[JG_Agustin]

I've finally purchased a PRIV, as mentioned elsewhere, out of my curiosity to try BlackBerry's take on Android and perhaps support the company. It's an AT&T unlocked device, not sure why, but it's what I got through a retailer in MercadoLibre.

Anyway, I'd like to share the impressions from my first three days with it.

Battery:

First thing I've noticed is that battery life is not on par with the Passport. I've read that the first few days the device is "syncing" and that it should improve eventually. I hope so, as I've had to recharge my phone around 8:00 pm, having less than 20%, with light to medium use. This rarely happened to me with the Passport and only when I truly used it very heavily; I would generally have 30-40% when i got home around 10 pm.

This weekend will be the first with the PRIV. As a comparison, I tend to use my phone less during the weekend and the Passport would last me around 36-40 hours on a single charge.

Note: I'm using many of the battery saving tricks found on CrackBerry and the official BlackBerry blog. I've also installed Snapdragon Battery Guru, as suggested by some users. Screen time is set to 30 seconds and half brightness, same as with my Passport.

Hub: It's ok, but not on par with BB10. Notifications sometimes don't refresh if you use the app itself, mainly WhatsApp. Also, WhatsApp group chats appear as such and also as individual messages of participants, this is a bit annoying. I hope it improves with further updates.

Regarding IM's such as WhatsApp, it's annoying the way baked notifications are presented. On BBM, for instance, you can't instantly reply, but at least they don't interfere as WhatsApp. If you're writing elsewhere, a new WhatsApp message will appear and what you're typing will be written on it, it's quite intrusive, unlike the BB10 version.

Likewise, I can't find a way to save WhatsApp media on the SD Card...

Keyboards: Vkb is nearly identical to how I remember it on the Z30, no complaints here.

Pkb is very good actually. I haven't had much problem adjusting to the size, unlike others who have complained about it. Granted, it's way more comfortable to type on the Passport's kb and it has a more premium feel and look than the PRIV's kb.

I do find it more touch sensitive and soft. In some cases that's better and in others worse. Sometimes the trackpad feature is not as precise as on BB10, however, this might be due to Android.

To me, the pkb is the best feature of the PRIV in comparison to other Android smartphones, followed by BlackBerry's apps.

File Manager: As simple and basic as the native one is on BB10, I would've liked that it had been ported to the PRIV. I'm using the Asus File Manager and although it has some cool features, I just prefer the simplicity of the BB10 one. I don't like, for instance, the "Home screen" with "type shortcuts" on the Asus manager and would favour just going straight to the point. Any recommended alternatives?

Notes: I'm sad to see that the Notes app doesn't have Evernote integration, but this is not a deal breaker as there's always the official app.

Fluidity: I find BB10 more fluid in moving around screens and options. I don't like so much the way multitasking is handled on Android.

App availability: No real comparison here, the PRIV wins hands down. However so far, I'm using almost the same apps as on BB10 (I used to have Cobalt's GPS installed). I will have to explore this part a bit more.

Build quality: Overall good, although I do feel it is a more delicate device. I don't think it will take a hit like the Passport.

Conclusion: I'm enjoying the device, but find that the battery life limits my usage. I can't see how I'll take full advantage of having more apps and options, if the battery will not suffice, mainly regarding to games and media, but also communications (just writing this post has taken almost 20%)

I do hope the battery improves overtime or with the upcoming Marshmallow update.

Likewise, I hope BlackBerry Hub gets even better. It's a decent copy, but I believe it will only appeal to previous BB10 users.

As things stand, I'm meditating if I'll end up reverting back to the Passport. Unlike other times when I upgraded device (Q5 to Q10, Q10 to Z30 and Z30 to Passport), I'm not convinced right away that I've made the best decision. I will definitely give the PRIV more time and hopefully it grows on me.

P.S. When posting on the Android CrackBerry App the writing space is way too cramped... I was definitely spoiled by the "work wide" way of seeing things...

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android with my mighty PRIV!

[kthhrrsn]

This was a good read. I have a Priv too, and I went back to my Passport as my primary device. I use the Priv now more for fun because of all of the apps. It's not a bad device at all. I just prefer the Passport. Wish it didn't cost me $700 to come to that conclusion. :-)

Posted via CB10

[whatsever]

My colleague had the Priv for a week and send it back and did go back to his Classic,
A friend off mine in the UK had also ge the priv with his subscribe but he doesn't like it how it was working and he get back to his Z30 and sold his Priv and get's the Passport. I also know some BBM guys in some different BBM groups get the Priv and also get back to the there old phone.

