'BlackBerry Priv' News: Device Boosts BlackBerry Stock Price; AT&T Version Of Handset Gets First Update
Sales for the BlackBerry Priv, the first Android handset from BlackBerry Ltd., have contributed to a boost in the company's stock price.
After news that the device sold out online on both Walmart and Best Buy, BlackBerry's stock price went up by 7%. The BlackBerry Priv, the premium handset with both a physical and a virtual slide-out keyboard, was launched in November. It was initially released in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, before being rolled out to other countries over the next several months. The device has been a surprise hit, in contrast to the other Blackberry handsets released over the past several years.
According to RBC analyst Mark Sue, the Priv, along with BlackBerry's acquisition of Good Technology Corp., has made "the furthest progress" the company has had on its turnaround plan, which is geared towards larger software sales and a decreased dependence on hardware.
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"We're looking for $98M [U.S.] software revenue 3Q, up from $74M 2Q and growth in IP licensing and enterprise software; one month earlier close of the Good acquisition implies another $13M software revenue 3Q," Sue reports.
Meanwhile, the AT&T version of the BlackBerry Priv is currently getting its first update. The same update rolled out earlier this month for unlocked BlackBerry Privs bought from the BlackBerry website. BlackBerry Director of Software Michael Clewley announced the update for AT&T Priv users via Twitter on Monday, Dec. 14.
AT&T unveiled the BlackBerry Priv in November. It offers the device outright or on contract, with installment plans.
The update, which weighed 475 MB for the unlocked BlackBerry Privs, includes enhancements for the camera app and security patches for December.
BlackBerry Priv users on AT&T who have not received an update prompt can manually check for the update by opening their device's Settings, clicking on About, and accessing Software updates.
It has been reported that BlackBerry may launch another Android device, currently codenamed "Vienna," sometime in 2016.
