BlackBerry’s great global rollout of its first Android smartphone, the Priv, continues today with the news that it’s launching in India on January 30.
The Priv first arrived in the U.S., U.K., and Canada in early November, and we said in our review that Android with a hardware keyboard is wonderful. The device has been slowly rolling out in other markets since then, including the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France. However, with a billion-plus population, India represents a particularly major market launch for BlackBerry.
The BlackBerry Priv will go on sale in India this coming Saturday, though it will set locals back a rather chunky 62,990 INR, which equates to roughly $925 at today’s exchange rate. This is compared to the still princely $700 in the U.S.
While the device was never aimed at the budget end of the market, at nearly $1,000, it could prove on the expensive side for all however, the wealthiest consumers.