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Is BlackBerry making an Android device?

Is four internal sources are correct, BlackBerry could finally be jumping in the Android bandwagon. Yes, you heard that right - we could soon have a BlackBerry Android phone in our hands!
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Published onJune 11, 2015

BlackBerry has stayed committed to its operating system, which is safe, secure and has been greatly improved with its latest iteration (BlackBerry 10). It’s not a bad platform, in all honesty, but all that glorious pride probably won’t get their reach above the measly 1% market share the platform currently holds. A change has been due since years ago, and it seems they may finally be ready to take the plunge and step into the better side… the Android side.

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Four sources “familiar with the matter” are telling Reuters the Waterloo, Ontario manufacturer is getting ready to release an Android device. These internal sources claim BlackBerry is likely to release a phone running the Android OS this autumn. It’s said to come with a touchscreen and one of those physical keyboards that continue to keep the few BlackBerry fans around using this dying platform. It wouldn’t be your usual BlackBerry Bold-like device and keyboard, though. This unique BlackBerry phone is said to have a slide-out keyboard you can opt to use or ignore.

Both Google and BlackBerry were approached for an official statement:

“We don’t comment on rumors and speculation, but we remain committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which provides security and productivity benefits that are unmatched.”

Why would BlackBerry do this?!

One might argue this is a desperate attempt to gain more market share, but that seems to be far from the case. The idea is probably to promote BES12 security services running on other platforms. BES12 works not only with BlackBerry 10, but also with Android, iOS and Windows Phone. And since Android is the most proliferated mobile OS in the world, it only makes sense to try and show the world how well BES12 can handle it.

Would people like an Android BlackBerry device?

BlackBerry fans are plentiful, and we can’t deny the manufacturer makes some rocking phones. And those keyboards… oh, those keyboards! They are gorgeous and feel amazing to type on. But do they help at all?

Let’s put it how my beloved friend and fellow writer Cristina Mora laid it out when I let her use a BlackBerry Classic review unit for a bit: “This keyboard is like a good-looking lover you have a one-night stand with; it feels good to the touch, but that doesn’t make it the best alternative in the long run”. It’s amazing how I answered with a chuckle and knew exactly what she meant.

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This keyboard doesn’t really make me (or my friend) faster at typing. And you can always benefit from the extra screen real estate. Or in this case BlackBerry could make the phone thinner by removing the slide-out keyboard, or maybe add in a much larger battery.

What do you think, would you consider a Blackberry device running Android? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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