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BlackBerry Priv briefly goes up for pre-order: $749 unlocked [update: shipping Nov 6]

BlackBerry’s much-hyped Priv will launch officially very soon. But the price tag might curb your enthusiasm.
By
October 22, 2015
blackberry-priv-hands-on-1

Update: The listing is live again. As it turns out, the phone will start shipping November 6th. Click here for more details.

It’s happening! Well, sort of. BlackBerry’s much-hyped Priv will launch officially very soon. But the price tag might curb your enthusiasm.

BlackBerry listed the Android-powered Priv in its official store a few hours ago, though apparently the listing was a mistake, as it was removed soon after.

The listing included the full spec sheet of the slider, which, after the several hands-on Priv impressions that leaked so far, reveals no major surprises. (Via Droid-life.)

SoftwareAndroid 5.1.1 Lollipop
Size147 (184 opened) x 77.2 x 9.4mm
Weight192g
Model NumberSTV100-1
ProcessorQualcomm 8992 (Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64 bit)
Adreno 418, 600MHz GPU
Memory3GB Low Power RAM
32GB Flash
Hot-swappable MicroSD slot (up to 2TB)
DisplayCurved 5.43”
2560 x 1440 resolution
540 DPI
WQHD Plastic AMOLED
High Brightness Mode for Outdoor Readability
24-bit color depth
16:9 aspect ratio
Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Rear Camera18MP Auto-Focus
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
Phase Detect Auto Focus (PDAF), Fast focus lock
HDR
6-element f2.2 lens
Back Side Illumination (BSI2) Stacked Sensor
Dual Colour, Dual 2 mm2 LED Flash – Enhanced photo color balance
4k Video Recording: 30 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 60 fps, 6DOF video stabilization combined with OIS for incredibly smooth video
4x digital zoom
Continuous & touch to focus, face detection, image stabilization
Panorama, Burst, Live Filters
Multi-Frame Low Light Enhancement
Front Camera2MP Fixed-Focus, f2.8
Large 1.75um pixel size
Image & video stabilization
720p HD video recording
2x digital zoom
Wide Selfie Mode (also known as Selfie Panorama)
Multi-Frame Low Light Enhancement
NotificationTone, vibrate, on-screen or LED indicator; notification options are user configurable
ButtonsVolume Up/Down, Mute, Lock(Power On/Off)
KeyboardPhysical Sliding Keyboard
Contextual auto-correction
Contextual next word prediction
Personalized learning engine
Headset3.5 mm stereo
Ports/ConnectivityUSB 2.0 Connector with SlimPort enabled
NFC
Charging+5V DC / 1.3A AC power adapter, OMTP Compliant
QC2.0 Enabled – Compatible with QC2 Chargers
Dual mode Wireless Charging capable for Powermat (PMA) and Qi
Battery3410 (typ) 3360 (min) mAh 4.4V 680 Wh/L integrated non-removable battery
Fast charge enabled
Mixed Usage: Up to 22.5 hours
NetworksFD-LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17, 20, 29,30
HSPA+ 1, 2, 4, 5/6, 8
Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
WiFi802.11 b/g/n for 2.4GHz
802.11 a/n for 5GHz
802.11 ac for 5GHz
4G Mobile Hotspot
Wi-Fi Direct 2×2 MIMO
BluetoothBluetooth 4.1 Low Energy (LE)
SensorsAccelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Time of Flight (ToF) Proximity, Ambient Light, Altimeter, Activity Monitor
SIMNano SIM card (4FF)
Supports 1.8V and 3.0V cards

BlackBerry pulled out all the stops for its first (and potentially last) Android device. Fast processing package, curved Quad HD display, promising camera and, a beefy battery – the Priv checks a lot of the right marks. On top of that, you get that iconic sliding physical keyboard, which is guaranteed to boost your typing experience, and a range of security features built by BlackBerry on top of Android.

Blackberry Venice shown off in quick look video
News

All this goodness comes at a price. The BlackBerry Priv is listed at $749 unlocked, with US support including only AT&T and T-Mobile. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Priv won’t make it to Verizon or Sprint, but if you wanted it unlocked, you will need to pay up. BlackBerry clearly targets the affluent segment of business-folk, but we’re sure that quite a few Android enthusiasts were looking forward to a more approachable price.

According to the pulled listing, the BlackBerry Priv will begin shipping in the US from November 16. As for the pre-order start, it may be as soon as tomorrow, if you believe the ads that MobileSyrup spotted in Canada.

What say you? Does the high price of the BlackBerry Priv put you off?