The wait is over and after numerous leaks since the start of the year, today the BlackBerry Priv is officially stepping foot on Malaysia. Available starting December 15, the Android powered BlackBerry Priv packs all the goodness of a BlackBerry 10 device like the signature qwerty keyboard and the BlackBerry Hub software.

BlackBerry's first Android smartphone, the Priv arrives — "This felt like that moment when Nokia's plan to build an Android phone was leaked onto the internet. But unlike's Stephen Elop's line of Nokia X devices which ran on a forked version of Android and was primarily powered by Microsoft services, BlackBerry's first android device is actually more like every other android phone out there with the stock Google launcher paired with some BlackBerry specific applications." Continue reading.

Indeed, this latest smartphone from BlackBerry runs on Android instead of BlackBerry 10 and the Canadian company managed to pull this off without compromising on security. With a AMOLED dual curved display and power from the 6-core Snapdragon 808 processor, BlackBerry's first android smartphone is just as good as other flagship android devices released this year. In addition to the QHD resolution display, BlackBerry has also topped it off with a slide out keyboard that introduces that signature qwerty keyboard to Android.

BlackBerry Priv specifications

• 5.4" AMOLED QHD display (540 ppi)
• Snapdragon 808 CPU w/ Adreno 418 GPU
• 3GB RAM with 32GB of expandable memory
• 18MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilization
• 2MP front camera
• Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• 147 x 77.2 x 9.4mm (192g)
• 3,410mAh battery

Despite running Google's widely adopted Android software, BlackBerry says they did not skim on the security as the Priv (which stands for Privilege and Privacy) comes with a hardened Linux kernel which includes multiple patches and improvements made to the core Android kernel. Beyond that, BlackBerry says that all data on the device is encrypted by default and small things like the DTEK application that detects unsecure files and monthly patches is what makes the Priv a privacy phone.

But how much does this sexy and advanced (in terms of privacy) android smartphone cost? Well, BlackBerry thinks that all of that hardware and software will cost you more than an iPhone 6S. The BlackBerry Priv will cost RM 3,559 inclusive of GST and that puts it up against the recently announced Blackphone 2 from Silent Circle which is nearly as pricey at RM 3,599

In contrast, the new Xperia Z5 Premium with the industry's first 4K display clocks in at RM 3,099 and the larger Galaxy S6 edge+ is also at RM 3,099. So, you will need to factor in whether the extra layer of security is well worth the price.