I am a Note 5 (2,3,4 before that) user, and have used Windows devices (most flavors), as well as many different BlackBerry phones. I still have friends emailing news about BlackBerry because I was such a fan of their devices. For the week of Thanksgiving I tried out the Priv, here is my feedback:
1 – I was/am too used to the Samsung Android and was lost for a few hours in the BB Android, there were many things included on Samsung (default email app) that were not on the Priv.
2 – I loved the screen!
3 – I liked the pkb, however; I have been away from it long enough that I wasn’t as fluent with it as I was in the past (by the end of the week I was getting much better though).
4 – I had the Priv, my wife’s Note Edge, daughters S6 and other daughter iPhone 6S side by side and the signal strength on the Priv was better than all the others (all on AT&T in the NW suburbs of Minneapolis).
5 – Had issues with push mail not getting to the phone when it was inactive for a period (e.g. >5 mins). I had to open the email apps (I used Outlook) or the BB Hub to have email received. The same email was being pushed to my TabS and Note 5 when it was also inactive (wifi only since the Priv had my sim card installed). I also use Outlook on my Samsung tablets so I know it isn’t an issue with the app.
6 – I liked the security options (need to enter the PIN before the OS will start).
7 – We could not get the Priv to work on our MDM software at work without a lot of configuration, and since I only had it for a week I didn’t want my team to do the work.
Summary, I loved the phone, I hope the push email issue I had isn’t prevalent in all the devices, that would be a problem, and so unlike BlackBerry since they usually excelled at that type of service. I have returned to my Note 5, which also has issues (the default app auto setting is a huge PITA), every phone has issues, it’s a fact of technology.
After Christmas I may give the new Windows 10 phone a spin to see how/if it’s gotten better than the Windows 8.1 devices (the HTC One I had was the worst POS).
These are just my thoughts, based on my experiences.
- Bob