1. Neil W 79's Avatar
    After using the classic and passport for the past year and being completely satisfied with the passport I thought I might try out the priv as I have heard good things. I rely on my phone to run my business and I need to be able to respond quickly throughout the day to many emails on the go. After updating the device and using it for emails in the evenings I swapped sims and went fully over to the priv. After a few hours of use I was pulling my hair out, I have used android previously on a more casual work basis but under the demands of my normal working day the Priv was woefully poor. Firstly the virtual keyboard may be ok for typing on once an email is set up with the correct recipient, accurately selecting contacts and in putting non generic works is a frustrating experience, I found myself taking 3 times as long finding contacts on the vkb than the pkb. The pkb is poor, compared to the classic and passport it's inferior in every way. I found it very frustrating whilst using the pkb to compose an email when I wanted to send I had to stretch to the top of the screen or close the keyboard to send, unless someone can tell me a way to send using the pkb then this is a pain. The android os is not for business, it's a colourful mess, easy to miss emails. Multi tasking is messy and everything just feels like an effort. To put it simply this is not a business device, I cannot see how any android device could be utilised for business, the OS is so busy the basics are swamped within it. So I have now returned to the passport which I will be using for a long time as there is no need to change. Bb10 for work, iOS and android for everything else.

    Posted via CB10
    09-26-16 01:19 PM
  2. brunolondinese's Avatar
    I can't return this priv but I'm switching to an S7. I enjoyed using android for the first time on this phone, and the only reason I left the Passport was because it was just ridiculous how little you could do with th admittedly fantastic BB10 OS. Really useful apps are not available on it! And whatsapp will no longer work on it! Get real!

    Anyway, the priv has been dissapointing nonetheless and it has been hardware issues for me. Minimal usage and it gets hot and slow and the battery drains very fast. I have a few cracks in the screen which I cannot do anything about because it's cheaper and easier to buy a new handset that get a bit of glass replaced.
    09-27-16 08:34 AM
  3. werkregen's Avatar
    I'm not returning my PRIV, I'm just gonna throw it in a drawer.

    My journey with BB has been short. I bought a Classic two years ago because I always wanted to try a BB. I instantly got addicted to the keyboard and the fluidity of the OS, but the enthusiasm slowly eroded due to various bugs, missing features (i.e. OpenVPN) and app scarcity. I tried Cobalt's method but I was annoyed by the hassle of getting apps to work, and they didn't work that well anyway.

    When the PRIV got out, I took a leap of faith and preordered it. Android would solve app availability and I'd also have the PKB. Sounded like a win-win (except for Google Play services but the tradeoff was worth it). I almost returned the priv day 1, but I decided to keep it thinking I'd get accustomed to it in time. Here are my main problems with it:

    • Right out of the box, the back plate would constantly squeak and it was annoying as hell, especially when holding it to my ear;
    • The Keyboard. It's the worst BB keyboard I've touched. I don't think the buttons are small, but the tactile feedback simply sucks;
    • Had to reset to factory defaults twice in 6 months due to some known APN bug that would cut off my internet connection;
    • BlackBerry's Android suite was and still is very lacking:
      • The Hub doesn't do SMS natively, it's stuttering very often and it's not a true Hub like on BB10. Except for e-mail, it's just an interface, an extra step, for a few other notifications;
      • Tasks and Notes don't have the same funcitonality as Remember on BB10;
      • No sound profiles like on BB10;
      • Don't see the point of the side bar when we have so many shortcuts and screen real estate. It bothers me that developing this was considered worthwhile, whereas built-in SMS isn't (and I have to use that god awful Messenger by Google);
      • The contacts app broke some of my contacts after an app update;
      • Hoped DTEK would control app permissions, but it's just a monitor;
    • Unable to sync CalDAV or CardDav with owncloud natively (although iPhone/Mac can);
    • The phone gets really hot during long calls;
    • The speaker broke;
    • The keyboard doesn't slide properly anymore (I take care of my phones, on average I drop them twice in their lifetime and they last for at least 3 years);


    So what did PRIV give me that a Google Nexus couldn't? A ****ty PKB and the privilege of being a beta tester for their Android app suite, at 3 times the cost.

