo of soft but clicky, and smaller keys give it a wider, more luxurious layout), the virtual keyboard is also my fav (so much so that I've installed the BlackBerry vkb on every device I've had, from my moto g5+ that I got after the Priv, to the Note10 that I just sold to a friend a week ago), love the software between marshmallow and KEYᵒⁿᵉ w/ nougat-oreo (menu layout, and more basic features, Android 9 and onwards created a ton of annoying/convoluted submenus), and lastly while it def has tons of drawbacks and is obviously dated it's great to have a 2015 device that was so far ahead of the curve w/ some features: QHD amoled screen + wireless charge + 4k video etc.
Answer 100 emails a day your job depends on and the value of the physical keyboard becomes apparent.
It’s interesting how when this phone is brought up almost the entire conversation is on the fact that it has a slide out keyboard in the android era seemingly forgetting that the first truly popular android phone and actual iPhone competitor (the Motorola droid) had a slide out keyboard.
Part of me really misses using my Priv... I loved the hide away physical keyboard! But I got that phone new & I always found the battery life to be terrible!
Also the 808 often would overheat in it and throttle as well.
But yeah Android 6 isn't useful now at all... But.... If my wives phone broke... I'd humor the noble gesture of giving her my Galaxy S10 & going back to the Priv.
Also liked how unique it was.
BlackBerry has sold the licensing of producing a Blackberry to Onward Mobility... There behind on even showing their phone..
But I am sure it will come sometime... No idea if it will be like the Blackberry Key Series TCL made. Or like the Priv.... Or somehow go with a more old school Blackberry design (Doubtful)
But I am keen to see what they produce because I might wanna buy it!
100% sold if they produce a modern day BlackBerry Priv!
Blackberry should try to be a new competitor
They will be releasing a phone again in 2021
I was dragged kicking and screaming away from physical keyboards, I just liked them better (like them still) but at this point I've adjusted to that not being the norm.
This guy praises the feel of Carbon Fiber. It feels exactly like regular plastic. Not missing much.
I still use the BlackBerry priv as a main phone. I use it with my iPhone.
“I literally lost brain cells reading that thread”
Oh yup, sounds like Reddit alright
I was legit looking into getting this as a second phone. You are a blessing for this video.
Just when I start looking at BlackBerry again.
They had the potential to become an Apple 2.0 with privacy but they dropped the ball but not promoting and supporting the app ecosystem.
My first device was a blackberry and I still remember it fondly
Blackberry needed the Play Store. BB10 was an excellent OS.
The battery indicator is so cool. I'm glad I bought one. The sliding keyboard was a damn good feature too. I love showing it off
Can u use social apps, youtube in a normal way?
@@buitienanh2001 yes
I wish BlackBerry came out with a Priv 2.0! I went through 2, using the Priv since it came out. I've obsessed with it being best of both worlds; can't type with touch screen, but I now have to move on... (Gonna get a detachable keyboard for what I end up getting) Also, my Priv doesn't creek like yours does and I've dropped it many times.
I put my Priv down in the summer of 2018 and i miss it real bad. Currently using a Blackberry Keyone Black Edition and its fine but i miss that slider so much. Im very much still attached to my Blackberry and its buttons.
If this phone came out with modern specs I’d buy it in a heartbeat
For me PRIV was one of the best phone I used on Android.
I enjoy this old phones reviews. Keep them coming and thank you for the content
I'll always have a place for my Priv.
Valentine's Day 2017: after I slid my Priv closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She had an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all.
If they were to make a Blackberry Priv 2 with bezeless screen, slide up physical keyboard, 8gb of ram, snapdragon 865, latest android firmware, and a nice 128gb storage I think blackberry could’ve sold very well with those specs.
What did Blackberry did them in is that they were very late to the Droid party. My company was still using Blackberry until 2008. When Droid went on the scene around the same time, I felt Blackberry should have came out with this specific product in 2009.
91 tech probably got the best intro of all tech channels in my opinion.
I knew someone with a blackberry priv. It looked so awesome at the time
I miss being able to scroll past ads without triggering them to load or auto play
I mean, I prefer phones with bigger bezels cause it makes the phones easier to hold when say: you’re watching media in landscape.
