Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

BlackBerry really wants you to buy the Priv, knocks $50 off price

In December, about six weeks after the launch of BlackBerry’s very first Android phone, CEO John Chen said sales of the device – the Priv – had been “quite positive.” It didn’t seem like a particularly encouraging statement, and sounded even hollower when we learned that the company’s overall handset sales during that quarter fell way short of some analysts’ forecasts. Eyebrows edged even further up the forehead when BlackBerry declined to give specific sales numbers for the Priv.

This week the company announced its high-end Android handset is getting a price cut, fueling further speculation that the Priv isn’t selling as well as the company hoped it would.

Recommended Videos

The phone, complete with its iconic keyboard, which in the Priv’s case slides in and out of view, will now cost $649 in the U.S., marking a $50 discount.

U.K. consumers see the price drop from £569.99 to £529.99, while interested buyers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands can nab it for €729, down from €779. Interestingly, the Canadian company has chosen not to discount the phone in its home country, where it remains at CAD$899.

Currently available in 34 countries around the world, BlackBerry has been adopting various tactics in a bid to whip up some interest in its debut Android device. In February, for example, it launched a $700 bundle that besides the phone included a black leather Smart Flip Case featuring a small window for viewing notifications and carrying out calls with the cover closed, and a Sync Pod that acts not only as a charging dock but also as a device for data transfer between the Priv and a computer. That deal’s finished, although a separate offer running for a few more days this month has the same items discounted by up to 30 percent.

BlackBerry’s decision to launch its first ever Android phone was essentially a last-ditch bid to rescue its handset business after years of declining sales in the wake of stiff competition from the iPhone and Android devices.

Chen, who’s been steering the ship since taking over from Thorsten Heins in November 2013, has been busy refocusing the business toward software and services, though it may push out a couple more Android smartphones before the end of the year.

However, financial figures released by the company last week showed further decline in hardware revenue, prompting Chen to suggest that if its phone business doesn’t turn a profit by September, he’ll have to seriously consider exiting the sector to save the rest of the company.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
These are the 4 best alternatives to the Google Pixel 9a
A person taking the Google Pixel 9a out of a pocket.

The best cheap phone race has been reignited by the Google Pixel 9a, which brings the Google Pixel 9 series experience at a significantly lower price. Starting at $449, Google’s latest Pixel offers the flagship processor of its siblings for flagship-level performance, an excellent camera, and long-term software support.

Yet, Google’s software experience won’t be for everyone; there are obvious tradeoffs in the specs sheet to enable the low price; the camera bar design is somewhat polarizing for long-term fans, and there’s no telephoto camera. 

Read more
Apple and Samsung rivalling phones, earbuds and more due at huge July event
The OnePlus Summer Launch Event has five new products, including the Nord 5 and Pad 3 Lite
Five OnePlus products launching in July 2025

OnePlus has confirmed it will host a bumper launch event on July 8, where it will announce five new products, covering phones, headphones, wearables and tablets.

The range of new devices will join the OnePlus 13, OnePlus 13R and OnePlus Pad 3 which arrived earlier this year as the Chinese firm fills out its product offering to compete against Apple, Samsung and co.

Read more