I hear complains like battery, Hub is not the same, missing multitasking and how it is handled and battery life and It's not BlackBerry ,they also like how the UI is handled with BB10 like gesture and swipe is much better ,and also they don't know why they don't make it like BB10 and get lost with that home button

[Pinot2015]

A friend of a friend noticed that there are limited apps without patching or at all that work on BB10

Posted via my PRIV

[JG_Agustin]

But no proper apps.

Posted via my PRIV

Indeed, this is the strong point of the PRIV. But as I mentioned, it's hard to fully take advantage of this massive availability of apps if you run out of battery easily.

I'm not writing off the PRIV, it'd be unfair with only three days using it, and in all honesty, it is a beautifully designed device. But there are just some simpler, more basic things that are handled better by BB10. Sometimes, the simple answer is the best solution, some others it's not.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android with my mighty PRIV!

[danielcj]

They need to lower the price..

[FF22]

I have to agree that the "simpler" BB10 OS was or is better than the Android OS. I definitely preferred the Active frames for apps that were running. I preferred the Swipe to either close or put an app into background. But as much as we might have liked it or still do, it was not adopted by the public and was not selling well. Even if 90% of us were willing to purchase an updated bb10 device, that would not have covered its development costs, not unless it was astronomically priced.

Obviously bb10 devices still work well for some people. It is more secure and fluid. The REAL Hub was masterful. But apps were definitely its weak aspect and it was becoming more so each passing week.

That does not mean BB's Priv-android device has to be the replacement. There are tons of android devices. Reviews on all devices show that they have their respective flaws - some more, some less.

Hopefully, the OP's battery issues will settle down. I find that I have good days and less good days. Currently, I took it off the charger at about 7am yesterday (Thurs) and it is now 3:36pm the next day (or about 33 hours) and I have 53% battery power left. I don't know why because generally I'm down to about 40% in the evening of a normal ONE day cycle.

[sonicpix]

well....got my wife's Priv today and so far, I really don't like this OS. Many people said how the OS is unorganized and now I know why. Maybe I will get use to it, but this is not the first time I've used Android. I had a Samsung and hated it. I was really hoping the stripped down BB Android would be better. My opinion so far is that BB10 is significantly better.

[trinipoco]

Give it some time, took me a couple of weeks to get use to android after bb10.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[tfitzpat03]

Got a sony z5 premium instead of the priv. Haven't looked back myself. Wish I could get blackberry hub and virtual keyboard though...

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[buwee]

Indeed, this is the strong point of the PRIV. But as I mentioned, it's hard to fully take advantage of this massive availability of apps if you run out of battery easily.

I'm not writing off the PRIV, it'd be unfair with only three days using it, and in all honesty, it is a beautifully designed device. But there are just some simpler, more basic things that are handled better by BB10. Sometimes, the simple answer is the best solution, some others it's not.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android with my mighty PRIV!

I have the STV100-1 Priv, a S6 Edge, Note Edge, iPhone 6, Passport Original, Classic, Z30 & the Passport SE and I have to say the Passport SE is hands down the best phone out of all the phones I have. It is by far, more fluid and efficient than ANY Android phone but unfortunately, it is a dying O/S because of the lack of apps. I will continue to use the Passport SE as my main phone and one of the other ones as my play phone until the the BB10 phones don't work anymore. I find IOS a much more fluid O/S than Android but I can't stand everything else about it LOL

[IndianTiwari]

Indepth analysis by the OP. I am using the Priv as well. The device is very good. But the Hub is still in evolving stages. Battery life on the Priv is not as good as the Passport.


 Passport SE on Etisalat 4G Network propelled by 10.3.2.2876

[sebstarr]

I'm using the Priv as my personal and my passport for business.

Works well that way but will have to say passport wins hands-down in almost all categories for me
Hub
Blend
Bbm video
Build quality
Battery
Keyboard
Pocket fit
Web browsing and document viewing
Oh and it is red

Priv kills it for
Apps
Camera

my first foray into droidlandia

[Al moon]

bb needs to bake into the os all the gestures that made bb10 great

[BBUniq01]

My perfect phone would have been my Classic with Google Play. But that is not happening. I did return my first Priv purchase upon reading reviews of if it when first released. Then I decided to give it another try when ShopBlackberry had a sale.

I have had this phone for awhile now and love it. U have to just surrender to the BlackBerry_Android experience. And it does take weeks to do so. I prefer stock devices (my Lenovo tablet is stock Android) altho it does take some time to find the apps that are native to BlackBerry out of the box.

Good luck with ur choice and I completely understand where u are coming from.

