I have a BlackBerry Priv, and you have questions. It's time to do the thing!

[bhrgvr]

I think it's a tough sell for folks who already have a workflow they tolerate. BlackBerry Hub has a lot of positive features to it if you want everything in one place organized the way BlackBerry thinks is best. I really dig it as a social aggregate, but as a Google Inbox user I'm probably never going to use Hub for email. The way Google organizes email as a ToDo list works for me in ways nothing else has ever worked.

I am far from the standard though, and I think Hub is probably better than Gmail and Outlook, so it's likely we'll see a lot of people giving it a shot and liking it.

Did not go further than this to see if this has been delved on by someone else...
Yes the HUB is a great aggregate... the more accounts you add the more the hub gets the emails. However in the BlackBerry world of things the accounts are separate and you can choose to show what you want in the hub. Is that functionality available in the Priv, to separate accounts from showing up in the Hub?

 

[anon(55900)]

Does the Recent Apps screen show Recent Apps as stacked 'Rolodex' cards or as tiles?

UPDATE: I found out from another post that Blackberry changed how the 'Recent Apps' screen showed in Tiles instead of Rolodex view! Which is great to me.

http://m.androidcentral.com/how-change-recent-apps-view-blackberry-priv

 

[bungaboy]

There's no point in asking any more questions. He's not answering them.

Posted via the Android Central App

Maybe he is spending his weekend time on other aspects of his life?

 

[bloodycape77]

My understanding is buying this phone unlocked it works with Verizon(and putting in a US major carrier sim will ask you to restart the device and give it your carriers splash screen with Verizon files in there). But, is that LTE only or does CDMA also work in that variant? Can one get this on a device payment plan from BlackBerry, B&H, or anywhere not a carrier store(so upgrade isn't use)??

 

[raino]

My understanding is buying this phone unlocked it works with Verizon(and putting in a US major carrier sim will ask you to restart the device and give it your carriers splash screen with Verizon files in there). But, is that LTE only or does CDMA also work in that variant? Can one get this on a device payment plan from BlackBerry, B&H, or anywhere not a carrier store(so upgrade isn't use)??

Ohh bad idea. Don't buy this for use on Verizon. You need CDMA to register even to be able to use with Verizon LTE, and these models (1/3/4) won't register on Verizon's CDMA.

ShopBlackBerry NA even says something like 'not compatible with Verizon, Sprint or US Cellular'

 

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

My understanding is buying this phone unlocked it works with Verizon(and putting in a US major carrier sim will ask you to restart the device and give it your carriers splash screen with Verizon files in there). But, is that LTE only or does CDMA also work in that variant? Can one get this on a device payment plan from BlackBerry, B&H, or anywhere not a carrier store(so upgrade isn't use)??

If you want a Verizon phone.... wait.

 

[dguy123]

This may be obvious but have not haunted the Blackberry world for several years. Does the Priv require either BES or BIS from your carrier for it to work? I have an old Blackbery 9780, can't use for anything other than phone calls on a carrier like Cricket because they don't support even BIS and hence have no way to get the required service books. In short, do you have to have Blackberry Service with your carrier for the phone to work as anything other than a phone.

No. This is a standard android phone with a pkb and some extra apps. No BES or BIS required.
In fact, you don't need BES or BIS for bb10 phones either.

 

[dguy123]

That's nowhere near the same thing.

 

[anon(55900)]

My understanding is buying this phone unlocked it works with Verizon(and putting in a US major carrier sim will ask you to restart the device and give it your carriers splash screen with Verizon files in there). But, is that LTE only or does CDMA also work in that variant? Can one get this on a device payment plan from BlackBerry, B&H, or anywhere not a carrier store(so upgrade isn't use)??

Here is the information that I think you are looking for; BlackBerry Priv Models and Supported Frequencies - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com

 

[Theicecreamman]

Can anyone answer a calendar app question? Why can't the Priv open up calendar events from a BB10 calendar event? Are they not in the same format? I can send it from BB10 to iOS 9 device and it opens and adds to the calendar with no issues. The Priv says cannot open file.