    I'm actually a bit pissed that beta testing and faulty hardware is the consistent BlackBerry experience:

    • Playbook (just from what I've read in the forums);
    • BB10 at launch didn't have half the functionality BBOS had;
    • Q10, Classic and Passport (phones I've tried) - various hardware problems;


    They're saying enterprise and software is their new heading but I don't see it. I see only lack of commitment to their own platform and low quality Android apps.
    KOman likes this.
    10-03-16 05:26 AM
  4. abadbrad's Avatar
    I have been 100% BB since 2007 w/ my pearl...bold, playbook(awful), Z10 and Priv, with several in between.
    AT&T and prin no service has been going on now for over 3 weeks, AT&T sent me a new Priv, 5+ calls to AT&T and 2 transferred calls to BB.
    I feel like I just divorced my wife! I just received my warranty exchange from AT&T and its a ...Samsung 7 Edge (F#$% Apple). BB has not cared to fix or even try to correct the issues, 3 weeks OMG give me the option to install a older version.
    Sad day, just removed the crackberry link from my bookmarks, and won't be installing the app.
    BB you rally need to fix this BB vs AT&T conflict!
    10-05-16 04:48 PM
  5. Lonestar's Avatar
    Wow, i've been waiting for the price point to drop below $500 cdn to pick one of these up but i'm seeing too many problems on a (hardware) platform that is going to be abandoned, that DTEK60 though is looking pretty good right now, i can't survive android without the HUB
    10-27-16 04:29 PM
  6. Paullybob's Avatar
    Well, retired my PRIV to the used electronics drawer... I am NOT an Android fan!!! Second time around on the platform and MM is pretty neat but that's about it. The operating system is clumsy at best, Apps are too open to the Cloud even with the Nannies adjusted and battery life is just plain awful. I can't see you folks who actually NEED a mobile device getting more than a day out a full charge. I just fool around with it and the battery drain is obvious. The hardware is fine, camera is fantastic but connectivity via Bluetooth for some devices was problematic especially through Google Music which sucks by the way. Anyway, don't want to create too many waves here but back to the Passport I go. Maybe I'll try again in the spring, PM me if you wanna buy a gently used PRIV, lol!!
    10-31-16 06:34 AM
  7. polishpirate's Avatar
    Sad to say that my PRIV went back to AT&T yesterday. Loved that phone but the battery was getting so bad, it couldn't go more than an hour before shutting down. Skipped the low battery warning and went from 30% to 0% instantly! Anyway AT&T wouldn't provide another PRIV like I asked, instead they sent me a Samsung S6 Active. Not a bad phone but without an expanded memory slot, it's a no go for me. So I ordered the DTEK 60 from BlackBerry and for the 1st time in months, I can go all day without a charge. That hasn't happened in a long time and I can't recall if the PRIV ever made it to bedtime!
    Anyway, love the phone! No discernable lack of quality other than the plastic case included in the bundle covers the rear speakers which decreases the volume when using speakerphone. So far, love it!! Anybody want to buy an S6?!
    11-04-16 03:02 PM
  8. StutterStep's Avatar
    Selling my Priv because on a roadtrip, all its flaws stood out like a sore thumb. It was then I knew, I can't keep settling with compromises.

    - Heat from the SD808 processor
    - Above can result in low battery life with rapid drop in % in a short usage duration
    - Bluetooth stuttering out when waking the phone, had to keep the screen on to stop it
    - Camera, just not to many standards in non-bright daylight photos. Indoor home photos weren't so good looking.
    - Sluggishness when multitasking. I was using GPS, streaming bluetooth and browsing as a passenger in a car and the performance limits were clear.
    - App launch time was slow and sometimes there is a second pausing before the app appears when multitasking.
    - Stuttering when starting google navigation while doing other things
    - Tinny and raspy sounding front facing speaker
    - Creaky side and back of housing when grabbing the phone
    - Shiny chrome buttons get scratched easily

    Priv is the best looking phone I've ever owned but unforunately, I did not think the snapdragon 808 is that underwelming; bad luck and bad timing. The performance was just not good enough and when I used a Pixel, the difference was immense in everyday performance. I was very tired settling with a less than excellent phone in 3 aspects which is speed, battery life and camera and went with the Pixel XL. With the Pixel XL I get double the screen on time of the Priv from 3h30 to 7hrs and literally flawless performance from battery, camera just everything. It's no surprise it gets called the best android phone on the market for those who can afford it. It's not the best looking phone but I simply do not care much about looks anymore when it looks good but doesn't perform well which is what the Priv is. Got it for only $180 more than a new DTEK60. Bye for now.
    11-06-16 02:29 AM
  9. silversamurai's Avatar
    Yikes. A lot of the comments here have scared me off from the Priv.
    I might have to go to Apple sadly since it doesn't seem like we'll ever seen a decently made PKB again.
    11-06-16 01:54 PM
  10. Ginowine's Avatar
    Why are you guys bought your Priv's in the first place and afterwards bashing them completely?

