They say old habits die hard, and it was certainly the case for BlackBerry CEO John Chen, who appeared in an exclusive hands-on video showcasing the company’s upcoming Priv smartphone. It is powered by Android, but it looked as if Chen did not know that.
Canadian business portal Business News Network appeared to have scored quite a coup, having BlackBerry boss John Chen demo the company’s new Priv smartphone which, incredibly, still has not been officially announced. All was well and good until Chen attempts to navigate the world’s most popular mobile operating system. This clip speaks for itself:
Source: @ow (Twitter)
For those not familiar with the BlackBerry 10 operating system, a swipe up from the bottom of the screen brings the user back to the home screen. Chen seemed consistently lost in his attempts to navigate Android, appearing unable to do basic things like opening the app drawer, swipe between home screens, and even using the Back button.
To be fair, BlackBerry’s recent products all run on its own gesture-based BB10 platform, which was introduced back in 2012. Plus, it has been said that BlackBerry users tend to stick to their devices far longer than Android or iPhone users, which could explain the lack of familiarity.
However, as the CEO of the company, one would expect that Chen, of all people, should be most familiar with its latest products. The Priv isn’t just any new smartphone; it is BlackBerry’s upcoming flagship device – and the fact that it runs on Android highlights just how important a device this is for the company. Worse still is the fact that VIP interviews – especially video ones – usually are done in the presence of PR managers who are supposed to step in in situations like these.
In any case, the video does reveal a little more about the product itself, such as a curved glass display similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, as well as the slider keyboard. You can watch the full video below:
