<div><strong>By Mala Bhargava</strong></div><div> </div><div>If there's a smartphone that's taken the world by storm today, it's the BlackBerry Priv, which reviewers are delighted with in America. The Priv stands for Privelege and Privacy. </div><div> </div><div>Here in India, the Priv hasn't arrived yet, but it should all in good time. And BlackBerry fans are waiting eagerly. "They made a better Android than Android," says one poster on Twitter. The Priv in fact is already slated to get the Android Marshmallow update, leaving its current Lollipop behind. Many expressed the hope that the Priv would be good enough to make BlackBerry bounce back. </div><div> </div><div>BlackBerry has been seeing a market share of smartphones so low that even Samsung's relatively unknown Tizen-based phones seem to have beaten it, according to some reports. The BlackBerry Priv seems to be a feat of ingenuity in the way it's combined the look and the software of two entirely different ecosystems — BlackBerry's own, and Android's. </div><div> </div><div>On the design front, the Priv starts out like an ordinary Android phone, but then slides out a BlackBerry keyboard. People testing the phone say they're having a great time just sliding out the keyboard. And people really like the way it looks, specially with the tapered edges of the 5.4 inch 1440 x 2560 AMOLED screen. It's also well-built and sturdy. </div><div> </div><div>Sticking a keyboard on to the already substantial length of a regular sized phone is a tricky thing. It could make the device top heavy but few are reporting that. They do however find the keyboard is a bit cramped and point out that die-hard BlackBerry users may not find that they get the exact same experience they crave. </div><div> </div><div>The software also has a lego-bricked combination of Android and BB10. It's got the BlackBerry Hub to handle mail the way BlackBerry users always swore by. It also has BlackBerry's security built in, perhaps a special boon for an Android phone since Android is always thought to be an operating system that is particularly vulnerable to threats and attacks. </div><div> </div><div>The Priv has a 64-bit Qualcomm 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage with a micro-SD card slot that lets you expand to up to 2TB. The battery is a 3,410mAh and early reports say it's not spectacular but adequate. It does have quick charging though. The cameras are 18MP primary and 2MP rear. The 2MP has been written off by most reviewers while the 18MP is a mixed bag. Though there are some rave reviews of the BlackBerry Priv and fans are excited, it's difficult to see an Android phone saving BlackBerry as a company. </div><div> </div><div>If one wants an Android phone, there's no shortage of offerings there and those that still haven't overcome the fear of typing on glass are much fewer in number today. And on top of that, the device is very expensive at $699, hardly a price that will have anyone flocking to buy.</div>