    And why are you guys worrying about phone camera so much? You could at least buy a real simple digital photo camera instead of complaining each day.

    Posted via CB10
    Last edited by Ginowine; 11-09-16 at 05:37 PM.
    zruiyin and Czos Sosnkowy like this.
    11-09-16 12:04 AM
  11. Paullybob's Avatar
    Why are you guys bought your Priv's in the first place and afterwards bashing them completely?

    And why are you guys worrying about phone camera so much? You could at least buy a real simple digital photo camera instead of complaining each day.

    Posted via CB10
    Not bashing them completely, just pointing out in our experience what the flaws are and why we have decided to move on. The phone is what it is, a compromise between the Blackberry OS that we all know and love and Android Marshmallow which is a fairly recent and modern OS. It simply doesn't work FOR ME. You and anyone else can go and buy whichever product you like and scream from the rooftops about how great it is for you..awesome that's YOUR opinion, not mine and I'm fine with that.

    A good camera is very clumsy and awkward to tote around all the time and we live with our cell phones literally in our pockets today. A good camera is essential to today's social media world and the PRIV camera is fantastic, probably better than my Nikon D3100 that sits on the shelf here at home collecting dust.

    Sum this up in one phrase...Blackberry please release a new and updated OS for all the Diehards...we need you!!
    11-10-16 04:59 AM
  12. Ginowine's Avatar
    Not bashing them completely, just pointing out in our experience what the flaws are and why we have decided to move on. The phone is what it is, a compromise between the Blackberry OS that we all know and love and Android Marshmallow which is a fairly recent and modern OS. It simply doesn't work FOR ME. You and anyone else can go and buy whichever product you like and scream from the rooftops about how great it is for you..awesome that's YOUR opinion, not mine and I'm fine with that.

    A good camera is very clumsy and awkward to tote around all the time and we live with our cell phones literally in our pockets today. A good camera is essential to today's social media world and the PRIV camera is fantastic, probably better than my Nikon D3100 that sits on the shelf here at home collecting dust.

    Sum this up in one phrase...Blackberry please release a new and updated OS for all the Diehards...we need you!!

    Okay but I mean for an example you as a user bought your Priv for a lot of money back then and didn't tried a showmodel of the Priv first before.

    Even though if it becomes android, apple, tizen or windows OS in the end. I mean you could however save, wait longer or spend your money for an another upgraded smartphone or downgraded dumbphone device to bypass the Priv right?

    Another example: If I as a user don't like a smartphone device with tons of options and I have tried the show model first to begin with exploring the benefits of features and the price was extremely high for paying the cost, than I wouldn't never bought that type of device in the first place.

    It's simple logic to me. And to me it's just odd and weird if you wasted so much money about a smartphone device that you didn't like it in the beginning. Before that we all were informed about the upcoming about the Priv's back then too.

    So it doesn't make sense about you bought that type of smartphone device first, then exploring + playing a bit and afterwards complaining + bashing him and than you move over to an another up- or downgraded smartphone device.

    But you're right about expressing opinions of who ever loves it or not.

    Posted via CB10
    Last edited by Ginowine; 11-10-16 at 02:21 PM.
    zruiyin likes this.
    11-10-16 08:36 AM
  13. Paullybob's Avatar
    You are incorrectly assuming that I PAID for my PRIV, which I would not have....it was a free upgrade so I took advantage of it. I currently run the beautifully Blackberry Passport which I am very happy with.
    zruiyin likes this.
    11-10-16 01:04 PM
  14. Ginowine's Avatar
    You are incorrectly assuming that I PAID for my PRIV, which I would not have....it was a free upgrade so I took advantage of it. I currently run the beautifully Blackberry Passport which I am very happy with.

    Why bother and I took you as a global user for an example. Not personally.

    Even if you didn't payed and held the device, that's fine, but for those who had paid their Priv's (Maybe without thinking) and afterwards not satisfied plus they're giving complaits. That seems to make no sense at all for making their akward decisions. This is also why I asked the question globally to all complainted Priv users in the beginning.

    The only solution is to move on to newer or older phone devices.

    My whole point is for some not satisfied global users that had payed their Priv devices before is just wasted money.

