Unlocked BlackBerry Priv gets a permanent price cut

Priv gets a badly needed price cut, but is it enough?  Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Priv gets a badly needed price cut, but is it enough? Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Just days after confirming disappointing smartphone sales, BlackBerry has permanently cut the price of its latest smartphone in a number of markets in an effort to boost interest.

Those purchasing the Priv unlocked and off-contract in the U.S. will now pay $50 less, while those buying the handset in the U.K. and Europe will save £30 and €50 respectively.

After BlackBerry announced a disappointing fourth fiscal quarter, I ranted about how Priv was too darn expensive given the position BlackBerry is currently in, and the level of competition it has from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

I doubt anyone at BlackBerry read that rant, but the company clearly thought the same thing. Unfortunately, I’m not sure a $50 price cut will be enough to persuade people to buy the Priv, but it’s certainly a start.

You can take advantage of the price cut by buying your Priv off-contract from BlackBerry’s own online store. The discount will probably make its way to third-party retailers in the coming days and weeks, too — but it doesn’t appear to have spread yet.

Priv boasts a 5.4-inch curved display with Quad HD resolution, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, an 18-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 3,410mAh battery. BlackBerry has promised it will get a Marshmallow upgrade this year, but the handset is shipping with Lollipop for now.

If you get a unit without any build defects, Priv is actually a pretty decent smartphone — the only decent Android with a physical keyboard. I’ve been wanting it to do well, but I think it needs to be even cheaper to steal sales from the Galaxy S7 and other flagship Androids.