The T-Mobile BlackBerry Priv is the latest smartphone to stay up to date in terms of security, as the January security update is rolling out now.
BlackBerry has rapidly risen to be one of the first smartphone makers besides Google to push security updates to its smartphones. The BlackBerry Priv was the company's very first Android smartphone, marking an important milestone in BlackBerry's efforts to adapt to the ever-competitive smartphone market.
Many years ago, when it was still called Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company was one of the most popular smartphone markers, reputed worldwide for its high-end, enterprise-grade smartphones with iconic QWERTY keyboards.
Times changed and the company had to adapt, however. It rebranded itself as BlackBerry and sought to adjust its strategy, coming up with major design changes, ditching the physical keyboard in some models and ultimately shifting to Android.
The BlackBerry Priv stirred plenty of interest upon its debut, mainly because it was the company's first Android handset, but its high price tag ultimately limited its success. An AT&T executive reckoned as much, admitting back in June that the Priv was too expensive and the steep price played a big role in the smartphone's failure.
What's done is done, however, and BlackBerry is apparently trying to make up for it by fast-tracking Android security updates.
BlackBerry Priv Android Security Patch For January
Early this month, BlackBerry announced that it started seeding the January Android security update for its Android smartphones. The update initially rolled out only to the BlakBerry Android smartphones purchased through the OEM's own online store, leaving carrier versions behind for the security update.
Nevertheless, U.S. carriers eventually started releasing the update for all BlackBerry Androids in their portfolio and the latest one to get the treat is the BlackBerry Priv on T-Mobile.
The self-proclaimed Uncarrier is now seeding Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with build number AAI459 to all BlackBerry Priv units purchased through its physical and online stores. The update brings a few fixes, as well as the latest January security patch, but makes no mention of any new features or improvements.
Considering that T-Mobile has released the last two monthly Android security updates for December and January on Dec. 13 and Jan. 17, respectively, the next security patch should roll out sometime in mid-February.
BlackBerry Priv Specs
For those unfamiliar with the smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv features a 5.4-inch dual-curved AMOLED display with a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (540 ppi) with Gorilla Glass 4 protection, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 64-bit hexa-core processor, and 3 GB of RAM. The smartphone also has dual keyboards - an all-touch and a slide-out, physical QWERTY keyboard.
Other specs include 32 GB of native storage space, microSD card support for additional storage of up to 2 TB, an 18-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front shooter. The handset further packs a 3,410 mAh battery, which supports fast charging and lasts for up to 22.5 hours on a single charge.
The BlackBerry Priv initially launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop on board, but later received an upgrade to Marshmallow. Although it has yet to get a taste of Android 7.0 Nougat, the BlackBerry Priv is at least up to date with the latest patches in terms of monthly Android updates.
BlackBerry Priv owners on T-Mobile who have yet to receive the January security update should get the treat momentarily, as the rollout gradually reaches more devices.
