If you’re a T-Mobile customer and you’ve been on the fence about the BlackBerry Priv, it’s quite understandable; in the face of the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5, it seems a bit plain in some aspects, especially the relatively meager processor. The decent screen, amazing build quality, secure software and, of course, that sweet, sweet BlackBerry keyboard are all great reasons to consider the phone. Buying a phone on a carrier is, of course, a bit of a commitment in most cases, especially since T-Mobile gave Jump! On Demand the axe, and your decision on a new phone should be a very careful one. It would seem, however, that at least a part of the decision has been made for you; if you’re a T-Mobile customer and plan to buy from your carrier, you probably won’t be getting a Priv.
While you can still buy one unlocked, of course, and most stores are likely to liquidate their remaining inventory, a T-Mobile rep confirmed on Twitter that the BlackBerry Priv has been ousted from their online storefront, meaning retail locations will likely follow shortly after. The Tweet said that the phone is “not currently” up for grabs at T-Mobile’s storefront, but was a bit unclear as to why, or if there were plans for it to possibly return. This is, of course, somewhat unlikely, but it can happen; they did go back to selling the once-discontinued Sony Xperia Z3 for a short time a while back. In any case, if you’re shopping T-Mobile’s phones online, you won’t find yourself a Priv.
This comes on the heels of reports that the BlackBerry Priv is falling short of sales targets left and right, which itself came on the heels of largely lukewarm reviews that just didn’t place the merely “good” phone into the same echelon as the flagships that currently grace every carrier for a comparable price. Price, of course, could have been part of the issue; the Priv commands $650 or so on most carriers, but the unlocked version, which can be had for about half of that, may have some issues, depending on which variant you purchase. While rumors swirl of new BlackBerry Android devices and the company announces it will be going full steam into the software end of the biz, it looks as though the fairly mediocre Priv, having served its purpose as a last bastion of sorts for keyboard lovers, is being bid adieu.