    Posted via CB10
    Last edited by Ginowine; 11-10-16 at 02:18 PM.
    11-10-16 02:08 PM
  15. Paullybob's Avatar
    Why bother and I took you as a global user for an example. Not personally.

    Even if you didn't payed and held the device, that's fine, but for those who had paid their Priv's (Maybe without thinking) and afterwards not satisfied plus they're giving complaits. That seems to make no sense at all for making their akward decisions. This is also why I asked the question globally to all complainted Priv users in the beginning.

    The only solution is to move on to newer or older phone devices.

    My whole point is for some not satisfied global users that had payed their Priv devices before is just wasted money.

    Posted via CB10

    I give up...you win.
    11-10-16 07:00 PM
  16. Paraliotis3's Avatar
    Wow, i've been waiting for the price point to drop below $500 cdn to pick one of these up but i'm seeing too many problems on a (hardware) platform that is going to be abandoned, that DTEK60 though is looking pretty good right now, i can't survive android without the HUB
    Well some here user android devices first time in their life's and after 1 day they say I hate it hahahah great review
    Android is not BlackBerry 10 but we'll it's great to have all that apps an colour BlackBerry 10 have no apps you save time by just downloading and use an up not looking for then sideloading then checking if work then delete because it doesn't work then again look for ask maybe which version works well
    Yes I choose Priv than other smartfones security and update support. And the only one made in Mexico!!!!
    11-11-16 11:55 AM
  17. Fr3lncr's Avatar
    Well, I just requested a return for my Priv that got delivered 4 days ago. The main reason was that the volume up and mute buttons would stick and not push in. The screen was also a little loose but it may just be normal. I also found the wifi and cellular strength weaker than my other phones (Passport SE, LG G4).

    On the plus side:
    - I didn't have the heat issues others had (it would get a little warm when charging, but no where near as bad as my Passport SE)
    - I found the keyboard pretty firm (of course, it was only used for 4 days)
    - I got pretty darn good SOT (6-7 hours each day)
    - I didn't find it laggy at all (snappier than the LG G4 which has the same processor) except for app downloads which seemed to take forever.

    I also don't like the fact that the notification and ringtone volume are linked in BB's Android. This is actually a major negative for me as my OnePlus One (on Cyanogen OS) and LG G4 have it separate (I think Samsung phones do to). I tried a lot of apps to control it separately (like Sound Profile) but they either wouldn't work, or would cause other issues that I didn't want to deal with.

    I also had a ongoing bug where the PIN unlock when booting the phone would reset and I'd have to enable it again. That happened every day I used it and I have no idea why.

    So, I'm wondering if I'll order a replacement or just try another phone and stick to using the BB Hub suite on it. I may get lucky and get one with no hardware issues but that wont change the software issues.
    11-29-16 04:59 PM
  18. ShimmeringFuel's Avatar
    Recently got a ZTE Axon 7 Mini.

    Best phone related decision I've made in a while. See ya later, PRIV! Or not.
    02-17-17 07:33 PM
  19. hoytbowhunter's Avatar
    I didn't return my Priv, I liked it so much I bought a 2nd one, I switched between it and my KEYᴼᴺᴱ
    06-11-17 06:29 AM
  20. 62jmw's Avatar
    PRIV is the BEST phone that I have had . . . ever!
    zruiyin likes this.
    07-19-17 02:13 PM
  21. aNGERY's Avatar
    why would anyone return the PRIV? lol
    zruiyin likes this.
    08-14-17 03:19 PM
  22. EugeneNine's Avatar
    Well, I've had my PRIV a year so I can't return it. I ended up switching back to my 4 year old Kyocera Brigaider this weekend. The Kyocera actually charges without needing a reboot unlike the PRIV. I never once had to factory reset the kyocera unlike the PRIV. I can actually use the Krocera without it getting hot or draining the battery unlike the PRIV.
    10-08-17 09:51 AM
  23. ArnoFR's Avatar
    I didn't return mine as it's 1 year old, and I keep it as a "souvenir" as one of the worst phones I've never had (THE worst actually).

    The Keyone makes the difference...
    10-21-17 03:43 AM
  24. EugeneNine's Avatar
    Hah, I'm stuck with mine for the same reasons.
    10-27-17 07:17 PM
  25. laid-back's Avatar
    I've had my Priv for a year n half now and it's working fine...so no returning
    Rico4you likes this.
    12-02-17 10:13 PM
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