I used the Priv from 2015 to 2017. The battery would heat up like a marshmallow and suck the hell out of it but yes potential is what I agree is best description. The keyboard was too cramp but future keyboards were much much better so a second Priv with a better keyboard and battery would have been a godsend. A reworking of the Priv seems to be the common thought of what BlackBerry enthusiasts want out of the 2021 phone that is to be released. I do have a particularly fond memory of my Priv which will always make me appreciative of it.
In 2017, I'm in the pantry and after I sent a text and slid the phone closed, the hot girl from accounting came up to me and said woah what type of phone is that. Told her it was BlackBerry Priv that runs full Android. She said wow that's super dope (her exact words). She's got an iPhone and an iPad so I would classify her as an Apple based solely on outward appearances. That tells me not all of them are jerks. Most probably, but not all.
I might have to pick this up. My first phone was a Blackberry clone and I have never really gotten used to digital keyboards.
The Middle Button Between The Volume Is An Convince Key
You Can Launch Any App Or Every Action On The Setting Menu I Think
I've just repaired mine with a new battery and rear housing. Ive missed the Keyboard
I love the little previews of the adverts at the start of the video. It adds so much character.
That sound near the end of the outro song has me jumpy, thinking my device is broken.
You forget to mention Wirless charging. 👍Well this one is Blackberry's 1st Wireless charge option
Wait it has wireless charging? Lol I didn’t even realize! That’s cool, not super common back in 2015.
If only they could’ve added a fingerprint reader...
@@91Tech yes If you have USA (STV 100-1) model .
Confirmed. My first BB Priv had wireless charging. It was a great phone!
@@anthonylumpkins2080 yes great at that time and not bad till now
I'm impressed with how small the chin on the screen is, looks like it's almost as small as the iPhone 11.
7:48 Actually the rubbery material is there on purpose. Like on older BB phones (Q10, Passport etc) it is there to make phone less slippery e.g. when holding phone in one hand and typing with thumb. Had my PRIV for two years (until it was run over by Volvo loader :D ) and this prooved to me very useful.
Also to not block wireless charging coil.
The other channels said 2021 will have a modern 5G BlackBerry Android phone, the Key 3 phone.
That mystery key is the mute button from the original blackberry devices.
If my battery hadn't become utter trash, I'd still be using mine!
I'm ony third battery in my priv. $30 for a new one, and not too difficult to swap yourself.
If you enjoyed the physical keyboard, you would not mind typing your password because it was so satisfying. My problem is the Camera with that phone only. If Samsung made a good phone with a keyboard I don't wanna lie, i would buy it.
I had a Q10, then a Passport, then the KeyOne, and was very proud to be #teamBlackberry in a market saturated with iPhones and Androids! I finally converted to the iOS side in 2018 and have been LOVING it ever since, but I do sometimes miss the tactile response of the physical keyboards, especially from my Passport, and the Blackberry Hub was awesome. It’s a shame they didn’t respond fast enough to the direction the market was going in, they definitely had the fan base to keep them afloat by the time the iPhone came out.
Watching this on my priv.
I have my old one still! Screen is damaged but not cracked! I never really liked it lol. It would get hot and the corners of the phone would dig into my hand which hurt. Plus it used micro usb when usb C was definitely being used already.
Same issue. My screen doesn't light up anymore 😂
I used the BlackBerry Q10 for 3 1/2 years and bought the Playbook for compensating the tiny but sharp display. In my opinion the gestures of Blackberry OS10 (and Playbook OS) are comparable to the iphone OS nowadays. I would be so happy to see the two devices presented on your YT-Chanel :)
MeeGo had pretty good gestures too, the Nokia N9 had no keys, buttons nor navigation bar, only the power and volume and power ones.
I liked windows phone, 8.1/10 mobile we’re great, but it is a shame they ditched MeeGo for that, because WP7 was so lacking in features
Actually the mute button was a legacy function, just like the iPhone totally not needing the hardware switch but still keeping it there. That button was there since the old BlackBerry days, and it is somewhat helpful once you develop the muscle memory to reach for it when you need it. It's that one button you wish you had when you have that awkward phone or alarm ringing in the middle of a meeting or a presentation. Instead of searching for a dismiss button or tapping on the volume down button rapidly in embarrassment, just one click of a button and the phone would get the message and shut up. At least that one's much more useful than those Google Assistant or Bixby buttons phone makers slap onto the phone from time to time.