Posted via my Priv

[phillyd2]

Having the Q10 I think I'm going with the new baby iphone but decided to stop by the att store to check out the Priv first. Man, it's a monster brink. Oh well. Off to get my first non bb phone in forever.

[MrScotian]

U have to just surrender to the BlackBerry_Android experience. And it does take weeks to do so.

That's where I have a problem. Pay hundreds of dollars then force oneself to love something over weeks. When I came to BlackBerry, it was for a Z10. I loved it on the first day and now have a Z30. I don't get this whole idea that the users are the problem and not the device because the users just have to spend enough time with it until they like it, i.e., force themselves.

Not meaning to pick on you, BTW. I have seen this idea posted so often and I just don't agree with it at all.

[DroidBerryGuy]

Android M has really improved the Priv in terms of fluidity and battery life. Give it a chance before you return it.

[shell_gwn]

Hang in there regarding the battery life. I used to have 35-40% left at the end of the day on my Passport. When I switched to the PRIV about a month ago, I initially had 15-20% left at the end of the day. After about 10-14 days, it suddenly changed and I now usually have about 40-50% left at the end of the day. So give it a couple of weeks. I think the sometime the updates (apps in addition to the OS) do improve battery life.
I agree with you regarding the fluidity of BB10 on the Passport and the better multi-tasking. In the meantime, enjoy the better app selection and better camera / screen / video handling on the PRIV.

[Bay 13]

My battery was average on my Priv before I downloaded "All In One Toolbox" app. Now I can unplug at 6:30 am and have about 40-50% battery at 9:00 pm. This is still on Lollipop...from what I am hearing it should be much better on Marshmallow. Priv is a great device.

[Tradesman644]

Got a sony z5 premium instead of the priv. Haven't looked back myself. Wish I could get blackberry hub and virtual keyboard though...

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Check out Cobalt's thread on getting the Priv apps on unrooted phones...

Z30/STA100-5/10.3.2.2474

[IndianTiwari]

I have to agree that the "simpler" BB10 OS was or is better than the Android OS. I definitely preferred the Active frames for apps that were running. I preferred the Swipe to either close or put an app into background. But as much as we might have liked it or still do, it was not adopted by the public and was not selling well. Even if 90% of us were willing to purchase an updated bb10 device, that would not have covered its development costs, not unless it was astronomically priced.

Obviously bb10 devices still work well for some people. It is more secure and fluid. The REAL Hub was masterful. But apps were definitely its weak aspect and it was becoming more so each passing week.

That does not mean BB's Priv-android device has to be the replacement. There are tons of android devices. Reviews on all devices show that they have their respective flaws - some more, some less.

Hopefully, the OP's battery issues will settle down. I find that I have good days and less good days. Currently, I took it off the charger at about 7am yesterday (Thurs) and it is now 3:36pm the next day (or about 33 hours) and I have 53% battery power left. I don't know why because generally I'm down to about 40% in the evening of a normal ONE day cycle.

Great points . Agree with you .

[anon(679606)]

I'm actually surprised how small it is compared to the hype...

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[JG_Agustin]

Weekend update: Battery lasted the full Saturday, about 15 hours mix use, plugged it with 15% left. Same on Sunday, plugged it with 22% left.

Compared to weekdays, it lasted a bit better, however, I'm not sure if it was because I used it less or if it indeed gained a bit of battery life. The device still gets pretty hot, at certain point I'd rather put it down and let it cool. I would occasionally observe something similar on the Passport, but it was less frequent and only when I really pushed the device. If you play a game on the Priv for a few minutes or browse the Web continuously, it tends to heat up quite often.

I've already invested in the device, so I will continue testing it the next few weeks. I look forward to the Marshmallow update, as I've read it improves battery life and fixes the heating problems.

I'm giving a fair shot at getting used to Android, but still find it rather messy, in comparison to BB10. When I'm home, I'd rather pick up my Passport to write emails, surf the Web or check my social media, or even to play certain games (ironically, I have only 4 installed on the Priv and 12 on the Passport). I've installed ES File Explorer instead of the Asus one, it's ok, I find the UI more eye-pleasing and also supports USB OTG, I still prefer the simplicity of the BB10 native file manager.

Posted with my powerful and masterful  Passport!

[fanisk]

Battery life is definitely not similar with the Passport.

When I am on WiFi I can easily pass 24 hours but when I am traveling and been obliged to use GSM is never more than 10-12 hours, so I am obliged to use a portable battery charger to end up my long days.

After nearly 5 months of use of the Priv I consider the battery life about 25% less than the Passport. I hope that MM update will improve it.

Posted via my BlackBerry Priv