Already available for pre-order, the BlackBerry Priv begins shipping on November 6th. For BlackBerry, the launch of this Android-powered slider is a BIG deal. For the first time in the company's long history of building smartphones, BlackBerry is shipping a device that doesn't feature a proprietary operating system built in-house. Instead, they have committed to Android, a move that immediately solves the app gap that has been plaguing BlackBerry users for years, by bringing onboard the Google Play app catalog and Google services.

When I interviewed John Chen, BlackBerry's CEO, in November 2013, about possibly going Android, he told me: "It's way too early for me to make an informed statement on that. It would be very, very premature. Whatever is the right thing for the business, you need to preserve the reason why BlackBerry is around. I think just jumping to Android without a thought through of why BlackBerry needs to be around and what makes us relevant and all that ... is inappropriate." Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines Since then, BlackBerry has clearly thought things through and decided going Android was the next the logical step. With the Priv just days away, we had a chance to sit down with Ron Louks, BlackBerry's President of Devices, the person tasked with bringing the company's first Android handset to market.

On going Android Kevin Michaluk: Let's just get it out of the way — why Android, and why now? Ron Louks: We've had an Android strategy for some time now – whether that's supporting Android for Work on our BES12 platform or Samsung/Knox. Priv on Android is the next big step: It's a new paradigm to advance security, privacy and productivity while meeting modern cross-platform user needs and filling our "app gap." Michaluk: BlackBerry has until now only ever released devices running its own operating system; what were the biggest challenges and hurdles in developing Android for the Priv? Louks: BlackBerry has a unique heritage in security, privacy and hardware design. While some might say a BlackBerry Android smartphone was a long time coming, we wanted to make sure we had all of the elements in place for a highly differentiated Android device true to those principles. Michaluk: Many Android handset manufacturers have heavily customized Android to try to differentiate their devices and add new features and services. But those customizations can bog down the device and slow the rollout of software updates. From what we've seen so far of the Priv, it's a sparing amount of customization with a few visual tweaks, a few BlackBerry apps, and a lot of under-the-hood security work. What is BlackBerry's philosophy on customizing Android? You will not see us experimenting heavily with the native Android theme unless it is in support of security, privacy, or productivity. Louks: Our approach to Android customization is focused on security, privacy and productivity. You will not see us experimenting heavily with the native Android theme unless it is in support of those things. We wanted to ensure users who would buy a Priv coming from Android would have a familiar experience for them when they picked it up. Being as close as possible to stock and then enhancing the model is what we are driving for, and the enhancements are meant to add additional value or productivity – not get in the way. On keyboards Michaluk: Most Android phones we see these days are full touchscreen slabs, but for the Priv you chose to go with a slider. Why did you choose this over a full touchscreen or the more classic BlackBerry design where the physical keyboard is always present? Louks: We're sure longtime BlackBerry fans as well as new customers will love the unique form factor – which offers best-in-class virtual and physical keyboards. The slider means you get the best of both worlds. Simply open the slide-out-keyboard when you need it, and close it when you don't. Our engineers were able to add the BlackBerry touch-enabled physical keyboard, which can be used like a large trackpad to scroll web pages or flick predictive text onto the screen, without taking anything away from the full touchscreen experience when the device is closed. A real advantage to the physical keyboard is that when the slide is open, our users can view much more content on the screen – typical virtual keyboards take up 30-50% of the usable area. The slider means you get the best of both worlds. Simply open the slide-out-keyboard when you need it, and close it when you don't. Michaluk: There's long been a subset of Android users — former BlackBerry, Palm, and Droid users — that want a good keyboard again. Is this phone for them? Or is the Priv about giving existing BlackBerry owners an upgrade path that gives them what they've been lacking — namely apps — while retaining as much of the traditional BlackBerry experience as possible?