I had one a few years ago and I literally threw it against the wall . Had a passport before and that phone was awesome! Switched to iPhone and never looked back
Amazing video! Please review such old devices,the videos are simply brilliant cause of the amazing music!
Damn I thought that thing were from 2017. Still looking good as new and the UI looking fresh as well
Blackberry Priv is one of the last remnants of an era when manufacturers took creative risks and being different and unique was what the companies strived towards. An era when the last thing a smartphone manufacturer wanted was for its product to look and feel like the competition. An era when every smartphone manufacturer had its own unique identity. Nowadays every product looks similar to the competition and creativity is effectively dead. Everything is vanilla and there is no uniqueness to any of them.
No reason to buy a Blackberry unless you really want that keyboard so hiding it behind the screen is a bit pointless. I prefer my Keyone and Key2 LE to my old Priv.
I think this is an incredible design and hope it makes a comeback. Marketing was the clear failure of this one, as I had never even HEARD of the PRIV until now. Around 2015 is when I was switching from Android to iPhone (never to look back) so I wasn't exactly shopping androids at the time, but still. Being a techy and not hearing about this, means they left a lot on the table in regards to marketing. If iPhones didn't exist and I was forced to use an android, this is exactly what I would want.
Blackberry has always have a soft spot in my heart. I remeber when it was blackberry vs iphone era. BB priv should be the design of modern flgship smart phones. U just cant go wrong with an optional physical keyboard. And u just cant ignore how classy their phone designs are.
I used to have a BlackBerry Priv, and I liked it.
The only thing I don't like about the Priv, is the battery over heats, but I love mine, and I hope they make updates now that Blackberry is back on, I love this phone,
You leave fingerprints on everything you touch. They don't have to cut off your finger to get it, just dust the print, and make a false finger with that print, like Mythbusters did.
Old blackberry users already know the what the center volume button does :)
Blackberry should have made this phone a Flagship. Solidly built (stainless steel) Flagship specs, 256 internal memory SD card expansion flagship cameras, (Sony or Samsung) screen 6"+ (Samsung amoled), speakers Etc they could always do a premium Blackberry priv two
I loved my Priv but the micro died... I just changed for a Samsung two weeks ago
And there is nothing as good as BlackBerry phones on android.. :(((
i wish there was a priv 2 :( i don't want a key2 because the keyboard can't be hidden; that's the reason why i want a priv.
Love the texting on it. Best texting it has on a smartphone. It flopped cos no advertising. Shame😢
I had the Priv. The single biggest issue was its Snapdragon 808 in it. It was the iPad 3 in SoC land
I still don't think it's a failure. I still love the idea of having the physical keyboard behind the screen. You can easily make a new version with the more trendy 20:9 screen panel, and no one will know there's a physical keyboard behind.
I wouldn't consider them to be infamous. Serial killers or covid would be infamous. Not sure that's the correct term. Great video. Fascinating
You're absolutely right. Made for business people. And what do business people do a LOT of? Conference calls - so there you have your answer to why it's mute between the volume rockers. I have been MISSING this feature from all my phones that came after my blackberry passport SE - which I'm still using btw and you probably should take a look at that design and keyboard of that. TBH if I need to do a lot of email from a phone I still reach for the passport. The other great thing is (was) it's operating system - it is QNX based and crazy fast. Take a look - really. Sadly apart from crisp clear phoen calls in any environment and email there's not much use to it anymore. No apps etcetcetc...
Priv's got issues but it's a beautful piece of hardware and while I only recently got mine I do enjoy it. I swap between the Unihertz Titan and the Priv.
I’m still using my blackberry Key2LE
Although I've made the switch to iPhone, if BlackBerry brought out a Priv 2 with current flagship specs, or even current premium mid ranger specs, as well as support for a couple of years I'd buy it as a second phone in a heartbeat.