BlackBerry's first Android slider phone confirmed, available at the end of the year
BlackBerry's first Android slider phone confirmed, available at the end of the year
After months of rumors and leaks, BlackBerry finally confirms that it will be releasing an Android-powered smartphone this year.
According to ArsTechnica, BlackBerry CEO John Chen confirmed the news during the company's earnings report. Officially known as the Priv, the flagship slider phone is stated to bring the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the vibrant mobile app ecosystem of Android.
ArsTechnica - "Today, I am confirming our plans to launch Priv, an Android device named after BlackBerry's heritage and core mission of protecting our customers' privacy," he said. "Priv combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform."
Chen previously revealed in an interview with CNBC that the company would not rule out the possibility of releasing an Android phone if it managed to make it secure. So it seems that BlackBerry has finally found a way to make an Android phone secure.
CrackBerry has a list of rumored specs for the BlackBerry Priv which includes a 5.4-inch Quad-HD display with curved edges, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage space, an 18-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization and 4K video recording, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
Baka Mobile managed to obtain the BlackBerry Priv and published a hands-on video of the device. If you are interested in a BlackBerry device powered by Android or miss the tactile feel of a physical keyboard, do check out the video below. The device will be available late in the calendar year in major markets in-store and online. More details will be available in the coming weeks.
Sources: BlackBerry, ArsTechnica, CrackBerry and Baka Mobile (YouTube)