Exclusive: New leaked images of the BlackBerry Venice

It’s no secret that BlackBerry is developing its own Android-powered smartphone. Thanks to numerous renders, images and leaked specifications, we already have a pretty good idea as to what the phone might look like. In case you needed more proof, we’ve just obtained some new hands-on photos of the unannounced BlackBerry Venice, showing off the device’s chassis, sliding keyboard and some software features.

Taking a look at the images attached below, we’re getting a good look at the Venice’s display and slide-out keyboard. Although we can’t be entirely certain of the display size, previous rumors have pointed to a 5.4-inch screen size. As for the software experience, this device seems to stick very closely to vanilla Android, with some added BlackBerry features thrown in. For instance, our anonymous tipster tells us there will be keyboard shortcuts available for creating quick tasks and a few others. As you can see from the third image below, there also looks to be some software shortcuts when swiping up from the home button. Aside from the normal Google Now shortcut, you’ll also be able to perform a quick local search and create a new message with ease.

It should also be noted that while we don’t have any images, our sources tell us that when the phone boots up, you’ll see an image of a bugdroid holding up a shield. This is likely due to BlackBerry’s focus on the enterprise, showing users that the Venice is a secure device through and through.

We also have a few photos of the new application switcher and shortcut/widget selection menus. As you can see from the first photo attached below, BlackBerry is making it easy for users to add communications shortcuts for composing new emails, BBM messages, texts and more. You’ll also easily be able to add new calendar events, schedule meetings and see the current day’s agenda right from your home screen. This should come as no surprise, as BlackBerry has always put a big focus on productivity.

In the third photo, we’re getting a good look at the recent apps menu. The applications in this menu will change size depending on how often you use each app, which is certainly a nice touch.

Making our way to the back of the device, we’re seeing the camera, which happens to come in at 18MP. We unfortunately haven’t gotten our hands on any camera samples.

That’s it for the pictures, but we also have a few more pieces of notable information to share with you. Apparently the Venice will carry model number STV100-6 and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor. Previous rumors have stated the device will sport a Snapdragon 808 clocked at 1.8GHz, and will also feature 3GB of RAM.

The BlackBerry Venice is slated to launch sometime this November on all four major U.S. carriers. We’ll need to wait a little while before anything is official, but it’s always nice to see some more images prior to an official announcement. Now that we’re getting some more information on the new device, what are your thoughts? Would you be interested in the Venice when it comes to market, or will you pass? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.