14 DAY TRIAL // Launched earlier this month, BlackBerry PRIV is the Canadian company’s big and rather risky bet when it comes to their devices business.
With new hardware, bold design and a radical shift in terms of software platform, the PRIV looks like a BlackBerry but doesn’t exactly feel like one, despite efforts to bring the OS 10 experience over to Android through several ported apps and services, including the outstanding Hub.
Even though it’s clearly designed to appeal to BlackBerry’s business-oriented core audience and the more casual Android bunch alike, the PRIV doesn’t appear to be selling too well. And while there are reports of it being out of stock at some retailers, statistics gathered from Android’s app store paint a different story.
Google Play data versus “high demand issues”
All PRIV-exclusive apps published by BlackBerry on Google Play currently stand at “10,000 - 50,000” installs, which means that the number of PRIV users that are actively using their device (i.e. basic setup and app updates, at the very least) lies somewhere in that interval.
We can get another indication from the exFAT utility for memory cards, which is a mandatory, automatic install the first time a microSDXC card is inserted into a PRIV. This app shows “1,000 - 5,000” installs, which means that, out of all PRIV owners, less than 5,000 are using a 32GB+ memory card to supplement the smartphone’s built-in 32GB of storage.
Three weeks after the PRIV’s official launch, these numbers don’t seem too encouraging for its sales outlook. It’s true that some shipments were delayed “due to demand,” but BlackBerry stated that all pre-orders would be successfully delivered no later than November 24 (as far as we’re concerned, they managed to make good on that promise, as our pre-ordered unit arrived early this week).
Quo Vadis, BlackBerry PRIV?
Nevertheless, we’re currently putting the PRIV through its paces, with a review coming up sometime next week. The overall impression so far is that BlackBerry’s first foray into the Android world needs serious work if it intends to ever become a real threat to acclaimed smartphone manufacturers like Samsung.
Between battery life issues and sluggishness exhibited by BlackBerry’s own apps, it feels like the PRIV’s software side simply lags behind the hardware. Even the impressive 18MP camera module feels undermined by an under-par photo & video shooting app, especially in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.
All this comes after BlackBerry has already updated its Android apps a few times since the PRIV’s launch, which means they need to keep at it. If not for the PRIV’s sake, then at least to increase the chances of a successful launch of the upcoming Android-based devices they’re already working on.
