BlackBerry Priv Freebies And Price Cuts Roundup In US And Canada

Canadian mobile network carrier Rogers has cut the price of the retro-styled BlackBerry Priv with a slider QWERTY keyboard to just $299 under a two-year contract, down from $399 under the same contract until now. However, Canadians planning to purchase the device without a contract might have to shell out $800, Android Central noted.

Towards the end of 2015, BlackBerry CEO John Chen acknowledged that the company would have to reduce the price of the Priv sometime in 2016 to stay competitive. This was because the devices released by other OEMs in 2016 would have the latest configurations onboard and will consequently command higher prices. With the price cut in Canada, it is only a matter of time before plans specific to the U.S. are announced.

Meanwhile, readers planning to purchase the BlackBerry Priv from AT&T in the U.S. can now avail free accessories. However, this is a limited period offer that ends on April 15. Upon ordering the Priv from AT&T, buyers will receive a slide-out hard shell case with kick stand and sync pod free of cost. The total value of the freebies is $90.

BlackBerry Priv buyers can claim the free case and sync pod till May 16. To get the freebies, buyers have to log into the promotion webpage and provide device-specific details.

The Priv is now retailing at $739.99 without a contract under AT&T. Apart from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and BlackBerry Store also offer this handset in the U.S.

For those planning to purchase the BlackBerry Priv, here is a quick summary of specifications: The handset comes with a 5.4-inch AMOLED display, 1,440 x 2,560 pixels resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of native storage. Other key configurations include a solid Li-Ion 3,410 mAh non-removable battery unit and an 18-megapixel primary camera.