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BlackBerry Priv is officially dead as monthly security updates cease
BlackBerry got a fair bit of attention earlier this year with the reveal of the BlackBerry Keyone, but its first Android device — the Priv — didn’t garner nearly as much praise or attention. Now, two years after its release, the Priv is officially dead.
BlackBerry confirms Android Oreo for the Keyone, Priv won’t be updated past Marshmallow
Whether you like BlackBerry’s Android devices or not, you have to give the company credit where it is due and that’s certainly in the software. BlackBerry’s near-stock take on Android Nougat is solid, and the company has a good track record of keeping the phone up to date on monthly patches.
Now, we’ve gotten confirmation that Oreo is coming to the Keyone, which is great, even if that comes along with the news another BlackBerry device won’t get the same treatment…
Three BlackBerry Android devices likely in the works, one possibly made by TCL/Alcatel
At the beginning of the month, reports described slow BlackBerry PRIV sales and high return rates. Despite this and a potential exit from the hardware business, VentureBeat has details on three new Android-powered devices in the works. These rumors are similar to ones from last year and involve a pair of touchscreen devices and one with a full keyboard.
T-Mobile has already stopped selling the BlackBerry Priv online
Earlier this week news surfaced that AT&T sales of the BlackBerry Priv are worse than expected, and now T-Mobile has stopped selling the Android device on its site. The device is out-of-stock online, but those who are still interested may be able to find them in local carrier stores.
BlackBerry Priv sales more than just slow, reportedly suffering higher return rate than expected
Blackberry announced its first Android powered smartphone late last year and the phone launched on AT&T shortly thereafter. Other carriers followed, and things looked bright for the Candian firm. There’s no doubt here that the Priv is a solid device, but with a high price tag and features that not everyone actually cares about, it was always going to be a tough sell.
The company estimated that it would push about 850,000 units in Q4 of 2015, but it only sold about 600,000 units in total in that time. It’s tough to say exactly why things fell below expectations, but one anonymous executive from AT&T had a little bit of insight on the topic (via CNET)…
Moto G 4th gen shows up in leaked press render, sans fingerprint sensor
Well-known leaker, Even Blass has produced yet another render of the next generation Moto G, this time it’s the regular model without a fingerprint sensor on the front panel. If accurate, it virtually confirms the previous speculation that this year’s G-series Moto phones will be available in regular and ‘Plus’ variants.
5.7-inch Huawei Honor V8 could be available in 1080p regular and QHD ‘Plus’ models
We’ve read (and written) about the Honor V8 handset a couple of times over the past few weeks. Huawei’s sub-brand is expected to unveil the budget-friendly high-end phablet at an event next week, and it could be the first Honor phone to be equipped with a dual camera system, similar to the setup on the more premium Huawei P9.
Initial leaks and online listings suggested that the Honor V8 would come with a Quad HD screen (another first for Honor), but we’ve been doing a little digging on TENAA and discovered another model of the same phone with a lower resolution screen, less powerful processor and less storage.
The best Android phones you can buy [May 2016]
We’re nearing the end of the first half of 2016, and that means a lot of new Android smartphones have been announced. Starting off the year was the Huawei Mate 8 and Honor 5X at CES in January, of course followed later by Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge as well as the LG G5 in February at Mobile World Congress. But which ones are the best buys? Keep reading to find out…
Deal: Unlocked AT&T BlackBerry PRIV down to $389 (Reg. $649)
Months after its launch, the BlackBerry PRIV has finally seen its first decent price cut. While ShopBlackBerry — the manufacturer’s official online store — cut the price to $649 a few weeks ago, one trusted eBay seller is now offering the device for under $400.
This week’s top stories: Galaxy Note 6 leaks, Huawei P9, HP Chromebook 13 & hands-on w/new Android phones
In this week’s top Google stories: new Android device news surrounding the Galaxy Note 6, the death of the Nexus 9, Huawei’s upcoming P9 flagship, and more. And we went hands-on with LeEco’s new Snapdragon 820-powered Le Max2 w/ 6GB of RAM, the BlackBerry PRIV running Android Marshmallow, and the Oppo F1 Plus in this week’s top videos.
In addition, HP and Google launched the impressive new Chromebook 13, and a handful of notable Google and Android app updates arrived as well as news of a completely overhauled design for Instagram in testing.
Head below for all of the quick links to this weeks top stories, videos and more.
Report: Google once met with Telegram chief to discuss $1 billion acquisition [Update: Telegram says it’s BS]
Update: In a comment made to TNW, a Telegram spokesperson denied all acquisition rumors with a strongly-worded rebuttal.
“This is complete bullshit. There were no acquisition talks, no plans for any such thing either.”
You may remember quite a few years ago, it was rumored that Google was looking in to buying WhatsApp for $1 billion, and again later on for $10 billion. Both times, those rumors were denied by Google and — of course — we now know that even if they did bid, the deal didn’t go down.
