Leak suggests Verizon could eventually sell the Blackberry Priv
We’d originally heard AT&T would be the only carrier to offer the Blackberry Priv, but serial leakster Evan Blass suggested it’d be available for all 4 major US carriers starting this month. Well, the first evidence of that might have turned up.
One lucky soul took to Instagram with a shot of the Blackberry Priv that was snapped during some early playing time with the thing. There’s not much that we haven’t already seen from official renders, but the software appears to show a notification from My Verizon Mobile.
But before we take that as gospel that Verizon is going to offer the device, hold off for a minute. It’s worth noting that MyVerizon — and many of Big Red’s other apps — can be downloaded to devices which don’t originate from the network. A simple Google Play search will show you that much (and, for what it’s worth, I was able to download the app to an unlocked HTC One M9).
We’re not sure why this person would download MyVerizon on a phone that doesn’t run on Verizon, but the possibility that this particular device isn’t actually running on Verizon remains open. Then again, that Verizon Wireless stamp on the notification tray in the photo is also pretty damning.
The Blackberry Priv being offered for pre-order is still only compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T here in the US, so if there’s a specific Verizon variant floating around somewhere we haven’t seen it. We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed that support for other carriers will eventually be announced or stronger evidence will come to light, but for now it’s best not to assume that anyone other than folks on GSM carriers will be let in on the Priv fun.