BlackBerry does not update Priv smartphone to Android Nougat

BlackBerry has decided not to update the Priv smartphone from 2015 to Android Nougat. The smartphone with a sliding physical keyboard came out with Android 5.1 Lollipop and now runs on Marshmallow.

The Priv will receive security updates as long as it is possible, but an update to Android requires new drivers from suppliers, says BlackBerry CEO Alex Thurber in the UTB Blogcast. BlackBerry is unable to get new drivers from all vendors, making the update impossible.

BlackBerry never promised the update either. It is the first time that the company says it has no plans to run the Priv on Android 7.0 or 7.1. The Priv is the last smartphone for which BlackBerry is pushing the updates. For the BlackBerrys that appeared afterwards, the ultimate responsibility lies with TCL, the manufacturer that manufactures the smartphones.

Of the Dtek50 and Dtek60, Thurber could not say whether there will be updates to Nougat. If they come, then Android 8.0 Oreo will no longer follow. That does apply to the KEYone. It now runs on 7.1 and will receive an update to 8.0, although it is still unknown when that will be.