Facebook bought the popular messaging app for a cool $19B, but Google seemingly hasn’t given up on strengthening its messaging portfolio. Reports from Russia are claiming that Google chief, Sundar Pichai once met with Telegram’s founder to discuss a $1 billion acquisition.
Third-party Moto G4 case render corroborates leaks as Motorola sends out invites for May 17 New Delhi event
Taking into account all the leaks and rumors we’ve seen over the past few weeks regarding the upcoming 4th generation Moto G, it’s safe to assume the device is going to be announced relatively soon. Corroborating those leaks we’ve already laid our eyes on, another batch of detailed renders has found its way online.
Hands-on: Everything new with BlackBerry PRIV running Android Marshmallow [Video]
Yesterday, BlackBerry finally started pushing out the Android Marshmallow for the PRIV. And while it contains everything we already know about Marshmallow, BlackBerry added a few new useful and cool features of its own.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for BlackBerry PRIV being rolled out from today
After a few weeks testing the software with a select group of beta participants, BlackBerry is finally rolling out the Android Marshmallow update for the PRIV from today. It comes with all the usual Marshmallow features, as well as some performance improvements and a handful of additional features for BlackBerry’s custom UI, keyboard and apps.
Future Samsung smartphones may have huge 24MP 1/1.7 camera sensors
With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung created one of the best Android smartphone cameras we’ve used. At least, if you ignore the likes of the Panasonic CM-1 which is more a camera powered by Android than a smartphone. Low-light performance is great, and images come out sharp and full of color. But, if a recent rumor is anything to go by, its future smartphones will make the S7 look like a cheapy disposable camera by comparison.
Android Marshmallow beta rollout for BlackBerry PRIV beginning today
Just over a week ago we brought you news that BlackBerry was starting up a beta program for PRIV owners who wanted early access to the Android Marshmallow update. The idea is simple: Get a wide base of users testing and sending diagnostics, in return, they get the latest software and BlackBerry gets to identify and iron out any bugs before the public rollout. Right on schedule, the first batch of beta testers will get access to the OS from today, before a wider beta rollout begins.
The Galaxy Note 6 may bring an iris scanner alongside water resistance
It is common for OEMs these days to launch more than one flagship device on the market, as rarely one model alone is able to satisfy every segment of it. Often, like in the case of the just announced Huawei P9 and P9 Plus, manufacturers simply create different sized versions of the same phone, while other companies opt to design entirely new lines to target different audiences and keep up with the fast upgrade cycles.
Samsung has long established this pattern with the Galaxy S phones and its Note lineup, which is why a Galaxy Note 6 is highly likely to launch worldwide come the last quarter of the year. Naturally, albeit being only April, the rumor mill has all but started, with various information already floating around. A report from SamMobile claims that the forthcoming handset will inherit the Galaxy S7‘s water resistance capabilities, and may sport an iris scanner as well…
BlackBerry will launch two mid-range Android devices later this year
After lackluster PRIV sales last quarter and a subsequent price cut, BlackBerry will be launching two mid-range devices later this year. Speaking to The National, CEO John Chen said their first device running Android “was too high-end a product” even for the enterprise market.
Qualcomm teases HTC 10 Snapdragon chip ahead of next week’s launch
HTC has been publishing its own revealing teasers for the upcoming flagship smartphone over the past few weeks. The HTC 10 is going to have ‘the best BoomSound yet‘, a ‘compelling camera‘, and a shiny, polished chamfer on the back according to the manufacture’s past tweets. Now Qualcomm has joined in with the pre-launch games…
BlackBerry PRIV down to $649 at various retailers after permanent price cut
While we’re quite fond of the PRIV and its software customizations on top of Android, BlackBerry sold fewer than expected devices last quarter. To remedy the situation, BlackBerry (via Re/Code) is announcing a permanent $50 price cut to the device.
BlackBerry opens Android Marshmallow beta program for PRIV owners
BlackBerry has opened up a new beta testing program to give BlackBerry PRIV owners early access to the upcoming Android Marshmallow software update. This news follows the announcement from the company’s CEO last week that the 6.0 update would be rolling out in late April, or early May.
Android Marshmallow update for BlackBerry PRIV rolling out in late April/early May
During its fourth quarter earnings call this morning, John Chen, BlackBerry’s CEO, confirmed when we can expect Android Marshmallow to land on its first Google-powered smartphone. While many other manufacturers have already rolled out Android 6.0 to their customers, it seems BlackBerry PRIV owners will need to wait at least another month.
Google working on new Android camera app that recognizes objects
According to a report from SlashGear, Google is looking to combine the technologies used in its Goggles app and visual search tool with the standard Google Camera app. In doing so, the default stock Android camera will be able to recognize products and objects, then search for them.
HTC teases new BoomSound tech in its upcoming ‘HTC 10’ flagship phone
HTC seems to be having a lot of fun teasing its next flagship smartphone. The HTC 10 will be unveiled officially at a virtual event on April 12, and is expected to compete directly with this year’s biggest smartphones. While the company has been pushing out its own teasers, leaks and renders have given us a pretty clear image of what to expect from the Taiwanese tech company this year.