BlackBerry Priv gets FCC certification, official pre-order page still down

Yesterday, we told you that BlackBerry had put up its pre-order page in the U.S. for the BlackBerry Priv. The Android powered slider was priced at $749 USD. But then, all of a sudden, the page was quickly taken down. Many prospective Priv purchasers were hoping that BlackBerry had taken down the page because the price listed was too high. But some new information coming out today probably gives us the real reason why the BlackBerry Priv pre-order page was unceremoniously removed.

Today, the BlackBerry Priv was certified by the FCC. Now stick with us on this. Selling uncertified phones in the U.S. is a no-no. Now that this matter has been taken care of, we would not be surprised to see the page put back up with no changes to the pricing. Those who acted shocked at the price when it was posted yesterday shouldn't be stunned. BlackBerry CEO John Chen has warned us that the Priv would be pricey, going as far as discussing the possibility that the company would offer an installment plan for buyers.

As far as the FCC is concerned, there appears to be three different model numbers of the phone that will be offered by U.S. and Canadian carriers, STV100-1, STV100-3 and STV100-4. Check in often on Friday to see if the FCC certification was what BlackBerry was waiting for before taking pre-orders. A previous rumor stated that pre-orders for the phone would start on October 23rd, which is tomorrow.


source: FCC