After years of living in Apple’s shadow, BlackBerry might just be on the verge of a revival. Priv, the company’s newly released mobile device, is giving smartphone users a compelling reason to ditch their iPhones for good. But what’s the draw?
1. It’s now part of the Android army. For the tech illiterate, Android is the mobile operating system you’ll find on almost anything that’s not an iPhone (which uses iOS). The Priv is BlackBerry’s first entre into the world of Android, which means that Priv users have access to all the apps found in the Google Play store.
2. There’s a physical keyboard. The clicking noise you so adored hearing while furiously typing emails and texts on early version BlackBerry devices is back. What’s more, the phone also has a “virtual” keyboard option for those who’ve grown comfortable with tapping on screens. You can slide the screen up with your thumb to reveal a classic BlackBerry keyboard; then slide it back down, and the phone will revert to touchscreen typing.
3. The password protection is top-notch. Smartphones typically stay secure using a fingerprint, passcode or swiping pattern. The Priv, however, incorporates all three into an authentication method they call “Picture Password Technology.”
There’s an inevitable learning curve that comes with switching from one smartphone to another, but the Priv’s barrier to entry is surprisingly low. And the keyboard? Spend a few minutes tapping, and you’ll likely be tempted to cross over.
