Slashgear reports that Chen was demoing the BlackBerry Priv to Business News Network. The full video can be watched online and includes more than a few stumbles by the seemingly inexperienced CEO.
Things don’t exactly start off well when Chen apparently forgets that Android has a name and begins by telling the reporter that Priv “runs Google.” What follows becomes even more cringe-worthy as he tries to open the Google Chrome web browser and the phone lags out and stops responding.
A few seconds and several taps later, Chrome eventually fires into life and presents Chen with its first-use setup screen. The confused CEO quickly backs out and tries to launch another app but ultimately fails, instead offering himself an escape route by explaining the phone is a demo unit.
Resorting to a different tactic, the reporter prompts him to discuss some of the hardware details of the Priv. It turns out that wasn’t such a great call after all as it doesn’t seem like Chen is especially well advised on what powers the phone. Apparently, it has “literally, you know, the latest Qualcomm specs” and some features that include “cameras, and other good stuff.”
With the specifics of the hardware explained in sufficient detail, Chen moves on to demonstrate Priv’s star feature, presumably known internally as “other good stuff.” A slightly confused description of the sliding QWERTY keyboard follows as Chen waves his finger about and tries to explain how the capacitive keys mean it can also be used as a trackpad and mouse.
It could be said that the first public displaying of the device to save or kill BlackBerry wasn’t exactly the smoothest possible. The company’s executives aren’t known for sophisticated PR but one would have hoped that the CEO would be able to remember the name of Android and come up with some better hardware details than “cameras, and other good stuff.”
Fortunately, we are already well-informed of most of what there is to know about Priv, formerly named Venice. Several detailed leaks have revealed it will sport a hexa-core 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.4-inch Quad-HD touchscreen and a competent 18-megapixel rear camera.
We do learn one interesting additional thing from the video: the meaning of the name “Priv”. It is a merging of security “protection,” provided by BlackBerry, “privacy”, what users obtain by using the device, and the “privilege” of owning a BlackBerry.
The long-rumoured phone should launch later this year and we can expect more details over the coming months. Hopefully, future information will be delivered in a more articulate manner than Chen provided in this first demonstration of BlackBerry’s first ever “Google” Android phone.