 

[katrigari]

I am a firm believer of not syncing my contacts or calendar to the cloud, whether it be Google or Microsoft's it doesn't matter. It's one of the things I have loved most about BlackBerry was that I could choose to keep everything on the device storage and sync with Microsoft outlook via BlackBerry link.

Android focuses on using the cloud. Does the Priv work with BlackBerry link to sync contacts and calendar information with outlook? Or will you be forced to switch to cloud services?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[scrannel]

Do not believe there is an Android/BBerry sync as we know it (BB10 users); there is an Android version of BBerry Blend, but again, think that only works with BB10. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[raino]

I am a firm believer of not syncing my contacts or calendar to the cloud, whether it be Google or Microsoft's it doesn't matter. It's one of the things I have loved most about BlackBerry was that I could choose to keep everything on the device storage and sync with Microsoft outlook via BlackBerry link.

Android focuses on using the cloud. Does the Priv work with BlackBerry link to sync contacts and calendar information with outlook? Or will you be forced to switch to cloud services?

I haven't used the latest versions of Android, but at least through 4.3 you could save contacts solely on device. It might be a good idea to save contacts (or transfer from a backup...whatever) before you add Gmail/Microsoft, etc. accounts. When you'll do it this way, the only place to store your contacts would be your device. After that, you have to just remember to not allowing syncing when setting up those accounts.

 

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I am a firm believer of not syncing my contacts or calendar to the cloud, whether it be Google or Microsoft's it doesn't matter. It's one of the things I have loved most about BlackBerry was that I could choose to keep everything on the device storage and sync with Microsoft outlook via BlackBerry link.

Android focuses on using the cloud. Does the Priv work with BlackBerry link to sync contacts and calendar information with outlook? Or will you be forced to switch to cloud services?

Posted via the Android Central App

So far there isn't a desktop software companion for syncing to your desktop or your desktop Outlook to your phone. I know a lot of people feel as you do about the cloud.... Maybe that will come in the future, and maybe BlackBery is done with PC technology...

Personally I like not having to remember to do those syncs and backups... Outlook.com and onedrive have really changed how I do stuff for the better.

 

[bloodycape77]

Is Blackberry or anyone who is selling this(not AT&T), offering a payment plan option?

 

[raino]

Is Blackberry or anyone who is selling this(not AT&T), offering a payment plan option?

Kind of: PayPal. No interest+no payments if paid in full in 6 months. See terms here: https://www.securecheckout.billmela...=8PU3236M&content=/bmlweb/np90drollingiw.html

 

[stevovr]

Why would you buy this phone if you want to disable the play store? This is the whole point of an "Android" phone made by Blackberry...

However you can disable the Google Apps but not play services.

Posted via the Android Central App

I don't use the Google ecosystem so it's redundant on my phones. There are millions of Android phones without Google and my rooted LGG3 runs brilliantly without Google.

 

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I don't use the Google ecosystem so it's redundant on my phones. There are millions of Android phones without Google and my rooted LGG3 runs brilliantly without Google.

I doubt very many of your millions are in Canada, US or GB... where the PRIV has been launched.

To each his own, but the whole move from BB10 to Android was because without the Google Apps... users in western markets couldn't really use it, so they didn't buy it or they returned it.

 

[jeff275]

What does this thing do for a charging indicator? My last few phones have covered up any notification LEDs while charging and that's a bummer. I loved that my original Droid had a separate charging light so there was no covering up notifications but no phone since then has had that.

 

[StuartV]

I am a firm believer of not syncing my contacts or calendar to the cloud, whether it be Google or Microsoft's it doesn't matter. It's one of the things I have loved most about BlackBerry was that I could choose to keep everything on the device storage and sync with Microsoft outlook via BlackBerry link.

You don't want to use any syncing over the Internet? Or just not the big "free" ones?

I don't want MS or Google to have all my info, either. I pay $10/month to have my own personal Hosted Exchange mailbox with Rackspace. Essentially, I have my own personal Exchange server. That lets me keep my phone synced to my email, calendar, and contacts without letting the big data miners have it. And my phone is always in sync with Outlook on any of my computers. Bonus, if I lose or destroy my phone, I can get a new one, connect to my Exchange account and all my email, contacts, and calendar data appears on my new phone in minutes. Plus, if I actually lose my phone, I can log into my Rackspace account and remote wipe it.