The BlackBerry Priv, the flagship Android device from the company, got its first software update on Tuesday. The update is a maintenance release with a size of about 475MB, suggesting it is being released as a part of the Canadian firm’s monthly security upgrade strategy.
What are the updates?
Four improvements come along with the update. The camera is improved and faster than before because of several tweaks made, and the low-light image quality has also been improved. The overall performance of the device has also improved because of several tweaks made to the software, and the update improves devices’ reliability and significantly lowers the chances of freezing and crashing.
Security is enhanced as well, and BlackBerry said, “You should rest easy knowing your device is protected against the latest Android security threats.”
Customers who got the Priv directly from BlackBerry via ShopBlackBerr, were eligible to update their devices yesterday, but those who got it from a carrier will need to wait until Dec. 7. The update notification will show on customers’ devices, and then they will be required to connect it to a Wi-Fi network and hit the update alert in the notifications tray of their phone.
There exists yet another way for checking software updates. The user can go to Settings –> About –> System Updates –> Check for Updates. Then they will have to select the option to apply the update. The download will start and keep going in the background while they continue to use their Priv device until the time they are required to restart their device to complete the installation.
When will BlackBerry move to Marshmallow?
BlackBerry’s coming out with an update in such a quick time is good, but the fact that the company has not made any commitment regarding the date for upgrading the Priv to Android 6.0 Marshmallow did come as a disappointment to many.
VentureBeat has questioned the company several times about when Marshmallow can be expected. Each time, BlackBerry gave the same response, that “The work has started” to get Android 6.0 onto the device. As of now, because no timeline is available, it can be assumed it is definitely not coming this year.
However, BlackBerry did commit to push out updates for its Android apps on Dec. 14 via Google Play. Updates will be available for four apps: BlackBerry Keyboard, Blackberry Hub (WhatsApp support), Blackberry Camera and DTEK.
