BlackBerry and T-Mobile had a tiff in 2014 after which they parted ways, but it seems like all is well between the two now, and both plan to launch the Priv soon. Rumors say that T-Mobile could be in talks to launch the device and, going by a photograph obtained by PhoneArena, the wait could end soon.
Jan. 26 release date makes sense
Earlier, T-Mobile confirmed that it was in talks with the Canadian firm, but nothing had been decided then. But a photo sent to PhotoArena indicates that T-Mobile customers will be able to get their hands on the Priv by Jan. 26, although it seems a bit awkward that T-Mobile referred to the Priv with its code name Venice on a calendar.
Since AT&T is holding the exclusive for the Priv for now, the date makes sense. The exclusivity is said to end on Jan. 20, hence, the launch date of Jan. 26 makes sense.
Presently, the only way to get a BlackBerry on T-Mobile is to purchase an unlocked device from BlackBerry’s U.S. online store. The leaked image also hints at several other upcoming events scheduled at T-Mobile, like price changes on Jan. 6 and 20, a ZTE Avid Plus launch on Jan. 20, and some accessory markdowns on Jan. 27.
BlackBerry Priv on Verizon?
Previously, the BlackBerry Priv was spotted sporting Verizon’s bands at the FCC, and this means T-Mobile won’t be the only new U.S. carrier to offer the phone. It is not known for now whether Sprint will also be carrying the phone or not. For now, it seems like customers looking to buy the phone on a plan will have three carriers to choose from – AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The BlackBerry Priv is the first Android-powered device that lays a lot of emphasis on security features for enterprise users. The device comes with a 5.4-inch screen and sports an 18MP rear camera. The device has 3GB of RAM and runs on the powerful hexa-core Snapdragon 808 chipset.
The BlackBerry Priv is seen as the last hope for the Canadian firm’s hardware segment, so making the Priv available on all carriers will be important for the company to get success with its flagship Android phone.
