The BlackBerry Priv finally launched last month, bringing an end to a seemingly endless stream of rumors and speculation. And if you picked up BlackBerry’s first Android phone, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s now getting its first software update.

BlackBerry says that its now pushing its inaugural update to the Priv that includes improvements to the camera, performance, stability, and security. The update weighs in at 475MB and can be grabbed by going into Settings > About > System Updates on your Priv. Note that the update is currently only rolling out to units purchased from ShopBlackBerry. Carrier-branded models will get the update starting on December 7.

Here’s BlackBerry’s official changelog for the update:

• An improved camera: We’ve implemented a number of tweaks that improve the speed of our camera app, and re-tuned it for better low-light image quality.
• Better performance: We’ve also tweaked the PRIV’s software to improve overall system performance
• Improved stability: The update further includes a number of adjustments designed to improve device reliability and reduce instances of crashing and freezing.
• Enhanced security: Lastly, the release includes December’s security patches – rest easy knowing your device is protected against the latest Android security threats.

BlackBerry also says that it’ll update some of its custom Android apps starting December 14. Here’s what those updates will entail:

• Camera: Now supports 16:9 photos
• Keyboard: Increased language support and emojis added to predictive typing
• Hub & Contacts: Now includes WhatsApp
• DTEK by BlackBerry: More notification options to alert you when apps use your info

It’s nice to see BlackBerry pushing the Priv’s update out around one month after its release. It shows that the company is committed to keeping it up to date — including with the latest security updates — and that it’s taking its first Android phone seriously, which it should since there’s a lot riding on the Priv’s success or failure.

Have you tried a BlackBerry Priv yet? If so, what do you think of it?

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Google is constantly working to make using the Internet on our phone better, and it recently made two big updates that’ll do just that.

First up, Google Chrome is getting an improved Data Saver mode that’ll reduce data usage by up to 70 percent. It does this by blocking “most” images when you load a web page on a slow connection. If you’d like to load the images on a page, you can do so by tapping the individual images that you want to see or hitting a “Load Images” button to bring ‘em all up.

Google says that this expanded Data Saver will launch to Chrome users in India and Indonesia first, followed by rollouts in other countries in the coming months. The feature is targeted at folks that routinely find themselves on slow connections, as it’ll help to speed up the page loading process and conserve data for folks on limited data plans by blocking images that they don’t care about.

The other notable feature being rolled out by Google will help you to dig up images that you previously searched for and found interesting. Once you perform a Google image search while logged in, you can simply tap an image and hit the “Save” button that’ll pop up. You can then easily find these bookmarked images again later on, and you can even organize them into folders to make it easier to locate a particular image once you’ve amassed a large number of bookmarks.

Google says that this image bookmarking feature is currently available in the US and that it’ll work on all major browsers on both Android and iOS.

Sources: Google Chrome Blog, Inside Search Blog

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