This could very well be a ploy meant to build last-minute hype around BlackBerry’s Hail Mary pass and latest desperate attempt at regaining lost glory, but whatever the cause, you can no longer order the Priv from the manufacturer’s e-store and hope to receive it in a matter of days.
Stateside, as well as up north and on British shores, the extra-secure, extra-productive Android handheld is now “expected to start shipping the week of November 23, 2015.” Ironically, in the US, third-party retailer B&H PhotoVideo currently promises a November 20 rollout, which may however get deferred before long.
There’s also the subsidized AT&T option, with the nation’s second largest mobile operator mentioning nothing of delays at the moment, but off-contract pricing beginning at $740, i.e. 40 bucks over BlackBerry’s charge.
Meanwhile, all of Canada’s big five carriers are already privy to Priv availability, so it’s probably wiser to take your business to Bell, Telus, Rogers, Wind or SaskTel around those parts. Finally, in the UK, you could head over to Carphone Warehouse, where free delivery should go down “by November 13”, and without contractual obligations or a built-in SIM card, the BlackBerry Priv costs £560 ($845), three complimentary months of Google Play Music included.
Bottom line, you have alternatives if you’re in a hurry, but unless BlackBerry hasn’t been able to properly ramp up production yet, the point is Priv demand might be exceeding expectations in its top three targeted global markets. No wonder CEO John Chen is cooking up sequels.
Sources: BlackBerry, B&H, AT&T, Carphone Warehouse
Via: Mobilesyrup
