Buried within a BlackBerry press release for its fiscal 2016 second quarter results, the company confirmed the launch of its first Android device, Priv.
This news comes after months of talk and leaked images. We first reported on the possibility of an Android-based BlackBerry in June. In August, Crackberry uncovered leaked images of said device, which was known at the time by the name of Venice. If the leaked images and rumors are true, the Priv will be equipped with a slide-out keyboard.
"Priv combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform,” Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen said in a statement.
This release is part of an effort to support Android for Work on BES12, a system used by enterprises that manages mobility across different operating systems, including Android, iOS and Windows.
Once a smartphone favorite, BlackBerry has been struggling to compete since the launch of the iPhone and Android. The company's revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2015 was $916M, while the company reported a revenue of $490M for the latest quarter. This move to embrace Android can only help the company.
Although this release will provide customers with another operating system choice, the company said it's still committed to developing and enhancing its BlackBerry 10 operating system, with a focus on security and privacy enhancements. Version 10.3.3 is scheduled to be available in March 2016, and Priv will hit the markets later this year.
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